Hey everyone, me and my wife are currently looking at buying a MCS after we sold off her Z4 and soon (my E36). We decided we wanted to stay in the bimmer family and go with a Mini!

We are excited, but we are limited by our budget. We would like to stay within the 10k range (not much higher).

Most of the ones we have found are 2002-2003, I have checked out the commons issus that these cars have and I am a bit of a wrencher so any basic maintenance things that need done I can do, but I want it to be reliable and well taken care of (interior/exterior/engine).

Are we being realistic in our hunt to find a MCS in the 10k range with less than 80k miles? We live in San Diego, and I have seen a few MCS on here close to that price, but we really want to stay below 10k.

Ideally would be nice to get a 2004 + for 10k, but that may be a stretch.. but worth a shot!

 

Not an S, but the price looks good and it might be in CA.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t/10412/cat/12

 

I looked at an '02.. had an engine light, dead battery, and some really bad yo-yo (as I've come to learn) on the throttle... week later I bought an '05 that was $16k as opposed to the ~10k threshold I was originally contemplating as well. not to scare you or anything, but the newer the better...

 

In my opinion you should get an S , I think I would have regretted it if I settled for "justacooper". Keep looking I found an 04 mint condition 1 owner and 45k on odometer a few months back paid 15k but it did have the "works" pkg . was the color and condition I wanted so I bit the bullet and paid more than I really wanted. I am not a bit disappointed in my decision.

 

I agree, there are plenty of normal coopers out there. I realize I am asking a lot for the money I have, but I think it may be possible within $500 of what my budget.

Thanks for the help, encouragement! We are looking forward to getting a Mini!

 

I knew from the start that I was shopping for an S... c'mon, going from a ~150-160+whp eclipse (only butt dynoed) to a non-S cooper of 120 brake horsepower... uh, no. :D
besides, supercharger whine is addicting. that '02 I drove may have had some noticeable issues but once you accelerated, hehe..

 

I'm sure with a bit of looking you can find one close to your budget. I love my '02, and with 83,000 miles still gives me the ear to ear grin everytime I drive it.
I have had to replace my supercharger, coolant overflow tank, thermostat and power steering pump fan...everything else was a mod....so the good ones are out there, you just gotta be willing to look!
Best of luck to you, and let us know how it turns out!

 

I'm in San Diego and am selling my 2005 MCS, and CarMax will pay me $13k (and they always lowball). I'm inclined to say that if you are able to find a low-miles MCS for the money you're looking to spend, you'd better have a mechanic you trust check it out first. I know CarMax checked mine out pretty thoroughly, so that is why I am going to make sure I stick to my price which is right at what Kelly Blue Book says I should be able to get for it.

 

Well you keep looking and maybe you will find that 10K S. You say your'e handy with the wrench so you can probably handle the smaller repairs just hope the car you find won't have any major faults for a while. A good pre purchase check out by a experienced MINI service person is a must when you buy what will probably be a high mileage unit.

 

Keep looking Lunarc. I bought an '03 MCS in January w/72k miles to replace my BMW 540i/6. I found mine on craigslist and paid a private party $8500 for it. It even came with snow tires and wheels. I am loving it and glad that I waited for the right deal to come along.

 

If you have the cash ready just have patience and keep looking till you find. In the meanwhile keep saving in case you find one to your specs but more expensive. Have it checked out too.