So I have quite a few questions. I'm looking at buying a 2004 Red MCS (6 speed, well equipped). It has 96k miles on it.

I got the price to $8890 + TTL which seems REALLY good. I have 3k to put down, and could sell my other car after buying it for more money towards the loan.

I've read so much good and bad that I'm not sure what to expect. I think some of the bad is coming from people who don't know the technical side of cars. The car is super clean, nothing looks abused or worn on it. It handled well on the test drive with no strange sounds or problems, and the previous owner looks like he took good care of it (a fair amount of dealer service). He put an intake on it (Cooper Works), and thats all I could see. I think I saw an upgraded supercharger pulley in the back that he didnt install.

"Problems" I noticed:
Price seems almost too cheap, but miles are high...
Car has been on the lot for 77 days, but it is an Audi/VW/Porsche dealer.
Oil seeping somewhere on passenger side of engine, slightly damp underneath, but not major, I don't think.
Serpentine belt is worn pretty badly

My history with cars...
I'm mechanically inclined, I've owned 4 VWs a Honda and a Saturn with their share of issues and fixed problems involving:
Brakes, bearings, hubs, e-brake cables, oil changes, power windows (motors, regulators, control units), water pumps, timing belts (SHEARED TIMING COGS ), exhausts, shocks, vacuum lines, belts, hoses, radiators, A/C compressors, engine gaskets, hydraulic lifters, fuel pumps, alternators and I'm sure there is a lot more that I cant remember. I've never fully rebuilt an engine or trans, and I've only ever replaced a clutch on a 1970 aircooled beetle (do those really count??). I almost did a power steering rack, but when I saw the amount of work and rusted bolts I thought it was worth paying someone else to do it for $300...

On another note, this would be my daily. I can handle an issue every now and then, but I really don't want to be doing tons of work on this car, especially because I'll be making payments for a little while. This will be something I drive as I prepare to restore my 1990 VW cabriolet.


Sorry for the long post, but I'm looking for opinions from people who already own them... the verdict is?

 

That's a great price!
here is a link to an R53 Buyers Guide illustrates things to look at for. Here: http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

 

Sounds like you have the experience to fix most of what goes wrong on a MINI. Price sounds OK, a little concerned about the oil leak, maybe you should get an "expert" opinion on that item.

 

They called to tell me that they put the car on a lift and determined that the oil was caused by "normal seepage" for a 96k mile car.

That tells me nothing at all.

The sad thing is, I really love German made cars, I just am not sure if I want to deal with problems. My main concern is the supercharger, because from what I can tell, they can just blow suddenly and cost a lot of money to fix.

 

I know exactly where that car is, and looked at it in my search... I decided to pass. I got a 2003 with 86k miles for $8800 from a private seller. Couldn't be happier with mine except that it had the roof rack so the roof has those unsightly holes in it with the plastic covers...

It came with all the extras I wanted.. The red color is great though. Initially I didn't think I wanted red, but now that I have it, I wouldn't want it any other way... Good luck in the search!

 

Billy, what was your reason for passing on the car?

Thanks for the replies guys, you've all been helpful.

 

Honestly, the mileage was the main factor... I wanted to be as far away from 100k as I could be, but still be under 10K. I had an amazing dark gray Mini lined up for $11k - fully loaded with Nav and everything with only 67k miles at a dealer in Langhorne PA, but unfortunately 11k was just out of my reach.

I noticed the seepage as well and I also felt like the acceleration was a bit sluggish. That car was about #6 or #7 in my search (can't remember) but I just remember a couple of them feeling kind of slow and that was one of them. I also remember seeing a small bit of mushrooming in the strut towers...

I also don't recall all that great of a feeling from the folks over there in Flemington...

This purchase was my first ever private party purchase. The dude I bought it from was actually buying a new mini, and was looking to get slightly better than trade in for it. He was asking $9500 but we settled on $8800. Point is, don't be afraid to look at private party cars. I was skeptical, but it was people on here that convinced me it could be the way to go (though since you need financing it could be tougher for you)... There is one that I didn't get to look at and wished I had. It was also in NJ. I will try to find it for you and shoot you a PM.

 

Looks like the one I was thinking of has sold... No longer listed on the site...

 

Thanks a lot for the info! Its great to hear a second opinion from another buyer.

I'm not too afraid of private sellers, I just haven't seen any in my area for sale privately. The loan is pre-approved through a credit union so it doesn't matter which route we take.