I'm seriously considering an 05 MCS (R53) as my first MINI. The car appears to have been meticulously serviced and cared for the the original owner. It is very tight and the 6-speed shifts effortlessly. It has 52,400 miles on it. The dealer is asking $14,900, but has indicated there is some room for negotiation. I would appreciate any thoughts on the 05 MCS in general, from owners, and what you think would be a reasonable price. Thanks.

 

I have had my 05MCS since December of 04 (ordered it). It has 74,000 miles on it and I have had zero problems. I guess I may be a little biased towards the first gen 1 cars, but I much prefer them them to the gen 2. Looks, styling, driving feel among other reasons. The wife has an 05MCSa that we bought with 21,000 miles and again no problems. For me, the 05 and 06 cars are the best. If the car you are looking at is as you say, the price is pretty reasonable, but no one ever complained about a little discount!

 

An 05 Cooper S is a great car. Just check it over and try to get the best deal you can. Good luck

 

I love my 05 s....
Been a solid car....
Get it inspected by somebody familar with mini's....
Use what you find to negogate....and if it is a good deal, get it!!
Driving a Mini is IMO the most fun you can have in a carvwith your pants on!!

 

I leased a 2005 Hyper Blue s and loved that car. When the lease was up, i gave it back, since i thought the buyout was too high. What a mistake is all I can say. The Hyper Blue is probably the nicest blue to date and unfortunately they discontinued it. In addition, it was probably one of the best years for reliability and build etc. I had zero problems with my three years of ownership and returned veh. with 33000 miles. I loved it and you will too, so go for it and best o luck. At this time i'm probably gonna order a 2011 laser blue MINI S

 

i had a 2005 mcs cool blue n love it... got it off lease too

 

Jump in the water is fine. '05s are good cars.

 

I'm driving the ancestor to the '05 R53 and it still runs flawless. As far as I'm concerned, any R53 that has been properly maintaned is a good R53. These cars (for the most part) have proven to be very reliable over the long haul. Some owners are pushing 200K miles on original engines and blowers. The R53 happens to be my favorite because they are a bit more raw and less refined than Gen 2, just like a proper British car should be . BTW: R53s make great track cars too.

 

Go for it! Purchased mine in Oct. with 56k for under $15k. It was too good to pass-up. I wanted the blue, but don't regret it for one minute.

 

Thanks to everyone who responded to my thread. I will go back this week for a closer look and longer test drive. I think I can get it for $13,900. We'll see if it works out.

 

Good luck! As others stated, first gen Ss are great cars. If the seller is not a MINI dealer I second the suggestion of having a PPI done at a MINI dealer or independent MINI shop. Sounds like you have a great deal in the offing. And remember, we love pics when the deal's done!

 

Good luck! May the MINI gods shine down on you.

 

The dealer sells only used MINIs. He takes them to a new Mini dealer for complete service and anything that needs to be fixed before putting them on the lot. He also presents all receipts for these services/repairs to a potentail buyer so one can see what was done to the car. He is a small dealer, but has a very good reputation with his customers.

 

Still, a good prepurchase is a good idea...and my give you negoigating power....things can still be OK, but will be near to having to be replaced...bushings, brakes, etc...all things that did not need to be fixed!!

 

The 05's are great, I love the handling of the generation 1 MINIs, honestly, at $14,500 that is a very good deal, the mileage is reasonable (kind of low actually) and Hyper blue is an awesome color, I've come to realize (as a MINI dealer), previous owners do take very good care of their MINIs, the majority at least. Try for a discount, but i'd take it regardless. Good luck!