I'm sure this is a pretty standard post so I apologize in advance if you've read dozens of these. I'm a hopeful MINI shopper and trying to make the most educated choice. I've been thumbing around here on the forums for awhile now and soaking up as much information as possible, however I would appreciate any and all input from veteran MINI owners.

I'm currently looking for a Turbo 2010+? Mini Cooper S, 2dr, hard top. Can anyone direct me towards a first time buyers guide? What to watch out for? I'm currently going to view a 2011 MINI Cooper S this weekend with about 57k on it. I tried looking up maintenance schedules to see if there was a big maintenance needed at 60k but couldn't find a good maintenance schedule. Any help there would be greatly appreciated.

Also, wondering if anyone knows a good shop to have the MINI inspected in the Bay Area would be greatly appreciated. Overall, any watch outs, tips, links to more information would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to NAM. Since you're looking for an R56 I'd suggest looking for 2011-2013 with the N18 engine. They don't have as many issues as their previous N14 engines, but they still have their quirks. Things to look out for are HPFP and some carbon build up (not as bad as the N14, but still reports of needing the clean up eventually). I'd check over service records and see when maintenance items have been done such as fluids (don't forget the cooling system), plugs, filters, etc. Use this site to help you find an indy shop in your area: http://www.minirepairshops.com/.

 

Not much for 60k service since they use condition based service. Look for frequent oil changes from maintenance history. Left the bay area long time ago so can't recommend any shops. High pressure fuel pump in many cars are now covered for ten years, have dealer run vin no. To check.

 

First - These cars are a lot of fun to drive...good luck with your search!

+1 on what PelicanParts said.

Go with a 2011 to 2013 with the N18 engine. Avoid the 2007 - 2010 S model with the N14 engine...too many probs.

You can use the VIN decoder to learn what factory options are on a MINI: www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html

The only other advice I have is to pay attention to the tires (wear)...the S models come with run flat tires and they are very expensive to replace. A lot of owners ditch their run flat tires and go with standard tires because of cost and a better ride.

 

Listen to this! I didn't and bought a 2008 MCS that seemed good, but I ended up ditching it after only about 7 months due to misc problems with it. Either way though, good luck with your search!

 

Thanks to all you guys for the advice. Overall I'm hearing:

• Avoid a 2009 or earlier because the N14 motor has plenty of problems.
• Look to see if tires are in good condition
• Ask what recent maintenance has been done

I'm also having a mechanic check out the car to see if there is any work needed.

I'm curious what you guys would think is a good deal on a 2011 Cooper S with 57K miles?

 

Some specialty MINI shops are Bay Bridge Motors in Oakland, Edge Motorworks in Dublin and Mountain View, and MINI Werks in San Carlos.

 

* Avoid 2010 and earlier with the N14 motor.

 

Without knowing any of the options on the 2011 MINI that you're going to look at its hard to know what a good price would be.. If there is any type of warranty, then the price will be higher.

A wild guess, assuming it has a sunroof and a few basic options:
Private sale: around $10,500
Dealer: $12,500 or more.

 

If you go to the dealership with the VIN they can tell you whats been done and anything outstanding that's part of a service bulletin.

 

I believe the car does not have a sun roof, however does have sport and cold weather package.

 

Enter the last 7 of VIN here and it will list the build specification of the car.

 

I would, yet I haven't purchased the car yet so I do not know the VIN #

Going to take a look at it tonight!

 

I tried calling 2 different dealerships for 2 different MINIs and both said they were not allowed to show me the service history since I was not the current owner. They did however give me the inservice date and warranty expiration dates

 

My two local dealership will do it for me. They just read off what has been done , no personal owner info or anything. Some dealership might not be willing to give any info out.

 

When buying my last used MINI I got a CarFax which showed what had been done, emissions testing, any crash history, etc. Very helpful.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Run from those. That is ridiculous. I get not printing them out for you, but to at least tell you should be no issue. If they won't take your money elsewhere.

 

Several of the used car websites I surveyed when looking for a used MINI actually had the CarFax downloadable for free.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Is there a particular reason you only want an R56?