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Very seriously considering making my next car a used MINI. I have an older pickup truck I will keep for when I need to haul/move things so size isn't a concern. I have a 25 mile each way commute 4-5 days a week. Gas mileage and fun factor are a concern.
I've done a lot of reading and am confident I am aware and can accept the maintenance/repair costs.
I'm looking for any red flags and whether or not either of these seem like decent deals that have a better than not chance of having "normal" MINI ownership costs?
2006 is the more desirable year. A PRe purchase inspection is of great importance if you are not super knowledgeable about doing it for yourself. Forum is littered with post by people who saved $100+ dollars and spend thousands on repairs because of it.
Posting up actual Craigslist ads might just motivate another reader to swoop in and grab a deal before you do.
If you are not mechanically inclined I would have a shop that is familiar with Minis inspect it.
The R53s seem to be in a spot where they are coming off ownership by non-car people as a result of age/condition/repairs and moving to being purchased by people specifically looking for them (maybe car people?). This means many have been in the hands of people who don't know how to care for cars and maintenance may need some attention. That's what I found when I was hunting around for them. I was after a specific car (2006 JCW) and every one had the same noticeable issues. I just replaced an engine mount on mine today, all the cars I looked at had leaking engine mounts.
Do your research on common issues first and go prepared.
hello there it is a scary venture when buying older cars but find yourself a Mechanic that knows Mini's is the Key. I bought a 2005 R52 in mint condition original owner and all the service records from the mini dealer which it was still service by . He is 70yrs old and a car enthusiist the Car at the time had 216000 miles on it and when he open the hood the engine was in mint condition the car was in mint condition as well . mind you i had a mechanic that knew about Mini's look at it and said to me don't pass this up its worth the money .he wanted $4500 and we settled at $4100.so do the homework the 2006 you're looking at looks priced about right .dont let the mileage scare you i now have 218000 miles and my R52 purrs like a kitten. Motor on and Good luck
it now looks like this
If you haven't made a purchase yet then I'd suggest looking at a video on YouTube from modmini. He does a really good video on what to look for when buying a used mini. Best of luck.
