I was driving a 2012 BMW 328i convertible for my daily commute 25 mile one way. Sold that car a while a go for financial reasons.

Well I'm looking to replace the BMW with a car I can use for my commute and in year or so pass on the my teenage daughter.

Been seeing 2005 - 2009 MINI cooper S ranging from. $4k - $8k. They all have just under 80k miles. Seems like a great deal. What am I missing, why so cheap, why all just under 80k miles? No salvage title either.

Does something need expensive repair maintenance after 80K? Will it cost a lot to run after 100k, when my daughter is likely to get it?

Any help or pointers would be appreciated.

Sunil

 

Hello Sunil
Those prices don't seem out of order, I purchased my 06/R53 for $5500 one owner car about a year ago.
You've mentioned years 05-09, those are 2 different model years, 05-06 would be the R53, those are SuperCharged cars vs, 07-09 R56, TurboCharged cars.Repairs on these cars can get very expensive, even for basic maintenance:
WaterPumps/WP Housings/Thermostat
Struts,Contol Arm Bushings, Ball Joints
Oil leaks/most common-Crank Pulley O-ring,Oil Pan,Oil Filter Housing,Valve Cover
Power Steering Hoses
The list above is for the R53 Model, most apply to the R56 as well, now add that the early R56's had very bad timing chain issues.

Other than that, these are great little car to drive. Good luck

 

How much do you know about MINIs and are you able to work on them yourself?

On hardtops, the 05 and 06 (model r53) are supercharged Tritec engines whereas the 07 - 09 (model r56) are turbocharged Prince engines. On convertibles, the supercharger was in 05-08 (R52) and then the 09 got the turbo (R57). The Prince engine for the years above is the N14 (also includes the 2010 model) after which time MINI went with a N18 engine.

The Tritec has a cast iron block and the only major issue is if the previous owner(s) did not run premium gas the valve guides wear that leads to burnt exhaust valves. Things to watch on the R52/R53's in the mileage you are talking are the crank sensor o-ring, the power steering hoses, the crank pulley/harmonic damper and the water pump (run off the back of the supercharger). On the Prince, I know people that have 240,000 miles and I know other people that will tell you the N14 engine is junk that is better used as a boat anchor than a means of moving a car from Point A to B. The N14 also has a high pressure fuel pump that is expensive.

Also remember that with age and the mileage, the struts and suspension bushings have seen better days.

 

Thanks for the feed back.
So is there a "better" version R53 or R54?
Anything I should lookout for, signs of coming soon problems when inspecting?

Thanks for your help!

 

I don't really work on the car myself. Handy around the house, but my car I need it to work most of the time.

 

All the things listed above, and there is no R54

 

You are looking at a used car that most likely you have no idea how the previous people that owned the vehicle drove or performed maintenance. In other words you are rolling the dice. If you are able to take the vehicle to a reputable shop that does MINI work for a Pre Purchase Inspection it will be a major plus.

 

Welcome to NAM! We can help save money in your wallet with our awesome DIY tech articles so be sure to check them out if you decide to pick one up yourself. I am also here if you ever have any questions or need any parts.

 

Buy a good OBD II reader. Any error codes that pop up on the car can definitely be a big bargaining chip. Plus, it'll allow you to factor in future service costs.
Check the coolant overflow tank and hoses for cracks and leaks.
Look for any dents (upper and lower body).
Check the undercarriage, on the passenger door sill. Make sure the electrical cables are not being pinched (bodyshops/dealerships may accidentally wedge the metal body to the cable from jacking/raising the car incorrectly). There is a probability of a major electrical short.

Budget for an entire service overhaul (timing chain, brakes, cooling, etc) use the dealership quotes as an estimate of what it'll cost and factor that in your negotiation.

If you want instant, on-demand power, then go for the R53.
If you want a better MPG, then go for the later model.

I personally have a 2006 MCS R53 and I love it. Having instant boost power allows me to drive very defensively and very safely.

 

The first gen 2006 is the pinnacle year and seem very dependable with manual transmission. The reason (I feel) that Minis are not higher selling, is due to the many automatic transmission failures and the bad rep the cars are getting, because BMW threw their buyer under the bus, in regard to these auto trans failures. People expected BMW to respect their buyers and take care of all the failing auto transmissions... They didn't and Mini took a terrible fall because of this. I have three dead ones in my shop right now and the people that had these automatic transmission failures were and are devastated, that BMW just turned away from them. These people loved these cars and wanted them repaired, so they could continue to enjoy them. It was not to be and this caused Mini to have huge black marks against them.
Meanwhile, Mini/BMW worked on a better transmission for newer cars, but just walked away from earlier customers. This is in fact why Mini Coopers are not high retail used cars. I really feel for all the people that got screwed with the crappie cvt transmissions. Conceptionally they were a great idea, but in practice, they proved to be less that dependable!

The Gen 2s starting 2007 used a Pugot engine had that had pension for wearing out the valve guides, carbonizing up the intake and killing those cylinders from getting enough air for combustion. They also had variable valve timing, which has problems with the solenoids going out and breaking timing chains.

Prices vary hugely and there are good deals all over. You just need to test drive them, put a obd 2 tester on them, to see codes and the better ones will show the hidden codes that a lesser unit that will not. (One Like Carista work well with your cell phone). buy a good one that suits your fancy and you should have good luck in most cases.
In a year and a half, I have passed more that twenty five Minis to new owners and most have proved to be dependable, get good fuel economy and drive like the go-cart you never had. I drive mine daily (06 MCS JCW) and it is always fun to drive and I still get around 30mpg with it on most drives! I love these Minis so don't read this as a negative, just be warned that they are not perfect and need typical European maintenance!

 

80k mileage seems high to me. Then again ive owned fords so............

 

80K miles is not high for a car that goes 300K miles!

 

Not in all cases. If it were well maintained and the service was well documented, milage shouldn't be a big factor.
I bought my '06MCS with 150K and it drives like its brand new. Zero leaks and no issues.