Hey guys! I’m currently in the market for our first mini. I currently drive a 2500hd truck and my wife drives a Tahoe. She has a long drive for work so we are going to get her a mini. Also want one to have for a fun sporty little car. We have been looking at 07-12’s 2dr coupes but haven’t found the right one yet. Hopefully I can find a nice s model. Looked at a few, but they were pretty beat up. Tough in New England with all the chemicals and salt they put down in the winter. I’ve been getting good info on the forum about what to look for, and some problems they have been prone to. Excited to find one and start having fun with it. Thanks for the wealth of knowledge everyone provides here!

 

You might want to look south of the Mason-Dixon line. There are plenty for sale on Facebook Marketplace. All you need to do is enter the correct zip code for a Mini S that is less likely to have experienced the ravages of a Northern winter.

 

I’ve seen a few. Even a nice looking one on this forum. Just tough to commit to an entire day in the truck traveling. The ones I’ve looked at look nice in the pics. The owners say they are in great shape, then get there and they are beat 😢

 

This Forum might be your best bet to find a good example. It's likely that a lot of the strange little eccentricities of a Mini will have already been repaired/fixed/modified etc. by a Forum owner. Mine is an R53 so I'm not in a position to give you advice on an '07-'12 but there are plenty of owners here that can answer any question you have. Good luck in your search. You're really going to enjoy driving a Mini. To get you ready, check out this video of a classic Mini race in England: https://jalopnik.com/you-think-vinta...arr-1834339414
I lived in England in 1969-70 next door to an F1 mechanic who raced these and he used to scare the bejesus out of me with his. Can you imagine racing on 10" wheels?!

 

Found a possible candidate I’m going to look at on monday. 2009 hardtop “S” 6 speed. 2 owner car with 87k. Owner claims it mint. Has cold weather and premium packages. Hopefully it’s as nice as it looks. Anything specific to watch out for?

 

I would be careful with any R56S 2007-2010. There's a lot of reasons that they're very cheap. In 2011 the engine in the R56S was improved dramatically. Repairs can be very expensive for many of the problems that these models have had. Just a thought.

 

Best of luck to you and this model. They did have many issues in this model. Be sure to check it out well, before you pull the trigger on it!
Keep us posted!
Welcome to NAM! We are here to help, if you want it!
Read up in the gen 2 area for problems in that area.

 

Thanks for the feedback. So far these years are what fits my budget. 6k is what I can spend. This car is listed for $5900. Well below blue book, but maybe because they are prone to problems? Everything else I can find is super high miles or crazy expensive. I’m still going to take a look at it and see how it checks out.

 

I also found an original owner 2007 non s with 60k. All service history since new. Very clean with no issues. I want the performance of the “S” but would like whatever is more reliable with less issues to deal with. Would I be really disappointed going with a base model?

 

Both cars are pretty close to same $$$

 

I would recommend the "S", as they can produce power and can be modified to produce a lot more power! This stock model is 210hp.
The R53 can not get great power, without some serious mods, but what it does deliver is a tiny raw car that really handles like a go-kart. The supercharger brings on the power with a steady climb, which makes going fast through the twisties a great experience!

My daily 06 MCS JCW has almost 160K miles on it now and is still tight and powerful, for this model. It is so much fun to drive and exudes a quality feel!

It reallydrives like a co-kart on rails!

The chrono package is a must for me!


Don't rule out this model, before trying it!

 

I ended up buying the 2007 with 60k. Car has been meticulously maintained by the original owner with full service history since new.