I am looking for a used Clubman. I am 72 years old, and I have 2 BMW cars and 2 BMW motorcycles. The Mini will be a third, fun, chore car. I have looked at several, most of them 2008-2011 vintage. Many of them have 90,000+ miles, and a few are low (less than 30,000) miles.

I prefer an S model, with 6-speed manual transmission, but I am not firm on that. I found one that I really like, but it has a rebuilt title. I saw photos of the damages, and they only visible damage is the front bumper, including the headlights and grill, looked like they had fallen off. There was no visible damage to either the hood or the front fenders. The seller told me the Check Engine Light came on, and he said it’s a mass air flow sensor problem.

What things should I be looking for in cars like this? As a BMW owner, I am used to high maintenance and repair costs, but I don’t like surprises!

 

Get a PRE Purchase inspection before you buy ANYTHING. With a car like that there is 50+ things that can cause a Mass air fault so just saying it's a sensor is like throwing something at the wall and you could quickly be in for an expensive repair.

 

Hi and welcome to NAM!
Don't pass up looking at Gen 1's hatch 2002/2006 convertible to 2008.
These years had the supercharger and nice smooth increasing power, they handle like street legal go-karts and are so fun to drive!

 

Welcome to NAM.
I'm relatively new to Mini ownership and have owned an R55 JCW for just over a year now (170,000 km). I love it, I love it, I love it!
My list of minor issues has been:
Worn suspension bushings
Suicide door stuck and won't open
PCV valve tear
Sometimes stuck or sometimes won't close sunroof
A/C blower motor on its last legs
Normal but this engine likes to drink a bit of oil and is a bit noisy