my wife has the hot's for a mini. we've started reseaching what to get and this site looks like great resourse. about us mid 40's, youngest kid just turned 18, and now our turn for the toys. my wife isn't a real sporty driver but I lean that way. live in pacific northwest with some nice twisty mountian roads near by.
I've noticed that there are alot of minis for sale with really low miles why? are they just toys that dont get used or more just the occasional weekend driver? what are problem areas to look for? would the s be recomended over the base model? what year has been most reliable? look forward to hearing opinions.

 

Hey there,

Well, in my case the MINI is a fun car for me to drive. I will drive on the weekends or if the weather is nice during the week. I am not planning on driving at all in the winter as I have another vehicle.

This brings us to point #2. You can find a car without lots of miles. They do hold value if they have the gear that everyone wants. You are getting a great pre-driven car. I got a great deal and my car had a little more than I expected.

From what I hear the '05 and '06 are the best years. This sounds right as it is the last few years of the production run and they can refine everything that wasn't quite right with the car. There was NO way I was going to wait for the '07 + a few years to iron out the bugs, so I got a great '05.

Oh, YES, the MCS is the only way to go!

Motor On.

blake

 

I live in the NW and just got my 2006 MC and love it so far. This will be my only vehicle and daily driver. It is alot of fun and for the quality, safety and style that MINI has how can you go wrong!!! I was driving up to Seattle over the weekend in the pouring rain and couldnt even tell that it was raining or the wind was blowing. It held the road like non other and the ride was awesome. When choosing/ordering your mini just pay attention to the details and the small options that will definately make the difference. If I had not ordered the options I did I think that me and my lovely wife to be would be greatly disappointed. MINI is an awesome choice for quality, style, economy and reliablity in todays market.

 

There are quite a few low mileage MINIs as they were THE car to have for quite a while (and some say still ). Lot's of people bought them as second/third cars and perhaps they're too small, or the 'new' just wore off. I come from a CRX and Miatas, so the MINI is huge for me!

I'd recommend 04+, and the '05+ if you like the colors. The gearing on the '05MCS is superior to the <'05. Still, there are plenty of happy '02 and '03 owners...
There are lots of threads about MC vs MCS. The MCS is a great value - for $3K you get 50HP, sport seats and suspension and ASC. If you have the $ and like power, the MCS is a good way to go. A friend has the MC and it's just as fun, just not as quick.

No big problem areas. In the '02 the power steering fan is on the same circuit as the radiator fan, so if the PS goes, you overheat. There are also several rattle reduction solutions implemented after '02. Otherwise, the later models just seem to be screwed together a bit better.

 

One reason there are MINIs available is that many of us buy new ones. They hold their value very well, so buying a new one may be the best idea. Good luck....you and your wife will love the MINI and enjoy being part of our fun community.

 

Both my wife and myself have MINIs and they are our daily drivers. We kept our Subaru Forrester as a third vehicle for hauling and for those times when we need to cart around more than 2 adults. The MINIs are really great handling cars and they make your daily commute a lot more bearable.

 

First, there's a lot of reading to be had on NAM. Also check out Motoringfile (plug for Gabe ) Alot of good reading there too. Second, test drive both (MC/MCS and hardtop/cabrio). Then decide.

There are good points for all models and strong opinions on which is "better". As for me, my MCC is my daily driver, no mods. Rain/Snow, Heat/Cold. So far, no complaints at all. I decided to get my "toy" now rather than later.

The best part now about owning my MINI now is when I go to the gas station to fill-up. All I do is smile when I see the looks on other peoples faces when they fill up their SUV's worth every penny over $2.99

 

Was that rhetorical?!