Hi, I'm a MINI owner to be (I hope). Been wanting a MINI for 3 or 4 years, but there has been little selection in Alaska. There are few used MINI's for sale locally and it got me to thinking - Why would anyone who would buy a MINI sell it (her/him)? If you have had to give-up your MINI, why?

I can see finacial, but other than a change in income, why was themaintenance/upkeep too high?

Another reason could be up-grading, but what was wrong with the first MINI?

There are lots of reasons to give-up a "car", but why a MINI?

Thanks for any input you can provide.

Mark

 

I bought mine off a guy that needed money for college. He loved his MINI but thought that an education was more important (smart kid huh?). So it was more out need than want that he sold it. Other people just have car ADD.

 

MCS...JCW? MCS...JCW? MCS...JCW? mmmmmmm...JCW

 

<Mark>,

I’ve struggled with this question also. After a year and a half of MINI ownership, I’ve come to the conclusion that every used MINI on the market represents some terrible tragedy: a death, a divorce, mental illness (i.e., insanity). Other explanations just don’t ring true.

 

Gave up my MCS for a JCW recently. Who knows where the old one went, haven't seen it at the dealer.

 

I got mine from a girl that bought it, paid it off, and bought another.

I have a friend that got one, when a girl owned it, was married, found out she was pregnant, and chose to sell.

Me personally, I will keep mine- I am getting married next year, will keep it when I get pregnant later down the road - I don't care about getting a car seat in and out.

I love my MINI!!! BY then, I may have gotten a new one. I love MINIS!

 

Many a used MINI are in the government's witness relocation program, although it's a known fact that most stoolies prefer the mild weather of San Diego, CA to Alaska's slightly more temperate climate.

Seriously, personal conditions change whether it be finances, family size, relocation, trade-in on a newer model. Give yourself some time and I'm sure you'll find a good used MINI.

 

They come from the mommy's belly.


Not all MINI owners are Miniacs - some people actually buy them because they are decent commuter cars (tip- they are the people who give you weird looks when you give them the wave.) Some people buy them because they were the newest trendy thing but now the Honda hybrid is out and the neo-hippies like them better now.

Some of us - like me - are thinking of buying an automatic S so our pride and joy is for sale.

 

I was looking to buy a MCS from a private seller (until he backed out...he was too in love with his car!...and I ended up ordering one from the dealer). He was planning on selling his MCS to buy a JCW, and was at the same time going to be buying a MCC for his wife!

I thought that he couldn't have given me a better answer to the "Why are you selling your car?" question.

 

You will find alot of people around here who got another MINI......But the number 1 reason you will find any newer car on the used market is that people come to thier senses and realize (too late) that a car is rapidly deprecitaing and sucking money that the must sell to buy a house go to college or have a child....all three things ought to be concidered BEFORE buying a new car and at least 2 of the three completed, before strolling into a dealer.....but nobody ever listens, more and more the community is getting full of 18 and 19 yr olds who at best have concidered one of the afore mentioned milestones and as a result more and more cars come available......Not to mention those who really cant do math and get a new car more often than they buy new underwear.

See, because .....I wish this were true, i wish people would actually OWN thier cars. would get cars they actually like at a point in life they can actually keep them....I have talked to too many people who someplace have a picture of some cool car they had when they were younger that they wished they had back.....and long ago I saw the lesson in this and determined not to be as foolish as them, and take any oppertunity to try to steer others away from having such pitiful stories.

If you are looking for a MINI.....be sure that you can keep it!

 

Welcome to NAM

Long Story but read https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=78556

For me ... not reliable enough for a daily driver for my wife (i.e., not worth the aggravation dealing with dealers and the fear of "limp" mode and lately the dreaded Cold Start Stumble.

 

Planeguy ... THAT was an excellent answer and the first time I've ever read that written in a coherent fashion here. You are right on the money. Some Elise ownsers have taken a serious hit on their 2005s learning its hard to live with an Elise. I know I've bought cars and had to sell it to buy a house. I didnt learn either when young. Props to your answer



Let me add a little bit to this because in principle, I agree with this but there may be other factors.

Some ppl like collecting cars in their "stable". I've seen lots of sigs with 5 - 20 cars in it! Nothing wrong with that, everyone has their own needs and hobbies. In our case, we "owned" our car from day 1 (clear title). We had contemplated keeping it around as a third car to play with (at that point, do whatever mods I wanted). There were two deciding factors not to do that:

1. No real desire to carry the insurance costs ... money that could be saved
2. Rapid depreciation. Despite whatever the press says about resale value, once those Turbos are on the street about Jan - Mar, 07, I believe 100% your going to see rapid depeciation, especially in the newer cars (just my opinion).
3. One word "Turbo". The tuners are going to get far more HP out of a Turbo car than a SC car (there is a reason, for example, that Toyota went from a supercharged MR2 to a Turbocharged MR2 ... power).

 

We bought our Copper S JCW used from a guy that own a few car dealerships. He had a collection of cars so after a few months even when he enjoyed driving the MINI he decided to sell it. Good for us as we basically bought a new car but didn't paid the premium.

A lot of people get addicted to the new car smell, or want to upgrade form a Cooper to a Cooper S to a JCW for more power.

Other people just decide to start a family and run to buy a Mini Van or a SUV because "that's what families do" plus they think is so save to be in these big heavy cars but they never adjust their driving to these bigger and heavier trucks and they become the hazard in the road that you have to avoid , good thing you are driving a MINI and can handle your way around these big moving chicanes.

 

Owning a vehicle - nearly a lost art.

 

I've got two carseats in ours, No Problem, Man!
Jason

 

I bought mine used. It only took 4 days from seeing it on the corner of a Mazda dealership to me driving it. This one was a lease that had run out and it was turned in, low miles, well cared for. So some appear after the lease is up.

I would add that I think there are also people who see a vehicle, like the look, then realize after the fact that it's not really the "ride" they wanted. We all know the MINI doesn't have the soft ride of a large 4-door. You really need to love the performance more than the ride.

I'm not worried about the resale value. I'll drive this MINI daily until it's days are done. You know, rode hard and put away wet. Well, wait a minute. I don't have a garage here in Ohio so it is wet a lot.

Lastly, I don't collect, I buy for transportation in a package I'll enjoy. It will be loved and babied until the next I-must-have-that package comes along.

 

I originally bought new in '03, but it got totalled due to water damage. As soon as I got the settlement check, I bought used one. For roughly the same price as I bought my '03 Cooper, I got an '02 MCS that looks almost the same with more options. Love that extra HP.

 

I went back and forth between the Cooper and the S back in 2002. I decided to go with the Cooper and loved her! But as soon as the MCS was available in Jet Black, I just HAD TO HAVE ONE!! If I could have kept the Pure Silver Cooper, I would have. I traded her in for my Wicked Wanda and have never regretted it. I found out that my '02 went to a nice lady who fell in love with her, which made me feel very relieved!

 

Quite simply, even in the Misty Isles there are orphans. They wander out from the fog, lost and disoriented. Lost or rejected for whatever reason. Some will be trained into the mighty warriors of the SCCA or the sleek athletes of the autocross. Some will ralley to the cry. Others will settle into a more sedate life of the spirited daily commute. In the end they will be mostly lost to the rust of time. Some will be reborn by generations to come. Why? Just like their peers before them, they are MINI. Timeless and precious.
Where will your MINI be forty years hence?

 

I don't know, but I won't be driving it. If I'm still stuck on this rock called Earth, I'm sure they'll have taken my operator's license away by then.

 

mine came from a guy who was being relocated by IBM from NYC to Shanghi, China! Great deal he was looking at making lease payments for a car sitting in storage...

 

My 04 came from a guy who traded it in on a much faster German Sport Sedan (M5).

 

I like cars. I have bought/owned/leased/made payments on close to 20 cars since I started driving 34 years ago (along with a bunch of motorcycles.) Everyone of those smiled at my when I purchased it, had some wonderful memories associated with it, then was layed aside like an empty dress when it was time for the next one. Looking back, there's a few in there I wish I still had, but I have neither the unlimited funds, room, or inclination to start a collection. I favor new technology to a point, there's no way cars from 20 years ago compare favorably with today's. I had wanted a MINI since they came out here, finally realized outright ownership in November of last year. Will I keep this car forever? Maybe, but nothing in life is certain. I currently have a Porsche Cayman on order, plan is to keep the MINI alongside it. If/when the MINI goes, it will be replaced with something equally entertaining. MINI's are tres cool, but hardly the only car in the world with fanatical owners.

 

I absolutely love my MINI but in 2-3 years I will probably upgrade to an MCS or JCW. The only thing stopping me from satisfying my need for speed is money... Damn student loans! So at least some of them on the market just come from those who want a more powerful MINI. And I'm sure a lot of others are just MINIs that come off leases from non-MINIacs who are looking to upgrade to the next "IN" car...

 

I think many cars end up back on the market because of the lease option. I have several friends, mature adults who never "buy" a car, they always lease... and when the end of the lease comes up they either have to come up with a huge chunk of dough that is worth more than the car or they have to trade into a new lease. It's a never ending cycle that is vicious. Sure, if you like having car payments as a way of life I guess it wouldn't be too bad .... not me.