I have been researching some MINI's in the Tacoma area and found this 2006 MINI Cooper at Honda of Fife (http://hondaoffife.com/PreOwned.asp, scroll down for MINI) priced at $15,999...

here are some details...
-46k+
-Auto
-sunroof
-leatherette
-Multi-Function steering wheel

and that's all that's really listed, and it says that it's still under warranty so I'm assuming it has an extended warranty since it's over 36,000 miles?

I am not real good at looking at a MINI and identifying what kind of packages it has, especially when it's at a Honda dealership and it doesn't exactly list them and I'm looking at pictures...whereas if it were at Northwest MINI I'm sure they would be listed...

I am down in OR for school right now, but am from the Tacoma area and would go to the dealership personally to look at the car, but don't have transportation at the moment-which is mainly the reason I am looking at the car. I'm not asking anyone to go to the dealership for me-just to look at the pictures and offer up any information that might be useful that isn't listed on the ad.

Good deal? Yay or Nay? There are about half a dozen or more Pepper White Coopers for sale in the area, and this one was the cheapest...?

Also maybe if someone could tell me about the auto transmission that justacoopers came with in 2006...is it CVT? I was reading earlier about transmissions and Aisin(?) vs. CVT and don't remember exactly where I was looking(I'm all over this forum and can't keep track of myself)...if someone is knowledgeable and could tell me a little about it, that would be great!

 

For about $2000 to $3000 more. You can get an Cooper S with the same year and mileage. 2006 is a good year, and 46K isn't much, but I think that price is too high for a Cooper. If your price range is in that area...you can get a 2004 to 2005 MCS with mileage @ around 60K.

 

No heated seats, no Xenons, and no DSC. I'm not sure what is important to you, but in my neck of the woods heated seats are a must. Also, no Harmon Kardon. I didn't get that with my 1st MINI, but now that I have it in my new one I think it sounds pretty good.

It is a very pretty car and looks really clean. I don't know much about the transmissions as I've only driven the manuals.

The warranty is probably referring to the 4 year/50,000 warranty, not the 3 year/36,000 mile maintenance warranty. So it would be gone in 4,000 more miles. But, it seems that some dealers are ready to deal big-time, especially if the car has been on the lot awhile. We just bought a used cabrio and got prices lowered from $900 to $1500 lower than asking price...

 

We have two 2006 JustaCoopers with CVT. For the most part, it appears the CVT problems occurred in the earlier models, 2002-2004. Now... given the MINI warranty is about to run out on that one, I'd do one of a couple of things:

1. Get the dealership to agree to purchase the extended warranty for you. Given their asking price for this pretty much bare bones MINI is about what I would sell one of our loaded MINIs for right now, they could/should do that for you.

2. Get them to reduce their price by about a thousand bucks and that would go a long way to you buying the extended warranty yourself.

And hey, if you ask, someone local very likely would step up and go check out that MINI for you. When I was shopping for my MCS Convertible, some great folks here on NAM went and checked it out for me (thank you again, Tiggy and Mike) and did a GREAT job of it (that MINI was a mess). That MINI was 3,000 miles away from where I live.

 

Thank you everyone for your advice and responses...it brought a lot of things into perspective!

MrCooperS: You're right, and I'm seeing now that my heart is set on an MCS-and I shouldn't just settle for something else.

Ladidah-I saw that it didn't have DSC after looking at another MINI that was almost the same-and that too swayed my decision...and I love xenon headlights and I need my MINI to have them, I've decided! After looking at the car again I can really see a difference!

CR&PW&JB: Good to hear about CVT-I'm not so worried anymore...
I would feel really horrible asking someone to go look at a MINI for me, because I fear that I would be wasting their time, in the sense that I am just casually looking right now and the ultimate decision right now is up to my parents...I'm just trying to find some good MINI's to come at them with when the discussion comes up about what kind of car I will be getting, hoping it will sway them in the direction! I'm sure no one would feel obligated if I asked them, because everyone on here seems really friendly and helpful, but right now since I'm not a serious buyer...

and thank you everyone for helping and looking at the MINI, you're bringing me back to reality-because the minute I see ANY MINI...I WANT IT! Regardless of what I'm looking for in a MINI...I need to remember what I want in a MINI before getting all giddy...

also...what is covered in the 4 yr/50,000 mile warranty?

I feel like such a newbie...

 

MCLove have you test drove a MINI yet? If not you should try the difference between a Cooper and a Cooper S. It's a pretty significant difference.

 

I'm planning on it here within the next couple months-I just haven't had the time or a way to the dealership... I have ridden in an MCS, and ever since then my heart has been set on an MCS, but I have been trying to be realistic and think about what my parents would think, so I thought I would look at justacoopers too, since after all, it still is a MINI, and I figured one day I would be able to own an MCS, but I know I would be living in regret if I ever did opt out on an MCS for an MC.