Buying a used MINI - help
new member here. i need help, i am considering buying my first mini-cooper this week. but, i am unsure if i should save money and get an older car, with higher miles.
are minis reliable over all? what major/minor issues, can i expect when buying a 2004/2005 cooper. also, the cars ive seen have on avg 60,000 to 80,000 mileshttp://www.minicooperforums.com/foru...milies/eek.gif? any advice would be appreciated... thank you http://www.minicooperforums.com/foru...lies/smile.gif |
04 with 95k here and it has been prettty solid. No unexpected repairs to date. Just did my clutch preemptively, but it probably had at least another 10k on it.
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A guy called in to Car Talk a few weeks ago with an 04 MCS with a noise he was trying to identify. He had 278,000 miles on it, and it was still on the original clutch.
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thanks
what should one look for when buying a used mini?
note: i am not mechanically inclined. |
IMHO, the 2005 & 2006 models have a better tranny than earlier models. After 2006, (the end of 1st generation), the engines and body panels are different on the 2nd generation model years. In the S model, the 1st gens are super-charged and the 2nd gens are turbo-charged; again, a different design, but both gens are pretty solid from 2005 on. :)
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newusersid,
More info for you; the www.motoringfile.com website has many articles/reviews covering all the mini models. Here is a link to a survey you may find interesting; http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/12/...-should-i-buy/ Good luck with your research, warning, this could become an obsession! :wink: |
I have an '04MCS with no major problems, 50k miles.
If I were buying today I'd buy an '05 or'06. |
Originally Posted by bigsoup52
(Post 2734568)
IMHO, the 2005 & 2006 models have a better tranny than earlier models.
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If you are talking Cooper 5sp then yes, the 05-06 Getrag beats the earlier Midlands hands down.
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Originally Posted by newusersID
(Post 2734548)
what should one look for when buying a used mini?
note: i am not mechanically inclined. |
There's many MINIs in your year range with lower miles on them for sale.
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2003 MCS with 63,000 miles and no major issues. When I was looking I knew I did not want a 2002. Some say even 2003 models have problems that still need working out but I guess my very late production 2003 had those addressed. I personally would steer clear of any 2002-2006 standard cooper just because of the midlands transmission. I also would not want a CVT because I have read about a lot of problems with those. However any online forum will only have the people with problems posting. If a car works then the owner won't post anything because its suppose to work and thats what is expected.
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Thanks guys, great information. :)
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