Greetings!

I am in the market for a new car and have always wanted a Mini Cooper. Unfortunately, I am not looking to spending a ton, thus I am looking at used minis with high mileage.

I have been reading up and every critic says something about the size of the car being a major disadvantage. This does not bother me, I am willing to accept the fact that it is indeed a Mini car!

So - Please convince me to buy a Mini Cooper that is in the range of 2002 - 2006, having a range from 69k to 132k miles. I accrue tons of miles on my cars so I need one that will take me far!

..... AND GO!

 

if a small car is practical for you, you'll love the MINI. I'm currently a student, and rarely have passengers in my car, or any cargo, so the lack of space in the MINI never bothered me. If you're looking for a used one, I'd lean toward the 2005-2006 years, because they're more updated aesthetically (tail lights, steering wheels, headlights), and they have all the "kinks" worked out that were issues with earlier models. The beginning models had problems with the CVT transmissions, I'm pretty sure I've heard that by 2005-2006 the automatic transmissions have been more reliable. If a manual is your thing and the car has high miles, see when the clutch was last replaced. Any other service records you can get your hands on are always a plus. In any case, if you do wind up with a mini, you'll love it. So good luck with your search!

 

Stay far, far away from 02s. 05/06 are the best years for the 1st Gen cars. Are you looking for a "Justa" or an S? Automatic or manual? The more details you can provide, the better answers you will get.

 

Thanks so much for the responses!

I am looking for justa Mini, though an S would be awesome. Unfortunately, the pocketbook doesn't allow an S.. Manual is also the preference of choice.

Would you be wary of a 2006 with 132k miles? Other than the clutch, what are some things I should look out for?

 

06 with 132K miles? Wow. I thought I drove a lot. Look for evidence of overheating. The thermostat gasket is a known leaker.

 

If I were you I would go and test drive a couple of MINI's, then you would convince yourself and find out these machines are not as small as people think.
Find out if the clutch has been replaced if possible, or look at automatics, drive both. See how well the one you like has been maintained, signs are usually pretty obvious. Best of luck!

 

I used 12k miles per year when I went shopping. Leases usually limit you to that many miles. Above 15k miles per year is excessive mileage in the resale retail world.....

Hope this helps...

From MotoringFile.com.... MINI Cooper R50/R53 buyers guide.....


http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/


Take one for a test drive one. The car will convince you.....

 

What's wrong with '02's? I bought my '02 MCS 14 months ago with 73K on it to use as a daily driver. I turned over 80K on the way to work today and I have had no issues. I have spent much more on personalizing it than repairs.
In the past 14 months I've updated the stripes, lights, audio system, added strut braces, added good tires and installed additional gauges, but the only "repairs" were replacing a leaking coolant overflow tank and a broken muffler clamp (less than $100 total). I have been driving it everyday to work and even spent some time with it at the track @ Watkins Glen. I wouldn't have any issues with buying another '02!

 

Historically and statistically speaking, 02s are prone to more problems. Your mileage may vary.

 

Wow! Only 500 miles a month!

In contrast, I'm averaging about 1500 miles a week on my MCS this year. And the things that are breaking on mine are only related to 2nd gen cars. So no worries for the OP.

Oh, and that's a cool Chevy! My father-in-law is restoring a '36.

 

before my buddy crashed my 02 i had roughly 58 or 59,000 miles on it.... and that was in december i believe... :-) i babied it... oh and the only repair i ever had on it was the window motor stopped working and the ac coolant ran out in a hot summer in texas... but thats it...

 

As others say, test drive some They are a lot of fun! Especially if you have access to curvy roads. That is where the MINI really shines. If you have some twisty roads around, definitely try them out on your test drive.

 

I did the same as you jdb828...

It's been six months since I got my very mint 2002 MINI Cooper S with a little over 68K miles on it and luckily all has been nothing but joy!

The only "major" things I've done to it is replacing a couple of front suspension bushings, and both front wheel bearings that where making grinding noise and a few minor things here and there.

Other than that all has been good and dandy! (knock-on-wood)