Well, I was told that this was "the" place to go for MINI advice, so here goes nothing

I'm thinking about looking for a nice used MINI.....and I've got a few questions I was wondering if you guys could help me out with.

1. I would like to go with the "S"....are there any years that I should stay away from....years that had known problems with them?

2. I'm 6'5"......will I fit in a MINI??

3. I'm trying to find one under $12,000 if possible...but all the ones I see are pretty old, or have 90,000+ miles on them. If I get one, how many miles would be "too much" when buying a used one?

4. When looking at a used MINI...are there certain things I should look for as far as known problems, or areas of concern?

5. How reliable are the MINI's? At what millage do most people start seeing problems with them?

6. Are motor/tranny problems common with them? What are the common problems?


Thanks guys..hope I didn't overwhelm you with questions. Just trying to learn as much as I can. Hopefully by searching the site, and seeing the info from the post...I will start to learn something about these cars

 

Lol, I didn't ask any of these questions, just jumped into the deep end and bought my 08 Cooper S, three weeks ago. I will be interested to see the answers provided my our fellow NAMers.

 

All of these questions have been answered over and over again. Take the time to read through this wonderful site. Then come back to the NAM community with your unanswered questions.

I am 6'2". You should fit. You might want to forgo the sunroof though.

 

I hope you find your lost questions...

 

I'll try to be helpful/constructive....it's hard to use the site if you are new to it (we should be trying to keep you here as one of us!)

With your price range in mind, I doubt you'll find any of the newer models (r56) which would be in decent condition. You should assume that you're in the market for the 1st generation MINIs which have a supercharger. There were some issues for the first few years and any '05 or '06 is pretty refined with the kinks worked out. High mileage is something to be a bit weary of with a supercharger as there have been some instances here on NAM of owners having to replace them around the 100 - 120k mark.....and it is a pretty penny.

At the same time however, if you're looking at an '05 then about 70k miles is to be expected for a DD. You shouldn't experience any tranny problems with those years but maybe check the engine mounts and power steering.

You will definitely fit in a MINI, however I would definitely go test drive one. They have lots more headroom than one would imagine.

Good luck! Please keep us updated with your decision

 

Thanks for the info guys, I really appreciate it. Yes, I've been searching through the site......TONS of info on the site, it's a bit overwhelming

 

I'm 6'1, I had more headroom in the MINI I test drove than I do in my Nissan Xterra. You would not fit comfortably in my Xterra.

 

I am 6'5 and 340lbs. I fit well in the MINI. It actually has MORE headroom and overall legroom (True length more than side to side) than my 2005 Tahoe.

 

I am 6'-6" and have 50lbs on you and still fit as well. I have more headroom in the car without a sunroof, but fit just fine in both my R50 and R56.

 

6'5", 6'6"... are you all giants or something?! WHAT THE FUUU

I'm six even and I fit just fine. The car is spacious and you don't have to worry about that. I would suggest going with younger car/higher mileage rather than vice versa if you want to avoid troubles. Superchargers are in fact not as stellar as turbos but everything has their ups and downs in a tight price range.

Try to find an 05 and up. If you want more reliability, go with non-S. Look for clutch if its not slipping or making any abnormal noises. Try to find something with comprehensive service records (you can pull those from the dealer)

 

It was all those Flintstone vitamins as a kid!

 

How much more "unreliable" are the S's compared to the non-S models? The whole reason I'm looking at Mini's is because I want a car that's going to be fun to drive, I'm not sure a non-S is going to do what I want it to. I want to have the extra power, and the ability to mod it a little.

Keep in mind, I'm getting rid of my 1000rr sportbike in order to get something a little more practical...but I don't want to loose all the fun. If I just wanted good MPG, practicality, and reliability....I would buy a ford focus or something like that

 

It's all anecdotal concerning reliability of S versus Cooper. You will find threads here about the S having problems with High Pressure Fuel Pump, Timing Chain, etc. The Cooper does not seem to have the same kinds of issues, although a leaky thermostat housing is a pretty common failure.

For what it's worth, I traded in my CBR for a Cooper and I'm pretty happy with it. I would like the straight line pull of the S, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trading in my solid '06 for a used S who's history I couldn't be sure of. I'm adding a few simple bolt on mods. I have a rear sway bar which makes a HUGE difference in the twisties. On order I have a Cold Air Intake, a SprintBooster to make it a little more squirrely, and I'll be getting springs, shocks, and exhaust at some point.

Personally I have a blast on the back roads which is where I loved to ride my bike anyway. I do sometimes miss hauling *** in a straight line, but not often. I test drove a few S models (okay, abused dealership loaners.) on some twisty back roads and found the difference between them and my Non-S to be marginal. On the highway in a straight line, there was a much bigger difference.

If you feel like you need the S, just make sure to have it checked out if you're buying used, and you'll be fine! I'd suggest test driving both.

 

Thanks for all of the info guys. I've got my search nararowd down to a few nice minis in my area (all R53 S models). They range from an 03' to 06'....and they all have around 70,000-90,000 miles on them, and all look to be in awesome shape. It looks like the prices range from around $9000, to $12,000 on the high end.

Maybe I'll post up some pics and info later and see what you guys think is the best deal!!

 

Well...this is the 03' R53 mini that I'm looking at in a hard way. The original owner is an older lady who appears to have taken great care of it. It's the JCW edition S model....not sure what that means exactly, I'm assuming that it's got the JCM exhaust and intake on it..and maybe some suspension upgrades?

2003 S model, lots of options, great shape, looks to have been babied, and I think I can get it for $9000. BUT...I hate the color, and it's got 87,000 miles on it. Luckily I do custom paint on bikes and car as a side job, so changing the color would be easy.

So what do you think...is that a good deal? I've seen some 05's around with the same miles, but they are around $12,000. I'm looking for a second car just to drive to work......so if it's well taken care of, the higher miles don't really scare me.

 

That's a great color! But I'm biased. $9,000 is really cheap for that car, I'd worry something is wrong with it. Between a 2003 and a 2005, I would get the 05, it's a better car.

This is what you need to know:

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

 

What size are your feet? My only suggestion would be to make sure you have enough room to get between the clutch, brake, and gas pedals without your feet caught. One of my best friends is 6-3 and has size 13 feet I think, and he can shift my car just fine, but you want to be sure you're comfortable driving!

 

I have pretty big feet.....size 13. I'm going to go test drive one before I get too carried away, just to see how I fit in it. That's a great paint about the small pedals that are very close, my big feet may be a bit of a problem!!

 

I think the 08's and 10s for the S cooper were the most trouble-free. The "S" models seem to have more problems in the earlier years and they have a poorer rep than the basic models.

But seriously, you should test drive one, any year will do. At 6'5" you may be too tall to be really comfortable anyway.

And subscribe to Consumer Reports for a good breakdown of the reliability of MINIs since '03. Some years were better than others.

Also, I found that used models held their value too much (a good thing for owners of course). I finally went for brand new since I couldn't see buying an 08 basic with 60k miles for $16k when a new one can be had for just $4k or so more.

 

Well, I finally got to go and test fit a mini today I was actually surprised that I fit in the car being so tall! I did have to scoot the seat all the way back, but I had plenty of room. The pedals were a little close together for my big feet, but nothing that I couldn't get used too.

So...I've got another question for you guys. Assuming that they both have the same amount of miles (90,000), and are both in great shape...and have the same options....what's a better deal. 2003 R53 for $9500, or 2006 R53 for $11,000?? Is that $1500 more worth it for a car that is 3 years newer??

 

First of All,

Do not buy a Mini Cooper with an Automatic CVT tranny period. Let me repeat, Do not buy an Mini Cooper with an Automatic CVT tranny period.

Secondly, For $1500 difference, I would normally go for the newer 06 over the 03. However, that 03 looks like it has been babied. Have someone check it out and go from there. $9000 is a pretty fair deal. Put Black stripes on the Bonnet and Roll.

Third, It you want "sporty" stay with the S. Yes, more potential problems, but way more fun.

 

IQ.

I see that you are from Missouri. Where at? I live in the Cape Girardeau area. Feel free to ask me any questions, I will do my best to help you.

Ufomini