My son is 16, saving to buy his first car, a Mini S, preferably 04-06 in the $8,000 to $10,000 price range. Any advice on what to avoid or look for and what extended warranty is recommended?

 

seeing as how he's 16 and is probably everything that comes w/ being new to driving I'd take the extended warranty and max insurance

Nothing against your son, but I cringe anytime I hear "16 year old" in the same sentence as any nice/powerful car

I would honestly get him something bigger while he's still a greenhorn.....cause while you can have a lot of fun in a cooper S, you can also get into a lot of trouble w/ a cooper S if you don't know what you're doing/doing something stupid.

I mean my first car was a 94 Dodge Dakota, and I beat the hell out of that thing learning to drive, but the thing was basically a tank w/ a truck bed so it was fine....a mini I doubt would fare as well, though it would take a lot more effort/screwing up to hit something in one. Maybe look into base models I know the 02 had 90HP chrysler engines but the later models (like my checkmate) got the 115hp BMW engines and they're plenty fast enough for daily driving

 

I would teach him mechanics, or have him enroll in a course somewhere. ANY European car is going to be a bit more finicky than average, and MINI is FAR from an exception. But they are easy to work on, and most problems are relatively small. Paying shop labor to change a power steering pump motor, for instance, will be a big hit to a new drivers wallet. But doing it oneself, can be fun and satisfying. Not to mention, basic mechanics is a skill he will use for a lifetime.