When do things start to go bad

Would you consider a used Mini with 90k, 60k, etc? Are some years more robust than others? How about high mileage S vs non-S?

I am looking at used Minis but want to stay away from anything over 40k miles, good plan?

 

Trying to judge a cars condition by mileage alone is like trying to determine the skill of a basketball player by height alone. While it is true that higher mileage vehicles will have more problems in general it is often more important how the car has been driven and taken care of.

Your question will also depend on if you are looking at a first generation or second generation car.

Generally it is best to buy the lowest mileage, best condition car you can afford. If it is bought from a dealership they will recondition the vehicle and all of their vehicles will look similar. If it is a private sale you can often find more valuable information from the owner. I like to talk to the person who owned, maintained, worked on, etc. the car. How did it get used? How many people drove it? Where was it serviced? How knowledgeable are they about the car? How passionate are they about the car. I like the person who is looking for a good new home for the car, not just trying to sell it.

As for the meat of your question, there are quite a few threads here on NAM that address the specific weaknesses of the two generations, and the various years of manufacture. If you are like most people you will find the search function a bit difficult. I will pass along the advice I was given here, which is to use Google, type in what you are looking for along with "North American Motoring" in your search terms and you will have more success with your quest.

And by all means, fire away with more specific questions when you get them.

 

It depends on the year also. If it is at 100k for an 08 like a friend has then that is way too much. If it is say an 02 and has a 100k that isn't too bad as that is right around avg mileage(10-12k a year is avg mileage).

 

It's not really possible to judge the condition of any car using only the seat of your pants and The Force alone, or looking the seller in the eye and guessing if you believe their story. The answer is to pay a reputable mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection. You end up spending $50 or so on a few cars that you don't end up buying, but that's the cost of (intelligently) making a purchase.

Even so, any used car is a gamble. Unfortunately, any new car is also a gamble, so you have to just do your best. And of course do your homework and read the many used car buying guides from Consumer Reports, The Car Guys, etc.

 

Well, this car will be my primary transportation. I put at least 12k miles a year on cars, mostly because of my commute. My drive is 60 miles a day, about 40 of them highway. I cant really afford or justify two cars, because I dont drive at all on the weekend. I would rather have one fun, reasonably affordable and efficient car.