Sorry for another purchasing question, I'm new to MINIs. I was looking at the 07 MCS and was scared off by the horror stories here. I found a 2010 close by that almost seems too good to be true, so I'm wondering if there is anything in that year that I should look out for.

It has one of those free Carfax record checks on it, showing that it came off a lease and was sold at auction two months ago, but nothing about any maintenance.

A little more info on the car: red w/ white stripes, automatic with panoramic sunroof, 28,000 miles, priced at $17,999 and still 1 year of warranty, not sure if any package options are on it. All other comparable vehicles seem to be in the $20,000 range. This is at a lot that is 'no-haggle' 'already lowest priced' that is mostly luxury/exotic cars and they won't budge on a price.

I'm not the most mechanically inclined person, I go as far as changing my own oil and changing a flat. So I may not know what I'm looking for, any particular questions I should ask the dealer? Was there anything in this year that should have been replaced already?

 

1). First of all, there is no such thing as "no-haggle".
2). Second of all, write down the VIN #, and stop by at the nearby MINI dealership to ask someone in service department to run the service history on the car. Slip them a $20 or more, as necessary. It's way worth it, especially if the report comes back with "warranty revoked" due to abuse or flooding. Depending on what part of the country you are in - beware of the NorthEast or MidWest "flood specials, *ehem* excessively washed" inventory. This may, or may not, show up in the dealer service history search.

3). Lastly, always find and pay a local independent shop to do a pre-purchase inspection. Expect to pay for 1-2 hours of labor.
They will always find something.
Major problem == walk away.
Minor problem == negotiate the price down. See #1.

HTH,
a

 

That's really good advice! Most MINI dealers will give you a good deal on an inspection.

I just purchased a 2010 MCS myself, and I'm loving it!

 

Thanks for the advice. Is this report from the car listing worthwhile...http://www.autosourcemotors.com/shar...hicle-glossary

 

No.
What you are siting is generic DMV registration information you would get from CarFax and other similar services.

What you want is the actual service history of the car. That information is nor reported to any government agencies, and can only be pulled from MINI service database. Any dealer's service department can do it.

a

 

Test drove the car today, really enjoyed it, not sure if I'm just not used to driving an automatic but noticed what I would describe as a lag when accelerating before the turbo kicks in. Is that normal? Also slightly letting off the accelerator wasn't what I would describe as smooth, if that makes sense. Sort of herky jerky. Like the gear changes weren't smooth.

Is that normal in this car and maybe I'm just too used to driving a manual? The dealer was not knowledgeable about the car at all.

 

Also, forgot to post this Carfax report on another 2010.

http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...MF7C58ATZ34503

A few big repairs like turbocharger replaced/repaired. Is this a stay away or good thing it was already replaced?

 

wow, suprised carfax had that much data. Nice of that dealer to report so much.
It wouldn't scare me away, but I don't think I would buy a used mini without an extended warranty. Just too many big repairs possible. Definitely get it inspected by a mini dealer or a euro repair shop.
Mine was an '07, came with 5yr, 50k warranty, first 30 days, anything found would be fixed for free. Ended up getting turbo oil lines, valve gasket cover and timing chain assembly replaced. Over 2k in repairs right off the bat. Funnest car I've ever driven, but definitely needs extra attn and care.

 

Most of the items are "good things". Two biggies have been done:
- timing chain/tensioner job done ($2K otherwise)
- turbo replaced - somewhat unusual, but a new one is better than a used one

Turbo lag is what it is.
Auto transmission should NOT be shifting rough, but the timing of the gear changes could be off at first. It learns a bit as you drive the car, to optimize shifts to your style of driving.

a