Not nearly as much--depreciation drops pretty much every year for most cars. You take the biggest hit the instant you drive the car off the lot; something like 10%-20% of the car's value disappears in that one instant.

Five years down the road, you may take 5% for the whole year.


That assumes that moving to a new insurance company will save you $100. (You don't by chance believe all of the insurance adds that claim that you will save $400/year by switching?)


You must have the crappiest dealer in the entire country. I'm in and out of the dealer the same day for an oil change. I go there in the morning, drop the car off, pick up the loaner, then come back in the afternoon and drop off the loaner and pick up the freshly-washed MINI. No second car needed, no muss no fuss.


Evidently you love making payments on a car. Up until the MINI, I have only bought used cars, and I have kept them for somewhere between 6 and 10 years (in addition to my "hobby car", which I've owned for 20 years now). I keep up on the maintenance, I do what I can myself, and pay for repairs as needed. I've come out way ahead financially; instead of only owning five cars (plus the hobby car) total, I would have paid for twelve cars total by trading them in when the tires wore out...

In my case at least, your numbers don't add up. Yours may be better for your situation, but yours is not everyone's.

 

+1, very good points I was going to add but you took it out of my mouth.

 

I must say that reliability is what got my out of my MINIs. I couldn't justify the expense anymore, though it was fun to drive.

 

Speaking of reliability...my 06 Jeep Rubicon LJ just got hit with a $500 camshaft syncronizer issue at 70k. I also laughed when they quoted me $1500 for the ball joints. Seriously? Mini is like every other niche vehicle......use it as intended and it wears out prematurely. Take care of it and it takes care of you

 

Good minds think alike tampadave!

 

once you realize it your set free they are junk

 

I ran cars for years for business so it does vary by person. Making payments sometimes and sometimes cash. Just depends. Lately with 1.9% money I finance as that is almost free. I can do better with my cash. I like cars as I tend to flip them when I get bored and the deal is right. There is definitely a cost.


My dealer gets my car back the same day for an oil change. It just making the appointment. It like getting an appointment to see the Pope. Only car I have ever experienced this with and I have used both dealers here. Carlo gets my Maserati in like I am making a Spa appointment.

 

Currently been looking at Rubicon's. That does not surprise me. I was looking used but the resale value is high you still have these problems. Easier to go new. I will never keep it that long but you never know.

 

My wife loved her Jag and it was a good car for us. We had purchased it used with 36K on it. At 4K a year you will have plenty time with your baby. I really like the new F type. But when you get past 50K things start to expensive pretty fast. Ours was a 98 XK8 Coupe Black. Price the 60K service and then put you teeth back in. Could you pass on some of the stuff. Probably but somebody would be paying for that down the road. Maybe they are better now but my I know my Maserati is way cheaper to run than the Jag unless something really ugly happens. Major on the Maserati is valve adjustment at 125K. I put 27K on in 4.5 years just oil changes and service. The quote on the Jag 60k service was like $8600. I had the oil changed as scheduled and traded it off within 60 days. I am sure the new cars are much better. When I bought the car a friend of mine couldn't believe I bought a Jag. He is a huge Jag nut. I asked why? "You don't like oil on the floor under your cars". I laughed and said this is not an old Jag. He said. "You will see". Within a week of having moved the car from AZ to WA I pull it out and see oil on the floor. Really!!! It was just a dry seal from being in AZ and not driven much. But he was so right, lol.

 

Don't waste your money, after 2004 when Mercedes bought Chrysler they made a lot of cost cutting and refinement changes. Having owned a before and after aqusition jeeps I could compare the two side by side.

Between the reliability and Chrysler customer service/loyalty this long time jeep owner will never buy another.

Biggest problem will be to find another similarly capable vehicle....thinking older than newer.

 

We've got a couple of MCS's: an '02 and an '08 Clubby. With a clutch, a power steering pump, electric fan, melted hood scoop (on the turbo version) and a roof drain that soaked the headliner, I'd say we've had our quality assurance issues. Love driving them, though. MINIUSA's response to the power steering pump replacement warranty (not a recall) extension issue - 5 months and still waiting for a check...I would think a long, long time before I invested in a brand new one.

 

I picked up a December copy of Consumer Reports. "All three Minis in our survey made a very poor showing". It looks like the Countryman pulls it down, but they placed it in the luxury compact SUVs category rather than in the small SUV category.

Highlights.
Of 28 brands, Mini is dead last this year for predicted reliability. Mini ranks on average 100% worse than the average. Last year Mini was 6 brands higher at 22.

Mini Cooper is on the NOT RECOMMENDED list for "Models with declining reliability".

For Predicted Reliability of the three models:

For Subcompact Cars: Mini Cooper is ranked 7 out of 11 a 25% worse than average predicted reliability:
1 Honda Fit
2 Hyundai Accent
3 Mazda2
4 Kia Rio
5 Nissan Versa Sedan
6 Chevy Sonic
7 Mini Cooper
8 Hyundai Veloster (non-turbo)
9 Ford Fiesta
10 Fiat 500
11 Hyundai Veloster (turbo)


For Sport Cars: Mini Cooper S is ranked 17 out of 19 with a 50% worse than average predicted reliability.
1 Porsche Boxtser
2 BMW M3
3 BMW 1
4 Audi S4
5 Maxda MX-5
6 Ford Mustang V8
7 Honda Civic Si
8 Ford Mustang V6
9 Subaru Impreza WRX/STi
10 Chevy Camaro V6
11 Scion FR-S
12 Porsche 911
13 Dodge Challenger
14 Chevy Camaro V8
15 Ford Focus ST
16 VW GTI
17 Mini Cooper S
18 Subaru BRZ
19 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

For Luxury Compact SUVs: Mini Countryman is ranked 12 out of 12 with a 209% worse than average predicted reliability.
1 BMW X1 4-cyl
2 Infiniti EX
3 Audi Q5 V6
4 Acura RDX
5 Buick Encore
6 Mercedes GLK
7 Volvo XC60
8 Audi Q5 4-cyl
9 BMW X3 4-cyl
10 Cadillac SRX
11 BMW X3 6-cyl turbo
12 Mini Countryman

 

That really makes me question the whole consumer reports thing. How is the top of the list filled with German cars? And how are the BRZ and FRS ranked so far apart? They are literally the same car. Slightly different body and interior but the mechanicals are all exactly the same

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using NAMotoring

 

Cup holder must be subject to abnormal scratching.

 

 

I bought my first MINI a R53 in 2005. Had it for six years and 77k, zero

problems. Traded that one in for a 2012 R58 JCW, almost two years old

now with 19k. Two MINOR problems that were taken care of quickly.

It's a crap shoot, I've been lucky so far and if the F56 wasn't so fugly

a might consider the coupe version down the road.