My 24 year old son is considering the purchase of a 2007 S with 55,000 miles. What should he know and look for before purchasing? Thank youe

 

Do a search on here for 2007. It was the first year of Gen 2 minis, lots of problems..

 

It might be prudent to research the reliability history of any vehicle that peaks your interest. I always do. Good luck!

 

As a dad as well, I'll tell you I would never recommend a mini to anyone...especially not my own son.

My 09 MCS is a tertiary/project car...I can't imagine depending on this as a daily driver.

 

He should know that the MINI will generally require more maintenance than a Honda or Toyota, that there were significant issues that hit a number of 2007+ MINIs and that some can be very expensive to fix, and that they are an absolute hoot and holler to drive.

For some of us, the latter makes up for the issues. For others, it isn't enough.

If your son's priorities are fun first, all other stuff secondary, the MINI is worth considering. If the priorities are reliability first, he should probably consider something else.

The suggestion of a 2006 model is a good one--the late first-generation cars seem to be rather more robust than the early second-generation cars. They still require more maintenance than your average Toyota, but they seem to have fewer endemic problems than the 2007s. Plus I hear that the supercharger whine is addictive....

 

Take it to someone and have it inspected for leaks and other possible major repairs. Also if you can get history and make sure the maint has been done, or even a timing chain as they are known to fail.

 

More than not, the 2007 Cooper S had issues with many problems-
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/mini.html

A better choice would be the 2007 Base Cooper, or better yet, the 2006 Cooper S with manual transmission.

Look for complete maintenance records from the previous owner, otherwise you may not be able to tell what problems have been encountered or fixed.

I think a more reliable but less exciting car would be a better choice for a young driver unless he has a friend who is a MINI mechanic. Still it's expensive to service and maintain a MINI.

 

Mitch,

If your son can do any and all repairs on the car...go for it! It's a terrible car to own if you're going to pay someone else to fix it.

 

Does he really want turbo? If not, try the more reliable Cooper. I would avoid any turbo first year model.

 

If he has to have a turbo and a MINI. 2011+

 

I'd get an 06 or an 11+

 

As someone who had a 2007 for 3 years - I had no issues with it aside from timing chain, done under warranty.

I sold it with 56k and the new owner hasn't done anything abnormal. It isn't all doom and gloom - if the car is well maintained, go for it. But, that's with all cars.

Just get it inspected and if it checks out, tell him to enjoy it!

 

I always recommend people get an independent inspection done. That is of course in addition to the other advice given above about model years, etc. We have a local Portland company that does not do any repair work, so I trust the results better. They use a series of high tech methods of testing the car. They spotted several undisclosed issues with a BMW I was about to buy. $7K, with probably $3K in needed hidden repairs. That was a bullet that I dodged.

One thing that I really liked was a special device he used to electronically measure the paint thickness around the car. He spotted prior resprays from an owner who swore the car was never in an accident!

 

I own a 2007 Mini Cooper S and I have had the timing chain, thermostat, valve cover and water pump replaced in 2 years of ownership. I'm lucky that's all that has happened, with the repairs listed above this is considered "normal" for an N14 engine. The N18 is far better and doesn't have a lot of the problems the N14 had, recommend either a MCS with N18 or a 2006 Cooper S as they a better. A standard base Mini Cooper are rated above average for reliability. Always have the engine and transmission checkout, leak down test tell you a lot about engine wear!

 

Brand new member here looking at used Coopers as well. I'd like to get a car for my 18 year-old daughter (senior in high school). She's got her heart set on a yellow mini. Will need to be an automatic, as I've got 2 other daughters coming right behind her, and I think it's easier to learn first with an automatic and the only other automatic we have is the minivan. I've always liked mini's and have looked at three 2007 and one 2009 Cooper S's. She's hooked on autocrossing and wants an S, but now I'm thinking a similarly priced base model would be the way to go.

 

The 2007 and 2009 Cooper S's are a mistake for the sake of reliability. Base Cooper is best, they are reliable compared to the S's. I would never recommend a Cooper S to family and loved ones! I love my MCS, but have the cash ready for issues.

 

The 2006 and earlier supercharged manual transmission minis are more reliable than the 2007 to 2010 turbo minis.

 

I am personally new to Mini ownership, having bought a nice 07 with 53k miles last month, then returning it when ominous error codes started popping up within the 5-day "no questions asked" grace period. I picked up an 05 MCS and am grateful things worked out this way.

However, as a dad...

I think I'd put extra consideration into the comments here that the non-S Coopers are more reliable. They are also fun to drive from what I've heard, but will probably not be as tempting to drive fast. When I was that age I got a fast car and got myself into constant trouble with it (often being lucky nobody was hurt).

All 24-year-olds are not created equal, but while you promote reliability to him you may also gain a little safety in the deal by leaving the devil off his other shoulder. My S is constantly whining, "c'mon c'mon C'MON!!"