Hi guys,
I have an 08 MCS with ~90K miles. It's still in somewhat solid shape and the extended warranty expires when I reach 100K miles. As I am approaching that, I am considering what to do when I get there. Should I keep my Mini after the 100K miles?
A new Mini with similar specd would cost me close to $30K, but I am not sure I can shell out that much money or finance it.
Another option I might have by then is the new Tesla Model 3, which will be at $35K and will save a lot of money in the long term.
Another option would be what I did last time, which is buying a used Mini from a dealer or private seller, but I always feel like I'm going to get scre...

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Do what I did, sell the 08 MCS and upgrade to a low mileage, used 2011-2013 MCS or JCW The N18 engine is supposedly more reliable than the N14 and if you get a 2013, you'll still have the warranty until 2017 or so. As with any used car, trust your gut feeling and if something doesn't feel right just walk away. For me, nothing else can replace the driving experience of a MINI and it's still a very comfortable daily driver.

 

3lusive, that's a great approach. However, you have a rare find. I was at the Mini dealer (closest to me) the other day and they didn't have much in the used category. I also looked online and not many of those in acentral Florida. I'll keep looking, but my expectations are low.

 

I searched for 9 months (probably longer) for the perfect JCW. They're rare for sure. I was doing a national search though. I'm in Sacramento now and I bought my car from a dealer in Seattle. I knew I had to have a fully loaded JCW so having it shipped from WA was worth it for me vs. taking the local JCW with more miles, less options, slightly lower price.

 

Tesla is not exactly imminent, especially if you aren't on the waiting list. Finding just the right JCW is also tough, i have been scanning for them as well.

 

Agree with 3lusive on searching for a low mileage late 2nd gen MINI. The reality is that most people trade in used vehicles for new (or newer). I'd still rather buy private party from original owner but such vehicles are becoming harder to locate - especially in states like Arizona where there is tax advantage to trading in (tax is collected on the net difference between new vehicle and trade-in allowance). I really like and enjoy my MCS but would have preferred a factory JCW and willing to pay fair market value for one in equivalent condition to what I bought. Since that level of spec seems relatively rarely ordered for direct purchase - let alone lease - finding one without doing a nationwide search is a challenge.

I ended up buying a low mileage lease car turned in just the day before (one of very few with manual gearbox as I wanted). I did have to pay dealer fees plus local and State sales tax (not applicable in private party sales here) but the MINI was CPO thus eligible for an additional full year of factory warranty. If you prefer the 2nd gen over 3rd gen as I did, I'd recommend doing your own search of MINI dealers using their online search utility. Lease turn-ins are CPO eligible for an additional year of warranty and must meet stringent overall condition criteria. Since most leases are a 3 year term, 2013 models have already been turned back in or will soon. Time is fleeting within the "window of opportunity".

Ironically, I was watching CL ads for interesting MINI Cooper wheels/tires this weekend. Spotted an ad from a gent 80 miles away advertising non-runflat tires shown on wheels that looked familiar. Ad stated, taken off just prior to leased car being turned back in to the MINI dealership. So I wrote asking what color and other aspects. Yep, the very same car I bought. We traded pictures of 1st day of delivery for them and in my garage now. Quite the coincidence plus I might be buying those tires too!