To elaborate. The '06 MINIs were probably some of the best built of the bunch. I do not know yet about the newer cars but know they tend to have chain tensioner issues. I will leave that at that as the issues are inconsistent.

What I was stating is that sometimes people do not add in general maintenance to the cost of a vehicle they are purchasing. The 08/09 car he is looking at is still under full maintenance warranty. The '06 JCW will not be under full factory warranty for long unless you get the extended warranty.

Moral of the story is 08/09 = no maintenance cost period for a few years while the '06 will need oil changes and any other basic maintenance that might be needed.

As far as the reliability goes, the '06 is the way to go if you take warranty out of the equation. This is my opinion based on the information I have read and my personal dealings with the vehicles first hand. 1 Thing is for certain, if you are buying an R53 used make sure to have the car inspected by a trained technician outside of the place you are purchasing from. Even some of the cars at dealerships are very sketchy.

If you would like a dealer that I trust and wish I had bought my car from call or go to Baron MINI in Kansas City and talk to Brad. He will take good care of you as long as you are patient. He has a very keen eye for issues and will not sell you a car that he would not purchase himself.

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.