Been shopping around for something with performance and decent handling, to be used for short trips and weekend driving. While a Clubman would be nice (another dealer had one, but a sale is pending), it's not a must. I'm looking for a previously owned JCW, with Clubman first, and Hardtop second, neither of which pop up on a regular basis in this area. While this deal could be alright, it's not a must have. If need be, I am willing to wait.


Anyone have any experience with Carmax? The local Carmax dealership has a 2010 JCW Hardtop with 47k miles at $19k. I'll be stopping by to test drive tomorrow, and will have it evaluated by the local Mini dealership. Unfortunately, Carmax wants the sales contract signed before I can have the vehicle evaluated. While they claim that there's five days to return, signing off and paying for this just bothers me to no end. They do offer what appears to be a decent extended warranty program, which they explained would only be limited by mileage, not time, since I would pay for the vehicle in full and not finance.


Based on some heavy research on this forum, my real concerns with the vehicle (regardless of who sells it) itself would be buildup on the valves (I can certainly handle installing a catch can), and the condition of the timing belt.


Also, any forum members knowledgeable regarding the Mini owners club in Indiana?


Thanks, and appreciate the wide range of information and expertise on this forum.

 

Pre purchase inspection!!

 

Exactly the point! They will not ALLOW a pre-purchase inspection until I sign on the dotted line and pay for it, stating that I'm protected by their 5 day return policy. I've not encountered any dealer doing this, and it leaves me uneasy. I was wondering if this is Carmax policy nationwide, or just here in this area.


I do like the thought that an extended warranty would be available, but the question there is always what exactly is covered and how that is defined. But, that's another matter.


FWIW,

LCranston

 

I've had good experience with Carmax. Just read the fine print on the conditions of the return policy.

 

I appreciate the responses. I decided to pass on the car due to the issue of having to pay before evaluation. When I expressed my concern with having to pay for the vehicle prior to having it checked out, the salesperson said "Well, what would we do if the mechanic damaged the vehicle?" The local Mini dealer would DAMAGE the vehicle while it's being inspected? Yeah, right.....

At any rate, I'm not in a rush, and am hoping that the pending sale of a 2010 JCW Clubman at another dealer will fall through. In the meantime, there is a British Car Show this Saturday, and there may be some people from the Mini owners club there for me to talk to about any available cars.

Motoring on.......

 

I think you made the right move. The right MINI will come around and since you're in no hurry, I'm sure the wait will be worth it. Good luck and hope you pick one up soon!

 

Agreed, If you can find an N18 JCW. Jump on it!

 

HEY GOOD CHOICE: but beware of certain CarMax pitfalls.

I've bought 2 Minis from them. My 11 JCW last year. 21K. Had it shipped in from KC. Bought a Countryman by mistake from GA and paid to ship that in before the JCW. Drove like sh*t so I chose the JCW just off the internet. Drove it like around the block and paid for it.

YES. CarMax has the return policy and YES it does work. After I bought the Countryman and drove it from Austin to Dallas. Drove it right back. Zero hassle.

After I bought the JCW and shipped it, I had Sewell Mini of Plano check it out. Here's the leverage: Since I already returned one car and found out the JCW needed some work - I threatened to return this car too so CarMax ponyed up to pay over a grand in repairs on the JCW. Even so far as removing the awful MOD stripes. hahaha Don't regret buying the JCW at all. Had low miles. Dealer made it perfect and CarMax paid for it.

Bottom line: they don't really want to take back the car obviously but they will stand behind a return. You can use it to negotiate after the fact. Or dump it back on them.

Here's the CarMax game: Don't think all CarMax are alike. Some are crap the one I found in north Austin was stellar. So I drove from Dallas to Austin to test drive and purchase. Find one with good facilities and great sales people. Check google and Yelp. Also don't be afraid of shipping your ideal Mini to that location. Helps you widen your search nationwide. The best Minis are the dealer demos that get sold to CarMax with low miles and little abuse. Don't buy a Mini over 22K miles. You're asking for issues. It's easy to find them under 23K. If you're going for an S I would get a '12 or a '13 JCW for the N18 engine. Yes. It's a big difference and wish I had but Mini ended up replacing the timing chain on the JCW free anyway so . . . That's because the miles were low. It was a Sunday driver from KC. Only driven like 3K miles in 2014! The key FOBS have the whole history but CarMax can't access that. Only the Mini dealer.

Shop for low miles Mini's. S are plentiful. Clubman - not. JCW - also hard to find. I was picky about satellite, sunroof, 6 speed stick so I lucked out right away but again I was prepared to ship.

The extended warranties are good. I double checked, triple checked and quadruple checked this with the Mini dealer in Plano. And worth it if you read all the little crap that happens with these cars. BUT they're fun to drive! hahaha

Good luck!

 

Very good comments, Joey! Good stuff to know.

In the meantime, I've continued to look. I noticed that there were some JCW Coupes available in the vicinity, and happened to look at some photos of them. The trunk area is a good deal larger than I would have thought. I did some additional checking on the R58 forum, and people seem to speak highly of them. So, I have a test drive scheduled on Monday to check out a 2012 JCW Coupe with 24k miles priced at $22.5 at a local Subaru dealer. After doing that, I found a 2014 JCW Coupe with 11k miles priced the same at a Mini dealer about 100 miles away. There are some awful markings on the side, but I was told that these were applied decals, and could be removed. Checking Edmunds, the 2014 seems to be very much under market pricing. At any rate, I am in the market for something performance oriented, and this might be a good alternative. We'll see.

in the meantime, I'll continue to look around and do my research. Thanks to everyone for the comments!

 

 

Good feedback! Since I need to go to the other side of town on Monday afternoon, the dealer with the 2012 JCW Coupe is almost right on the way. I figured there would be no harm done to stop by and get a test drive. So, we'll see what it's like.

Appreciate the comments on comfort. I used to own a 1st Gen Honda Insight, which was a two seater similar to the Coupe. I did occasionally use that for trips, which wasn't too bad, (great to get reimbursed at 55 cents/mile when getting over 50mpg!) but it was noisy, and running the tires at 43lbs. pressure sure made for a "stimulating" ride on occasion.

Like I said, no rush one way or another. Can't hurt to see what this is like.

Thanks!

 

The seats don't recline as much as in the HT but to say that they are uncomfortable is a big statement I don't agree with. I am very happy with mine and overall the car handles far better than the few HT I drove from time to time.

It is also a matter of personal preference. I never read negative critics about the coupe.

For somebody that never need a back seat but need cargo space and also spirited handling without body flexing as the HT, I believe the coupe is an excellent opportunity to consider. Furthermore they are inexpensive even in the JCW trim.

 

Someone posted in the General R56 forum about wanting to sell his 2013 R56 JCW. I don't remember seeing a price but it's EG/CR, which I'm partial to.

 

Well, I had opportunity recently to test drive a 2012 JCW Coupe. All in all, very nice! Lots of power, responsive, but definitely some torque steer when accelerating through a turn. Now, the downside..... Just too small. The two seat design is fine. The carrying capacity in the back is just too small for the intended use. I would have gone for it otherwise.

So, time to find either a Hardtop or Clubman. But, not easy to do in this part of the country. There is a 2010 Clubman JCW about 120 miles away, and a 2013 Hardtop about 110 miles away, but they are at non-Mini dealers, and trying to find some way to get there to test drive and then get them checked out, might be a problem. I've contacted the local Mini dealership to see if they would be willing to transfer a vehicle from another Mini dealer, but they seem to only want to do this for new vehicles, and I'd rather get previously owned, particularly since this will not be a daily driver. They also don't seem to be good at returning phone calls, which is a big sore point for me. Anyhow, I'll continue looking.

In the meantime, thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions! you've been a bit help!

 

110 miles is less than 2 hours away. I would think you could easily get there on a weekend to check it out. As much as I LOVED my R55 JCW, I'd do the HT because it's a little better looking and being a 2013 it has the N18 instead of the N14.

 

I have a 2010 JCW and it has had several expensive problems, I would stay clear of mini..... FYI

 

 

Was she at least cute?

 

 

Your comments on this forum cease to amaze me. Firstly, there are ZERO differences between a 2010 and 2011 JCW other than exterior (cosmetic) differences. Both have the same N14 motor and gearboxes.

The coupe doesn't suck, and his review of it said it was a great car, just simply too small in the cargo department. If cargo capacity is a factor for him, then guess what, the Clubman fits perfectly, which is why he's looking for one in the first place. I used to have a 2008 Hardtop and now have a 2012 Coupe. Honestly the cargo is similar in capacity between the two. You just can't pack tall items in the Coupe.

Again, the Clubman doesn't suck, especially if you want a good handling car that can also haul more stuff than a Hardtop. You sure love bashing any models that aren't your Hardtop.

And you're a typical jackass. So what you gave advice and someone didn't quite follow it. It's not like you're MINI royalty and your word is gold or anything like that. You just admitted that you've bought two cars from Carmax, and one you returned. So by your own admittance, you need your head examined as well. My 08 Hardtop was bought from a non-MINI dealer, had 60K miles at the time, and drove it like I stole it until the transmission gave up at almost 140K.

 

 

 

I'm driving a 12 R58 Coupe JCW with the N14 motor, same motor as you. And while you may have returned the Countryman to Carmax, you also stated you bought your 2011 Hardtop from them as well. Your opinion of the Coupe and Clubman are your own, as mis-guided (in my opinion) as they are. That said, the man specifically stated he loved the Coupe, however he needs to haul stuff around, which is why he was looking at the Clubman to begin with.

I live in Austin and my family has bought a few cars from the two Carmax dealers here. Never had a problem with them. No one accused you as a shill for them, just merely pointing out the hypocrisy to state that Carmax sucks and you should only buy from a MINI dealer when you yourself are driving a MINI purchased at Carmax, a non-MINI dealer.

The only person bashing the product in here is you.

And it's quite funny that I can make points in an argument without insulting someone by calling them a "d-bag".

 

 

Back on topic, there aren't really any nightmares with the N14 like people make it out to be. It's simply a matter of maintenance, just like any motor. MINI created a service campaign to replace the tensioner and measure the chain slack, with the chain getting replaced free of charge if its out of spec.

The carbon buildup is something to keep an eye on, but this is due to the engine being direct injected more than anything else. The PCV system was redesigned for the N18 motor and it's helped some with carbon buildup on those cars. Debate is still on-going as to whether a catch can does anything at all on the N14 motors.

Also, FYI: The JCW got the N14 motor from 2009 until 2012, with the 2013 to 2014 JCW cars getting the N18 motor.