Well I'm a long time lurker, was hoping my first post would be saying "hey everyone look at my new MINI" but I've taken the role of helping my friend find an R53.
So the car at stake is a manual 2005 chilli red with a white top and 22,XXX miles.
Here are the options:heated leather seats, harmon kardon audio, navigation (thus chrono pack), LSD, sunroof, ipod hookup found in glovebox, stripes, s-lites, chrome line, xenon lights... that's all I could remember It is said to have every package (conv, sport, prem.)
So my question is, considering these options... what is the lowest price we should penny-pinch for?
thanks in advance for any help and advice!
-Oscar
ps. NAM is the best :-)

 

pretty please? with a cherry on top!

 

I'd look for blue book value. Sounds like it has sport and premuim packages and great options. Good luck and post pics once you pick up your MINI

 

Last month, I purchased a 2005MCS, also Chili red, but with black top/bonnet stripes. It also included the following options;

Sport package
Premiun package
Harmon Kardon
Black leather
Navigation
LSD
New run flat tires and alignment
All service up to date
27K miles
all manuals/Nav cd's
not even a rock chip!
full tank of gas

And wrote a check for $18,700 plus 6% Florida tax (no dealer fee).

It was the best twenty grand I've ever spent, and would do it again in a heartbeat!

 

congrats on your purchase palmbeach... good fair price. The MINIs seem to hold their resale value pretty well. Let's see some pics of that MINI now.

 

i was goiung to say between 18-19,000 plus tax, but palmbeach pretty much gave you what you were asking.

btw is there an easy way to know if you have LSD or not?

 

Hello Goldcountry!

Is their an easy way to add pictures via the ebay link that I have bookmarked on the car I purchased? My digital camera needs a hysterectomy, or maybe just a new battery. I see no place on this forum to add a link.


Best,

Mark.

 

^^^ best thing to do is upload pics to photobucket, free account and then it gives you the link to cut and paste in to the text when you post.

you may have to save them to your computer first if you have not already.

the ebay link will die after so long so if you don't save and then readd then it will go away after so many days, and we can't see that chili red beauty any more

 

Jesus, I hope I did this correctly! If not, I'll keep trying.


Thanks again,
Mark

http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o...on=tageditmany

 

Check out post #16:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ght=turn+wheel

Although it was not introduced as an option until 01.06 builds -- so you probably don't have it unless a previous owner happened to put in an aftermarket.

 

Maybe this time??

http://s117.photobucket.com/albums/o62/ModLifeCrisis/

 

if you get your pics on your computer, you can upload them to "my gallery" on here (NAM).

 

I am beaming with pride!! I've never done anything like post pictures before! I'm technologically retarded. Thanks for the instructions. Next I'll try posting pictures of my new license frame, side/back mesh window shades, MINI valve stem caps, and of course how "Lady Bug" looks with 1 coat of McGuires polish, followed by 3 coats of McGuires wax. I'll have to get a new battery for my old camera..or a new camera.


All the best,

Mark

 

sorry for the hijack but here's a link to the same question I asked... https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=138190

 

The only way that I know that mine has LSD was because the window sticker was included with the service records, and lists an option called Limited slip differential (or something like that). It's probably something that I wouldn't have a chance to use, as we don't get much snow in South Florida... and I'm probably too old (46) to "burn rubber" without looking like an idiot!

 

I'd use the kelly blue book but it seems to be an inflated price. It has just about every option, except JCW.

Looks like the only thing this one has on yours is Cold Weather and 5,000 miles! thank you very much, you have reassured my thoughts that this cars worth is in the sub-20's If you don't mind sharing and remember, how much was the dealers asking price?

yeah, I asked for the build sheet because every other MINI on the lot had it except for that one, but apparently someone took it home recently and it was missing. I am going to check the VIN number with CARFAX (and inspect the sub-frame on a lift as well) and check the VIN with MINI USA as well.



Thank you very much fellow NAM'ers! I knew you'd come through!

oh I almost forgot, the dealer is asking $24,500

-Oscar (yeah I'm the OP, I use the other name on my mobile phone because I cant type it out on it)

 

Hi Ludicrous.


The dealer was asking $19,600. The odd thing was that I'd been looking for one for about a week, and found mine on ebay..and the dealer was only 2 miles from my home! The woman owner(who lives down the street) traded it in on a new Toyota Prius. I didn't want to trade anything, so the dealer came down to $18,700 plus tax/tag. It seemed like a pretty good deal, and was cheap enough as to not have car payments.

 

the price will vary depending on your location and of course the local demand. Here in Portland, OR the asking price if 24,500 is not totally unreasonable. It is on the high side. Here, it would start for about $20K-22K, but demand for the car is still high and supply is relativly low.

Oh and to make sure the car has the cold weather package turn the car on and let it idle for a few minutes, then touch the glass on the side view mirrors. If they are hot, Cold Weather package exists (you can't turn off the heated mirrors and washer jets - they are always on). If not, the car just has heated seats and they are trying to bump the price by saying that the car has more options than it really does.

 

palmbeach you should be able to post the picture by putting the cut and paste link under the pics on photobucket in the text of your replies... then the actual pics so up on here through the magic of internet file hosting. all you have to do is click on the last one unde the pic in your photobucket account, and then paste it into your text reply...

 

OP $18-19K's a fair price--about what I would ask for mine w/no nav but less miles--but again it depends on location. A guy in Portland offer me nearly 10% over MSRP for my semi-loaded 2005 S when I first got it in late 2004, but back then the waits at the 2 Pac NW MINI d'ships were approaching, and even exceeding, two years.

I kinda thought that resale values on the R53 would diminish some after R56 was released, but this doesn't seem the case really. seems like demand for the first gen S is on the rise here, esp. for the more refined 05s and 06s again, tho it depends on location location location.

 

Thanks for all the info, its gonna help us out tonight!

Thanks for the info, should we check for the presence on the mirrors even if the "cold weather package" is listed on the build sheet?


yeah, just look for the one that has [IMG] tags, copy the whole thing into the text window here.

Thanks for the input, I see lots of people commenting on location, and I just noticed my location is not listed... We are located in Los Angeles, anyone have info on price trends here? I see lots of R53's listed on Autotrader within a 10 mile radius.


The new problem we have encountered is insurance, they are asking for $1,000/6months. I told em to ask for a list of their discounts and see which apply. The other car he was interested in is an '07 Civic Si, the quoted him at under $400/6months!!!

-Oscar

 

For my 2006, I'm paying about $410/6months on insurance. I'm in Irvine, CA.

 

You're certainly right about the location. I'm 500 miles west of you, and used MINIs here are priced very high at all of the local dealers. I'll probably have to go out of state to find a reasonable deal on an '05 or '06 MCS. Does anyone know why MINIs seem so much cheaper in the east? Is it just the volume of available cars there?

 

Yeah I did a search to find insurance rates among the MINI community. I found the general concensus was that anything over $500/6months is too much (most were under $300). Most of the people over $500 were young and/or had tickets... I don't want this to push my buddy away from owning a MINI.

it seems that the tougher deal talking will be with the insurance and not the dealer.

 

that, and the number of dealers is much higher, ergo more cars have been sold over time, so demand wont be so high. It seems that if you live in the Pac NW or Intermountain west, you can get top $$ for yr car because there are only 7 dealers covering CO, NM, AZ, NV, UT, OR, and WA. There are at least that many dealers in CA alone.