I have been doing some Mini homework, I was all set to get a non "S" car
but after spending time on AutoTrader I think I have found a patten that the "S" holds it's value MUCH better.


Is that a know fact or am I off on this?



Thanks

 

Probably a crap shoot. Just remember, the only time you will know how much your used car (or anything for that matter) will sell for is when you sell it. Anything else is speculation.

That being said, it took me over six months of wanting a Mini before I finally could bring myself to ordering it. Mainly it seemed like a lot of money for a small car. I first ordered an MC, then switched to an MCS while waiting. For the same options, the MCS was about 2K more. I then figured I would get at least half of it back. Then divided the 1K by the minimum 60 months I expect to keep the vehicle. Decided $17 per month was worth the S.

It's a tough week mentally to be picking up a new car. Oh well, I guess I will be helping keep the economy from complete collapse...

 

I am a newbie here and new to the Mini world, but (like you) have been trying to learn as much as I can about the models, options, etc.

My thoughts: The lease residuals are higher for the base Mini, so I would assume that they would hold their value better than the S. IMHO, it's hard to make an assessment and reach that conclusion based on autotrader. They are asking asking prices and also the MSRP can vary a lot depending upon options. If your goal is to minimize depreciation, it seems limiting options is the best way.

Options seem to lose value fast, so either a relatively stripped Cooper or S would hold its value than a heavily optioned one. I am amazed at how fast the number builds if you lose self control on the Mini build site.

 

Whether MC or MCS, the one with the lower mileage will hold its value better in terms of respective %depreciation.

 

Yup!!!

 

Are there some numbers (percentages) you may have calculated from Auto Trader? I am interested in knowing.

 

Not that this answers the question, but in the USA about 2/3 of Minis sold are the MCS. That was a couple years ago, and could have changed of course.

 

I don't know if the MCS or the cooper is going to hold their value the best but one thing I know is a car with the least options is going be the best at re-sale.

 

In other countries, the Cooper and ONE models outsell the S models by far. But here in the land of torque and horsepower, the S outsells the Cooper (It wasn't like that in the beginning).

To me the 'S' gives you much better value for the dollar spent. Not only has better power/acceleration, but better mechanicals, better modding potential and the car finds a more willing used car buyer audience at selling time.

In terms of fuel economy, with the current PSA sourced engines, the fuel mileage differences between the Cooper and S models are very minimal in my book. I am currently getting 37 MPG in my automatic Clubman S. With an automatic Clubman Cooper you'll probably break 39-40 MPG with much less torque and power. Not worth it.

In the first gen MINI, there was a much wider fuel economy gap between the normally aspirated TRITEC engine in the Cooper and the Supercharged version of the Cooper S. If you wanted better fuel economy, the regular R50 Cooper was a no brainer.

But this is not the case much anymore. To me the current Cooper and Cooper Clubman are not the terrific values they used to be in the first gen cars. The only reason to buy a Cooper, in my opinion, is only if you want to get a MINI with the best possible fuel economy numbers and/or you are buying a new MINI under a very tight budget.

Before any Cooper owner jumps on my throat and calls me names, My very first MINI back in 2002 was a Cooper CVT that I enjoyed immensely and sold to another MINIAC in this forum this past February. The remaining 3 MINIs I have owned all have been S models and haven't looked back since.

If you can afford to get an S, get it, no question about it.

I much rather take a "Plain" Cooper S (R56 or Clubman) with just cruise control over a fully loaded Cooper or Cooper Clubman.

Again, no offense to Cooper owners... They are terrific cars, but they fail the value sniff test in my book.

S all the way for me.

 

This is true. I tend to custom order my MINIs and fit them with the least amount possible of options and other add-ons. I don't like sunroofs, leather seats or factory NAV systems. You have to understand that factory and dealer options are profit centers for the manufacturer and the distribution network. But options, by themselves, hold little resale value at time of re-sale and can hinder the appeal of the car to potential buyers.

y second MINI was a 2004 MCS that I bought new and kept for about a year and a half. The car was custom ordered and had just a few options here and there...no packages, sunroof, leather, etc. I put an ad in the internet and sold the car 6 days later for $700 more than I paid for it brand spanking new 18 months earlier. The local lady that bought the car from didn't even wanted to test drive it. She told me, "I want your car right now, I have the cold cash in my purse...Where do I meet you tomorrow?" I was freaking out.... It sounded like a scam

Lo and behold, the following day I met the lady at her workplace, she saw the car, saw it in it, did not drive it and when she got out she pulled out two envelopes full of cash ($22K total) and handed them to me. 2 hours later the car was in her name and I had cold cash to go and buy me a new 2005 R53 S, which is my current daily driver

Why she bought my car? Well the color combo was right (Red/white) but she was attracted to it because the car had very few options (Cruise, MFSW, leatherette seats, chrome pack, Harmon Kardon) and still had warranty. She said that nearly every used Cooper S in the area were pretty loaded cars. She was not interested in loaded cars at all.

So there you go. Anecdotal evidence as to why a fully loaded MINI may work against you the day you decide to sell it.

Less is more!

 

There are other reasons to buy a Cooper over an S.

Long term cost of ownership is one reason I am in a Cooper. I will be keeping Romi 10 years. It is a no-brainer that a Cooper will cost me much less to own than an S would have.

I know it is hard for many to fathom, but I find the Cooper to have more than adequate power and torque for my daily driver. Getting on the freeway? Since May of 2007, I have had one clear on-ramp. All the other times, I am waiting for the guy in front of me to get out of my way so I can do a proper merge.

Fully loaded cars lose more value than lightly loaded cars. That is a simple fact of life. BMW seems to think the Cooper holds it value better than the S. I could speculate as to the reasoning, but that is all it would be.

 

I guess I lucked out. I didn't really think about resale when I ordered mine. My MCS has only one option... bonnet stripes.

 

I hate the Mini site...cost me $37K...everytime I would build one on line I always found something I couldn't live without.....

 

I haven't found cost of Cooper S ownership any greater than that of a Cooper.

Look, the Cooper is a great car and I had one for nearly six years. But from a value standpoint the S gives you more for the Dollar and the car is better suited for our driving environment.

I simply prefer the better mechanicals, drive, power and demeanor of the S. I drove a Cooper Clubman automatic some months back and the car was more than adequate around town. But in the expressway the power deficit of the engine vs the turbocharged version was evident in passing situations. To me the S is a more relaxed car to drive long distance and the extra kick of the force induction cooker brings the car to a whole different level.

 

A couple of co-workers of mine were dead set in getting a Cooper. I told them both to test drive both and come to your own conclusions....

Guess what?

Co-worker #1 ended up with a gorgeous Pepper White/Black Cooper Clubman S 6-speed with the sport pack.

Co-worker #2 is ordering a brand new R56 Cooper S automatic as we speak.

Conclusion... They both test drove the Cooper and Cooper S versions of each car. They both hands down went for the S.

There is no comparison. The forced induction cookers make these cars absolutely terrific.

 

If there were "no comparison," then why did so many people here choose a base Cooper? It wasn't because of MSRP that I bought one. Personally, I have yet to find someone who bought one because of the price. I'm not sayin' I don't like the S... I think it's great, but for someone else. When I test drove them both, I looked at the Cooper and I thought "classic"; I looked at the S and I didn't. That's just my taste, though. If I ever get one, it will be for completely different reasons than I bought the base.

 

ClubmanS: n=2 is a weak predictor for any statistical set.

OP: I went with the Clubman manual. I test drove both and was the S more spirited? That's a no brainer question. However, is it "better"? No, it is not. Anyone telling you otherwise is lying. No one can compare apples and oranges and draw a fair comparison. As for holding their value, I would gander that both has a similar percentage depreciation. Only difference is a 5% drop on a base Cooper is less than an S version.

 

+1 on that comment. The future is uncertain, just ask anyone trying to unload their SUV at anywhere near what it was worth just a short time ago... I would venture a guess that any difference in retained value between the base and "S" is slight, and is not nearly as important as the overall condition of the car when it's sold.
Maybe in five years there'll be cars with a "Mr Fusion" reactor in the back, and a couple of banana peels and a half can of Coke will get you 250,000 miles. What would your MINI be worth then?

 

free? Then I will take them all.

 

Well two dealers did not agree with me (what do they know anyway ) but I do have a thought that might support why I first came to this conclusion on Autotrader.com. In real estate any house that does not have a pool in a neighborhood that every one has a pool, that pool-less house (everything else being equal) is less valuable. In my area everyone has an S so a non S seems to be less valuable



By the way I'm still going forward with my Cooper and not an S, I hate to do what everyone else does.

I'm replacing a Prius, I have had a lot of cars and most from Germany. So I know the performance I will be missing. The Prius is a great car to get to point A to point B with great economy of fuel but it is a ZERO on the fun factor (OK, maybe a 4 if you love to gas up for 30 buck every week).

My logic for the non S is coming from a 0 to 60 of 10.5 that 8.5 sprint will feel fast, for a while (I hope) and will not give me to much of a shock at the pump.

I rented a smart for a week, what a piece of garbage. Hey no offense (in Rodney Dangerfield's voice)! I think the Mini is the best of the small and maybe even some not so small.


P.S. I did not get a Prius to make a political statement, I just hate to give more money to our enemy's.

 

I would guess yes in most cases. We want more things with horsepower, things that go faster, big giant super size, 7-11 32 ounces!

 

Is that why I can buy a Ford F250 for the price of a Big Mac Value Meal right now?

 

Ferrari, BMW, Audi, Lambo....

 

A justacooper will be plenty fast if you are used to driving a Prius. I own a Turbo MINI and a Supercharger. The supercharger is too slow for me, good luck and happy motoring....PS not all countries who sell oil are our enemy

 

PS not all countries who sell oil are our enemy[/quote]

Of course not, I don't think Canada is our enemy but we do have a lot of them that are.


Thanks for the info.