Hello to all, I am thinking about purchasing a used 2004 S w/ 50,000 miles.

Couple of questions for all you mini owners:

-What type of gas will I need to use? The guys at the dealer say regular 87 is fine, my friend who owned a S (before she totaled it) said you HAVE to use premium. So I can put this issue to rest, can I use regular without having any problems?

-The one i'm looking at has run flats. can i ditch those and just put normal tires on, because I hear the runflats are around $250 per tire..ouch

The guy bought an extended warranty through crevier mini in newport for an extra $2600 which covers "everything" he said: covers engine, turbo/supercharger, transmission, drive train, cooling system, A/C, front suspension, steering, fuel system, brakes, electrical, electronic high tech components, electric power motors and solenoids at selling dealer/Crevier Mini in Newport Beach CA plus towing, roadside assistance, substitute transportation. Those are covered until 100,000 miles or 2015, whichever comes first.

Sound like a good deal? It has auto ac, leather, xenon, heated seats, sunroof, multifunction steering wheel, etc.. for $15,700.

Thanks !

 

The owners manual will say to use premium, however your car will run fine on the 87 octane. You can do a search and read far more on the subject but it really comes down to whether you chose to just get by or too follow the mfr. recommendations.

Yes runflats are more expensive, but don't be deterred by that. they are less than $200 ea. on tire rack. and if you watch the classifieds on this forum sometimes you can pick up brand new run-flats that people take off at delivery for around $400 for the set. You can go with non-run flat tires, and many people prefer the non run flats (which is why you can get them for cheap here)

 

Typically, running 87 octane fuel will yield a loss in power and a loss in fuel economy. If you can spend $16k on the car, you should be able to afford the extra $1-$2 per fill-up by getting premium over regular. If that $1-$2 is a deal breaker, you might want to look into a cheaper car.

 

Always use premium..saves you cash with the better fuel economy over time and give you more power.