So as I search the market of used Minis, trying to decide what I want….MCS, Justa, Clubman, Hatch, etc…, I'm also trying to figure out what options the car has. If it's a private owner who bought the car new, that's an easy thing. But non-Mini dealers don't seem to know what they have. Some things are obvious, such as cloth vs leather, steering wheel controls. But others aren't so obvious. How can I tell what options a particular car I'm interested in has?

Also, is there a list anywhere of what options were available for '07-'09s? I'm not a creature comfort guy beyond a/c and pw, pl. But I know I'd like the sport suspension.

 

Sport suspension on PA roads? Better drive one first - that's some stiff stuff there....

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...r-car-has.html

 

well stuff like auto dim mirrors can be seen from if the rear view mirror has a sensor on it. power mirrors can be checked by turning the mirror adjuster stick all the way to the left/right. For bluetooth just check the settings in the radio, same for sat radio and usb. if it has a usb port then the car is ipod/iphone compatible (u just need an official mini cable) from the toggle switches, of there is an empty spot it means that smthing is missing. eg central spot on the roof raw is the sunroof. to the right side are the mood lights. on the bottom raw second switch is front fog lights and forth is rear fog lights. if there is a h/k sound system the speaker on the apillar should be labeled. rain sensor can be seen from the outside above the rear view mirror. for comforted access there should be a small black button on the door handle . on the headlights if there is this angel eye lens the car has Xenon. all cars come with dtc to check if you have dtc press the button for longer and check on the dash if it says that it is disengaged. heated seats are obvious, also jcw breaks. sport suspension i really dnt know :/ everything else is obvious.

Btw a quick way to check the approximation production date of a car if the interior is all black (radio/ac/steering) and the radio has 2 black rotary switches(excluding the volume) its a 4/2009 and younger car. if its silverish its older than 4/2009

Hope its helps.

If you want a detailed report ask for the vin number and visit a dealer

 

Thanks for the link to that thread, that's what I've been looking for. I also called the local dealer and got some very good info.

Yeah, PA roads are pretty rough. I could live with a car with or without the suspension.

 

Take vin go to dealership they will print for you the options and maintence record of the vehicle.

 

Production Month and Year are on the tag on the Drivers Door Pillar. No need to "Guess"

 

i know, there are also on the engine compartment on the right side. However if your looking for a 2010 car, and you see a mini on a parking space with a forsale tag on it most probably it will be locked. checking if its black will make you thing twice before you call the owner

Its kinda stupid I know but when I was thinking of buying a used mini it helped me browse through the ads quicker

 

It's good to be informed on what options are in the car.....good for negotiating a fair price.

When I bought mine last year, it was on a Nissan dealership lot and advertised as an 08 MCS base model....meaning no options....and they were asking $19K (has 33K miles and still 9 months of warranty left). Took a look and saw all the makings of a near fully loaded car and drove the deal down to $15.5K. A fair price would have been in the $20-$22K range....but they had no idea what they had but I did.

 

well stuff like auto dim mirrors can be seen from if the rear view mirror has a sensor on it.

 

Call Mini with the VIN.
They will give you the number of the dealer who sold the car when new.
Dealer will give you options list.

I did this with mine and the dealer was very helpful, faxed me a complete list.

 

Even after I owned the car, my CA dealer would not tell me what maintenance had been done. He said CA privacy law forbid it. When I told him that the former owner had said there was a water pump installed last Septmeber, he was willing to confirm that.

Seems ridiculous to me.....

 

That is super bogus. Sounds like you needed to go to AZ, NV, or OR and have them check it.