http://www.miniofalexandria.com/Vehi...-VA/2159661393


Lots to consider.. the decals, super low mileage, not the new model...


What's the right price here?

 

Nooooooooooooooo! Its an Auto

 

Haha... was waiting for that. Sorry, need it / want it.

 

I love my MINI auto. I wonder if the car is harder to sell (lower value?) with the stickers/stripes. I like the color combination, attractive car.

30% off MSRP?

Mike

 

The automatic transmission is actually a better option than the manual on a JCW hardtop, IMO, especially if you live/drive in a metropolitan area. Old school guys pooh-pooh automatics, but they're just not up to date on car technology.
I'd be more worried the JCW doesn't have Xenon headlights - a big negative, IMO. Strange, too, because the car seems to be really well equipped other than that.

 

Riiiiiiiight...

6 speed rower for life. Bad daily traffic and all.

Having driven JCWs with automatics, yea. NO THANKS. I would gladly take a Justa as a stick over a JCW auto any day.

Yup. BTW... As an "old guy".. I'm very up to date on how modern automatics work. I enjoy to truly control my vehicle.

To me, being able to modulate power to the transaxle is key.

 

Totally agree!! Being a guy who strictly drove auto until I got my cooper S, i can say the mini is the best when changing gears manually. The manual drives so much better and allows you to push the Mini the way its supposed to be.

 

I respect your position on manual transmissions, Dan.
I, too, have driven both and find the MINI manual clutch to be less than it should be, IMO.
It's a personal choice, and a pretty subjective one at that.
To each his own.

 

If you have to have an auto transmission for that kind of money...get a Golf GTI .

 

Take care on these ones. They were used at Mini's driving school and then sold with low mileage to a number of dealers. That's why they're automatics. Admittedly, they have full warranties, so you're probably covered for most things.

http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniu...les-ahead.html

 

Hmm...maybe not for super cars, but if I had a GT-R or Audi R8 or ect...the automatic on those would be far superior to any manual. No human could shift as fast as those super cars. For a MINI it is what it is.

As for the '13 FJCW, do it! it is incredible for that price and some of the options you have. You might be able to work it down a little though since it is the last of hardtops from the R56 era. Goodluck!

 

I'd say ask them if that is the discounted price for a car used in a driving school.

 

You ever drive an r8 with a DSG? It sucks.. Bucks all day long in traffic.

Now the DSG in our 2011 Golf TDI, sure it's fine, heck it's good. If they put THAT in a JCW perhaps.. But the existing slush box? No thanks.

 

Oh i am very up to date on car technology regarding transmissions, but the Mini auto trans does not have any of it, IMO. You definitely cannot hammer toward a decreasing radius turn, nail a perfect heel/toe downshift, and scream through the apex with a Mini auto trans....most invincible feeling in the world, and sadly, becoming a lost art-the JCW begs to be driven via an M6

I do agree the lack of Xenons would be a deal breaker for me. Also the lack of the panoramic sunroof. Makes the inside of the car feel like the entire roof is glass. Whether you are someone who opens a roof or not, it's great having that view..

The OP mentioned a concern with the stripes and i agree. That would also be a deal breaker for me. Painted stripes, perhaps, but certainly not vinyl.

 

Even if the automatic transmissions were 1-2 second faster to 60 mph I choose manual for the (driving experience) fun factor, not the speed factor. Sad thing is future cars won't have a need for manuals. That is sad though having JCW's with automatic transmissions.

 

Thanks for all the replies here. And the link to where these cars came from.

I didn't notice no xenons... Need to think about that. I actually prefer no Sunroof and regretted having one in my last MINI.

 

All of the ones used in the driving school were optioned out exactly the same. And it's a pretty bizarre option package. No pano, auto-climate, or HIDs. But they come with heated seats, comfort access, and Navigation! It's funny, I remember checking one out up close a couple of months back. I knew there was a story with these when the saw the front brake pads almost completely worn down after only 3,000 miles and brand new tires were installed all the way around.

Also, the decal package is custom to these cars; you cannot replace them from Mini if you damage it. I kinda wish Mini would make a graphics package like this because I thought it was pretty nice.

 

SDA,

I hope you end up in a JCW whether it's this one or another one you find. I certainly have strong opinions about how I like MY JCW optioned, but one of the great things about Minis is you can option them according to your specific needs and desires.

The JCW is a great car with a strong motor. I know we having a fantastic time in ours. Good luck!

 

This dealer used to have 4 of these, 2 Auto, 2 Manual. I've drooled and they are a good value as there is over $40K of car there for $32.

 

Indeed, Recaros, cross-drilled rotors, etc-good stuff...looking at how my JCW was optioned and what I ended up paying, $32k might not be a bad price here.

Even though it was used at a motoring school, I assume it has the remainder of the 4/50k warranty?

I can see how this could be awfully tempting....

 

I confirmed they'll de-decal it for me prior to purchase. Which is good, I do want stripes.. just not those

 

The two I saw were covered by the original warranty. They did not purchase CPO for them, probably to keep the price reasonable. You can probably get a good deal on them because they've been sitting for a number of months now. Tough sell.

 

Not to get off topic, but yes I did. It was pretty good compared to other average automatic transmissions. But in the GT-R, boy that thing was nastier.

Now I prefer the manual in the new F56, but the automatic was nicely done compared to my R56. It shifts quick.

Still don't think for a second that this JCW is anything bad cause it's an auto. It will perform good for daily driving which is what the OP is looking for. She's not tracking the car so it won't matter.

 

Same place has a GP2 for 34k
Look just a bit farther down that same link same page!
fJCW or GP2 with only 2k difference......very tempting.

 

It's a used car (3K miles on it, likely not easy ones), MSRP or original invoice price-points no longer apply.

Used 2013 JCW's:
http://www.motortrend.com/used_cars/..._cooper_works/

You can probably snag it for $25-28K, but it will depend in how deep of a hole the used-car department dug for itself when it accepted this car for trade-in. They may resist on taking a loss on the trade-in, so fish for that information as part of your negotiation.

Gaudy graphics and interior colors are a value detractor.
The fact that new model (F56) is out, is a value detractor.
Automatic transmission is a value-add.

The above are not my subjective preferences for or against a given feature, just observations of the market.

Good luck with your search,
a