I found a really clean 08 Mini Cooper base. It has the winter, sport and premium package. It has 118000 miles, automatic and regularly serviced.
She was asking 9200 but I have her down to 8200. I am buying for my son and I want an 07 or newer because of problems with the CVT tranny.

Is the price fair ?
How reliable are Mini's? my son at the most might put 7000 mile a year on it.
Any know issues that I need to look for?
Can I switch the rims to either a 16" or 17" rim? If so do I need to have the speedo recalibrated?

Thanks a million

 

Too many miles. Only buy it if the price is real low and if you can do your own repairs. Read this post from today: 07 Base R56 jerking/surging at idle and while driving.

 

Does your son need the automatic transmission or can he drive a stick? It seems like a lot of miles for an '08. The fact that it has been regularly serviced is good. The price seems reasonable for a private sale.

My '06 base has been quite reliable so far, but it only has 61,000 miles on it. I have had to replace an Oxygen sensor.

I would definitely have it checked out by an independent mechanic before buying.

 

Thanks for reply.. In NC I am having a hard time finding a 07 or newer Mini auto that is within my price range. I didn't realize how expensive they are to work on. I am very handy with cars so I will be doing most of the maintenance myself. Still depaiting

 

If you buy a good one, the mileage is secondary. I have 105000 on my 2008. I have taken care of this far more than most people. I know my car is barely broken in. No issues. I expect to get more than double the mileage and am in this car for the long haul. Check it out well, beat them down on the price. If you can get it low enough, and your gut says it is solid, go with it. The oil change and maintenance aspect is the key to longevity.

Ivan

 

~~no CVT in the 2008s as i understand it. (mine is a traditional Automatic i know.)
~Do a KBB Lookup, But i think the price is a little high for the mileage.
~I had the vanos solenoid and front crankshaft seal replaced recently in mine. ~Valve cover gaskets also seem to need replacing sometime after 60k (at least mine did) As well as cosmetic bits start to fade as it gets older depending on your climate.
~the speedo will already be off by 5-6 MPH by design (do some searching theres lots on that!) I put 16" rims on and my speed is now only 2-3 off with no issues in the past 6 months of having them. Just make sure whatever you get rimwise can support TPMS.

> to sum up: not a bad deal but try for a better one. The base models can be significantly easier to work on for sure and just as fun. Shouldn't be a CVT in the 2008s unless i'm wrong.

 

The MINI is a fun car to drive and doing your own maintenance is essential, otherwise you will go broke. Just avoid the Gen 2, 07 to 10 "S" model...these have a lot of problems.

 

One more thing...because of all of the bad press about the 2003 to 2006 CVT and the 2007 to 2010 S model, MINI has a bad name on the internet. Private party sales are not easy...the buyer has the upper hand in negotiating the price.

 

I'm gonna try and talk her down on the price some. I've searched all over NC and this is probably the best deal I have found for a 2007 + mini cooper auto. She is the original owner and seems to have gotten all the upgrades you could get for a base model.

 

If the transmission fluid has been changed and the spark plugs and oxygen sensors have been replaced then I believe that 8,200 is a fair price.