Hi. It's been a long time since I posted. I actually traded in my previous MCS about two years ago. But I really miss it and I'm looking to get back into one.

I saw a 2013 JCW for sale for $22,000. Only problem is that an autocheck history report shows that it had "FRONT IMPACT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE" that resulted in "MODERATE DAMAGE" back in September 2013. Which is why I'm guessing the dealer has it at a lower price.

It looks in good condition from the pictures. Do you think I should buy this MINI if it performs well in a test drive? Or should I avoid it because of the accident?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

I think if it drives well, you should consider it. However, you have to ask yourself whether the lower value is a huge drawback for you.

I actually bought my car under almost those exact conditions. I have a 2011 factory JCW that was in a very small collision (driver hit a stationary object and damaged the bumper and front passenger side panel) with no frame damage. Total cost of repairs was just under $3,000. To me, the insanely low price tag (dealer priced it way below book value because they rarely sell MINI Coopers and their inventory usually rotates every three days. They didn't want it sitting on the lot so they priced it to sell quickly) on a great condition JCW was worth it. At my stage in life, I knew I wouldn't be able to afford a JCW for quite some time and I plan on keeping this MINI for an extended period of time as opposed to just 3-5 years. My bank valued the car at above the price I paid for it (with the accident history), so I considered that "worth it" in my mind.

You have to ask yourself whether all of those things check off on your mental list. How long will you keep the vehicle? Does it still drive well? How reputable is this dealership and how well did they perform the repair work, if they did it in-house? Can you find out how bad the damage really was (moderate can be pretty vague)? Is the loss in value on the vehicle a complete con for you, or do you consider it an advantage in the fact that you'd be able to own a JCW if you were in a situation such as myself where you otherwise could not afford one?

If you say yes to most or all of those things, I recommend that you also do what I did and buy a bumper-to-bumper third party warranty. The dealership that we bought my JCW from works with National Road Ready who offers complete bumper-to-bumper warranty and lets you choose the mileage/year of coverage that you want. It allowed me to have peace of mind in case anything does go wrong with the vehicle. Mine drove fantastically (I test drove it about five times before I finally said yes) and I also had the dealership pull the entire service records on the car so I could see exactly what had been done repair wise. This dealership also is very reputable in my local area for having quality vehicles even after they become branded titles.

It's not necessarily a bad thing at all to look at a damaged history MINI. You just have to be thorough and ask yourself whether it'll end up hurting you in three years if you decide to trade it in/sell it privately.

EDIT: Also, since I have a 2011, my JCW still has the N14 engine. I believe the one you're considering has the N18 engine since it's a 2013. That is also another pro in my mind considering the N14 engine is pretty crappy (hence why I got the warranty). If the damage was too extensive and if there was possible frame damage, I might advise you against it.

 

My poor 2006 MCS has been hit 4 times (last small black car I'll own).

Except for the front bumper, which fortunately was barely 5mph from the side, it s all panel damage. No frame damage.

My local MINI dealer has their own collision center and they did all the repairs. I effectively have new driver side door and rear panels and a new front bumper.

Car always came back looking new with absolutely no other issues.

Car is now at 135k miles and going strong.

If you can get a copy of the repair manifest and it's all panel work, based on my experience it could be a bargain.

 

No,no. There is a lot of low milage used Mini or Demo. I bought a 2013 CM for 24K with 100km. Take the time to search around the net, it pays !!!

 

You're buying it cheap and you'll be selling it cheap. I think a lot has to do with how long you plan on keeping the car. The longer you keep it the less of a 'hit' you'll take when you sell it.

 

Thanks for all of your responses! I'd probably only keep it for 3-5 years. I tend to want something new after about that long.

So it sounds like you guys think I should pass on it.

I still have a year before I have to get rid of my current car (the CPO warranty runs out in September '15). I guess I'll keep looking for my perfect MINI JCW. This one only checked off about 90% all of my boxes anyways.

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

90% of boxes is quite a bit in my opinion, haha. Mine had everything I wanted minus heated seats. It's even the color I've always wanted :3

But yes, if you only plan on keeping it 3-5 years, you probably won't come close to breaking even on it until about 4 years anyway, depending on the life of your loan. I do know that most banks, credit unions and insurance companies nowadays are fine with loaning/covering branded title vehicles. But if this is something you're looking at keeping long term, like I said in my earlier post, then yes. You should probably pass. Mine was considerably cheaper than the one you were looking at so as I said, I justified it :P

 

Since you are asking == you are worried.
That is reason enough to keep looking. You will find the perfect car that will make you happy and wont leave you with a nagging doubt about quality and thoroughness of repairs (always a concern on wrecked cars).

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Just a thought, any car you consider was in many pieces before assembly at the factory. It was put together by humans and robots.

Following an accident, damaged parts were removed, new parts installed and painted. This was done by hand! Assuming of course the work was done properly, otherwise it would be obvious to the critical eye.

A body and fender man once told me that their job was actually quite straightforward. We take the damaged car in for work and send it out looking like it did when new. We just copy what was done at the factory.

Of course that assumes the work was done properly, otherwise it shouldn't be accepted by the owner or the insurance company.

 

Well the car was sold. So I guess I don't have to think about it anymore. Thanks for all of your opinions!

 

It's true a damaged car can be repaired and it can be repaired properly. That doesn't change the fact that a car-fax showing a hard impact isn't going to have a strong influence on its resale value no matter how well the repairs might have been done.

 

This is definitely very true. Which is why the OP kind of had to think about whether he'd be keeping it long term or not. But if it sold, moot point now! Perhaps it wasn't meant to be?? :(