I think my jitters are taking me over and I'm thinking it's not a good idea for me to go through with my Cooper. I've place the order at Classic Mini in Ohio and it should ship out about August 23rd. I haven't financed it yet so if you are interested in it, you would just need to finance the car and wait a couple of weeks for her. Here are the scoops on it:

2005 MCS
Pure Silver
Black Roof/Mirrors
Front Fog lights
Premium Package
Carpet Floor mats
Space grey cloth interior

I just am not so sure about forking over $400 a month for the next five years of my life to drive a car around. Maybe I'm just not ready to buy a new car. Maybe I'll regret it. I don't know. Anyway, if you are interested, send me a private message.

 

Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what they do at the dealership if I don't want it. Anyone know? Do they just sell it on the lot? Do they auction it off? Or can they just have someone else take it over and buy it the same as I would?

 

Boge,

They just sell it like any other car on the lot. Are you sure you want to give this up? Obviously I can't speak for your financial status, but in my opinion it is well worth it. Plus you are not just buying a car, but access to a community, with events and such.

 

I don't really car about any events and stuff. I'm not 100% sure, but as each day passes, I think more and more that I should be thinking practical at this point in my life. I don't consider spending $400 a month for a car is a practical, smart move for me. I'd love to have the cooper, but I'm just not so sure this car is meant to be mine. If you all can talk me out of it, now is the time. If not, well, maybe you'll see me driving around that Metro.

 

boge- debt is something you want to try to stay away from as much as
possible unless you are sure (which you are not) that you can pay it off
and will be happy to do it.

You might be better off with something like a Scion or Mazda and enjoy the
lighter weight of 'debt' over your head while still having plenty of fun
driving it. Buying a car should be a fun experience....especially when
buying a car like the MINI. Don't make it unnatural for yourself. :smile:

 

 

Ya know... it's kinda like a marriage... with the perks, come responcibilities, comprimises... it's a big commitment. You've got time, have some fun with other cars... then if you come to realize you can't live without that MCS... go for it!

Dogspeed.

 

I would get a base cooper over most any other car in its price range. All the handiling with out the vvvrrrroooommm. I actually prefer the look of the Cooper over the S.


That is if you need to buy a car.

 

I think I've made up my mind. I think I will go for something very cheap right now like a used Civic EX and then keep that Mini Cooper in mind. Who knows, maybe they will throw in that 1.8 litre engine and up it to 200 hp just for the MCS. Maybe then you will see me on here again. Thanks for your oppinions and advice. Enjoy your Minis!!

 

Sounds good. :smile: Hope to hear back from you soon. Those CivicEX's are
very cool. I had a 94' back in the days and it was very enjoyable to drive.
Honda's are great cars and enjoyed driving the 91 CivicHB, 94CivicEX, 98Prelude.

So many hopups available you can't go wrong. In LA, it was not very hard
to find 11 sec Civics roaming around the streets.

 

Sounds like you made the right decision. Ain't nuthin' worse than those 3:00 a.m. awakenings due to the "debt monster" under your bed. The less debt we all have, the healthier we all are.Remember, "the poor pay interest, the rich receive it". Better to receive a small amount from your bank account than pay a large amount on a car loan.

 

Hey Boge-

just remember that life is short and you could die any day never knowing the pleasure of owning a mini.

Oh and if you are gonna buy an new car this is about the most sensible new car you can buy because you don't have that instant depriciation that you do with others. A month or two later you can sell it for what you payed or more.

 

Hey Boge, I wish you luck with whatever decision you want to make in the end, but it seems to me that you are "too afraid" when it comes to make the big decisions in life, whether it is to buy a new car, a house, get married, etc, etc.

I think it is fine if you want to play it "safe" on everything but remember that life is sometimes about taking risks because the greatest rewards come when you are not always seeking safety on every decision that comes your way.

$400 a month for a new car is a hefty commitment for most people but also think about the fact that you will have a brand new car with a full 4 year warranty, 24/7 roadside assitance and with one of the LOWEST rates of depreciation in the industry. Truthfully you have nothing to lose, IMO.

We know people that refuse to buy a new car and have a "monthly payment" because they have it drummed into their heads that putting up with old and used cars somehow makes more financial sense. That may be true to a point, but when the "monthly" repair bills beging to roll in for all the "unexpected" failures and repairs of your 10 year old car, soon you will be spending much more than $400 a month, guaranteed.

In economics this is called a "False economy" and owning old vehicles in the great majority of cases could be considered to be as such.

I personally will never give up the new car smell, warranty, safety and reliability of owning a new car for the sake of saving a monthly payment and driving and old clunker that can leave me stranded anywhere at anytime.

 

^Cooper4us nailed it on the head

I sold my ole 3-series because it cost me more a month in maintenance than my MINI's payment! Not counting cost of mods because I modded both

 

Depending on where you live, a used cooper is worth more then a new one. Try to figure that one out! If you are in that part of the country where this is true you might want to continue your purchase and drive it for a year or two and then sell it. It's the same as buying a used car and you have a warranty. Plus, you can experience the thrill of the mini. Five years is a long time to pay but so is five years of driving something you didn't really want in the first place.

 

girl freind just bought a new satern ion for a 2 year lease and she is onley paying 160 a month and 170 a month for insurance.... while im paying 520 a month and 200 dollers a month on insurance oh well my fault but im loving every minute of it, why pay 40 dollers a day to go to ceadar point when im onley paying 17 dollers a day to ride my cooper s, got all the thrill and chills right in my drive way!!!! whait that be 24 dollers .....sorry



but yea get a new car and pay 160 a month plus have the warranty and all and build your credit so when your ready to buy youll get a good rate and all, granted you dont already have perfect credit


well im off to work

 

Winechic, when is yours coming?

 

It's good that you are really thinking it through. Have you considered things like: are there any other debts that will be paid off next year? (student loans, etc.) Do you have anything to sell? (ex-boyfriend jewelry, work-out equipment, etc - which are good towards downpayment). And, are you spending $ on stuff that can be eliminated? You would not beleive how much money you can come up with if you look at these things. The Civic is great... But, I have owned "reasonable" cars, and "fun" cars. These fun cars are not just for transportation - they are recreation, hobby, and a way of life. I have seen so many places, just because I went "for a drive".

When I first bought my fun car, I thought "oh no, what did I just do"?! Then I drove it a bit, and never once regretted it after that! And now, I will never drive a "normal" car again. I would choose a Fun beater-car anyday, over a normal car.

Just some thoughts... Good Luck on your tough choice! :smile:

 

Really soon I hope!!! I am freaking out about having to make a car payment too, but hey, like I said, Life is short so why not!

 

But just think..you can drive it a month before making a payment..So enjoy!!!

BTW, we happen to live where the prices are crazy...the used prices are higher then MSRP!

 

Being that I'm all of 21 years old and my '05 is going to be my practical car compared to my BMW... here's a thought...

I spend 10-13.75 per person to go to the movie out here in CA. That's 2 hours of enjoyment for about $5-7/hour. Now right now I spend about 2 hours driving per day in my car. That means I get $300-400+ per month of movie enjoyment from my current car.

And as far as old civic's being reliable... my old roomate had a 99 civic that he has spent $1200 fixing stuff on in the past 2 months. Not to mention what he spend on rental cars during the procedures.

The cool thing about MINI's is that they hold their value really well. I suspect that housing is going to be a poor investment over the next 5 years as interest rates increase and people get squeezed by the debt out of owership, supply will increase to the point where prices will need to fall. I'm not even thinking about making those kind of investments for the next 3 years while I'm finishing law school.

I am also totally freaked out about buying the MCS since I have 3 years of school left coming off of finishing my MBA tomorrow. It's a lot of money to spend on a limited budget. On the other hand I'm the kind of person that only buys cars that put a smile on my face. My first car I bought a used $10k SAAB 9000 Turbo because I figured that I saw tons of old SAABs on the road and they must be reliable. It was in the shop 6 times in 6 months for 1-2 weeks each time before I sold it after the engine took a dump on the freeway almost killing me. I had a '95 Land Rover Discovery that LOVED poping hoses and radiator leaks. The '98 Saab 900 Turbo would, even with a new battery and starter, refuse to start once every 2 weeks for 8 hour periods. I bought my '99 M coupe in 2000 with 6k miles on it. I love the thing to death and it is extremely reliable compared to other cars. Since I do almost all of the work myself now (even adding the supercharger), I spend maybe $200/ year to keep it running for stuff like brake fluid and oil. Plus it is 10x more fun than all the other cars combined.

Just remember new cars tend to cost less than old cars... I heard the CFO of Southwest speak earlier this year and he said this is why they only use newer aircraft. Plus, a fun car is not just a mode of transportation if it puts a smile on your face everytime you get in.

Patrick

 

Yeah, but cars and planes are BIT different, and cars are cheaper to fix and they don't fall out of the sky when they break.:smile:

We all have different experiences, but a used car these days is bound to cost less overall than a new one. Sure, you may have several hundred dollar repair bills now and again, but you're not going to have them consistently for years.

If he's in a tight money situation, you can get a used Cooper for ~$16K (or a new one, stripped!) vs. the $22K spec he's currently got. Many cheaper alternatives out there as well. When there's more money, buy more car.

For me, I won't buy a car until I can BUY it - no payments here. The MINI is the first car that I'm considering buying new, and that only because the used ones are asking more than a new one to my spec!

 

Ah, you live in the area I wrote about. You can literally drive a cooper for a year and get your $$ including your fees...if they sell for close to the asking prices.

 

"The poor pay interest, the rich receive it".


Hits the nail on the head. Could not have said it better myself. Pick a nice used Honda Civic and drive it into the ground! Good choice...

 

Boge, show some *****.