I hate to say this but I’m just not bonding with my 2023 Cooper S. I got it in December and it doesn’t even have 300 miles on it. I drove it a few times and I’m just not into. I ordered it and was excited when it came in. I’m not new to Mini and I had a 2007 and I really liked it. I have a nice SUV that’s fairly new and I drive that during the day. It has also becoming a hassle dealing with 3 cars and the Mini stays in the garage and when I want to take it out I have to move the suv behind it. I put down a good amount on it and I’m not upside down. I’m aware I will lose money if I try to sell now, but I can wait for a better time. Anyone else do something stupid?

 

How about a few details as to what your MCS is.

 

It’s a 2023 Cooper S iconic trim, manual trans rooftop gray.

 

Not necessarily stupid just sometimes we change our minds.

Bought a new 2001 Camaro Z28. The dealers had over a 200 day supply. Got the car for a good price, around $5K under sticker. V8. 6-speed manual. Reasonably optioned. Drove it 4 months 28K miles. Terrible car. Oh I didn't have any problems just I realized why the dealers had over a 200 day supply on their lots. Word is a 30 day supply is about about right...

Decided to get rid of the Camaro. Bought a new 2002 Porsche Boxster and then arranged to sell the Z28 on consignment. Bit of a dispute with the consignment seller but in the end I got my money. I was helped by the fact I had the sense to get a copy of the "agreement". And learned to never sell a car on consignment ever again. The Boxster proved to be a great car. Drove it 16 years and 317K miles.

I could go on. Buying my 1st Dodge Challenger Scat Pack then 2 months later flip flopping on my belief the Scat Pack was the ideal/best Dodge Challenger and buying a new 2018 Hellcat then 33 months later flip flopping back to a new 2020 Scat Pack.

Then after 18 months/8K miles deciding the 2nd Scat Pack wasn't the it car trading it in to buy a 2022 BMW 230i. (This car is I think going to be a keeper. Well, until I come across a BMW 240i...)

Then last Dec. I had a change of heart with my 2020 M-B Metris cargo van -- helped but uncharacteristic lousy service -- that completely soured me on owning any more M-Bs and I had planned on buying an AMG C43.

So shortly after the van was serviced I drove to Merriam KS and traded in the van for a 2023 MINI S. I'm really liking this S. Not my 1st MINI. Just 2 weeks after buying the first Challenger (in Dec 2017) I bought a new 2018 MINI JCW. Loved that car. Sold it when I left CA for Arkansas. No MINI dealers closer than 180 miles...

Now I bought this S with the idea of driving it until I could order and take delivery of a new JCW with a 6-speed manual. But I'm having 2nd thoughts. This S is pretty darn good. And just my luck to get rid of this S -- which will probably prove to be the best car of my cars if I'd only keep it -- for a JCW that with my luck will prove to be nothing but problem after problem. While the car has a 4 year 50K miles warranty the nearest dealer is 180+ miles away.

 

Well, I know a lot of folks change cars like they they change their socks, I tend to keep them a long time, after all I just got rid of my 1960 Austin Mini in 2017.

 

I was interested in a 2 series but I don’t think you can get a stick shift anymore. My dealer is probably 35 miles away from me. I wanted a car that I could use instead of driving the suv everyday. I do like taking the larger vehicle on the longer trips and putting the dogs in it. I tried to get a civic hatch back and couldn’t find any in my area. The S is really good it drives quite nice and they really refined it. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, I hate just having this thing sitting in my garage.

 

If you don't want it to sit in the garage, then move the SUV to the front of the garage and drive the MINI every day.

 

Also it doesn't sound like it's the MINI at all, it sounds like you don't really like having a third car.

 

Nothing wrong with the Mini at all, I just don’t like it enough to want to drive it.

 

I'll take it off your hands if it bothers you that bad. Take me a few hours to get there from PA.

 

How is the used market on Minis? I really don’t think it’s going to get used. Maybe if I wait a year or 2 it won’t be too bad. I’m also thinking the resale on a manual transmission will be better than the automatic.

 

The word was back in the day -- and it still applies now -- best to buy and keep a car. Every car I get I plan on keeping it forever.

Just things change. With some cars they develop issues -- I give my cars good service and stay on top of things -- but with one car the engine developed some oil leaks. These fixed under warranty. Then out of warranty the leaks came back. Not that soon after being fixed. Was told this was "normal". Got rid of the car.

The next car long story short the dealer servicing was terrible. Techs could not even fill the engine with the correct amount of oil. Previous MY car came with an engine that required 5 quarts of oil. New engine required 6. But in my case only got 5...And there were other examples of just terrible service.

Same thing with my VW Golf TDi. Great car. But I just got tired of VW dealer service.

Other times I just manage to decide to buy the wrong car. The Camaro is one example. Rather than live with buying the wrong car I think better to just get rid of it. I should have traded in though instead of selling it on consignment.

In the case of my first Dodge Challenger I did my best Einstein impersonation and worked out the best Challenger was the Scat Pack with an 8-speed automatic. But 2 months later I had allowed myself to be bit by the desire to own a Hellcat.

Hellcat was ok but I ended up back with another Scat Pack, this one with a 6-speed manual. Then 18 months later traded it in for a BMW with an automatic.

Anyhow, I did keep one car -- 2002 Boxster -- for 16 years and 317K miles.

But just Monday I traded in the S I bought just Dec 3 2022 for a new 2023 JCW with a 6-speed. The S was a great car and I had real pangs of regret trading it in. But I wanted a JCW when I bought the S. I bought the S to drive until I could order and receive a new JCW. But I decided to buy one off the lot. Found one on a lot at the MINI dealer of Loveland CO. Drove there and bought JCW. Had to drive my trade in -- the S -- 873 miles to Loveland. And then drive the new JCW 873 miles home. But the S was a fun drive there and the JCW was a fun drive home.

One thing I have noticed with keeping cars for rather than 16 years far fewer years is the trade in value helps greatly to get me into a new car without having to cough up a lot of money. Got a $27,000 trade in allowance for the S and only had to write a check for $13,500 to own the car. Because I was a cash buyer and from out of state I didn't pay sales tax when I bought the car. But I will have to pay sales tax where I live as soon as I get the title in the mail and thus can register the car in my name.

 

My advice is if you are not going to use the car get rid of it now. The car will never be worth as much as it is now. If you keep it even if you don't drive it the car depreciates. And it won't like sitting unused. When you go to drive it the battery will be low, or dead. And word I get is these cars are at risk of electronic troubles arising from a low battery.

Plus you have to insure/register the car. And where I live pay property taxes on the car.

If you don't have another car in mind to buy and thus could use this MINI for a trade in just sell the car to a MINI dealer. I sold one MINI, my1st JCW, to a MINI dealer. Was not painful experience and I got what my research indicated was a good price. Took less than an hour.

Then just Monday I sold, as in traded in, a 3 month old 2023 S with about 7200 miles to a MINI dealer to help me buy a new JCW. The S was in excellent condition, had 3 oil/filter services, the last one on Feb. 23. Used car appraiser took just a spin around the block to know the car was in good condition and would make a fine addition to the used car lot. Dealers like to have a good variety of cars over a wide price range. A car with a price to fit every shopper's budget. [was budge...]

 

I haven’t really driven it, in 3 months it doesn’t even have 300 miles on it. We’re having lousy weather now, maybe I’ll start driving it once it gets nice. If I don’t drive it then I’ll sell it.

 

Also try Carmax. I just sold a fair condition 2017 Cooper S F55 with 20,500 miles for $21000. Yes, 6.5 year old MINI for $21,000. I paid $30k for it over 6 years ago. I think it is regional and car specific, but MINIs hold their value pretty well. Not Wrangler or Tacoma levels, but pretty good.

 

Just curious OP what did you end up doing?
I have a 2023 MCS 6spd, and while it’s fun around town I don’t like it for highway trips I found out, and I hate the terrible MPGs for what it is (power and engine size, plus requires premium). But unfortunately I didn’t find this out until after my $30,226 carvana offer expired and the new one is a laughable $22k.
I ended up buying a 2004 Z4 because this car took so long to come in, and I ended up liking that car so much the MINI is basically a “spare” car, which makes no sense considering its the newest and most expensive car in the fleet.

 

It’s just taking up space in the garage. It’s got like 325 miles on it. I thought I was going to have more fun driving I can’t say anything bad about it, the fit and finish is excellent. I can’t sell it because I’ll take a huge loss. The weather here is getting nicer, so I’m going to take it out this week and drive it around. This may sound crazy, but I just haven’t bonded with this car like I have with other cars. I really loved my 2007 Mini as soon as I drove it off the lot. Are you keeping yours?

 

I haven’t bonded with mine either. I loved my personality of my previous R53 but this one is too….mute? It is a nice car its just not for
me. If I get the opportunity to get rid of it again (should have took that offer) it will be gone. You get alot of car for the money compared to most these days, it just doesn’t check the boxes for me.
I wish VW still offered a 2 door GTI, I was a GTI person before they killed off the proper 2 door ones after 2016.

 

I had a 1984 GTI which I bought new, great car. I also had a 1990, 1996 and a 2015 GTI. The 2015 GTI was total junk. I’m going to take a look at a 5 series and I wonder if I would get a decent trade in on one.

 

I’d owned 6 of them throughout the years.
2003
2003
2009
1986
2005
2015.
The 2015 had some issues so I got rid of it and right after I did VW announced no more 2 doors like 2 months later. 5 series is a huge jump up, I wouldn’t mind a M240i myself, but idk if I want to deal with the future problems of the B58 (great engine, but who thought putting the vanos and timing chain in the back was a good idea?!? Engine out service for those!)

 

I looked at the new GTI, but the quality just wasn’t there for me and I have been burned too many times by VW.

 

When I bought that 2015 GTI SE 6spd manual I wanted a Golf R, actually had the funds for a Golf R but they quit offering it in 2 door so I went highest trim GTI still offered in 2 door (SE). I don’t do 4 door hatchbacks, that combined with the steering wheel haptic feedback buttons on the MK8s that’s a solid no from me, which is what brought me to this MINI (last 2 door hatch offered in the states). After this I’m either going back to a 2 door wrangler before those get killed off too, or a GR86. 4 doors have never been my thing, much like automatic transmissions. I get they have their place, and I certainly don’t look down on others for making the practical choice for them, it just sucks how that leads to my personal choice always being taken away from me.

 

Drove my 2023 S with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission to CA and back last part of this January. From the drive from CA to AR: 36.7mpg/62.3mph, 34.3/51.3, 39.7/671., 33.7/68.5, 31.1/76.4, 31.2/72.8, 36.0/77.5, 37.5/65.4, 43.9/72.1 (Albuquerque to Tucumcari: all "downhill"), 40.3/74.8 (Tucumcari to Clinton (OK): still going downhill and it got colder, too), 31.8/62.1.

Pretty pleased with the gas mileage. The 7-speed transmission probably helps some with 7-speeds 6th and 7th are probably over drive. Might mention I wasn't high miling the car. While I was convoying from CA to AR with my sister following in her EX I had my V1 on and was making good time.

Then the gas mileage from my drive from Loveland CO to Arkansas in my new 2023 JCW with its 6-speed speed...

32.5mpg/72.8mph, 30.0/67.5, 28.4/76.6, and 29.4/77.7.

Not too shabby given it is a JCW with a 6-speed manual.

As for 91 vs. 87 all my vehicles since 2001 have required 91. I'd feel strange filling up at the 87 pump...

Oh and both the S and the JCW were very comfortable spending hours behind the wheel. Admittedly though with the shorter wheel base not as magic carpet smooth riding as one of my longer wheel base vehicles. But neither car had me regretting buying it and driving it. And to be sure while the MINIs are I'd say more than ok on the open road around town they are super.

 

7spd I’d imagine does way better MPGs than 6spd manual. These days a 2.0T getting 32mpg running 72mph is pretty sad though.
I had a 2019 GLI (sedan, fwd, 6spd manual 2.0T) that on the same drive would have no problems doing 36-38mpg running 75mph on 87 octane where my MINI struggles to get 30mpg at those speeds (GLI had more power than my S as well).
I can tolerate this car for about 3 hours, after that I can’t get the seat adjusted for my comfort.
I’ve made peace with the stiff suspension, that doesn’t bother me anymore where as the seat comfort above 3hrs does.

 

Now I know it seems like I’m coming down hard on the car, that isn’t my intention. It is still a blast to drive around town, especially now that is makes the power I’d expect out of a more modern 2.0T (I have a tuning module on it now). For day to day commuting I have no real complaints about it, it just doesn’t fit my intended use for the car as well as I had initially hoped.