I just bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S about a little over a month ago. I ordered it and then spent my entire summer waiting on it. After receiving it, it's been one stupid thing after another. I’ll spare you the details. Don't get me wrong; the car is fine. No one besides me would know what has gone wrong. (nothing too serious...just stupid stuff) The car has been a real bad experience for me, and I want to sell it. Most people think that's crazy, but at this point I don't care. I'm wondering about its resale value. It has 1,200 miles on it now, and I might wait until Spring to sale it. I'm thinking I'll buy a 2007 MINI. The bad thing is, the reason I bought the 2006 was because I liked the idea of having a first generation MINI. I wanted to keep it until it died. (or I died...whichever came first) Anyway, I don't make a habit of buying a new car every year. I figure if I drive it for the next eight months, then at least I'll have a better idea of what I want to order on the 2007. I hate losing the money on the 2006 though, but like I said...I don't want that car anymore. It's already history as far as I'm concerned. (It has bad karma for me...maybe it won't for someone else) I just want to order a new one and start over again. I put quite a few extras on this one...including limited slip differential, back fog light, anthro interior....a clear bra. I paid 25,000 for it. (not counting the clear bra install) I've looked around, and used MINIs seem to go for all kinds of different prices. How do you come up with the value of a MINI? I have another car I can drive. Does it make any difference whether I sell it now or wait until Spring...as far as resale value? Thanks in advance.

 

You are going to lose money, no matter how you cut it and slice it. Sales tax + tag + other fees you can kiss goodbye. Right there you are talking about $1.5K - $2K right off the bat, that is, if you manage to find a buyer and sell your car privately close to sticker.

Trade-in? You are going to lose your shirt there. Estimate anywhere between $4K -$5K. I don't know, but to me that is a significant chuck of change.

keep in mind, the 2007 R56 MINI hardtops are essentially all new cars, with unknown reliability. If you are looking for 100% dependability, a 1st year car may not be the wisest of choices. Just food for taught. The '07s have an all new PSA-Peugeot sourced engine with totally unknown reliability, unlike the proven and virtually bulletproof Chrysler Supercharged engine in your '06.

If you "hate" the car so much, may be losing all this money might be worth to you. care to elaborate on what has happened with it that have soured you so much on your MINI?

Me thinks some of your complaints are nothing "minor" for you to want to dump the car and be willing to take a big financial hit.

May be you need some group theraphy/support to restore your faith in your '06?

 

I had the car two weeks when I took it in to have a clear bra installed. During the process of installing the bra, the guy managed to cut my front end in a number of places. I've been driving back and forth to get it fixed. They buffed it out. If there's a clear coat left, there's not much. I'm assuming that will have all kinds of long term effects. I had tint done at the dealer before I drove it off the lot. The tint job sucked something aweful, so I took it in and made an appointmen to have it redone. I looked at the other cars on the lot and noticed that they all had crappy tint jobs. After I got home I called and canceled. I decided I would go someplace else to have it redone. Well, there was a big scratch in the original tint of the back driver's side window. After I had it retinted, the scratch was still there. Bottom line, the moron who tinted my windows at the dealership before I even took ownership of the car stratched my window. The dealership won't do anything to fix it. I have yet to enjoy having this car. It's been nothing but a headache. No clear coat on the front end + me never beng able to have a descent tint job due to a scratch on the window = me getting rid of this car. I only paid $820 for my title and tag. Granted, I'll be flushing it down the toilet. I'm not too fond of having a 2007...that's why I ordered a 2006 before it was too late. Reliability is a concern, and I want a car I can keep for a long time. I'm fed up. This was my first new car, and I never got to enjoy it being new. Will the bugs in the 2007 be that bad? Were there a lot of bugs in the 2002 mini?

 

The 2005's are great MINIs. I'm living proof. :-) 32,000+ miles with not a single problem (knock on wood).

 

Wow!! Maybe thinner clear coat and a scratch on the window......I'd trade that sucker as quickly as possible even if I had to take a $10,000 loss.....the horrors of it all.

 

I understand what you are saying I'd be pissed too. None of the problems on your car, are problems with the car. They are problems with shoddy workmanship done by two bad installers. Seems to me you could get your car fixed right for less than the cost of what you will loose by selling. Reshoot the clear on the hood & replace a window. Not a big deal really. Good luck.

 

Even though you're upset, you need to realize that all these issues could be fixed in about a day's work.

Rawhyde

 

Keep it.

Here is what you do.

Get a new window installed and have it retinted so there is no scratch.

As far as the clear coat on the bonnet, don't worry about it. There is no way to say that there is no clear coat now. If it bothers you so much, go some place and have them re-clear coat your whole car. It will still be cheaper than selling a used car so quickly. You will loose too much money. Who wants a used car for almost the same as a new.

 

Sounds like you need to stop letting other people work on your car. Just drive it as is for a while! Then when you put the first rock chip/scratch in it, you won't feel so bad when someone else does.

The good news is that Edmunds lists the 2006 MCS as having the #2 resale value of all 2006 vehicles:
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/...9/article.html

I don't think you'll do to bad selling it. But I think you should keep it.

 

I kind of agree, the problems that you have are minimal. If the dealership isn't willing to own up to the problem. I might contact miniusa about the problem, and get them involved a bit. Clear coat is easy to fix, any good auto repair shop will look and tell you how much is left in those spots, and ell you if you need more. Dont fret, it's cheaper to spend 500 bucks then it is to lost alot more money. I would wait on the 07 until an 08. Although I have a 2004 X3, first year it was made and no problems. Yet that was a proven 3.0 engine design. O_O.

 

Ditto to all of the above responses. Here is another possibly theraputic idea. Figure out how much money you would lose by getting from where you are now to a new car, then take that much money and spend it instead fixing this one however you feel its necessary, and with what is left over, buy yourself some cool upgrades. I won't bother suggesting what, there seem to be millions of them, and everyone has their own order of priorities, but it is fun to do neat stuff to an already awesome car.

 

If the clear coat is nearly gone or totally gone, what does that mean for the long term? Will it start rusting through 10 years down the road? As far as respraying the clear coat, I'll never do that. There's a bra installed on the bonnet, and it's a pretty descent job. That’s just more time spent going back and forth. Not to mention, if I respray, I would have to wait until the paint cures and then have another clear bra installed. ...then a new window...all together, that stuff wouldn't cost much less than the money I would lose selling it. If I was to keep it I would redo the bra on the bumper and hood scoop. I would do them myself. I'm tired of letting people touch the Mini and screw it up. That's something I would change about the 2007. Nobody would be aloud near it. Another reason I hesitate to let someone install another window. The way this car is going, the person installing the glass would drop the glass on the car or something. Who knows?

 

To me you've got 2 minor, repairable physical flaws on a mechanically sound Mini. You are not willing to fix these flaws yet you are willing to take a risk on a release year in which the Mini will have major mechanical changes .

If it were me I would repair the '06 & hang on to it but if you decide to get an '07 I would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to work all the bugs out of the 2nd generation Mini so they will be fixed when I decide to buy one in '09

I have heard of a gazillion mentioned & I have heard some were trouble free.

 

I totally get your frustration, but it should cost you MUCH less to get the issues repaired than you would lose if you sold it.

I would say that between normal depreciation plus things that can not be recouped with a new car purchase (taxes, delivery and prep fees, etc), you'll be down $5-7k. Even if you take off your current clear bra, respray the clear coat, and reinstall a new clear bra and fix the window, it shouldn't cost you even half that.

That weighed with the concerns of what the issues could be with an '07 (especially considering the major mechanical changes)...if it were me, I'd keep the one I know works and just get it repaired.

BUT I don't have the $5-7k to just throw around. I suppose if you do, then whatever, do what makes you happy!

 

Once again, having just been through this ...

Forget about KBB, Edmunds, NADA and all of those "guidelines". They mean absolutely nothing. NO dealer is going to look at them.

If you trade it in, the appraiser is going to look a comps. Comparable values JUST sold in auction the last week or so and depending upon the local markets. A market in may be different then the market in New Hampshire.

You should get a reasonable price minus $3K or so for dealer profit to be sold AT AUCTION (rarely do cars these days end up on lots).

IF you sell privately, you got to realize that ppl are going to be able to buy the exact same car at about the same price NEW. So your going to take a hit.

If you want to sell ... Sell NOW. Come Mid-Winter when the first 07s are actually on the streets, I bet the 06s take a huge hit

BTW, clearbra will get you NOTHING in resale value

 

From reading the above, I'd give you 1500 miles max on an 07 MINI before you want to get rid of it.

I wouldn't worry a whole lot about the condition of the clear coat 10 years from now. Whoever owns the MINI at that time will take care of it.

 

A rear window isn't too costly new, but you can find one at a savage yard online or in your area. If you wax your car once a month and be sure to inspect your under coating you shouldn't have a rust issue. It may not say it, but it's a Bimmer. If you take care of it, it will take care of you.
Most Dealers are not too good at tinting. They usually sub-contract the Job. Go to a tint shop where they tint day in and day out.
File a complaint with MINI USA about that dealership and also post your disatisfaction here on NAM in the appropriate thread.
I feel your frustration, but keep the car. It's the quality of the dealership not the manufacturer. Good luck

 

In the dealerships defense....

First off, we had an appointment to fix your tint; you then decided to cancel it and have it redone elsewhere (and to pay them to take it off and put new on). So therefore, when we do not have the opportunity to even take the car to “the sub-letted” tint place to see what they will do about the big scratch, you really didn't give us a chance to make it right. They could have realized they made a mistake (not saying they did or didn't) and paid to have your window replaced (in a perfect world). But then I stand in to say again, you did not give them that chance.

If I have a problem with something, I usually take it back to the people who screwed it up and make them fix it... If you don't do that and you take it back to someone else and have them fix it... Then try to get the original people who messed it up to fix whatever problem they might have or have not caused to pay for it... Its all messed up, the world doesn't work like that.

So that is my .02; and take it as you will…

All in all, if you want to get rid of your MINI, sell it yourself and run ads in the little town papers... Maybe someone will pay you what you paid for it!! Good luck in whatever you decide!!

 

Wait a sec, I didn't catch this first part.

You just received the car, have a lot of little things wrong. Join the club. The quirks are part of the charm of ownership.

Now you want the FIRST year of a new model MINI? What makes you think its going to be any better?

If you wait until Spring, you will take a major bath because the 07s will be on the road and nobody (in general) wants an older car when for near the same dollars you can get new

If you really can't live with quirks (and I could not for it to be safe for my wife) ... bail out now. Otherwise, expect a loss.

 

Chows is right. If you sell out after the new version comes out, you'll take a bath. If you have nicks in the clearcoat where the clear bra was installed, maybe some rubbing out and buffing will fix it. Can you post some pics of this damage? Also, how bad is the scratch in the rear window? Where is it? On the inside or outside? Also, what is your insurance coverage regarding glass? I made sure to get a zero deductable on glass because of the MINI's bad history with windshields.


Slight hijack here....

Chows, I notice that you have joined the "Not Quite on Order Club". Are you considering jumping back into the fire?

Rawhyde

 

How could I possibly go a day without mixing it up with Chows? So here goes... Yes, the longer you keep the car, the less you will get out of it. You'll take a hit regardless but if you choose to sell now it won't be as bad as you think. Take a look at cars.com or autotrader.com to find similar cars and their asking prices in your area. I have found that by looking at the average prices people are asking for a particular model you can get an idea of what your car can sell for. Yes, most people will initially list their car higher than it will actually sell for, but as it sits in their driveway a few weeks they lower the price. Also, I don't think KBB, Edmunds, or NADA are completely worthless. You may not always be able to get the exact price quoted from these sources, but in my experience they have been fairly accurate and useful. Currently, values in these sources for the 2006 MINI are above the new msrp. That doesn't mean you'll make money on your MINI as you may not actually get it on the market, but its a good sign that your car hasn't depreciated all that much. Many non-MINI dealers are selling used ones for far more than the new MSRP. IMO I believe they can do this because A. some people are stupid and B. some may not want to wait to order a MINI.

Finally, I wouldn't worry about all the doomsday scenarios that R53 MINI values will take a huge hit once the 07s come out. I have spent way too much time looking at cars online over the years and on models that tend to have lower depreciation rates, the old models don't tend to drop too much when the new model comes out. Models from companies such as BMW, Toyota, and Honda tend to hold their value fairly well even when a new model is released. It will take a while for the R56 to make any kind of impact on the used market as the used market for the first R53s is just beginning to soften a little. If you decide to hold onto your 06 until the spring you may lose some on it as opposed to selling now but I don't think it will be too significant.

 

Torch the car and be done with it... But seriously, seems these really are pretty minor things that could have been fixed by the dealer on about the 4th or 5th trip. That's just how it is dealing with any dealer, always takes multiple trips because in spite of an appointment 2 weeks in advance they will still have neglected to order the necessary parts etc etc etc. But if you keep on them and remain calm (if you flip out they will quit trying) typically they will make good on it, especially on a new car if they have any hope of you ever buying another one from them. Which brings up aother point, if this dealership is so bad, why would you even dream of buying another car from them? Or do you have the luxury of more than one Mini dealership near you?

 

I said in my little writeup that the wife drove a friend convertable and loved it (thanks to Mark M. of DCMM). So, I would never buy the first year model of the MINI but we ARE considering an 08 or later MCC for around time. MINIs, in general, are WELL regarded in the P community. I've read several good reports of ppl buying them as third cars of runabouts for town locally (hmm, that sounds funny since I owned one. but you get my meaning ... they are well regarded).

Clark ...Im not sure we are disagreeing.

02 - 04s, and I've said this before, will not take much of a hit at all ... 05s some. 06s the worst. Once the 07 are actually on the road, your going to be hard pressed to sell an 06 anywhere near the original price when you can get an entirely new model for the same monies.

As to KBB, etc. you can't just go by what people list cars for. ... that means little. I've seen 05's listed for low 30s. Do you think they got that money? What you need to know is the actual selling price from a willing buyer ... as to dealers, its simple, they buy and sell at wholesale auction ... they do not go buy any consumer guideline book ... only the last few weeks of actual auction prices in the region (i've been told this by several independent appraisers as they took a LONG time appraising my car).

I dont think you can compare MINI resales with toyota or honda. For example, low mileage Toyota or Honda SUVs are VERY hard to come by because people keep them ... well forever because of the quality. Hence they resale values are high. MINI buyers tend to be more infatuated with "go kart" handling and live with the quirks. Your starting to see now second and third owners for MINIs. You got to question ... why? Yes, the true enthusiast might keep it forever but more and more people are opening their eyes to all the quirks. After spending way too much time at the dealer, it gets real old.

I am not saying its doom and gloom, just that the days of thinking your going to get a good deal on resale are over.

 

08 MCC is the 1st model year for the new Cabrios...07' Cabrios are remaining basically untouched

 

I wouldn't exactly say the car has bad karma for you. I'd explain your situation as being more along the lines of receiving bad service. Bad karma is when you replace a rim for hitting a pothole and then on your way back home it happens again!

The problems you describe are not of your doing nor your MINI's. Put a smile on your face and hang your head high.

There's nothing wrong with your car...yet!