Im contempleating the purchase of a 2004 MINI Cooper S. It has 56K miles, and the asking price is $16,875.



I guessing the price is pretty good, for a nicely equipped MINIS ? My other question is what is there to look for when testing out the vehicle? Whats some commonly experienced problems with this model? Besides the wheels being crazy heavy.

I've test driven it twice and have fallen in love. Wow. These cars are so much fun.

This is very odd to me considering that all my life i've owned, lived, breathed Volkswagens. Now that my latest VW is totalled thanks to a nice rear ended love tap. Im forced to purchase a new car and 2000-07 VW's i just cant get into the new rounded bodystyling.

R.I.P. euroturtle

 

 

 

.......too sexy for my MINI.

 

Look for mushrooming and rust in the door sill area.

 

Yea, i accidentaly typed the first world then hit enter and it submitted the post with only one word.

mushrooming on the outside?

 

Look for mushrooming on the strut towers, not on the outside pop open the bonnet then look.

 

While that is a nice looking IB/W 04, coming from the VW world (and being a MINI newb), do you really want your 1st MINI to be out of warranty from the gitgo? Not that there is anything wrong with your choice, but think about it.
05s get you better gearing, and the probability of some remaining warranty.
The price range should be similar.
Good luck in your choice, and welcome to MINI-world!

 

Definitely go with an 05 or an 06. Better build quality and a much more pronounced exhaust burble and you'll get some semblence of a warranty.

 

i made the switch from VW's to MINI's, you'll love the S, go for it.

btw nice mk3

 

Cant go wrong with Indi Blue i guess im partial to it since my MCS is

 

Go ahead....... Splurge!!!!! You'll be glad you did... Or not.....

 

depending on his application. if he uses it as a pure daily driver then yes, the 05-06s have better gearing for commuting, but the 02-05s have their gearing set up for more spirited driving.

 

From the car's milage and appearance, I would say $15500 is more reasonable since it is one of the older model MCSs with taller gearing and old style xenons. Of course, take a look at the tires and see how much tread is left; the car comes from the factory with runflats and those cost $300+ a tire, so you can do the math.

 

Gorgeous MCS, but I could be biased.



Not a whole lot of problem areas - check the strut towers, as stated, and check for the 'yo-yo' and mid throttle/mid RPM. Also check the service record - the dealer will be able to give it to you (is that Crown?)
Even my 10/03 build '04 model has a few months of warranty left.
Enjoy!

 

Looks great...I do think you should be able to get it for $1,000 or so less than the asking price. I don't think the gearing or the build quality are any reason for not getting an '04....go for it.

 

is this what im looking for on the tops of the stut mounts?

 

That would be the area, yes.

I, too made the switch from VWs to Mini. 1976 Rabbit, 1985 JettaD, 1991 SCCA SSB GTI 16V, 1990 GLI, 1990 Cabrio, 1984 16v Cabrio, 2001 Cabrio... you'll have no regrets (aside from the trunk space in your old Jetta).

Search around a bit, check the normal used car areas, and by all means test drive a FEW of them - one may feel "great", but drive several to get the idea about what's "great" and what's "better than that". Check service history, oil condition, all fluids, brake pad life, etc. RF tires are expensive, yes, but you can go non-RF as well. Tires are $100 (non RF) to $300 (RF) each, so tire life (and wear-item life) is important. Check if the car indeed HAS runflats still on it! If not, make sure you've got a tire repair kit, compressor, etc. onboard (check tire forums for details).

Price seems fair for a used car dealer, could be better, but not knowing the specifics or your market it's hard to comment. Check also the NAM classifieds... don't know your financial situation but sometimes spending a *little* more can yield great results. I love the '06 gearing I have, but have driven some really nice '02-'04s too.

 

so what is that at the tops of the strut mounts?

and which gearing is more sporty, i here that 05-06's are "better for daily drivers" and 02-04 is a more " spirited drive according to Jeremy1026. is this accurate?

 

02-04 is more sporty. the lower gears are spread out a bit further in 05-06 to make commuting in stop-and-go traffic less stressful by allowing you to stay in 1st and 2nd longer.

 

Oh I dunno, I really like the 2-3 and 3-4 upshift on my manual '06 S, the gearing there is pretty tight and the power just f-l-o-w-s

 

??

 

Are you talking about the dirt or the round rubber piece?


Art

 

i was referencing how it looks as if the paint has been rubbed off?

common problem?
future problem?
not to be a concern?

 

To me it does not look like the paint is rubbing off since I see a mark in front of the tower. I have no issues of paint rubbing on my 04MC. It looks like dirt has collected there.


Art