It's part of the chrono pack.

 

Exactly. I offered $2000 under what they were asking and they snapped it up so fast I wished I had offered less!

 

That 2005 BRG on craigslist, the girl said she would sell for $12k. She has been offered 10 and 11 trade in at dealerships. I think its a pretty good deal considering it has $2,500 miles left on the warranty. Have to talk to my parents on this one.

 

Ok as a 2005 MC buyer just want to give you an idea of the going cost around the WNY area.

I looked at pre 2005 models first they were in my $10,000-$12,000 range like you have. As I am a college student I do not have anything close to unlimited funds.

Once I realized I would prefer to have a 2005 I also realized I would have to spend more than what I anticipated. I ended up putting $3000 down and financing $13,000. This was at a dealership and my r50 is certified pre-owned.

Private deals get you a cheaper price but the CPO warranty is outstanding. My new car warranty just went up, but I still have the CPO warranty until 100,000 miles or 5 years from the build date. So as my trany is starting to shift funny I will be very glad I spent the extra to buy it with a warranty.

My r50 is almost completely base package. I would suggest getting a reliable car over extra options at this point. It won't be the last car you buy.

That being said those that are negative towards the sunroof have some merit, but from reading on the forums and from riding in my dad's Cooper with sunroof, I just thought I could add my opinions.

First as for the 50 pounds extra, from what I understand the 50 pounds is the weight of the parts for the sunroof. Now yes that is going on top of the car, but they are also taking out quite a large area of roof to put it there. I have heard the roof material that is no longer there would weigh approximately 30 pounds so the sunroof may add as little as 20 pounds. I can't imagine 20 pounds would make such a difference that it would not be appreciated. Leaking problems, should be covered under warranty if you buy CPO.

Now I did not think I could afford anything higher than $12,000, but especially if you are putting a large amount down, you may be surprised at how low a monthly payment can be. You may find that the payment may equal the gas savings and you may be able to pay it off ahead.

I of course also would have liked an "S" but I figured it would be better to get an after 2005 r50 rather than a pre 2005 r53 for the same price. I also want the gas savings of the r50. In the future when my budget is not so tight I can get the Cooper with bells and whistles, and I may enjoy it even more because it will be an upgrade from what I have.

But even when I upgrade I will never sell my first MINI. I love it and have no regrets. Even a base model r50 is still a BMW...

IMHO it is worth getting the most reliable vehicle you can afford when you have limited income. This will avoid unexpected, and uncovered repairs that I have learned are had to pay for when your budget is tight.

Remember everything I said is my opinion, take it or leave it.

 

That one sure looks worth seeing Thomas.

If you were not apposed to an older one with more miles here is one in Hendersonville that could might be had for $9000 (or less?) and give you three grand in your pocket for a new performance clutch and some other performance mods. Depending on how well kept it turns out to be. Might be worth at least a quick trip up to see anyway.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...standard=false

 

That seems like a car you could buy for $5k maxxx. When I started looking at MINIs, I talked with the mechanic at the local dealer and he even said stay away from 02's. I might....miiiight consider an 04 but I would rather not buy any car than get stuck with a decision I wish I had not had made. Too many good improvements for the 2005+ models to pass up.

Thanks for the advice Mich, but I am not going to finance. I bought my Jeep for $5,500, and am about to sell it for $10,000, so I am only looking to buy if I can afford it. I am trying to make the decision on a car to keep for the next 3-4 years in college, I grew tired of my Jeep after 1 year.

How many miles were on your r50? $16k sounds like it had very low miles or you didn't try to bargain . Cash does speak louder than credit though.

 

It only had 24,000 and was CPO the warranty makes it more valuble. When I was at the dealership today for inspection I just asked out of curiosity how much they would give me as a trade in and they said they would give me $16,000 with the current milage and package. I now have 39,000 miles on it and they were offering me the same price I paid a year ago with 15,000 less miles.

 

That's pretty wild. Sucks for me that used car prices are on the rise. Dealers are giving top dollar trade in in hopes that someone will buy a new car.

 

With the current 2.9 financing and the fact you can get your tax money back on the next tax return, and high trade in value. MINI seems to be pushing the new cars right now.

 

If I were to buy this mini, (2005 BRG R50 with 47,500m), since it is still under warranty until 50,000 miles could I take it straight to a dealer and them inspect everything for free? Since it is under warranty I would just go buy it and bring it straight back, and let a dealership handle the rest. Not much need for checking it out real hard down there. The little remaining time on the warranty is what makes me like it the most. Thats also why my mom said she would help me out a little bit. This car is exactly what I want. (However I'm not sure how I feel about the chrono package, not as classic looking! Wouldn't stop me from buying it one bit)

 

Looks pretty sweet. Good price. I would have the dealer do a full check on the trany to make sure it won't need to be changed and that no issues are arising before the warranty runs out. I would also make sure the warranty is 50,000 on mine the factory warranty was only 36,000 I think.

 

Factory warranty is 50,000. Free yearly maintenance is 36,000.

 

That is the chrono package - the tach and speedometer are separate and the large central speedometer has been replaced with more gauges (oil pressure, oil temperature). The chrono package cost either $250 or $300 extra new (I don't remember the exact details).

 

Just got home with my new MINI! Thanks for all the help, head here if you want to has a see.

 

Nice, congrats I just purchased my 05 too. I fly out to go pick her up later on today. Then a 500 mile roadtrip back home with Stella. I'm so excited I can't sleep.

 

I was so excited I couldn't sleep the night before and had to race "my" MINI on xbox 360 with Forza 2 Motorsports. I almost couldn't eat on pickup day because I was so nervous/excited. The first hour was fantastic, couldn't stop smiling and my legs finally quit feeling jittery. The other 2 hours home were miserable and I was ready to get out and figure out all the buttons. First manual car so my left leg has been getting worked out pretty nicely.