I had posted before about a pre purchase decision that im gonna make, now im looking to a MCS03 and a MCS05, The MCS03 has 65k miles but it has been driven with a nice lady that treat her car as a baby, so its looks beautfiul excellent well care and everything she just replaced the powers steering fan and put new run flat tires, it looks amazing everything works smoothly also the engine sounds like a feather and when i check the oil and everything looks SO DAMN GOOD CARE. Oh well but then theres a MCS05 that has been driven buy this guy that well i dont know what he'd been doing in his car but the seats has some imperfections like tears and it looks dirty inside the oil was all black and well it has a few imperfections in the exterior too, it has 48k miles and well if i see the 2 cars base on the looks i chose the 03 but my concern its the price vrs reliablility, this 03 she is giving to me in 12,000$ and this guy in 13,000$ SO I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DECIDE, i am a little bit undecided about the reliability issues of the 03 but in other hand i know MCS05 seems to be less problematic than the MCS03. So basically i don't know what to do the 1000 thousand doesnt seem to much btw a mcs03 and a MCS05 but the MCS03 looksjust like a baby with huge TLC and well the MCS05 looks that the guy treated like it was a old can.

Please some thoughts.

Thanks.

 

Keep in mind that almost all the problems with earlier build MCS's were annoyances not major mechanical failures. you may have to check the coolant tank to see if it was replaced or get the plastic strips for underhood rubbing, rubber coated latches for rattles....etc. These are relatively minor things that should have all been taken care of under warranty. The 05 has a supercharger that has a upgraded coating on the implellers and the gearing is diffrent to offer better performance in the 05 cars. The 05 is a better performer and has fewer issues in general, IF it were in equivalent condition as an older car the 05 would be a good choice....BUT

Personally, If my choice was between the two I would probably choose the 03.....The signs of neglect you see are not to be dismissed lightly and if someone would actually show a car in that condition it speaks to what they likely even concider good care of a car. people who care for thier cars well do not let things go unfixed, tears and dings are generally bad signs and usually indicates people who treat cars like appliances, they just let things deteriorate until they get a new one, rather than care for the car each year like they intend to pass it to thier kids one day. In your search for used cars, look hard for the latter.....There are some very nice garage queens to be had and your patience in finding one will pay off!

 

honestly, I think I'd keep looking. I've heard about a lot of 03s having issues, but like the previous poster said, they werent major failures. I have an 05 and I love it, I tend to try to steer friends away from 02s and 03s. I think if it were me, I'd keep looking for a better maintained 05. I agree with planeguy, the signs of neglect you see should not be dismissed, as Im sure theyre not the only areas he neglected the car.
Good luck!

 

Thanks guys, this forum its awesome, its a like a loyal fan club that look out for each other, i decided to keep looking only thing it's that i already sold my Scion XD haha i will have to ride the vespa a few days lol. But im gonna have a little patience...Thanks!

 

ID say if the 03 has the PS fan replaced already then go for it.

 

What model/year is your Vespa? I used to own a '65 180 Super Sport.

 

The only problem my MCS03 has had was the Crank Pulley falling apart.

Shop a new one swapped in no time. I have 51K on mine.

If it's clean and well taken care of go for it if you like it.

 

Don't mean to hijack the thread but I'm in a VERY similar situation...

I looked at an 05 MCS w/ 40k...under a 100k extended factory warranty. The car was generally clean aside from one wheel w/ bad curb rash and a rear bumper full of paint nicks. It drove like a champ, pulled hard, shifts smooth - I didn't have any negative things to say about its driveability. Owner provided me with a detailed and very complete service history. Clutch recently replaced. Owner was asking $17k.

Then today I saw an 03 MCS with 18k. The car was immaculate and looked damn near brand new. The interior was equally clean - even the steering wheel and radio/AC buttons showed no signs of wear. It drove very smooth and felt essentially like a new car. The key fob looked like it had never been touched! It was obvious the car was a garage queen and/or weekend driver. Dealer was asking $16k.

I was wowed and jaw dropped at the condition of the 03. However, my heart has been set on a 04-05 based on the 02-03 models having their share of issues.

Which would you choose? Keep in mind, they would be around the same price since the dealer would add tax + fees (not factoring in negotiations). I want to bite on the 03 but I'm afraid I'll only run into problems later down the line. The extended warranty of the 05 is a nice security blanket.

 

05 has better gear ratios....

 

I'd go with an '05. But that's just me.

 

LOL, you should be listening to planeguy.

 

WEll ok, let me tell you that i have decided for the MCS03 (Crossfingers) that nothing bad gonna come up. Well i thought that with my 14k budget i just couldnt find a mcs05 in a fair price or in the range of my budget, that werent all neglect it or treated like a can, i made my investigation and found that issues where find in almost all models 2002-2006, its a waste of time to think about a 2007 or later purchase i can't afford one like that now. So this mcs03 seems like a garage queen was driven buy a nice lady and he was having a baby and couldn't keep the car she even over mantained the car, she practically pamper it. They already changed the Steering fan. And also she already put a great Pirelli RUn Flat tires, i was realized that those tires are not a 100$ each, they are really expensive and well all the components of the car i mean sun roof, windows and everything works like a charm. She showed me like a pillar of receipts of oil change every 3k miles she even kept the Mini detailing receipts, lol. So i saw like 4 MCS05 and the oil was dirty and black the engine was all rattles and whistles. In the other hand the MCS03 engine just sound like a charm almost like a hybrid..lol just kidding. But final point, i just saw a excellent well care vehicle and a very nice mantained MINI, the way it should be! And the other mCS05 was driven from guys the i can bet that they raced on the MINI they showed the car all dirty and dust in the seats with rips, and one even had a strong smokin smell and window pieces inside the car, for christ sakes!!

Oh well i just hope i made the right decision with my MCS3 i will post the photos when i have that baby on my hands!!

 

Oh and i forgot, i almost beg on my knees, lol, to the lady to reduce the price, and she let it on 11,000$ so i think it was a steal. Even if i have to replace soon a few parts.

 

Sounds like a great car at a great price!!!


Now if we could just get you to teach those idiots in DC how to come in under budget.....

 

tougher choice. A couple of things to keep in mind before a decision. make sure the ext warranty is transferable. research the ext warranty company and their history of paying claims....don't consider it a positive unless you are very confident they will fix your car, and fix it without extraordinary hassle. second, do you drive a car based on years or miles? some people drive a car for a few years, get bored and get something else....me? I drive cars to a high mileage mark like 100k or 150k and only then consider making a change. if you are like me....the 03 has almost 2yrs more life in her....but it depends on how you keep cars. again, the 05 is a better performer but it really comes down to condition. if the 05 has some cosmetic flaws and the 03 is perfect and a lower price I would tend toward the perfect one. With that said....the dealer is high on the price of the 03 I think if you get well armed with market data you would be able to show that the dealer is at least 2k too high. It would also depend on how they treat you with your trade-in. the gear ratios in the 05 make it noticeably quicker to accelerate but its not like the 03 is a slug...you will be happy with either one, but sounds like I would be tempted to save a couple thousand and get the 03

 

You did very well. I would do what you did & chosen the pampered 03 over the 05 that had been ridden hard & put away wet. Enjoy your new MINI & remember to continue to pamper it.

 

The owner of the 05 said the extended warranty is thru Mini and transferrable. It's good for 100k or August 2010. I did notice the 03 took off from a stop a bit more sluggish than the 05 did. I'm with you though - I plan to keep the car for awhile. It's actually replacing the two cars I own now. And I can always buy a third party warranty for it.

 

Both of you buy the cars that are better taken care of - get the 03s. Stop trying to justify buying some beat up car just because it's newer. 40k on a clutch? No way on that one.

There weren't that many problems in the first place. Car care is everything. Take the money you save, invest it, and eventually get the '05/06 transmission at 130k when you may need a clutch on the pampered 03.

 

haha i already decide it, the 03, Im gonna get it this weekend, i'll show you the pictures when i have it.

Im Excited!!

Bye...