First off, hello, everyone!

My name is Lauren, I'm 19, and I just joined here. I love Mini Coopers and am looking to get one. I've always loved them and just been itching to get one since I first saw them.

My current car is nothing but trouble. It's a '99 Ford Contour that my dad bought already dented up. It has MAJOR issues -- it's hard the battery replaced three times in the 3 years I've been driving it, the transmission replaced, the alternator, and some other minor issues. It leaks all over the place and has to have new oil and other fluids put in constantly. Not sure WHY my dad put so much money into this piece of crap -- it was only $1200 to begin with. It is now dented even more because 3 people have ran into me..all their fault accidents, none were at my fault. Needless to say, the car doesn't have much longer. I'll be lucky if it makes another year.

So, I've been looking for another car. I've been searching for a Mini for less than 12,000. I have been looking for an automatic.

I came across this one, only about 5 miles from my house.
http://www.bettendorfautosales.net/i...=262&Itemid=26

I have test drove it twice and am completley in love with it. I LOVE the way it drives. It's unlike any car I've ever drove and I am just smitten. I want this car so badly.

My question for all of you -- does this seem like a good deal? Or am I asking for trouble? The dealer said he would come down on price for me-- it's currently listed at $9995 and I'm not sure how much he'd come down, but he did say he would come down. I know it needs new tires. He is being very nice about the whole thing..he even moved the car into the middle so it would be less noticeable from the road because he knows I'm trying to iron everything out so I can get it! haha.

Are 2003 Mini Coopers reliable? I seem to find a lot of good reviews and a few bad reviews. Not sure which ones to believe as they all differ. Some say they crap out after 100,000 miles -- this one already has 74k on it, so if it only has 25k left in it it's not a good buy. Are they good in the winter or no? I am finding mixed reviews on that as well. I live in Iowa and we do tend to get quite a bit of snow. I do live in a major city area though (The Quad Cities) and in general the roads are plowed well, except for in neighborhoods. Any thing you guys can tell me about 2003 Mini Coopers would be FANTASTIC and greatly appreciated.

My whole issue right now is the cosigner. Since I have no credit, I can't get financing by myself. Neither of my parents can cosign-- mom had to declare bankruptcy once and my dad's debt to asset ratio is too high. So, legally neither can help me out. I have a friend who is considering cosigning, but his whole issue is he thinks that this is a bad deal and will not be a practical car for Iowa, or in general. Is he right, or is the 2003 Mini Cooper a good car?

Thank you for reading that; I apologize for the length. I know there are lots of knowledgable people on here who can help me out! Thanks in advance!
-Lauren

 

First and foremost, it's not a good idea to get your friend to cosign. In my previous experiences, it's best to keep good friends out of the finance loop. If you were no longer able to afford the payments, he or she will be screwed. Having said that, your options are more limited before you purchase.

As for older MINIs, $10K is about the going price for an '02 or '03 MCS with about that mileage. My old '02 MCS did not really have any major issues. Get a trusted mechanic to check the MINI out. Tires and brakes/rotors should be checked regardless of mileage; assume these will need to be checked and/or replaced. The casters in the lower control arms are probably worn out; this is about an $800 repair at the dealership. They are just a hunk of rubber inside a pot metal casting and are pressed into place. Struts may need to be replaced. Don't have an exact price on that (I always had an aftermarket setup). You should also see about getting a copy of the maintenance records from whatever dealership previously serviced the MINI.

In the future, parts that "may" fail are the water pump, crank pulley, and supercharger (this one is inevitable; usually > 100K miles). I had 115K miles on my old '02 MCS, and none of these failed for me. If you get the infamous "Yo-Yo" effect while accelerating, your bypass valve (BPV) needs to be replaced (I never had this problem, either). A new one would be about $125 plus labor.

 

You will have to worry about the transmission on that car. The 1st generation base Cooper used a troublesome CVT transmission, that tends to start to flair up issues around 80,000+ miles. There is no fix for these transmissions, and require a total replacement, which runs about $8,000. If you can get an extended warranty that covers the transmission I would say go for the car. If not, I'd look to spend a little more up front and not have as much of a worry about repair costs.

 

I think buying a car that you can't afford in the first place is a mistake. As much as you love your car and probably need something better than the Ford, your dad was right in buying you a $1200 car. Even with the repairs, he hasn't spent even close to twice the price, let alone $10K.

Wait till you can either finance it yourself, or pay cash.

I know this is hard to accept, but buying the car is only the start of your costs, add insurance, maintenance, tires, brakes and other normal repairs, not to mention fuel and other costs - it's a lot more than just the monthly payment.

Pay cash, then budget an appropriate amount for future costs and you'll be fine......

And don't get a co-signer - do it yourself.

As the Stones said...

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need

 

Have you gone into a Credit Union & had them look at your situation? Many people, myself included, have gotten reasonable used auto loans from a credit union with terms that were much more affordable than what was offered at a bank. Good Luck, and remember that differed gratification is often one of the best pleasures out there.

 

Ditto the above, and we ALL apologize for bringing you news-you-don't-want-to-hear! Mini Coopers are great, but they're spendy compared to other things out there (and I'm giving the same advice to my own 19-yar-old daughter...).

Do NOT have a friend co-sign, unless you want to end a friendship. The best policy is to keep business and friendship separate.

Early automatic Coopers may not be the best choice if you're looking for "reliable". Learn to drive a stick, it's not that hard.

DEFINITELY get what you can afford, when you can afford it. Putting a relatively small amount of money into repairs compared to spending a whopping TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS just to get INTO a Cooper, and THEN spending on repairs? Atsalotta dough.

There will be PLENTY of Mini Coopers still available once you've saved enough money to get a really good one. Put your money into an education, get a great job, save your money, THEN get a Cooper. Preferably a lightly-used "S". With a stick. Until then, if you really need out of the Contour, get a used Toyota or Honda.

Consider also, you've got a dented Contour courtesy of 3 people other than you. If you'd purchased the Cooper, you'd also have a dented Cooper... more expensive to fix and insure, and a smaller car. Nothing negative intended, but it seems you drive in a dangerous environment.

As for your other questions, they're great in snow with good snow tires, they're very safe considering their size, they tend to hold up well except the issues mentioned above, and if you find a decent mechanic they're pretty straightforward to repair. Parts are (and likely will be) very easy to find online, but it can be a bit of a hassle if there's not a dealer near you. In short, not a bad choice, though for "basic transportation" a Mini is more expensive to purchase and own than, say, a reliable Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, or even a lightly used Cobalt.

The smartest - and most difficult - thing to do may be to wait, get a GOOD Mini when you can afford it, and give your life a 'purpose" until then - like "I will work HARD, drive in a safer environment, and earn enough money to purchase, outright, the Mini of my dreams." Then, when you can do so, get what you WANT and can afford, rather than settling for the only one on the used-car lot, for a price only $50 less than what they're asking, at a loan %age rate you don't like.

We'll still want you around here, though! We LOVE people with that level of dedication and enthusiasm! Put bonnet stripes on the Contour! Paint the roof white with checkerboards, and paint the wheels white! Tell everyone, when they ask questions, that you're driving THAT so you can afford "THIS", then show them a picture of the one you REALLY want!

 

If you want a Mini with an automatic, definitely go for the S - the Aisin 6 speed auto in the S is very reliable.

 

I just picked up a 2003 S with a 6-speed, every option but Nav, and only 38K miles for $11K and change. $10K for a non-S with potentially problematic transmission and more miles seems a little high to me, but if it's super-clean and well-maintained and you REALLY like it, go for it if you don't mind reliability that falls well below many other cars, and expensive parts and service.

Mine was super-clean, well kept and previous owner always had it serviced at dealership. I picked it up about a month ago. So far, my passenger-side power lock stopped working, the sunroof started acting funky, and I discovered that my strut towers were 'mushrooming' and a mount was cracked. I bought an extended warranty that covers all of this (doing the strut work myself to get around a design issue), but it's still a big hassle and makes me really feel for those who won't be covered in such a scenario. The Hyundai I just got rid of at 170,000 miles had none of these problems.

All things considered, so far I still LOOOVE the car. Great MPG, massively fun to drive, easy to park and cute as hell. But I'm 40, love to work on cars, value a great driving experience and bring in decent money.

Unless you don't mind dealing with some quirks and the potential for costly repairs, I'd say buy a Honda or Toyota. A friend just got a Fit and it's a pretty nice little ride.

 

Also...I recommend browsing here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...lems-issues-9/