Well, this is my first post and it's really a question/"longing" for advise.

I'd like to have a MCS but I don't really have any more than about $9000 to spend. That seems to put me in the category of '02's w/80-100k miles on them. Is this not real smart? Am I "asking for it" by potentially buying an S with 100,000 miles on it? I drove one and really liked it! I've had a number of Bimmers from 2002's to E30's to E12's and now to my wife's E90... I'm used to doing a lot of my own work on cars but I'd like to have something I can depend on as daily transportation. I have an old Land Rover that keeps me busy enough in the garage....

Any advise?

Thanks in advance!

 

Good luck with whatever you choose.

the additional HP in the S model is worth it. As for the higher mileage... I have about 83k on my 2004 MINI and have had no major problems with it (knock on wood).

Really the only thing is simple wear and tear stuff (brakes, oil changes). search around for problems that people have had on the site and things to watch out for... such as mushrooming strut towers.

hopefully that helps

 

From my experience in that price range, you've got to really do your homework and have some patience to get one for $9k. My goal was to stay under $10k. The first car I looked at was an '02 with 50-something thousand miles on it. They were asking $10,200 and I talked them down to $9,600 before I took it in for an inspection. The techs at the local dealership found almost $3,000 worth of stuff wrong with it. So I didn't buy that one, and I decided to raise my sights a little bit.

Next one I looked at was an '04 with 52k. It was in a lot better shape. Nearly perfect on the exterior, but it also needed some work. Ended up paying $10,500 and then spending another $700 or so to get a window regulator and a transmission driveshaft seal replaced at an independent mechanic.

So here's my advice: Find a car you really like, then take it to a competent mechanic for a good inspection. Have him print out an estimate for all the things wrong with it. If you're not scared away by now, take a copy of the estimate to the owner and ask them to adjust the price by the amount of the estimate and a little more for your trouble.

If the seller is honest, the price will be adjusted accordingly. Don't be afraid to walk away. At first, the seller told me he couldn't give me the price I wanted. So I told him to call me when the car was fixed and we'd talk again. He called me three hours later and offered to sell it to me for the price I wanted.

Be patient, and don't be afraid to walk away from a bad deal. You can find a good one in that price range. Don't be afraid to be picky. After all, it's YOUR money!

Good luck!

 

Thanks for all your help!

It just seems like there is so much to be concerned about with these cars: superchargers gone in 100k, power steering pumps failing, various engine seals leaking, etc... Oh well, I think every make has it's problems I guess.

 

Hey emmodg, my first car was a 1971 Chevy Vega. Do you feel my pain? I've owned many good cars since then, and I can tell you that my 02 MCS is one of them. Sure the Mini has a few weaknesses. So what --every car does-- even Toyotas. I know because I've owned two of them including the "indestructible" Corolla.

All of the above advice is solid. Listen to it. Don't be in a hurry and buy the first thing you find. Many MCS drivers are "fanboys" that typically take good care of their cars. Take your time and try to buy direct from such an individual. Regardless of where you buy it, always have the car checked by a trusted MINI mechanic before buying. Definitely DO NOT buy a Mini that has not been maintained properly and needs a lot of work. There are too many good Minis on the market to waste your money on someone else’s problems. This goes for any used car of course. My 02 MCS has 67K miles and runs/looks like new, but I have friends with MCS's that have way over 100K and still going strong with only standard maintenance.

Do yourself a favor and get some education about potential problems here:http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

You should also know that the overall design of the MINI is extremely solid with an unprecedented motoring heritage that is built into every car. Read more about this here: http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...-be-surprised/

Of course I would always recommend the MCS, unless you live and drive in a heavily congested city and your top speed is typically regulated by the next stoplight. In that case, save yourself some gas money and just get the standard Cooper; they’re still a blast to drive.

 

sell the e92 and get a 2011 JCW=]

I drive an r53 and i love it. but i second MCSfanboy's suggestion of reading the buyers guide and even the rest of the articles at MF.

It helped me make my decision.

just to let you know i got an 03 MSC for 11900 with taxes and tags.

 

Bravo on the advice offered here.

 

Good advice. If I could go back, I'd look a bit harder and get a better deal. You don't want to get stuck with a MINI with problems. Especially since repairs cost more than a lot of other cars.

As far as high mileage, I'm sure you can find one in pretty good condition. But at that price you should be patient. But I have seen some at that price point ever now and then. Just make sure you do get it checked out by someone that knows MINIs. And I agree with the "fanboy" statement above. That's your best bet.

It took me months to find a MINI that I wanted. If you find a good one, you definitely won't regret it. Good luck!!!

 

I picked up an 03 MCS with 110K miles for $7900 (after bargaining a bit with the owner). It has the usual R53 problems (low speed rad fan fail, ps steering fan fail, couple other minor things). Most of these things can be fixed yourself for not very much.

 

Wow! Thanks for all of these pointers!

 

An R50 with 80-100 miles should keep you less busy than that Rover :-)
Make sure the car has all the service records and had all the maintenance done. As long as all of that is done its really up to what you like. You cant see into the future if the car is going to be a problem or not.