We are in the market for out first mini. We have looked at whats out there and have narrowed it down to a 2004 cooper S with 65,000 miles (manual) or a 2005 cooper (not an S model-auto trans) with 70,000 miles. Both cars are in great shape but need some input from the resident experts! Any thoughts?

P.S. I am leaning toward the 04 with the manual trans, and the wife is eyeing the 05 with auto.

 

For me the thing you should look at is the S vs the non-S. The tranny can be learned or dealt with, but there is no substitution for the fun and power of the S. I would look at the less miles too.

 

I kinda agree w/yetti here: the crux of the decision is really S vs. "justa". The whine of the supercharger is quite addicting (I know firsthand). Don't say you haven't been warned.

Depending on where you live & what kind of driving you do, the S may be almost mandatory, i.e. if you live in the mountains & need HP for ascents or steeper, longer inclines, or merging & moving thru freeway traffic in the urban jungle.

No matter which way you go, I recommend a PPI at a MINI dealer or independent shop, especially if buying private or from a non-MINI dealer. Good luck; let us know how it ends up!

 

For me the decision would be based on auto versus stick. My Justa can stay firmly planted on any S's butt through the twisties and mostly I am pushing them. They pull away on the straights but I catch back up in the turns. It's all about suspension setup and tires .... and of course the driver.

My wife would not have even considered an automatic MINI.

Take the VIN to a MINI dealer and have them run it to see the maintenance record. The suggestion for a Dealer Inspection is GREAT. These are the exact two things I did when purchasing our used MINI.

 

Get the S. The manual transmission will give you less costly problems and the Supercharger is a definite "Must Have"!!! Way too much fun!!!

 

Non S (Justa) Coopers of that year with the Auto have the CVT which can be troublesome if not maintained properly.

 

I recently bought an 05 manual Justa.
In researching I found a lot of complaints on the reliability of the automatics. While it's hard to tell how bad the situation really is (complainers post, other don't), the cost of a replacement automatic is outrageous ($6-8 grand). Would cost more than the car is worth in a couple years.

 

I think I'm leaning toward the 04 "s". With 65,000 miles for $10k. Seller is furnishing maintenance records and car fax report. I am driving two hours to test drive and possibly buy so I need to arm myself with all the insight I can.

 

Get the S. Good price.

 

No one has brought this up, but there were some pretty major "mid-cycle" revisions to the R53 for the last two years '05-'06. Newer is almost always better when buying used.

 

Find an 05 S. The extra $1000+ is well worth it. Better gearing, better build quality- a better car all around IMHO.

 

The 05 has alot of upsides, but I'd go with the 04 just cause of the manual trans.

 

+1 on the manual transmission. I had the same debate, never driving stick before, but the CVT's are known to be bad on these cars.

+1 on the S because that supercharger makes it WAY more tolerable on the road and you can still get close to 30mpg

+1 on looking for an 05-06 "facelift" model.

and finally, you can take a mini to a local mini dealership and ask for a *free* courtesy inspection to tell you what the dealer thinks of the car. I'd suggest this BEFORE you buy one since parts are expensive (new key=$200, bluetooth adaptor=$334)

 

Well we made our purchase. We found another 2005. Pepper white with manual transmission. Excellent condition inside and out. Litterally not a scratch. 70,000 miles. Loaded with all options except navigation. Now I am collecting info on preventative maintenance. Previous owner used castrol synthetic oil. Any suggestions or ideas for the new mini owners?

 

Rubber parts tend to give it up at around 65k miles (YMMV). Watch for fan, thermostat seal, and suspension bushings nearing the end of their lives.

 

^ Low speed on the fan to be exact. The A/C compressors are short-lived as well, but there's not much you can prevent that from happening except keeping an eye on the low speed fan operation.

Did you get an S? Your post doesn't specify.

 

We did not get an S. We looked at a few to incude an S but when we saw the condition of the pepper white mini the search was over. We wish we could have purchased an S but we feel we got a good deal on a the non S considering the condition and price.