I really want one but have read about numerous possible problems that these cars face. I found two equipped the way i like. The first one is a 2006 mcs with 34,000 for 15,749 from a dealer and the other is a 2005 mcs with 33,500 from a diff. dealer but with the two toned leather. What concerns should I have about these cars? Any help would be appreciated.

 

If you have any doubts about the condition of a used MINI, take it to a dealer and pay to have it checked out... Well worth the $$$...

With the mileage as low as it is on both of the MINIs you are looking at, I would wager that the checkup would find very little wrong with the cars...

 

Check the buyers guide on motoringfile.com for gen1 mini's...
These 2 cars are mechanically very similar...05 was the year of the "face lift" along with numerous mechanical and performance improvements...
So I would pick based upon inspection and what you like better...you gut too!!
Lightly used, not abused rules, so check for signs of abuse/heavy use, and look for mods...depending on you feelings, they might be a plus or minus...
Then get the best deal you can.
Any car has issues....see if either one has a full service history...
My '05 S had been rock solid...just a cooling fanni diy'd, and a ps fan....issues that were done under warrent were also pretty minor...got one PS fan under warrenty ( that's why I added the duct, the sand+ snow is hard on them up here), and a coolant tank....so I'm happy.
Some folks have had bad experiences, but the mini inspires lots of emotions, and some folks with a touch of OCD seem to gravitate towards the mini, and a minor issue can get blown out of proportion!!
Since mini's varied so much in terms of options from car to car, finding 2 to compare to see what a "good deal" is harder than most any other car around...some have diffent packages, some ala-a-carte options...thousands of combo's!!!

 

Ditto what Keyser & Zippy said: 1) read the first gen buyer's guide on Motoring File 2) read it again 3) pay for a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) by a MINI dealer or MINI shop.

I bought my '06 five weeks ago w/under 30K on the clock. I knew from the PPI the brakes needed to be flushed & the valve cover gasket replaced. For the fact that my car was spec'd way beyond what I had hoped to find, w/the lower miles & good price, I wasn't at all hesitant to buy. But I knew full well what needed to be done, and might've felt a bit differently had I been blindsided.

Do your homework: call a MINI dealer w/the VIN to get MINIs service history, get a PPI, then drive both & see where your heart leads you. Good luck!

 

Ditto to all the above --Plus:

MINI's aren't bad cars, they just have some weaknesses (all cars do) that you should be aware of before you buy one. As previously mentioned, do yourself a favor and get some education about potential problems here:http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

I ran across a beautiful hardtop the other day, a "like new" 04 MCS with 29K miles that is obsolutely perfect inside and out. This car is available at an independent MINI shop where I have my car maintained. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/d1khUb

All the best in your MINI hunting. Take your time and find a well-maintained one; otherwise, you can spend a small fortune on neglected or abused cars.

 

MINIs are so much fun they are worth the possibility of some hassles. The ones I've experienced with 43K miles on my '06 MCS were a bad steering pump (at about 7K), two failed thermostat housings (one at about 20K one at 43K) and the squeaky clutch/fly wheel issue, which MINI used to replace, but now refers to as "normal", even though all cars don't do it.

Find a well maintained car and above all, find a great dealer. The issues with my car would have been no big deal if I had a servicing dealer with half a heart.

43K miles and I still grin from ear to ear every time I get in it. I make up excuses to go driving. I love my MINI.

Best of luck.

Dean.

 

I was also looking for a 2006 (super charged). Due to cost. I found that I could purchase a 2008 (turbo) lease turn in for less (monthly payment). I was able to get a better interest rate and longer loan term (60 mos). In the end I bought a Newer Mini that has two years left on warranty and almost one year left on maintainance. The warranty definately gives me some peace of mind. Just my $.02.

 

Here's a list of questions to ask when purchasing a used Mini that might be helpful. Good Luck.

 

One tidbit of info if you decide to look into going this route...Gen1 and gen2 mini's are different in so many aspects, other than the fact they look similar, they are like night and day...each has it plusses and minuses...same for the motors, and drive train. The 06' S is considered by most to be the least likely to give you issues, but the 05 has 99% of thevimprvments of the 06, just a bit older.
One thing that can be of help is to see if you can determine which dealer did the servicing of the car...and then check that dealers general reputation...I know that one or two things the dealer did on my car to be proactive...but some places will not do stuff unless they 100% are forced too!!
Some very low mile cars can have some basic mantance items skipped....like brake fluid flushes, rradiator fluid flushes, and may have gone more than 1 yr between oil changes...not ideal. Most owners seem to to 7500 oil changes to err on the side of safety...so look to see what is in the records. Either car should say, when the key is first turned on the miles to the next inspection or oil change...the inspections are about every 30k ( every other scheduled oil change, and every other inspection is indepth...kinda $$ if done right).

 

First Gen rules! 80K+ and still grinnin every time I drive it!

 

Well the mini I liked the best is now out of the question. It was set up exactly how I wanted it with one minor flaw. The back seat had been taken out and it had been converted into a big trunk. I called mini and a new back seat would cost upwards of 5g's. I guess thats why the dealership was selling it so cheap!

 

Hmm, I'm currently looking to ditch the back seats myself. They are utterly useless. My front seat touches the back seat. Ain't no one sitting back there.

 

Both me and my father have 06 models and they have been very reliable. Probably the best of the 1st gen hardtops.

 

Don't pass up an ideal MINI just for the lack of rear seats. There's plenty of people that have taken the rear seats out and would let you buy theirs for much less than five grand.

Wait...I just went on eBay to check for rear seats. You can get leather MINI rear seats for only a coupla hundred bucks. Serious.

 

my wife wants to have a kid so a rear seat is a must, thats part of the reason I'm looking to trade in my current car! The car without the rear seat has that tan/black leather, I would imagine it would be tough to find that setup.

Here is my only other option at this time. This car is about 1k more than the car without the back seat and doesn't have as near as many options. Do you think this is a fair price?
http://www.imsaab.com/VehicleDetails/687122163

 

I have had first an rearward facing infant saet, and now a forward facing rear child seat...the color of the rear seat would not matter much, but one consideration....
A removed rear seat is possibly indicidive of a car that my of had some pretty major track time....look at the car closely!! You don't save much weight removing the rear seat, but it does help a person trying to get every last ounce of performance out of a car. Some might do it for looks, but it can increase noise....
I have seen a few folks make a platform for the trunk, so when you fold the rear sears down, you create a flat surface for placing items...works great for big dogs, and no permanent changes!!

 

I took the leather rear seats out of my MINI partly because the rear seats were always folded down, and they started developing impressions that I didn't want to be permanent. I've never tracked my MINI, and don't intend to, I just thought it was more useful with a big trunk. I got a rear seat delete kit, and keep tools, a small compressor and tire plugs underneath it.

I got my 2006 MCS with about 26K on it from a MINI dealer, and almost didn't get the CPO. But I'm glad I did get the CPO. I have a feeling I'll use it. Under the 36K new car warranty, I've already taken the car to a couple of dealers, once for a leaky oil pan gasket, and once to fix the "Chewbacca howl".

MINIs are great fun, but BMW really skimps on their reliability engineering.

 

As to the question if it is a good price...tough to tell which options it has...
The xenon lights are nice, heated seats if it is a daily driver...it has the 16' rims so likely the standard suspension, so no sport plus...no chrono pack...sone like it, some don't....the list goes on and on...

 

All R53 MINIs whether they have 16 or 17 inch wheels have sport suspension. The sport package does not include a different suspension.

I think you will be happy with that 2006 MCS. I love mine.

 

I could have sworn if you got the 17's you got it as part of the S+ suspension, rather than just the sport or standard S suspension.

 

In South Florida that is a good deal.

 

I think I'm correct this one time. I'll have to pull out my brochure & check.

 

+1, , and, I checked for recalls and found that the '06 has none. All the more reason to keep mine....

 

Ok so here is the latest deal. I called back the dealer with the car without the backseat. They offered me 16,500for my 2006 mustang gt convertible. So after all is said and done(i.e. taxes, tags, etc. ) They will pay me almost $900 and give me the mini cooper. I think I might do it. Here is a link to the car. Tell me what you guys think? Also is there anyone on this board that can run that vin number to tell me if the car had regular service? Thanks.
According to the dealer the previous owner, a female, converted the back b/c she was big into bike riding and needed the space for the bike.
http://www.lexusofalexandria.com/?ht...195&Type=U&F=1

 

That is a very nice looking MINI. Call the local dealer & see if they will run the VIN to check on a service history for you.

I'd also ask the selling dealer to call the previous owner to see if the missing back seat is still in her possession. The missing rear seat would not be a deal breaker for me, but it would be nice to have.

Good luck!