I think we're approaching the point where my paid off car is costing more in repairs than she did to pay off.

*sigh*

I do love this car, but... I am starting to get nervous.

In the last 18 months. Let's see, new wheel bearing, replaced one of the tanks involved in the cooling system (I forget what exactly now as well as the cost) and now the AC has quit. Not major, but also replaced the headliner this year since I had major sagage. $200.

I'm at 87k, so I'm waiting for the tranny or clutch to go next.

Right now ( apart from the AC which will cost $1k) she's in good shape with year old tires and brakes (back and front).

So how do you decide, when to sell in order to get a bit of a downpayment on the next, and get into something that is warranteed?

 

Don't forget when your S/C goes out. That is about a $1,600 repair (with a rebuilt one)...

I guess it all depends on what you can afford and how much you like your current car. The more work you do yourself, the more you will save.

 

My S/C? I do not know what that is, but I am alarmed.

I do appreciate your thoughts. As you may have guessed, I do NO work on it myself, and I am having to face up to the reality that my baby is a mink and pearls kinda gal as she is aging, and my budget runs more to, hmmm, cotton.

 

S/C is supercharger, sorry haha. I replaced mine at 98K because it was making noises it shouldn't. Some last longer than others and it depends how you drive the car.

I think if you aren't emotionally attached to the car and don't mind getting a different one, you should finance or lease a new one. I bought my car at 81K miles last year and have spent over $6,000 on mods/repairs...which sucks on a students salary.

See what the dealership is offering to work with you on, meaning the trade-in value of your car and such.

However, it is almost always better on your part to sell it on your own and put that money towards the down payment as you will probably get more for the car.

What is wrong with the A/C?

 

Oh right! I had hoped that would e involved in the tranny. Separate? Oy.

Compressor has given up the ghost. Nice time of the year to do it too.

I am emotionally attached, but could likely transfer allegiance to another Mini. We have actually traded her in before, and I appeared at the NotAMini dealership the next day in tears asking for her back. No. Really.

I think Mini dealerships have something of a reputation of low-balling, so selling privately seems the better option, although also more tricky.

Why can't it be easier! If only I'd just bought a Yaris, I would be free of all this sturm and drang.

 

The supercharger replacement is completely separate than the tranny.

I would say go to the local MINI dealership and see what some options are with cars are see if you find one you may like.

 

I've been a mechanic for Audi and Mercedes the better part of the last 5 years. I love my 06, bought it in Feb of 2011 with 27k miles. I now have 57k miles on it, most all trouble free.

With my experience working on cars, either you pay for repairs on an old one, or you make payments on a new one, but one way or another you'll always pay for your car. So essentially what I'm saying is that its 6 to one and half dozen to the other.

With your position of not being able to do any of the work on your car, perhaps it would make sense to get into something newer with very low miles and still in warranty coverage. I like to think the average ownership age of a car is about 100k miles. Not that they don't last many more miles than that, but the cost benefit shrinks exponentially as expensive bits go wrong with higher mileage, i.e. clutch, supercharger, window regulators, etc etc etc.

But on the other hand, if you're like me then you really don't care much for the newer Mini's and prefer the Gen 1's, then I would opt to keep it and with the money that you save by not making car payments on a new one, save up for repairs on your older one.

All in all the only word of wisdom I can truly honestly advise from day to day experience is NOT to buy one of those aftermarket warranties for your car. 99% of them are a total rip off and barely cover anything that needs to be replaced. The stuff they do cover they end up stiffing the dealership and undercutting the labor that the techs get paid. So, either you get stuck with the bill, or now you've got a p...ed off tech working on your car flailing to finish it in the pathetic time paid to him by said warranty company. .

 

I'm in the same boat as you. 96,000 miles on my '06 MC and the clutch is starting to go. I can't decide either, but I am leaning toward a new Mini . Good luck with your decision.

 

Ditto on what Erik said! Even if I go eventually to a new MINI, I feel like I always will still have my R53 and will probably have it as a "weekend car".

 

Unless I missed it, you do not say where you are getting your service done. You can save quite a bit of money on repairs if you find a good independent mechanic who can do your repair work. If you are going to the dealership then, as you have discovered, expect hefty repair costs.

 

Thanks all.

perhaps at the heart of it, it is my thinking has been wrong, turns out there's no such thing as a free car! I was really hoping once those repayments ended that I would indeed have one, or you know, at least more of one than I have had. But alas. No.

Ah well. Decisions, decisions. Thinking Countryman. I know. such a departure. My small children yearn for doors of their own, though. ( Really, they are quite perplexed about the absence of more opening and shutting options.)

Oh, and PS, No dealership in town, so I am making a saving there.

 

I really like your topic, looks great

 

FWIW, you can replace a compressor for ~$350 - I just did. Reman compressor and a couple of hours (plus a professional evac/recharge.) If you have any mechanical ability, it's a great way to save money on repairs, even if you don't use the dealer. Local mechanic wanted $1100-1200 for the job. NAM is a *great* resource for DIY.

 

When you have a new car, you either pay for the purchase price upfront or you take a loan for however number of years and pay interest on that.

When you finish paying off the loan, your car will be 4-5 years and likely almost out or completely off from warranty.

From that point on, you will start making payments to the mechanic. Remember that you also have to set aside some money every month for your next car purchase, even if that purchase is years down the road.

The bottom line is that car ownership is an expensive endeavor and you will always have a monthly payment one way or the other. There is no free lunch.

My 2005 R53 S has been quasi-obsessively serviced and maintained. The car is over 7 years old and 92K miles on the clock. I plan to keep it another couple of years before I move to a new vehicle. So far, keeping this car on the road has been cheaper than buying a new one off the dealer lot with warranty. My "tipping point" is usually when the yearly cost of repairs + maintenance crosses the $5K Threshold. In other words, when the total amount of yearly repairs equal a car monthly payment of approximately $450 per month that's when I part ways with the car (the car becomes a financial money pit to keep running).

My R53 has been paid off since 5 years ago. But that "monthly payment" has gone to the mechanic and to save for my next car ever since.

Right now my calculated monthly expense in keeping my 2005 on the road is around $290 a month. Where can you get a brand new car for $290 per month these days?

 

In this economic climate, I would be very, very hesitant to make big ticket purchases and more so on credit.

Unless your employment outlook looks to be "smooth sailing" for the next 3-5 years, I would keep the MINI you already have. It is much keeper to keep maintaining and fixing it than it is to get a brand new car with warranty. Believe me, I have done the math. The "cheapest" form of car ownership is to keep a car 10 years and then move on.

There is no free lunch. When you pay off the car to the bank, those payments will now start going to the mechanic and your savings fund for the next car. The monthly payment never ends for as long as you own a motor vehicle, any vehicle that is.

 

Much cheaper to replace the clutch that it is to buy a new car. I never understood people's reasoning on dumping a perfectly good and repairable car for the excuse of the "new car smell" and the astronomical expenses that come along with it as a result.

Replace your clutch with the single mass flywheel conversion from Valeo. Very inexpensive and far superior clutch kit to the crappy OEM dual mass flywheel setup.

 

I don't want the new car smell, I want an S I always regretted not getting it the first time around.

 

OP, why are you concerned about your transmission? I understand you have an '04 S with a manual. I wouldn't worry about that.

Payments on a decent new car will run $3k to $5k per year, or more. Are you really spending that much in repairs? I know some have, so that's a serious question. I personally think that it may be time for a new car if you want one. But I don't know how much money it will save you.

 

I can't blame you then.

 

When I bought my 04 MINI with a CVT, I budgeted for a warranty to cover the iffy transmission. I got a Fidelity Platinum one from my MINI dealer and when my MINI was in the shop for a failed power steering pump, they used the warranty to "print money" by also replacing an axle, both lower control arm bushings, the oil pan gasket, the crank sensor seal, the wiring harness (part burned up with PS pump), drive belt, the rear wiper unit (the spray nozzle was clogged), and the sunroof cassette (I'd mentioned a rattle). With the parts markup, I'm sure the dealer made out fine... the dealer even burned up a first replacement PS pump due to an undiagnosed electrical short from the PS failure and the warranty took care of it...and they even reimbursed the dealer (@ $30/day) for my loaner car. My personal mechanic had seen the car a month earlier and told me the axle was worn, but the oil leaks were very minor and the bushings were fine. I know that the sunroof and rear wiper were fine... so like I said, the dealer was "printing money" with the warranty.

 

My car has experienced several of the more common issues - steering pump failure, loose fan thing something or other (there were a series of problems - that was a $4k month on that go-round, although to be fair it included brakes) leaking reservoir coolant tank think, now the AC compressor has gone out. I just worry that I am going to be hitting all the typical problems and didn't end up with one of the more problem-free 04's.

There are no warning signs of imminent clutch/tranny/SC failure, but, that which I don't fully understand I fear.

Also - I did run some numbers today, and as both you and Clubman S point out, my repairs actually haven't reached repayment levels. Yet. I talk a good game about buying a new car, but I just have to walk into the garage and then I can't imagine parting with her. Plus - we've just paid tag fees. I'm only adding around 10k miles a year puttering etween the kids and my job, if that, so perhaps there's more time than I think. Although my driver's side window is starting to shudder, and the passenger door won't unlock unless actually opened via the inside handle. Perhaps I should take a course in car maintenance...

Thanks again - I do appreciate all of your very reasoned, and thoughtful responses. I'm a writer - math and mechanics are not my thing.

 

Best freakin' advice I have heard thus far. THANKS

 

I totally feel your anxiety! I bought my 2002 MCS in June, without knowing anything about MINI's. I didn't even look at any others. I fell in love when I first saw her! I also, didn't get her checked out before I forked over the cash. Since, I have spent almost as much as purchase price on repairs.... I am nervous every time I start her. Only because I'm not rich, and I feel empty if I can't at least see her. I know I sound like a crazy person, but, this MINI has become such a huge part of my life! So far, it's worth all the financial pain. Unfortunately the money is not going to last forever. If I can I'll get a beater so I can drive when she needs repairs.

 

I found myself asking this question not too long ago - before the CVT died and after it died. Worth it to keep it running or not?!

It's a tough one, and I think since MINI owners tend to really like their MINI, it's an especially hard one to answer for us.

Ultimately, we ended up keeping our R50 and putting in the getrag 6 speed after the CVT died, largely motivated by emotional attachment and the fact that financially it is still about even with the cost of monthly payments for a new one for this year. My wife and I like the 1st gens more than the 2nd gens too, so if we had gotten rid of ours, we would have been looking for an '05 or '06 S, for which the service records might be sketchy, whereas we know the service records of ours inside and out. I also am able to do most of the repairs, so we're saving on labor charges.

^ True words of wisdom that I have only recently come to realize.

 

If you are that unaware of the parts of your engine then you shouldn't be owning a european car. I am really not trying to be rude but thats how these cars are. Any European car requires maintenance. They are engineered alot more than any other car, and for that they require more attention. You do not treat a MINI like a Toyota. Remember, this is a car owned by BMW, and uses alot of BMW parts.

Thats just part of owning a euro car. They are made for enthusiasts who can put up with/ enjoy maintenance.

BTW, the supercharger is connected with your intake system which runs off the the crankshaft pulley of the engine to give you more power.