Hello all,

Been obsessing on getting a Mini Cooper but given that it will be a secondary car, I'm not wanting to spend a lot of cash on the car. I've been seeing a couple of local posting for 03 base mini for around $9500. These are normally around the 50K miles on them which is really good for an 03. My question is, is it worth the trouble? I know that each car is different but should I be looking for a low mileage 03 or a higher mileage 07+? I've read reviews and most are telling me to go beyond the 03 and at least look starting at 04 models.

The goal is to have a nice little project car and not a fixer upper.

Thank you kindly.

 

50K miles on a used justa cooper from 03 is definitely pretty good, however, the early R50s (pre-2004) came with the Midlands 5-speed transmission which is known to fail fairly regularly at about 100k miles. I believe sometime in 2004 they switched to a much more robust Getrag 5-speed which doesn't really break ever save for the throwout bearing (might only be on Cooper S models though im not entirely sure). What you could do is just buy the 2003 and wait for the transmission to go out and throw a Getrag 6-speed in there from a Cooper S which would fit in with your project car theme. Although if you want a really good project car that you can dump a ton of money into for modifications definitely go with the R53 cooper S. I wouldn't buy an 07+ as they're bigger, less fun, less mini, and have carbon buildup problems inside the cylinder head related to the direct injection

 

That's exactly what I wanted to know. Thank you very much for your input.

 

any time!

 

Please note that every model of the 1st Generation MINI had issues with power steering pump failures. The issue was addressed in the 2005-06 models by putting a debris screen over the power steering fan, but there are still incidences of failure. This issue appears to have been solved for second generation MINIs. First generation MINIs also had issues with mushrooming strut towers, so keep and eye out for those.

Please note that the carbon build-up issue only applies to new model Cooper-S's, and not the base models, since the base models do not have direct injection.

 

interesting! I thought the only difference engine wise was the turbocharger. Good to know

 

Take it from the owner of a 2002 R50 with a 6 speed Getrag. Buy an05-06 R50 they are the safest bet for holding up well.

 

Yup, R56 has a completely different engine.
07 - 10 is even different from 11 on.
R53 the sweet spot is 05 & 06, and the word I hear is R56 it is 11 forward.
However, I have an 04 that has been almost trouble free, so you never know.

 

Project potential of R53s is way better than 2nd gens. Tons of mod options you can DIY. Even the fixes for most known issues can be self tackled. The current N18 engines are just tweaked versions of the N14 from 07-10. A lot of the issues of the R56 are mechanic/dealer dependent. 2nd gen Electronics are more complex, too. Whatever you choose, don't just look at the miles on the clock. Seek guidance from a mechanic you trust or a MINI specialist to see if the car was taken care of or abused.

 

I have a 2003 R50 (base) that I bought privately in March. It's not too bad with the manual transmission. It just doesn't like 2nd gear for whatever reason :( However, I drove my husband's 2004 R50 and his car is just an overall smoother ride and shift. I love my 2003, but sometimes I wish I had waited to find a 2006 (I was really close to trading my Mazda for one, then the guy stopped talking to me lol). Anyway, I would listen to what these guys say

Oh, mine had 98k miles, and I got it for $8500. A little higher than what I expected on a second year MINI, but it wasn't too bad. The transmission/clutch are still awesome

 

Thank you very much for the input =)

 

Where are you located?

I personally would search until you find an 05-06 Base model with low miles and travel if need be.

 

I knew that the R56 has a completely different engine than the R53/R50, but I didn't know the R56S had direct injection whereas the R56 Justa does not.

Agreed that the sweet spot is 05-06, but there were some things prior to the facelift that were better like the harmonic balancer and passenger motor mount.