I'm interested in buying a Mini Cooper S. As a matter of fact, I already have a deposit on one of them. With the rising gas prices, I'm starting to have second thoughts on the practicallity of the Cooper. Even though the listed gas mileage is around 30 combined, it seems as though 30 isn't high enough especially since it requires premium gasoline.

Question 1: Is the Mini Cooper an unadvised vehicle for commuting back and forth?

I'm also concerned about financing. After pricing up a Mini that I would want, the overall price is around $22000. I've been at my current job for about a year and a half. I make about $2000 a month gross. I have no bad marks on my credit which should be fairly good. I will have around $5000 for the down payment.

Question 2: Do you think I will have any troubles financing a Mini Cooper S?

If I were to get a Mini Cooper, I will want 93 octane fuel. I live in Utah County in Utah.

Question 3: Does anyone know a good place to get 93 octane near where I live?

 

NO

 

Don't finance with the dealer. Bank
or credit union and you'll do much
better. It is going to take a light foot
to get 30 mpg with an S. It is not a
problem with the Cooper though.

 

It all depends on who you are Pal. If you love to motor then the MCS is worth it all. You'd have a hard time finding a car that will give you this kind of fun! But if you don't drive like you mean it then save the money and get a Cavalier like the other 98%.

 

1. It's a great commuter, but not the cheapest. For cheap look at a Scion or a used Toyota/Honda. 99% of the cars out there are some of the worst investments you can make. If you can deal with that, and still want a new car for around $20k, the Mini is great.

2. Financing probably won't be a problem. Go through a credit union.

3. Can't help ya.

 

>>I'm interested in buying a Mini Cooper S. As a matter of fact, I already have a deposit on one of them. With the rising gas prices, I'm starting to have second thoughts on the practicallity of the Cooper. Even though the listed gas mileage is around 30 combined, it seems as though 30 isn't high enough especially since it requires premium gasoline.
>>

If you are looking for MPG get a Prius. For the fun factor get the MINI

>>Question 1: Is the Mini Cooper an unadvised vehicle for commuting back and forth?
>>

I commute in mine everyday. I get a average of 25-26 MPG mixed driving.

>>I'm also concerned about financing. After pricing up a Mini that I would want, the overall price is around $22000. I've been at my current job for about a year and a half. I make about $2000 a month gross. I have no bad marks on my credit which should be fairly good. I will have around $5000 for the down payment.
>>
>>Question 2: Do you think I will have any troubles financing a Mini Cooper S?
>>

Best sugestion is to look for multiple financing options. Credit unions, online ect. In the end MINI finance was able to match the best offer I got.

>>If I were to get a Mini Cooper, I will want 93 octane fuel. I live in Utah County in Utah.
>>
>>Question 3: Does anyone know a good place to get 93 octane near where I live?

Here in CA we don't have 93. The best we can get is 91 and it works fine.

 

1. Depends on your commute. Someone a few days ago wrote that he uses his to commute over 100 miles a day, with the run flats I think it is a poor choice for a commuter car, those run flats will rattle your brains to mush. If you have along commute it would be better if there was very little traffic too.

2. Early_apex is right stay away from the dealer financing, even if they tell you they can give you 0%, it won't be true. Go through a credit union.

3. You can check your credit worthiness by going to http://www.myfico.com where you can see your credit rating from the three major credit reporting companies. You will also be able to see what your rating means and how it will affect your financing. If there are any incorrect reports you will also be able to see how to correct them. The higher the number you have the better your rating. Any number between 700 and 850 is quit good and will get you the best financing. I don't think I have ever seen someone with a number over 850, the highest is 1,000.

4. You can get 93 octane gas from any Sunoco Gas Station, but I don't Sunoco is available all over the country. You didn't mention where you live.

 

I look at it this way: I commute about 200 miles per week and get an average of just under 30 MPG in my '04 MCS. I'm paying just over $2 for premium gas, so it cost me about $54 a month in gas (4 weeks actually). My sister has a Honda Civic Hybrid (which is a very cool car from a technology standpoint, but not very exciting from a motoring perspective) that averages about 45 MPG. The cost difference would be about $20 per month or about $1/day. (Since she lives in CA the actual savings is more like $9.) Is it worth $1/day to me to be driving an MCS instead of a Honda? What do you think?

 

If your gross income in only $2k x month or about $24k a year, a new car should not be on your short list of things to buy. I'd recommend going for a used MC, either an '02 or '03, and trying to pay as much as possible in cash. If you still need financing, I'd just postpone the whole deal until your personal finances are looking better.

Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but $2k a month is barely above the poverty line in many places.

 

>>If your gross income in only $2k x month or about $24k a year, a new car should not be on your short list of things to buy. I'd recommend going for a used MC, either an '02 or '03, and trying to pay as much as possible in cash. If you still need financing, I'd just postpone the whole deal until your personal finances are looking better.
>>
>>Sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but $2k a month is barely above the poverty line in many places.

That's not harsh at all. That's 2k gross. Factor in taxes, health insurance, maybe go out for a nice meal once a month, job stability...etc. Of course, most car buyers go through this dilemma!


_________________

 

I think that having a car paymnet greater than 10% of your gross income is nuts. Totally nuts. The only car payments I like are the no car payments. Save up some more before taking the plunge. If you must have a new car, given your current salary, I would go for something less expensive for now.
As to which MINI, any one is fine, just look out for the BRG ones......

 

Question #
1. You asked about the MC but I think you mean MCS. Both are fine for commuting, no problem with either.
Better gas mileage with the MC but a little less power/quickness. My fully modded MCS gets about 27 mpg
2. Financing you can do with your credit union or if you are in the military through their resources.
3. Your MINI needs at least 91 Octane. Some areas have only 91 and others only 92 like mine. Nobody needs 93. It's not a requirement.

 

It'll be a stretch for you financially.
I get 30mpg in my MCS commuting, not slowly, with occasional bursts of acceleration to dry my hair on the way to south San Jose on 85.
I also get by on 91 octane no problemo.

 

I commute with mine a lot, my only problem is that my right leg gets numb when I rest it on the down tube too much, but really that an uncommon problem, and used to happen on my Honda too, it just has to with the way I like to sit when I drive,
But I digress.
I sit in the car 3 hours a day roundtrip, and it make my commute in DC a lot better. there are other cars out there that will get better gas mileage, but all gas right now sucks, the difference in the 93 octane and lower price really isn't that big a deal, You could go diesel with another manufacturer or hybrid if you want the best gas per mileage. Or wait until 2006 when the "smart" cars come out over here, there awesome and I think will complement the mini revolution well, and they get better gas mileage than we do. If you can hold out that is.

other wise the mini is an awesome car, not as good of gas mileage as people think (hell I had a cop tell me he thoguht it was electric, I guess that a tailpipe isn't a dead giveaway.) btu the gas mileage is pretty good

 

I get between 28 and 31 in my Cooper. Yes my wife does use it as a commuter car.

Is the MINI worth it with rising gas prices, if that's what your sensitive about? It depends on what you're comparing it to. If you're comparing it to an Insight or a Prius nope, definately not worth the extra gas money.

However, compare it to anything that gets 18 to 20 MPG and yes the MINI is worth it. We pay the about the same for gas a month to fuel our '03 Outback which only gets regular, as we do for 93 Octane in the MINI, and the MINI gets driven more.

Before we got the Outback we had GMC Jimmy's, even with 93 Octane and putting substantially more mileage on the MINI (200-300 miles more a month), we still paid less for gas a month in the MINI than we did with the Jimmy.

If your main concerns are gas, and your income, don't get an S get a Cooper. However even with 5k down on a 22K car, you will still need to finance 17K. Can you afford payments around $345 or so a month, plus insurance, plus gas? If you can't, then you either need to strip off some options, raise more cash, or find a cheaper car.

 

I can afford much more than a $345 car payment per month plus insurance, gas and whatever else. Some people decide to spend their money on a Wife/husband and kids. Some people decide to spend their money on themselves so I have plenty to spend for a car. I'm just not sure how difficult it will be with my income and my credit. I'll be finding out this August though. Anyway, any suggestions on a good used car if I get shafted on the MCS?