I have read that the quality of MINIs has improved each year. Most problems happened during the first 2 years of production. My question is this. Why in the world would anyone buy a used Mini when the cars are retaining their value so much that a person could buy a brand new one which basically has the bugs worked out for almost the same price as a used one. The only reason I see Mini's retaining their value is supply and demand but buying a used car that isn't on a par quality-wise as a new one just doesn't make sense to me.

 

The only reason that I can see is demand as well. Many people are impatient and do not want to wait for a car to be built, so they choose the used route. I concur though, definitely doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but....


Cheers,
-Justyn

 

Ssshhhhh don't let the cat out of the bag. A used mini is a great purchase!

 

I'm in Los Angeles. All the dealers here are either charging $1000's of mark-up or have a 10 month to a year wait.

As for early MINI reliabilty. My MINI was two years old on Monday, and it's had zero problems for the past year.:smile:

 

In San Diego, I could either buy a new 04 Cooper with a $4,500 dealer "price adjustment" over the List Price, or buy an 02 Cooper with Navigation for $19,900 in Las Vegas and have it shipped for $300. Hmmmm, wasn't that tough for me.

The dealer's that mark up, cause the used market to be a viable option.

Scott

 

And of course the basic human trait of impatience!

The pros and cons of new vs used

New-
Less bugs- not zero
High price-even above MSRP in some areas like the west coast
Minimal miles- more fun for you, but you have to break it in.
Brand new pristine condition- Excellent. But good luck keeping it like that.
New tires- If you have runflats you'll have a little rougher ride
New brake pads- brake dust city
Stock condition with factory or dealer installed options-pricey
Waiting game- for paying MSRP you get to wait up to 10 months to see your MINI in markets where demand exceeds supply like the west coast.


Used-
Known bugs- mostly worked out and fixed by the time you buy the MINI
Lower than new price but still a bit high-gives the illusion of discount
Variable miles- someone has had some fun, lets hope not too much
Nicks and dings from real motoring- builds character like scars on your face
Tires- If you are lucky the tires are worn enough to be changed or have already been changed to non runflats.
Brake pads- If you are lucky the previous owner got tired of the dust and got some nice EBC green pads
MINI mods galore (maybe)- If you are really lucky you'll get a MINI that has been loved to tears by some ultra NAM fanatic and got all the latest and greatest mods installed that come with the MINI "for free".
No wait- Instant gratification. Sign me up. I hate to wait to have fun.

Saying of the day-
May your life be like spaghetti.
Long and full of dough.

Motor ON. :smile:

 

Hmmmm....seems to me that buying used is fine! For example, don't think there are many '02s with yo-yo/stumble and the '02s have the stiffer sportier suspension, too!

:smile: BTW, I LOVE my runflats! I'm on the second set and they are terrific! I know I'm in the minority, but I've been very pleased with the 16-inch Dunlop Performance Runflats! With the oilier, softer suspension, Wanda is a creampuff, and a fabulous cross-country ride, yet she's still an awesome canyon-carver, tee hee!

Clo/Wanda

 

I haven't seen a used mini for less than a new one yet.

 

Well I can tell you first hand about buying used. Everyone's reasoning is different. Mine is sort of two fold. I wanted top dollar for my trade in (something I knew I would never get from a BMW/MINI dealer). Second I didn't want to deal with the hassle of waiting for my car to arrive. This car is a daily driver for me.

 

Nothing wrong at all about buying used. I bought my first MCS used and got it for a LOT less than both a new one and the used car prices on sites such as Edmunds and NADA. I bought used because of the price and not knowing if it would be a car I would like.


Well, it turned out I liked it a lot but it had way more equipment on it than I realized I needed or wanted. I ended up selling it to another party for more than I paid and ordered a new one just the way I wanted it. Although the new owner paid more for the car than I did, they still got it for a decent price and are very happy with it.

Also, keep in mind (as I think others have mentioned), chances are a used MINI will still be under factory warranty so any bugs that surface can be dealt with pretty easily.

 

Well spoken, gt6. I frequented Autotrader.com over the course of a year until I was ready to buy and until I found the one that had what I wanted. It payed off. I found an 02 MCS with everything I wanted and nothing I didn't...even the color was right.

 

Look in the marketplace....mine was for sale, definitely less than a new Cooper. Was a nicely outfitted car as well...

 

If I were selling my 02 JCW with 12,000 miles it would be a fabulous buy as a used car.
The only problem I have ever had was the water tank and that was fixed at about 1,000 miles. Since than the car has been flawless, I just recently installed an 2004 head unit and hooked up the AUX cable. Along with the BMP gauge pod and all available options at the time I ordered it, its been a fabulous purchase. The car also hase customized OZ Racing wheels and AVS 100 rubber. So you would also get two sets of wheels and tires!:smile:
The second owner would get a great trouble free with many of the most desired options car without having to wait. The car has not been tricked out so its also a fairly blank slate that can be moded very nicely This car has been babied, babied, babied, in fact it's never even been rained on :smile: and its always been garaged and never driven in the winter months.
My car doesn't even get that 'oiley sludge' most cars have in the intercooler which I suspect is a result of having the JCW breathing much better.
Used Mini's like mine would be a fabulous purhcase.:smile:

 

I bought mine used -- from a dealer no less. A few thousand less than what it was new with all of its options. Only had 17K miles. Warranty transfer. Not a single problem (cross fingers). Well, I had a windshield replacement -- but that was a huge rock and not a stress crack, so it doesn't count. Actually, Kelly book says it's worth about 4K more than I paid for it!

So, what's the problem?

 

I think for some, part of the ownership experience is ordering a MINI to one's personal specifications. So new is really the way to go in that instance. Any changes made by a first owner to the car - whether it's a cosmetic or performance mod, further limit the choices of a buyer looking for the perfect stock MINI. And since the resale values are still good, "bargain" MINI's are not out there yet...so to many, they would rather go the new route and start with a clean slate.

 

I also bought mine used, 02 MCS EB/W with more options than I would have ordered. I didn't want to wait, local dealer had 16 month waiting list, and found my car with only 8K miles. The price was $400 less than sticker and Kelly Blue book says it's now worth more than I paid. With all of the mods I have now I wouldn't want to start over again with a newer model. I plan on keeping it for the long term and doing more mods after warrenty runs out. More track oriented but still a drive to work car. I can see a second one for my wife at some point as I can't seem to share it.

 

I see your point. For me, it was just getting my hands on one no matter the color/options/etc.! And getting one used was a little cheaper which helped with the WAF figure.


(WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor)

 

I bought a 2002 cooper used in August of 2003 with only 1700 miles on it in perfectly new condition. I got it for $19,700 wich was $2,300 under MSRP. I would have had to wait 3 months to get a new one at the time. I checked and it had never been in for service. Evidently 1700 miles wasn't enough for problems to pop up. I had it in for service 33 days in the first 6.5 months I had it and it is no longer with me.

 

Buying a used MINI with no problems is no guarantee of clear sailing. Your MINI simply had no been driven enough to discover any problems it had yet and when you did drive it they surfaced within the first 5000-10,000 miles.

My 03 MCS did fine for the first year and 10,000 miles then had all sorts of various small problems that took many service days to fix and now they are all fixed and all is good hopefully another 10,000 miles. Stuff that went out at one year:
Rear hatch latch mechanism failed and was replaced
PCV valve and hose failed and replaced
Right front Xenon light failed to ignite and was replaced entirely
Master cylinder failed and was replaced
Scheduled maintenance-oil and filter change, wiper blade change

If you buy new you might do OK for the first year. Then if something is wrong then it might surface and you get it fixed under warranty.
Hopefully if your used MINI has some 10,000+ miles on it whatever should go wrong has surfaced. With less miles it is hard to tell if anything will crop up other than early models like the 2002 had a few more problems that needed addressing. Some did very well.

 

With resale values so high, I don't recommend a used Mini to a potential buyer. Unless you have no patience to wait 9 weeks for your custom ordered Mini to arrive (yes, many Mini dealers sell for MSRP and have a 8-9 week wait) EXACTLY the way you want it, why risk buying a used Cooper that has more than likely been driven hard by it's owner? Also, financing costs are lower on a new car vs. used if you are going that route. Just my opinion....


Screw the 1250 mile engine break-in period!!!!

 

Right now i don't think i would by a new custom ordered mini, but thats only because im not a fan of the changes that they're implementing for the late 04's/05's. I would however get a new early 04 or a used that the dealer would have on their lot :smile:

 

The local dealer left me a message and informed me that they have a 2002 Dark Silver S with premium and sport package and only 7K miles on it. Their asking price is $26.5K

 

I see that (asking >MSRP for well used cars) a lot here in CA. Given that option (and that I'm not in THAT big a hurry), I'd go new. Now when a well equipped S goes for ~$20K...