So I just recieved a $3000 repair quote on my 110,000mi 2006 Mini Cooper s which is worth about $5000 kbb. (Needs clutch, power steering pump, a arm bushing)

I think I've ask similar advice before but now it's really decision time. Do I trade it in or just keep repairing.

Despite only putting about 150mi a week on the mini I fully expect to be spending at a minimum $1500 Per year on repairs based on experience and mini's reputation.

What would I trade it for? I don't care so much about performance as a fun engaging drive which most new cars don't offer. I've only test driven a new eco boost mustang at this point and it was OK but I don't want to spend $24000 to go from a car that's still very fun after 9yr to OK (still want to try mustang with a stick). I'm capping my replacement at about $25000 but I'd prefer much less. Fully open to sensible used car recommendations.
Newer generation mini have as many or more issues as my r53 and are not nearly as fun to drive so another mini is out of the question


Sorry wasn't sure if this was stock problems or maybe off topic autos. Probably could be all of the above.

 

Ecopoot Mustang no thanks. The only Mustang worth having has the 5.0.

 

Find another R53, takes some looking, but they are out there. Totaled my 04s, at 141k. I rented a new Mini, bigger, busy, and didn't make me smile. Took awhile but found another 04 R53, at a local BMW only dealer,<30k miles, all maint record nothing major,the strut towers were the only repair. Paid I think was well under what I thought it was worth, after looking at what was for sale, most of the R53's within 100 miles where all maintenance nightmares. Paid $11500, well under your $25k limit, with $ left to play with. Stella only needed tire's (AS-3s) ditched the runflats, and both muffler straps replaced, those only last a couple of years here.
Just MHO. Foo

 

Why buy into the unknown when he already has an R53?

I'd just fix what I had and drive it for two more years and pending that nothing else goes wrong he'll have gotten his $3k back out of it.

My R53 is lucky if it sees 200 miles a month.

 

So my r53 @110,000 well maintained miles (admitted a lot city mi) not counting normal wear replacement: I'm on my 3rd motor mount, 3rd power steering fan, going in for 3rd power steering pump, minor strut tower deformation, rear hatch let in moisture causing hatch release and wiper issues, a arm bushings, freezing e brake cable, 2 replacement windshields (would blame rocks if it weren't for the thin windshield lawsuit I was given notice of) seized brake bleeder requiring new caliper. I know I'm forgetting some things here. My toyota before it only needed a thermostat and shocks at this point in its life.
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So I just recieved a $3000 repair quote on my 110,000mi 2006 Mini Cooper s which is worth about $5000 kbb. (Needs clutch, power steering pump a arm bushing)

I think I've ask similar advice before but now it's really decision time. Do I trade it in or just keep repairing.

Despite only putting about 150mi a week on the mini I fully expect to be spending at a minimum $1500 Per year on repairs based on experience and mini's reputation.

What would I trade it for? I don't care so much about performance as a fun engaging drive which most new cars don't offer. I've only test driven a new eco boost mustang at this point and it was OK but I don't want to spend $24000 to go from a car that's still fun after 9yr to OK (still want to try mustang with a stick). I'm capping my replacement at about $25000 but I'd prefer much less. Fully open to sensible used car recommendations.
* edit* forgot oil pan gaskets and radiator resivoir

I doubt my repair bills would be that much lower with 30k mi.

Also the new 'ecopoot' mustang has over double the power of many of the old fox chassis 5.0s. There are many replacements for displacement, weight reduction, direct injection, variable valve timing and forced induction. I just wish ford was better at weight reduction the new mustangs are chubby.

 

I guess I would just look at it from the point of payments. If you dumped 3k into it and got 2-3 years worth of use you'd still be a ahead.

I'm not a fan of taking out notes to buy "new" assets that lose a lot value. I would not be surprised if R53's are at the bottom of depreciation now.

 

I love my Mini ('13 R56 JCW), but if you're looking for inexpensive reliability, Subaru Forester. Low interest, and if you shop online you can get good deals through the dealers' internet departments. I've owned 5 Subarus, that boxer engine can't be destroyed. Or then again a late model R56 shouldn't set you back $25k.

Hey, Ive just listed my R56, it's in the for sale section.

Anyway, good luck!

 

If you love your car, then spending $1500 or so every year is a lot better than buying something else.

 

Sorry but no thanks. The r56 Definitely can out perform my r53 but I find the r56 boring to drive. Plus they have their own load of reliability issues.

 

Can your power steering pump be fixed with the recall? That would reduce some of the cost? If so, I would have that done last so the dealer can't blame additional work on the failure in case of a warranty claim on the repair.

 

No, because he has a 2006, and the warranty extension only covers to early 2005 (ask me how I know).

 

IF the plan is to buy another R53, I'd just fix what you got. Who's to say the new to you R53 doesn't need a clutch or SC before long anyway. I've heard of a couple of SC going out in less then 75,000 miles, but know of some that have 175,000 mile. Kinda the same with clutches... So stay with what you have and you "know" what you have...

 

I purchased the car in 2005 does that count for anything? : (
Also wondering how many power steering pumps the warranty covers. They replaced it back at 40,000 or so under the original warranty

I'm wondering if stopping by the mini showroom to loudly ask about recalls and the garbage quality of their cars will give me any satisfaction I will be in the area test driving other cars
Of course I also am not a fan of being a **** to people just trying to do their job

 

If you are mechanically inclined, you can likely save a few thousand by doing the job yourself.
But you have stumbled upon the same problem I did 2-3 years ago. Fix or find new?

I couldn't find anything south of $45K that gave me the smiles. So instead of a down payment, I fixed it up (for WAY MORE than it was "worth"). Financially speaking, I was ahead in year two and up, if I spent less thank $6000 in repairs (comparing to a new car finance rate).

I'm glad I did it. It has grown to part of the family, and we have added another to the stable.


Perhaps checking out the FR-S, or a used Ralliart/WRX (but used of those may be even worse)

Good luck

 

Also, keep in mind the clutch, bushings etc are "wear" items and "any car" could/would need replacement. For that reason, their moot to the financial argument.

The PSP on the other hand, is a huge PIA, especially if you have done it more than once.

 

Yeah I'm not pissed at mini for the clutch. I have a 4mi city commute so 110kmi seems fair. However my mechanic was saying most fwd transverse engines are a 9hr job, the r53 is 11hr, and labor ain't cheap. that's on mini

I'm debating doing the psp myself. I've looked at how tos and it's completely with my ability. I'm just not sure if saving $200 in labor is a fair trade for a good chunk of a weekend. It will also set back restoration of my bug. Why can't the mini be more like my beetle? There are so many parts the bug doesnt have and therefore can't break

 

actually with a tune those eco boost stands are quite fast

 

Tuners are already getting 40 HP extra out of a stock one. Add a few bolt ons and you starting to get close to 375 HP out of it..

 

Double down!

 

Agree.
Most of the repair is the clutch, and if you keep a car you like, it will eventually
need a new clutch. No sense in buying a manual transmission car if you're going to ditch it
when the clutch is gone. For me, though, no sense in buying an automatic, period.

Replace the control arm bushings with powerflex ones, and you'll probably never
have to do it again. You'll be happier with the PF ones, too - better location of
the arm with no appreciable increased harshness, even in cold weather.

Hopefully, third time will be a charm for the PS Pump.

 

I LOVE my R53, so much that my water pump was going bad so instead of just replacing the pump I bought a brand new OEM supercharger and pump and had it installed at about 92K. Talk about piece of mind, now I do not worry about driving anywhere with it. It has 95K on it now. I bought my son a BRZ (FRS same thing) and it is fun to drive but nothing like the R53. Depends on how much you like your car. That will tell you how much to invest in it. I have yet to find another car as fun to drive, including the newer MINIs. If I had the same type issues with my Mercedes I would sell it and buy another. The MINI on the other hand I plan on keeping and will sink more money into it. As far as repair costs go and who does the work, how much do you make an hour, what is your time worth, what is your family time worth, etc...? $200 for a weekends worth of work... I'm sending it to the shop for repairs. $2,000 worth of labor or a weekends worth of work may be a different story.

 

Unfortunately not. The power steering pump warranty extension only covers 2/2005 production and earlier. All 2006 model year (and even some 2005) are not covered.

 

If you can get that 5k for your mini as is go for it. You're probably going to just have more problems as it gets older.

I love my mini but would not have bought it if I could not not fix it myself.

My s/c went bad, the head gasket went, and the clutch has been slipping for about the last 6 months. That's $1400 in parts alone, can't imagine what the labor cost would have been for all that.

Not sure what to say if you can't get 5,000 with a bad clutch though. I would probably keep it and hope for the best. Would be too big of a loss for me to put 3k in to only get 5,000 for it. Although that number sounds too low for a 2006 r53.

 

As stated in my original post $5000 is just the kbb value on my car. This iis ignoring the needed repairs. Honestly it seems high given the mileage and mini's reputation for quality. I did see a high mileage r53 on The car max site at $14000. The used car market seems less predictable then it used to be. There is more precieved value in used cars as most brands are better made then in the past and I'm seeing crazy resale on a lot of cars now days. Maybe kbb isn't the bench mark it used to be.

 

It would probably help you decide what to do, if you got a number for how much your car is actually worth in its current condition. In my area dealers seem to give you almost nothing, then ask $14,000 for it.

If you can get a lot, sell it, if not, I would double down