So by tomorrow I will have made up my decision for whether or not I am the next owner of a used R53.

The only main downside to this car is that it has ridiculously high mileage (189k) but most of those miles are FWY commuter miles. I do understand there's this reliability issue when buying a high mileage cooper S since the superchargers are really difficult to maintain in them and that its also a pretty much a BMW inside and will require a lot of attention. But when I went to take the car out for a test drive, that thing drove much better than my e46 with only 98k miles! Granted my e46 is salvage and this mini is a clean title. So I'm just wondering, with anyone with past experiences with mini's, is it ok to buy a mini with so many miles? I've been told that engines below 1.6L and really unreliable at high miles, especially when its supercharged.


Pros:
*John Cooper Works package
Drives really smooth
Mostly commuter miles
Clean title
almost new tires
clutch and stick feel like it still has a lot of life in it left
cooling system overhauled @120k
Really affordable which allows me to spend more on repairs lol

Cons:
189k miles
wheel bearings need to be replaced (~$150)
off brand tires (Federals)
Registration and Smog need to be done in September ($180)
Rotors need to be replaced ($100)
1.6L w/ high mileage
Could use an Alignment ($30)
Possibly needs another cooling system overhaul soon ($???)

Asking price is 5k, but I want to talk him down to a more reasonable price (4,400?)

Any other things I should ask or check out before I give him my offer tomorrow?

Thanks!

 

Bottom line is that you're going to have to spend some money on maintenance and repairs with mileage that high. I just bought a salvage 2005 MCS for $1100. It was salvage because it was towed from an illegal parking spot and abandoned (we learned why: the clutch was blown). Cosmetically the exterior is OK, the interior is nice. With that in mind, I think $5k is a little steep for that many miles.

 

Have it checked over front to back. I would check to see if they have changed the SC anytime soon or had is serviced / with the fluid changed.


Also see when and if the clutch and dual mass flywheel have been replaced.


Sounds like a good high mileage JCW package, I would get it just because it has the JCW package and in good shape.




Good luck and if you need anything , let me know.

 

Can you do the repairs yourself?

If not it will get expensive. The car is pretty easy to work on if you can

Wheel bearings are relatively easy. SC needs maintenance 2 or 3 times in the life of the car. If it has oil its fine.

Price seems high for the miles, but if you can fix it yourself I would say go for it. It is an 06 jcw so worth paying a little too much

 

Price is a but high, it will cost around 2k I'd guess to sort out everything assuming there will be more than what's apparent to you.

 

I agree, you could talk the guy down on the price a bit. If you're DIY inclined and think you could handle the con list, it may not be a bad idea to pick it up as that list is not too bad. Make sure to check out this buyers guide here as well. It gives you an idea of common issues so that you can ask the right questions. Good luck!

 

I would offer $4K

05-06 MCS with about 100,000 miles are going for about $6K in my area