Used MINI's are expensive
 

I've checking some of the used MINI's on the lots in town and they are expensive. I saw a 03 MCS with a sunroof and 18k miles on it and they wanted $26,000 for it. I'm not sure it cost that much new. And there is another 02 MCS with 37k miles on it no sunroof and the want $21,000 for it. I'll bet they would offer you that on a trade.

What's the dealio?
 

I noticed the same thing. Saw an 02 MC for $22k, with 18k miles - no major options.:eek2: Several other minis at other lots too w/ high prices. That is why i bought new; it was cheaper!!!!

Yup, that's what a 3-4 month wait for the new cars will do for resale! :thumbsup: That way we all get to trade in for new cars and pocket cash for mods! https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ies/NAMlol.gif

Praise the Lord.

The MINI is an awesome car, You do not hear this about any other car. Makes you want one that much more, Kind of like the Cabage Patch dolls before Christmas that one year!:grin:

MINIs are just plain GREAT:thumbsup:
:cool:

I noticed the same thing. It would seem better to get a new one based on only a few thousand dollars or so and to build it the way you want it, but not everyone is patient to wait for a MINI.

Used Minis are expensive!

Cheaper when you compare them to marked up new Minis, but more expensive when not.

Resale value. Plain and simple. The resale value of MINIs is very high right now. :smile: So take for instance my 04 MC CVT. I have been qouted a trade in value of $17k with 11k in mileage. The car is about a year old and cost $21k new. I know they will resell it to someone for $19-20k easily. Crazy eh?? My local dealer is starting to accumilate (sp?) used MINIs faster then ever since the 05s came out. I don't blame folks. I love the new 05s (check sig:grin: )Ok my rant is over....:lol:

Back in February I sold my 16 month old 2004 MCS with 16K miles. The car had no packages, no sunroof, manual A/C, just a few options here and there and the H/K stereo. I put it up for sale at cars.com and 6 days later I get a call from a lady desperate to get a MCS and tells me not to sell the car to anyone, she has the cold hard cash in hand and ready to pick up the next day. I showed her the car and she didn't even want to test drive it. She was all over it. Never seen anything like that.:smile:


The car was pristine, was bone stock, still under warranty and all service records on hand (Basically 2 dealer visits in 16 months, this car was 100% reliable).

I ended up selling it to her for $700 above original window sticker!. She didn't want to wait for a new MINI or deal with a MINI dealer. She just wanted a MINI right now!

Everybody came out very happy from the sale transaction and with the money from the sale I put up a very healthy downpayment for my new '05 MCS:grin: .

If you want maximum $$$ for your used MINI, better keep it stock or as close to stock as possible. Keep all service records in a neat folder and always remind the interested parties that the car has a fully transferable warranty, roadside assitance and scheduled service all for free.

Also, this sort of breaks the myth that only "loaded" cars sell well. Not true. Base trim cars are very rare birds as most MINI buyers tend to order their cars fully specced. Some used MINI buyers seem to be attracted to base trim cars as well as cars with all packages and every bell and whistle in the sales brochure. So never underestimate the value of a MINI with no sunroof, no auto A/C and no sport package.:wink:

Choice of colors also play an important part of the deal. Colors that mostly everyone can agree on are Black, Chili Red, Both Silvers, Pepper White (To an extent). Certain colors like blue, hot orange, Liquid Yellow, Green are a bit harder to sell.

One of the Chrysler dealers here has a used 2005 MC for sale and they want $24,127 for it. It has 400 miles on it, Premium, HK, 5-speed. We looked at it a while back and I came home and built it on miniusa.com. It only cost $19,820 new. I went back and showed them the sheet I printed out and they were surprised. They said the asking price was based on what they paid for it. It is still sitting on their lot 3 months later.

I searched the surrounding states for a good deal on a used MINI until we finally decided it would be best to just buy new. It made more sense to buy a brand new car, with the full warranty, with the specs we wanted, than to save $2k buying a used one.

I guess it is like the Harley-Davidson thing where if you could a new one for alot less than a used one. Let's hope it last as long as the Harley craze.

I'm going through the debate now on weather to sell my '02 MCS when my '05 arrives. I don't want to, I don't need to, but do I really have to have two? :confused: When I think about cost, I know I can easily get a good amount of cash for it. But then, I don't want to screw over a future fellow MINI owner! :confused: Just because I felt I was screwed with the $4k markup when I bought it, doesn't mean I should pass it on.


Well, I guess I will just have to keep both then! :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

I wouldn't see it as screwing someone, rather I would see it as selling the car for the price that someone is willing to pay for it. It's all based on perceived value. If someone values the car that much, allow them to pay that. It's all about a free market economy. If you're worried about selling it for more than it's "worth," put it up on eBay, then you can feel comfortable in that the car will definitely sell for a price that someone is perfectly happy paying.

It doesn't always work out that way. It took me a VERY long time to sell my PW MCS which was pretty well documented here in the marketplace on NAM. My starting price was $22k which was only $200 under what i paid for it. It had 24k miles and was in MINT condition. I went a entire month with it posted on Cars.com and Autotrader.com with absolutely no phone calls about it. I dropped it to 21k, nothing I ended up dropping the price to $19,8 and after a few weeks it finally sold to a couple in Vermont.

I think the whole high resale thing will start to feather off as the 05's become more and more popular.
:sad:

Try eBay! Cars.com does not have anywhere near the buyers that eBay does. If you're serious about selling it and not just listing to see who wants to offer, eBay is the way to go. We have folks who will help you list it perfectly so you can get the highest resale from the listing - we take care of you!

I bought my 02 MCS back in Nov. 04. from a MINI dealership.
It's DS/W, blue lapis leather, premium package. The car was a 5/02 build.
It had only 4700 mls on the odometer and is still in excellant condition with 7600 mls.

I paid $20,550! I think I did pretty good. The starting price was & 21,900. I'm guessing the car was at least $22,750 new. And the same car in a 05 model stickered for $24,020.

I told the used car sales person that I was buying a mini that day and it was either this 02 MCS or a 05 MC PW/PW, sport, premium, cold package, HK sound for 20,700 (MSRP) which either was cheaper.

In hindsight...I don't know...I think about the 05 PW MC alot.

I too bought my Mini used. At the time it was less than a year old, 6k miles, with Alta Intake, Borla Exhaust, Lowered, Pulley and walked out the door for less than new.

BTW, it's a 2003 MCS.

List for loaded 03 MCS.
 

Interested in feedback for pricing my (mint/pristine) '03 MCS with ~30k mi;
Basic specs as follows:
Silver w/blk bonnet strips
DIO - driving lights
Nav & H/K
Sport/Premium/Cold pkgs
...new tires all around.

Thanks

For those of you waiting to sell your used MINI at MSRP or more, you had better move fast. The days of used MINI's being sold for the same or more than new ones will soon end. Check out the completed auctions for MINI's on ebay and you will see that the majority of them are no longer reaching their inflated reserve prices.

I should have some mine a year ago, but I am too attached to my particular MINI and could not bring myself to sell it. . .

There's an 02 MCS at a local dealer here with only 1,600 miles on it. White over red, sunroof, 6 spd, 17" etc etc for $23,999. Being so far from a Mini dealer I'm sure he'll get the asking price.

And I think the high prices will continue to hold in outlying areas for some time. Supply and demand. pb

The ask and the sale price are two different things.

Every morning on my way to work I drive past an '02 LY/W MC on a dealer lot stickered at $22,600. It's been there for weeks. I bet it eventually sells for something like $18k... still great for a three-year-old car that probably stickered for less than $20k, but nowhere near the ask.

Wait until the MkII MINI comes out, though. I bet backlash against the second-generation design keeps our cars, especially the '03s-'05s, valuable for a long time.

If you're looking to buy, quit shopping the lots and start looking at the local buyers. I didn't have a problem finding the car I wanted... then again, I specifically wanted a "base" S. Found a car whose only options were metallic paint, heated seats and Xenons.

Modifications were:
- tms intake
- borla exhaust
- tms pulley
- AP Racing brakes
- OZ superleggera wheels with nice tires
- H&R springs

It was a 2002 with 14K miles. Bought it a couple months back for about 18K (prettymuch bluebook). I was very pleased because the modifications had value to me. The car was clearly a weekend car and well taken care of.

I'm not sure why there wasn't more interest in it, especially since it was a west coast car. I guess either the lack of options, or being modified scared away everyone.

Let me take this opprtunity to prove you right.

I was on my way to buy new (almost literally, the appointment was that same monring) and I saw almost precisely the one I would order on eBay. I called, asked some questions, checked carfax, and told the guy I was flying there next day to buy it (and I did).

I saw a few I liked on autotrader.com but they were always sold when I called. eBay has great pix and details and even today I like to browse the various MINIs for sale to see the color combos and mods.

Mine was $25,975 new and I paid $22,600 with 20,500 miles. '03 Black on black leather, Nav, HK, Sport and Premium. All I missed was the stripes, which I can order and have installed for $200.

Financially, that means the seller only paid about 16 cents per mile, which is pretty good. But more importantly, the car did not experience the the large initial depreciation almost all new cars see when they become used. :thumbsup:

Used MINIs are pricey. Life is truly great. :thumbsup: Jimbo