The resell value is great on the mini because everyone wants one. Do you see the resell value of all 1st generation (2002-2006) drop because of the new generation? Then the 2nd generation will then have the great resale value like the 1st gen did imho. I can also see alot of ppl selling their 1st gen for the 2nd generation around this time next year.

 

Depends on how well the 07+'s go over, I suppose. I'm considerably less than thrilled with the images of the next gen. that I've seen so far. If enough people think that, I guess it could have the opposite effect (tempered by lack of warranty and reliability issues).

 

No. JCWs "might" start making out better as factory backed vehicles, especially since they are factory options in 2006 (whereas today that might not be true). As prices come "down" the JCWs should become more desirable (relatively speaking) than stock.

No, not at all for many reasons. For example, I owned a 1998 SC MR2. Come 1991, out comes the second generation MR2 and it is a turbo. Different look ... turbo instead of SC. Owned both cars at the same time, totally impractical so one had to go. The Turbo was MUCH faster. Guess which one I dumped and which one I kept for 8 years ...

I do not see people dumping their first gen cars as you imply and rushing to the second gen cars.

 

I agree, It sounds like the 07 will not be an improvement other than a slight bump in hp so time will tell but im not too concerned

 

I think that the main factor in falling resale prices will be the reduction in wait time between ordering a car and receiving it. I ordered my Cooper in May '05 and got it in 5 weeks (this is in Massachusetts). The more that becomes the norm, the fewer people are going to be willing to pay new car prices for used cars.

Even if I didn't see myself keeping my 2005 Cooper for 8-10 years, I don't think I'd be tempted by the 2007s. All indications so far are that the exterior design will be substantially less appealing than the current generation. Maybe still nicer looking than most cars, but it won't measure up to the first generation. Plus the Peugeot engines will be a huge question mark. The only people that I see as guaranteed to trade up are those that can never get enough HP, or those that relish the challenge of starting from scratch and modding the new car.

The spy photos I've seen of the '07s just make me determined to make mine last as long as possible.

 

I think if anything the release of the 07s will increase the resale value of the 02 - 06s as then there will be a fixed number of originals and as the years go on there will be fewer and fewer of them. Resale value of the 07s is anyones guess. Wait time, HP, design etc. will all have to add up to something special to be as good as what we've got.

 

Its really a tall task....I mean how do they improve the look and charm of the original? They are downgrading the suspension. Not increasing hp. No AWD the only thing I like is the look of the new interior.....

 

I read in a book about the development of the MINI how they purposely kept the production numbers low and used creative marketing to push demand. This was similar to high tech IPOs where they only floated a small amount of stock and hyped the company. More recently MINI has increased production considerably and the early adopters have bought their MINI. I expect MINI resale prices to drop as wait times decrease and more MINIs are on the road. But you never know the MINI may catch on even more.

I have been looking to buy a MINI but most people are still trying to sell their used one for more than a new one and I won't go for that. The wait just isn't that long. In the mean time I have been happy enough driving the other halfs MINI, but we need to become a two MINI couple before my privilages end. I am still undecided about the '07 and probably won't wait that long. I have seen a lot of eBay auctions fail to meet the reserve so maybe it is already time to start bargaining.

Regarding the Next Gen I just hope the MINI doesn't go the way of the Datsun Z car, getting bigger and heavier and more laden with options, in an attempt to increase market size and profits. Well compared to the original Mini is already has, but let's just hope it doesn't go over the top.

 

and several web sites talk about MINI's marketing campaign which sells well, imagine a car company telling you to go out and actually drive the thing (in the rain!)

I was looking in Late March this year and the dealer had 50 or so various MINIs on the lot. No wait, pick one out. Except maybe the west coast, the wait is over. Besides, there are dealers on this board who will ship one to you so this is no longer an excuse.

Ebay prices mean squat. As other threads have shown, many times they are just feelers to see who the serious buyers may be.

Interesting but true. I owned an original 1970 Datsun 240Z when it first came out. Todays Nission 300Z is a tank next to it. Faster but still huge

I owned an original 1988 Supercharger MR2. New Model in 1991 was Turbo. Bigger, faster and I bought that too. In the end, I dumped it to keep the smaller and more agile 1988.

Yes, MINIs will most definitely get bigger ...

 

I could be wrong, but I'll bet 99% of the people who are saying they don't want an 07 will be lusting after one shortly after they come out.

 

Unfortunately it seems pretty clear that this is where MINI is headed.

Not me. Seriously, I have nothing against buying used cars, and I'll go for a pre-'07, I don't care how old they are at whatever point I'm looking. I've always thought it was insane to buy a new car, and it's only the MINI that's made me insane enough to buy two new cars in 3 years!

The current generation MINI was conceived and designed as an inspired, cohesive whole. The next generation will be the result of a bunch of corporate brand jockeys monkeying with that design, trying to figure out how to milk the MINI for all it's worth, cutting costs by slashing all of the little details that make the MINI different, and trying to dangle extra HP in front of all of us to entice us to switch. No thanks!

 

Nope no way. I will be keeping my 03 until they make an AWD car, I have already have decided that an AWD car is the only thing that can make the car better

 

I've every intention of buying myself an MCSc as a "Finally got my MFA!" present -- unfortunately that will not be until '09 (shoot me now). I'll buy a next gen, so long as I find it palatable. So far it's not looking good, but perhaps they're an aquired taste? Maybe...? I hope....

In any event, I'm only doing it then so that I can keep my '03. As far as I'm concerned, cabrio or not, the noobie will be the red-headed stepchild...

 

I'll reserve judgement about the all new R56 '07 MINI until I get to see it/drive in person. It is hard to comment about a car that doesn't even exist yet, at least not in full production mode.

My wife's '02 MC CVT warranty expires next year when the car turns 4 years old and will likely keep it for another year or so after that. We both want a 5 door Clubman station wagon and if MINI releases it by the '08 model year, the '02 MC will surely be traded it/sold for one of those babies.

My '05 MCS is only 5 months old and it has been a fantastic car. My plan is to keep it until the end of the factory warranty (Around March 2009) and trade it in/sell it at that point or keep it for another year and get a 2010 MCS which by then will be a 3rd or 4th year production MCS will all the refinements and bug fixes

To me is not worth jumping on a 2007 MINI. It is a proven fact that MINI dramatically improves these cars towards the tail end of their production cycle.

 

Even if the new 07 generation MINI is as great a car as the 04-06 car, after the bugs are out, I think most of us on NAM and other club oriented sites, are already benefiting from the price of aftermarket items comming down in $. This trend will no doubt continue, as the vendors develop new items for the new car, that will be higher priced at first, to recoop their investments in the development of these new products. This + the fact that I for one think that as the cars become classics, that the 04-06 JCW/MCS will be the most sought after model. Buy the one you can have the most fun with, and the cheapest to mod! The 04-06. JMHO, Joe.

 

An excellent point.

Take a look at the Barrett-Jackson auctions on the Speed Channel.

The cars that are selling for BIG dollars now are mid-60s to early 70s muscle cars, the bigger the engine the better. Hemis worth more than 440s. etc,

What do you think will sell for more today? Say a 2005 Mustang GT or a 1969 Mustang 390 GT?

No contest.

 

Why don't you quit worrying about resale values and just go drive the car?

 

[size=3][size=3][size=3]these cars will never be worth what the 60-73 muscle cars are worth. for one, production numbers, you think MCS # are limited? my 1970 1/2 camaro RS Z28 is one of 8700 z28's produced and there are even less with the RS option. then there are even less 56 chevy nomads out there, i love that car can't wait to restore it. those classic cars are also worth a lot because they are easy to work on, you can pretty much do anything to them with ease, modify way more so then any new car, there are also zipp regulations on classic cars other then noise control. styling, sorry but there are few new cars that are being built that will have an every lasting good looks, the mini vary well may be one of them?????

another thing in 30-40 years we will have to have another form of fuel, or energy source for auto's. not that, this will make your mini or any petrol running car not run-able, you can always convert it to run on alcohol, if oil reserves dry up..

i really like the mini's think them one of the best cars you can get!

all that we can hope for, for are minis is that they keep their value as well as a acura NSX!! But then you can look at my ‘95 audi S6 only 6,000 urS cars made it into the us, they are fast and nice but are worth squat now, even though they are much nicer driving cars then most new cars!!!

it is true that the cars with the big engines and most hp output are worth the most, for one the extreme power and 2 because there are less of them.

so the JCW should be worth more in the long run, that is if mini's in general keep a good value.. I think they our mini’s will keep their value rather well for a few years at least, cause they really are nifty cars and I don‘t think what they are doing to the ‘07 will be to swift, not a big fan of turbo’s. wish they were going to put a SC DOHC 2.0 lt engine in it, then we would be talking HP…

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I wasnt trying to say that MINIS would pull done $100K prices in30 years. Rather, I was trying to say there is no way a 2005/06 Mustang GT will ever come close to its equivalent, like a 390GT ... exactly for the reason you cited ... They make way to many of them today.

As for MINI, they sold about 15000 MCS in the US in 2004. Thats not all that much more than 8700 Z28s in 1970. Numbers look pretty close. I'm also sure Chevy sold FAR more six cylinder Camaros in the same year just as MINI sells more MCs in the same year. We are not talking about selling 250000 Honda accords here

 

That is completly an apples to oranges comparison. The 69 390 GT was very low production car the 05 GT is in every other driveway

A more realistic comparison would be like a shelby and 69 390 GT and yes 30 years from now a new shelby will be just as collectible

 

I suspect the resale value is already dropping, albeit slightly, as warranties on the first generation cars end and MINI increases its production. The supply of used MINIs seems to be increasing -- I routinely see 5 or more used MINIs advertised in my local paper now, while 1 or 2 was the norm a year ago. The asking prices are still high, especially relative to other 2-3 year old cars, but eventually the laws of supply and demand will win out!