I'll be driving the MINI for as long as I can afford it - if this means I cannot afford it after it's warranty is up, I'll probably sell and buy a newer MINI. It's paid off, so I really don't have recurring payments to make, just gas and insurance...and mods...!

Of course, if VW comes out with the "New Bus" and it's everything that the concept bus was, I'll have a difficult decisions ahead of me. Or if I get married, probably will have some sort of MINI-marriage clause, which allows me to keep the MINI in almost any event.

 

Actually not that bad. You can get a 7 year loan at under 5% at some credit unions. We were thinking of doing that on the Mini just to keep the payment nice and small. It'll make a $100+ difference in payment, but you'll end up paying $30K or so for a $25K car in the long run.

 

I now have 60k miles on my 03 MC. I have a warrenty that takes me to 95k miles. I thought of trading from the get go when the warrenty ran out.

Now I may just keep this car for a long, long time.

In the first 30k I had some minor issues with the car, and one big one, the tranny failed.

The minor issues are fixed, and the tranny seems to be also. If the tranny makes it through this winter, then I will keep this car till at least 08.

I like the new stuff I'm seeing engine wise, for the MINI.

But if this car runs as good as it does now, and nothing drive train wise starts to fail, well I hope there is a 2012 MINI

 

Faaaa'Ever!
or 'till the decals fall off.

 

I don't even have mine yet (currently making the voyage across the pond as I write this ), but I can say that I do plan on keeping my MINI a looooong time. This is the first new car I've ever bought, but I've always kept my vehicles till the doors fell off. My other two current vehicles are a '87 BMW 535is w/273k miles and a '90 BMW 325iX w/209k miles. Both are still in pretty nice shape and I've been able to keep up with all the maintenance on my own (not that they've needed a lot - in fact the 325 is still on its original clutch ).

I just hope the MINI is as easy to maintain as my BMWs have been for a DIY like me after the warranty is over. If that's the case, I plan on putting a good 250k+ miles on the MINI. I can't wait for my MINI to get here and I can start racking the miles up...:impatient

Dave
'06 BRG/W MCS

 

My wife and I have a plan of each keeping our cars 10 years. That way with 5 year loans, we see-saw the payment. She paid her car off and the next month, I started paying on the MINI. That way we will only have one car payment.

It might turn out a little different though, since my MINI will be 9 years old when my daughter is driving age (and I pass it on to her as I buy my next car). So we may have to bump my wife's next car payment schedule up a year and just take a 4 year note on it.

I tend to keep my cars a long long time though. This is only my third car, and I'm 34 years old. My last car lasted me about 10 years, and it was 20+ years old when I got it (and it still sits in my garage, now that you mention it).

-- Jay

 

My car may have its days numbered. After winter or maybe sometime winter, it may be traded in. It will either be for an e46 M3 cab, 996 C2, or even a 987 Boxster, or perhaps a 3.0L Z4 and boost it. Unless I winner the lottery, then I'll keep it and buy a CGT for a daily driver, and keep the MINI for a weekend car. I hate people who don't drive their sports car.

Having said this, it's not that I don't like my car, I love it, but I loved my e46 325ci a lot more for some reason. Maybe it was because it was my first BMW, was alpine white, and looked so sleek. Also, I have been driving RWD cars for my whole driving history, and the MINI is my first FWD car. I am scared to drive it too hard in the corners, because I fear understeer. I have taken a few driving schools, and I find driving a RWD car much better for my tastes. My father bought an e39 M5, and I have been addicted to its brute, yet refined power. I know power isn't everything, but still, power is what the MINI lacks.

I love having a droptop, so much fun, and you can have 2 looks, topless, or a hardtop for winter!

This is what I have concluded; the MINI is a fun car, extremely fun, while I want a serious car.

Here's a pic or 2 of my 03 325ci, I miss her...

 

Yup, me too. I bought an '05 for exactly this reason, and I plan on keeping it for as long as possible, especially in light of the upcoming 2007 model year uglification. I want to keep my MINI forever, and the cost of trading up wasn't much more than the inevitable cost of replacing the Midlands tranny. Plus you can't even get a new Midlands if you wanted one - you have to settle for one of the dwindling pool of "re-engineered" frankenstein trannies. No thanks!

 

I was wondering about that. Lot15 told me he got a new one, but mine was a refurbished.

 

I guess I have to say at least 100K miles. I've had mine since 1/05 and it has 17,000 miles on it already. I've got bumper to bumper and maintenance until 50,000 miles, at which point I will purchase the extended warranty from BMW which is good up to 100K.

If, from 50-100K, the MINI proves to be not TOO costly, I will keep it for much longer.

All that considered, I love this car too much to easily say goodbye, so logic may fly out the rattling window someday.

mb

 

Then again, there's usually no penalty for paying more than your regular payment. Keep the low payments as a safeguard for lean times, but continue to make payments as a 4 or 5 year loan with the excess going to principal.

 

Unless it becomes economically unfeasable, I plan on keeping my '05 MCS indefinitely. I love this car and I know I won't get bored with it. How do I know? I wasn't a "car" person until I bought my MINI. Until I got Giles, I didn't care what I drove so long as it ran well (previous two cars were a silver Hyundai Sonata and a pea-green Geo Metro!). Now I read car magazines, hang around this web site, hunt toy stores for MINI models, and generally fixate on all things MINI.

I could see myself getting another MINI in the future, perhaps once I pay off Giles, but I want to keep him as long as I can afford him.

 

It depends how long I live...be interesting to see who's still here in 20-30 years when these Minis have become "classics" :smile:

 

I am part curious to see how long it'll run and part too lazy to buy another car. I like my little routines and like to keep things the same. I am boring. But, I'll keep driving the MINI. It is fun.

 

YES. And when the wheels fall off I have another 5 sets of replacement wheels to choose from.

I sold my 1991 Dodge caravan in 2003 with 127,000 miles on it to buy my MINI. I have a 1995 Maxima with 124,000 miles on it now for the kids when they return home from college on breaks.

At autocross one family has four vintage Datsun 240Z cars used for daily driving and autocross. One car is from 1971 and autocrossed yearly since 1977. It's been through 3 engines and 340,000 miles and routinely finishes first in PAX overall.

I hope my MINI can become a heritage family motorsports car. If not, I can tune it for street or track use. The only thing that might cause trouble is if we aren't able to get premium gas in the future like we can now. Not sure if I would pay $8 per gallon.
:impatient

 

Until they pry it from my cold, dead hands!

 

Now historically I have a horrible track record with keeping cars...not all collisions mind you, but falling in love with newer makes/models and such. When I was replacing my 2000 Jetta in 2003, I test drove a MINI and loved it, yet it was out of my price range. Now that I've welcomed my 05' into my home just three months ago, and keeping in mind that I've loved it ever since I saw the first model year...I think this car might be the one that breaks my cycle of newer = better. I also am growing fond of that fact that in a few years, if I keep it...I won't have car payments :smile:

 

Sounds like a lot of women can't settle down with cars like men can

scary that i've owned three different cars, and i've only been driving for 3 years.

 

Yes, it might be sad but true...Let's see, I'm 25 now...so driving for 9 years, and had 6 cars (one totalled, the remainder sold). I'm not afraid of commitment, really.

 

Riiiiiight... ..Because most people have a clear written budget, are diciplined with their spending and saving, and life goes exactly like you planned it would for 5 or 7 years


Cars are highly depriciable assets.....you lose TONS of money by buying a new car....It is a luxury purchase, I am not a millionare. I waited 10 years to buy this car, I will drive this one for that long

 

I've said "I'll keep it forever" every time I've bought a car and spent lots of money on mods thinking I would. Every one of those cars is gone. This time I haven't spent the money on mods, maybe I will keep it forever. But then again, maybe something as cool and affordable as the MINI will come out in a few years.

Right now, most everything as cool and affordable as a MINI has "Ducati" written on the fuel tank.

 

23, driving for 7 years and had 2 cars MINI included , but I'm working on that .

 

For me it'll probably depend on how the next new MINI turns out. If they don't blow it with that one then I might keep my '05 MCS until the second year of the new one (I guess that would be for a '08 MY). Otherwise, I'll hold on as long as the smiles last!

 

I'll keep it. It gets my sons off the hook for buying me a Porsche ("I gave you life, a Porsche is the least you could give me in return"). What would I do with three Porsches anyway? It has rather disappointed my youngest son, who promised me a Porsche when I reach age 60 (because he has already bought a toy Porsche to give me). His clever scam is exposed! But I have my Mini. Why would I want anything else?

 

Sorry ZeroF, but you got the wrong Mini. It can be remedied, though, spend lots on mods.

What does eeryone think the chances are of the BMW Mini becoming a true classic, like the Austin Mini? I know we're all in love now (even the girls with commitment problems ), but will this beauty be eternal?