Hello!

I am new to both car forums, and mini coopers. I am looking to buy a 2003 or 2004 used (but of course in good condition, less that 35K miles, etc) mini cooper. I rented a mini in Spain two summers ago and absolutely fell in love. But, I don't know anyone here in the US who owns one, and therefore don't know what to look out for in terms of red flags when buying a used Mini. Does anyone have any advice? Are there problems with the 03 that were fixed with the 04? What have your experiences been with Mini owning? And does anyone in the Los Angeles area have a Mini for sale?

Let me know! Thank you soooo much for reading and responding!

 

Good timing - my car's for sale on the site, and I'm throwing in a set of wheels for free. Here's a link... https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=58743

According to Cars.com it's the cheapest clean title car in all of Southern California and then some. The only reason it's that low is because I want a quick sell.

I won't try to sell you on the 03 over the 04 because I'm biased, but there weren't any changes between 03 and 04 that I can remember. Maybe I'm wrong, I'll let some one correct me if I'm lying.

If you want to read about MINI owning read a thread I just posted, falling in love again - they're really unbelievable cars. The roads in SoCal are really good so the ride is not as bad as many would have you believe. However, MINI fever may infect your right foot, and that can hurt fuel economy - it's a small price to pay for the amount of fun you'll have behind the wheel!

 

I used to own a '04 MCS. Very solid car, never had a problem with it. I kept it for $17K miles and sold it privately about a year ago for $22K. The car was pristine and still had 3 years left on the warranty.

IMHO, MINI made tremendous quality improvements in the 2004 model year and introduced a few improvements over the prior 2002-2003 MINIs:

1) Digital speed readout in Tachometer (With or without trip computer option)
2) The return of the rear 12V boot mounted powerpoint. The rear 12V connection had been absent from production during the 2003 model year.

If you are going to get an used 2003 MINI, I suggest you try to get a car that was produced after June 2003. For the build date, just locate the manufacturer's placard or sticker located inside the driver's side door jamb.

But my recommendation, is to get a 2004 model year and newer. 2004 MINIs were built from September 2003 until June 2004.

Also I highly suggest you comparing the cost of new MINIs vs Used ones. The resale value of these cars is ASTRONOMICAL, specially in California. Maybe for a couple of thousand more (or even less) you could order a brand new '06 MINI from the factory. Used MINIs sometimes are as expensive or more expensive than new ones, so don't discard the possibility of going the "new" route instead, which gives you a brand new car with FULL factory warranty and custom built to your liking and budget.

What model and trim options do you have in mind?

 

I would suggest against any thing used older than a 2005. The 2005 and my 2006 arer much more refined than the early versions. Better Gearbox.

 

Yes the 2005 and 2006 MINIs are much better and refined overall than the '02-'04 models. This is why I insist on you comparing the prices of used ones vs new ones because these cars retain their value extremely well. You may actually come ahead buying and ordering a new MINI vs getting an used one.

 

And of course I advise that you just go ahead and look for a reasonably priced slightly used MINI. It worked for me and the factory warranty is still good! I have a thing against paying full retail for almost anything (and I like "free" options!)



...besides...I couldn't wait!


YMMV!

 

...if you are going to be buying a used car, find out where it was last year, specifically during hurricane season...some salvagers have no scruples and I am told that my MINI, that got totally submerged (as in up over the roof ) may wind up on the market again after cosmetic and minimal mechanical repairs ...salt water damage is nasty business...and here in Key West, there were about a dozen MINIs that got swamped or damaged. So, fair warning: do your homework before you buy. Some of the cars damaged by Katrina have showed up here in Florida, hard lesson to learn.

 

Im going to second looking into a new car- the prices of used cars are still VERY high... You might actually get more this way

 

Good advice here by Flora Blue.

Check www.carfax.com to check the history of any used car you are interested in. However, Carfax can't catch every single savaged car that has been put back into the used car market, so be careful. If you are going the used route, have the car inspected with a fine tooth comb. Once you get into a turkey, you'll be royally screwed.

 

wat at you talking about? as i mentioned to DiD on his supriority complex
thread, mine is still better.

 

Master Kenchan, I think we have witnessed the discovery of yet another "superiority Complex":

"My ultra refined 2005-2006 MINI is better than your older and less refined '02-'04"

Yay!

 

If you choose to look at a used MINI, of course do the carfax, and of course pay a mechanic familiar with BMWs/MINIs to take a knowledgeable look see, but do the math yourself and see if what you are buying is actually a good deal. I still peek at ebay and autotrader and consider probably 70% of the vehicles on there vastly overpriced. Condition is very important on a MINI, and the presence of speed mods might actually REDUCE the value of a used car. I went for a 34k mile, two year old car that probably spent a lot of it's life on the highway. I stumbled onto a car that I could not afford new, and before it happened I was on my way to accepting a Cooper (not half bad by far!), so I'm pretty pleased with the way that things turned out. If you buy a new one sensibly you can save a lot of money by not going crazy with the options. If it's very important to you to buy new, then go ahead. The new car depreciation hit is minimized with MINI and that's a great thing for everyone...

 

oh wow, I live in Sherman Oaks and im looking to sell my Mini for a convertible. I have a 2003, 5sp with just hitting 18k miles. I also still have factory warranty still. All Maitinance has been done on this car. 0 scratches on her if your interested for more details, do let me know

 

I have to make a minor correction. When you buy used, you get the REMAINDER of the factory warranty. When you Order, you get The FULL factory warranty.

 

As it turns out...I think I may just not be able to afford my dream car just yet. It pains me to admit it. But I don't really see how I can get a loan aproved. :(

 

Credit problems?