Hi All,

This is my first posting of certainly many to come... I recently caught the "MINI bug" when I saw a MCS w/ the factory aero package. In the market for a new car, I began reading up on MINI's and have found nothing but the highest of praise. I began to search around for a great chasis and have come across what appears to be an excellent deal. The link to the vehicle is supplied (though I hope nobody runs out to grab this car before I get the opportunity ) and here are my concerns: First, this car is 2002 (don't know the exact production date yet) which worries me that it may have the querks that some first year production vehicles are plagued with. Second, the price seems too good to be true especially since the dealer has assured me a clean carfax report. If you would be as kind to look over the info given and give me your opinions as MINI owners and enthusiasts, this newcomer would be greatly appreciative. Thanks to everyone for your help.

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail...eadExists=true

 

I don't see a price listed. Did they give you one?

If you haven't done so yet, I would encourage you to look at the 'Mini's for Sale' forum here on NAM. You can find it here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...play.php?f=149

Good luck!
Ed

 

Oh, sorry - that would be helpful huh? The price is 16,500 and the dealer said he had just a bit of flex. I was thinking, assuming everything checks out, that I would offer 16,000 out the door. Thanks for reminding me to include the price.

 

Go for the gusto I have an 02 "S" and have not had problems, I just recently went thru a broken pulley belt last year and the same time my crank pulley broke, the next day fixed the damn electric steering pump failed damn!! anway besides that nothing else major , ensure that the Fan module has been updated to a new One ok or else it will suck your battery dry good luck, plus I have the Koni FSD BUY THEM you wont go wrong on this!!!!!!

 

Let's see....

2002 check...
19,862 miles whaat!?
Price: $16,500 hmmm...

Something must be going on with this car. I bought my 2003 MCS for $19k from carmax.

Get the VIN # head to your local dealership and have them research it. They shouldn't charge you anything to do this. I did it with mine and they had no problem doing it. If you don't feel comfortable with that, use one of the online tools to check up on the history of the car. Something seems rather fishy. You're right, it does seem too good to be true. Just be careful.

 

Indeed. I'm glad you agree and that I'm not the only one who may be thinking this. I am going to take a look at the vehicle Saturday where I'll conduct a more thorough evaluation of the situation. The dealership isn't a BMW dealer so maybe I should have the car taken to one for an inspection. The price of the inspection might be worth the headache of a lemon...

 

It's an OK price for a now-5-year-old car with very low mileage. Remember, though, that low mileage is not necessarily an indicator of "good condition" - because NOT driving a car can be damaging too. Check wear items and have a mechanic inspect it before purchase. Also, don't assume $500 worth of "flex", dealers usually mean like $5.50 when they talk about "a little room". If you dont get what you want, do NOT be bitten by the bug. There are a bunch of minis out there, don't get desperate. Find what YOU want.

Note also: Does this car have the options you want? I noted no sunroof package, but that aero package looks great, esp in that blue.

Here's a pic from the ad:

 

Why not go for a slightly newer one, with warranty intact?
If you really like this one, do your homework and make sure you are not getting a lemon. There are several reasons for a 5 year-old car to have such low mileage: it is a garage queen, only driven on sunny Sundays, or it has had so many problems that the owner is afraid to drive it. Have it checked out.

 

Looking over some of this great input, I realized that it would have been helpful to state I just obtained my undergrad degree so funds aren't ideal. I am trying to keep my payment under or around $300 a month which means I have a price cap of about $18,000 (that monthly payment works out after my downpayment). Low mileage MCS's are tough to come by for that price since they hold their value so darn well (another great reason to buy).

I'll take the recomendations and have it inspected. I'm satisfied with the options of this vehicle and it is the ideal color w/ the aero kit. If it turns out this isn't the one, I'll continue the hunt. Thanks again to everyone's input and I'll keep you all posted on the result.

 

Looks pretty decent. Just running the freebie Carfax showed that it had 4 "hits' on it, two of which are usually just to get it through customs and onto a dealers lot. The other two are probably just new owner registration and a renewal. Not seeing the full report I would have to think that the car is a one owner.
I bought my Mini at a Chevy dealer and got a good deal on it. Not too many people buying Mini's at that dealer so they wre just looking to get rid of it. Could be the same story with this one.
I did look at another Mini with a super clean CarFax but was dissapointed to see that it had probably been hit. New shiny bits under the hood, bumper not bolted on right, and overspray on a piece of plastic. So even though the CarFax was clean, the car had been hit.
One more example. I found an 02 S that was brought in originally to a Dodge dealer in 02. CarFax didn't show it gonig through the standard customs, then Mini dealer. The first hit was in 02 at a Dodge dealer. This dealership is known for having high end exotics like Bentley and Rollers parked out front. This car only had 19k on it. I passed just because it looked odd.
My thoughts, go take a peek, then make a call. Could be a great deal, or it could be a bit of a scam. You never know until you poke your nose aroudn under the hood and underbody. :D

Oop. just noticed that it was an Illinois car. Try this link
http://www.ilsos.gov/regstatus/StatusCheck

Enter the VIN. Gives you a little info. At least you can see if it is a flood or salvage car.

 

Wow, thanks for the info. Ran the VIN through IL DMV database and its clean there. Also, from what I can tell its a one owner car seeing as the last registration was in October of 2002.

 

So I think the price is good, but not so low that its super suspicious. It looks clean from the checks so this is good. 02's are always going to be a bit cheaper as most people try to avoid first model years. Things like looking at the coolant tank would tell you how "involved" the owner was with it. It probably should have been replace don this car. Look for one that is a mustard plastic as opposed to opaque. I think all the new ones were this color (someone else correct me if I am wrong).

One final thing that would be nice to know is its service history. I don't know your dealer, but it doesn't appear to be a traditional one tied to a manufacturer. Thus, they probably bought at auction. If you can find out where it was serviced, then this MINI dealer could pull up all the warranty work that was done on it durring its first 4 years using the VIN. This would give you some clue as to why the mileage is so low. It could have just been a garage queen or one that was very troubled. I would assume the former as most people would not let a car sit for 4 years and not trade it in if it was problematic.

I think you are asking all the right questions, so in the end, go with your gut...

 

P.S. Here is one in my neck of the woods with a similar price...few less options, just to prove its not crazy talk!

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/car/317593651.html

 

My 2005 MCS was a trade-in to the local Jeep dealer. They had it listed for months at full+ retail, then dropped the price 7K to make it a "teaser car". Basically, something to get you to come by, hopefully decide it's too small, not practical, etc, then buy something else. So, you might get lucky...

 

Just another data point...
2 months ago I bought a used '06 MCS with 17" wheels, LSD, and multifunction wheel.

The car was 1.5yrs old, had 8200 mi on it, and was CPO'd (which means its has an extra warrenty ontop of the existing one).

I paid $20K for it from a NJ dealership.
(PO sold due to moving back to England)

HTH, and Good Luck!

 

16.5k is not obsurdly low .....you should place a deposit on this and make it fully refundable contigent upon an independent mechanics full inspection....get that in writing .....any little thing he finds can be a bargaining chip and anything major you can walk away.....and get this car before someone else does

 

Dang Jakay11, nice pickup on your MCS.

 

This 2002 MC was for sale on NAM last month. Not sure if it still for sale, but another option (non-S) for you. A great deal on a nice looking car if it is still for sale. And not too far from you (assuming you are in IL).

Of course, if you really want an MCS, then this won't help...

 

looks good, but i would keep looking, especially on craigslist. a ton of minis in the dc area are always on there going for around 13-14k and are newer. more mileage maybe though.

 

DON'T TRUST A CARFAX REPORT!!!

Yes, the dealer will tell you you're protected by the Carfax guarantee, but the guarantee is absolutely WORTHLESS because of this phrasing in the fine print:

"The CARFAX Buyback Guarantee protects you from unknowingly buying a used car with DMV-reported incidents (salvage, fire, flood damage, odometer problems or lemon history)."

The key phrase is DMV-reported.

I purchased a vehicle that had a full Carfax report & included the guarantee. I was t-boned (other driver's fault) and during the repair, it was discovered that the car had been in a significant accident prior to me owning it...it was previously a leased vehicle...so the insurance adjuster said the person leasing the car must've had somebody repair it without getting their insurance company involved and clearly never reported it to the leasing company.

Good luck!

PS: I agree with everyone else...look elsewhere...a lot of dealerships still have brand-new '06s in stock, plus people are trading in for the '07.

 

Did you call 1-866-275-6464 (ASK MINI) they could give the history and tell you what was originally on the car.


Art