Hello fellow MINI owners, need a little advice from you guys and gals please.

I am considering a 2005 MINI S R52 with 165K. The milage on this car really scares me but the car is very clean and in good condition. The CarFax is clean on it, it was a 1 owner car for 95% of it's time, then the second owner had it for 4 months before trading it. Original owner on CarFax shows regular service being preformed at local BMW/MINI dealer. No service records on CarFax for the second owner, only negative on CarFax at all was a failed emission inspection, but passed the next day.

The dealer is asking $9100.

This will be our family's 3rd car for weekend fun, will not be our primary means of transportation. In 2007 I owned a R56 S before trading it when our family grew, again, so I have some MINI experience, though that car was brand new when I took delivery.

Can anyone give me some advice on this purchase? The price seems right based on KBB and NADA. I am a cash buyer so I believe I can get the dealer off the asking price a little bit.

The high milage is my primary concern... seems like a LOT of miles for a 2005 year model, what do I need to be on the look out for? I am not a car guy so I won't be able to do the maintenance myself, rather I will use a local dealer or shop for my work and maintenance. I don't want to spend more than 10K on this purchase as I don't want to finance a 3rd weekender/around town car. The wife says we must have the drop top and my only requirement is manual transmission.

Help?!? Please! Thanks in advance.

 

Thats a lot of miles. Price is not bad since it is a 2006. But if I were you I would continue shopping looking for one with lower miles. IF you want that one, get the longest extended warraty you can afford. It will PAY for itself. Trust me it will.

 

So many miles.....
Be sure you budget for several thousand dollars for suspension parts, and other items than might not normally fail....
Imo, it will be cheaper to get a lower mile car for just a bit more....
With so many miles anything can/will fail.....
if you are an avid diy'r, you can save a few buck with your own labour, but if you pay your repairs...that car might be a money pit...

 

That's a lot of mileage...I just traded in my '05 cabrio with 129k because it needed some fixing and since I can't fix cars I decided it wasn't worth it. Just so you have an idea of repairs here is what I needed done...
Tie rods
A/C
passenger seat airbag sensor mat
radiator fan (no low speed)...


It might have failed emissions because of the O2 sensors. My former car had a recall on them and they needed to be replaced twice.

I would consider what one of the above guys said maybe look for one with lower miles if your not car handy and definitely get an extended warranty.

 

Take it to a MINI dealer before you buy. They will do a nose to tail inspection and tell you everything that could be a problem. Might cost a hour labor charge, but it will give you piece of mind if you're serious of buying.
THEY ARE LABOR INTENSIVE CARS! Don't let anyone tell you different. If you're in doubt, read some articles in this forum. You can't just drive it an forget it like a old pickup or sedan. But they are very fun toys!