I am super close to buying an 09 clubman JCW. It has 91k and is a 6spd. Here is what I know:

Pretty regular maintenance completed by a BMW/Mini but the oil changes were done at about 15k

Water pump done about 20k ago

Turbo replaced about 10k ago

The car is immaculate I'm just nervous about the higher miles and I've never had a Mini before. (I've had a couple VW's and an Audi)

Also this mini is over 8 hours away. (I did drive a clubman S here locally and really liked it but I want the JCW)

What should I look for when I test drive it etc.

Should I schedule an apt at mini so they can look it over?

Anything else I should know or look for?

Appreciate the help and info!

 

The mileage would be a concern of mine too.

By all means have a MINI dealer look it over.

Unless you are getting this at a super fantastic price - I'd look for one with less miles.

Good Luck!

 

Unless you are getting this at a super fantastic price - I'd look for one with less mini with less miles

Good Luck![/QUOTE]

I'm getting it about 5k below KBB retail. Think that's worth it?

 

Out of curiosity, is it reasonable to expect a turbo to need replacing at 80k? And what generally causes one to go out? Regular wear and tear or driving like a madman at every opportunity? And what's the cost to replace one? Thanks,

Mike

 

I'm surprised the turbo went out that early. They should last longer than that. Oil change intervals that are too long can cause turbo failures as the oil breaks down and doesn't lubricate properly. If the owner was just sticking with the oil change intervals recommend by the onboard computer (~15k miles between oil changes) then that could have been what killed the turbo.

The only thing I would really be worried about would be timing chain stretch and carbon buildup. Other than that any mechanic should be able to look it over and give it a thumbs up/down.

 

Just bought one with 93K miles on it.
I bought it from an independent BMW shop that does a lot of work on M cars and BMW/Mini race cars as well . Also serviced my (Former)Z4m .
Im not afraid of miles on cars. Its all on service history. Ours had , timing chain & tensioners done, HPFP, all new brakes rotors etc, tires And they serviced it since new. So I was lucky to get the full service history since new.
Have the car checked out, thats the big thing. If you can find an independent shp that specializes in BMW/Mini Ive always found them to be more reliable .
15K is a long stretch between oil changes. If your gut has you second guessing , maybe getting a second opinion would be wise.

 

That's MINI recommended interval. Too long in my book, but I'm not an engineer (I just play one on the internets).

Good. You don't have to worry about them.

Then you know what to expect. I've found MINI/BMW reliability and expense to be comparable with VW/AUDI. That the car is "immaculate" is a very good sign.

Often, there's not as much difference as you might expect. Depends on how they are optioned (IMHO).

My MINI dealer wants almost $300 to "look at" a MINI... but they'll do a $70 oil change that includes a lot of future-work-generating inspection. Choose wisely.

Listen for any rattling noise at start-up from the passenger foot well. Turn the A/C off, as the compressor makes a noise at start-up that can be mistaken for a slack timing chain.

Check the brakes, check the clutch, check that it does all the electro-wizardy stuff it's supposed to.

Make sure it has both keys. The little buggers are VERY expensive!

As Jean Calvin said, "Good luck!"

 

This sounds like one I was considering. I only looked at it online and ended up buying a 2010 S with 7K on it. I tend to hold onto cars for a long time (14 yrs on the last) and decided to go the low mileage route.

Was this a Sparkling Silver JCW? Did you end up buying this one?