As some of you know, I'm on the hunt for a late model MCS with as much warranty as possible left. Today I took a look at an 09 MCS with 4200 miles on her, with an in service date of 1-28-09. The car is absolutely mint EXCEPT for the picture attached. The black marks are scratches. On the bonnet as well as the bumper. Some I can feel with my fingernail, some will buff out. The only option on the car is the MFSW.

I'm looking for a sanity check as I really like the car. It's damn near a new one and I will be out the door for under 20K including 7% tax, tag, title, etc... How much under 20K is still under negotiation.

If I pull the trigger I will be fixing the scratches right away. Is Pepper White an easy color for a body shop to blend? Is it possible just to prep, paint and blend the scratches only or will the whole bonnet and bumper need to be resprayed?

OR.... Should I just keep looking... This one was easy cause it's in my hometown...

 

Are you buying this car from a MINI Dealer and is the car a demo (will be sold to you as new and has never been titled)? The reason I am asking is if it's a reputable dealer, they should fix the scratches for you. I had the same issues on my Clubman, when I inspected the vehicle after purchasing. As part of the "we owe," the dealer had the scratch on my roof repainted.

 

No, this is a trade in at a Nissan dealer. The guy traded a Mini in on a Maxima for family reasons...

 

Yeah, every dealer I've ever dealt with has offered to fix all the scratches before the sale. If they do it it sounds like a good deal.

 

Got it. Hmm.....I would check the MINI dealers in your area to see if they have any 09's left on their lot that were demo cars. You can also check by going to the dealer's website and looking at the manager's specials. My last advice is if you see a 2010 on the lot at your local MINI dealer, they should discount. I had two dealers battle it out for my business and ended up getting 1200 off MSRP last February. The only reason this was possible was because the car was on the lot. If you order they usually will not discount off MSRP at all or at most 500 off.