I am hoping that you guys/girls can help me decide whether a MINI is right for me. While on vacation last week, I test drove a MCS, and fell in love. I am looking for a car to keep at my vacation house in Florida. The vehicle will be used for a few weeks/months each year and will be otherwise sitting. I understand that this isnt the optimal setting, but I am looking for a cool, small, reliable car to keep at the vacation home to use when in town. The dealer said that many of their customers use MINIs for this purpose, but I take everything that a dealer says with a grain of salt.

Secondly, is there anything special that I should watch with the vehicle sitting for months at a time, or any precautions that I should take before storing it?

Any other insight is greatly appreciated

 

Cars don't do well sitting dormant for many months at a time. You'll have to worry about seals drying out, engine parts corroding internally, tires flat spotting, fuel gelling, etc. You could buy a used Mini and just ignore these potentialities. (Or, being an MD (apparently), buy a new Mini and just ignore these potentialities. )

Where do you live?

 

Medic,

Ironically, my wife and I were discussing the very same thing during our trip to our Orlando home last week. We have an '03 JustaCooper that is aging gracefully, and I was considering taking it down to Florida, and buying a new '10 for here in Calgary. My only qualms are that Florida is quite a drive from here, and the MINIs, both new and used are so much cheaper there!

I'd be concerned about critters, bugs, roaches, salamanders or other creatures so common in Florida creeping up and into the car causing issues (nesting etc). Additionally, the humidity so prevalent in garages there might end up resulting in mold/mildew issues if the vehicle isn't driven frequently enough.

Just my 2c

Asif

 

You could try a car capsule to prevent things from getting into your Mini
link: http://www.carcapsule.com/

 

If you are talking about going down to FL once a year for two weeks, I would say nope. Now if you go down 3 or 4 times a year and stay for at least 3 days at a time I would be tempted. There is a good chance your battery wouldn't go flat and the gas would probably not gel up. You still have to deal with the bugs and mildew ugh!

 

If the car won't be sitting for more than 3 months or so, than I would say no problem. We have cars and scooters at a FL condo that sit sometimes up to 4 months and we don't have issues. We do keep a battery minder on the car. I don't think that a MINI would be any different from any other car in this respect.

 

I would suggest using fuel stabilizer, putting it on jacks to avoid flats spots on the tires, a battery tender or trickle charger and a car cover. shouldn't be any problem. If you have somebody who minds the property while you are away you could request they start the car every few weeks to keep it oiled up.

 

You won't have any problem at all -- I've seen one being used this way in my area. At the worst, you may find that your battery will not have the same longevity as one being used daily, but my neighbor simply bought his a battery tender (as used for motorcycle storage through the winter). I presume that it will be stored in a garage so the obvious issues with metal corrosion should be minimal. YOu may also find a "good neighbor" who would keep an eye on things and perhaps even drive the little car around the block every couple of months.

I really think that the Mini is a perfect choice for what you describe. Don't worry about it for a second.

 

Word of caution about the MCS. If you store it at your vacation home, you will be trying to visit at every opportunity. You might even start making many more weekend trips to your vacation home. I wouldn't be surprised if place it on a train and take it to your year-round home.

 

Youll be fine. All youll need is a battery tender, and maybe a cover to keep the dust off. I didnt catch if it was being garaged, but if so even more reason to do it, as you wont have to really worry about anything else.

 

+1 on both the cover and the battery tender -- I found a very good MINI cover for $150 at AutoAnything, and BatteryTenderJunior is $20 at BatteriesPlus; I store BASIL for the winter and am happy with mine.

 

...and a final word of caution. You might as well buy two Minis, one for Florida and one for home. You'll find yourself missing it.

 

This isn't good for the suspension. Either put cheap tires on it during storage or over-inflate the ones already on the car.

However, the best advice imo, outside of driving it back and forth to Florida yourself, is to have someone drive it around town one day every month. You won't even have to pay them or remind them!

 

If the car is garaged...
Here are the MUSTS for Florida.

FOR THE BATTERY
#1 Battery Tender

FOR THE PAINT
#2 Cover

FOR THE RUST AND CORROSION
#3 Dehumidifier that runs CONSTANTLY in the garage and the water is drained outside of the garage.
#4 Portable Air Conditioner for the Garage, available at Lowes/Home Depot for about $500

If the car is NOT Garaged
Cover and install a battery cutoff switch while you are gone.

 

I live in Orlando and my mini is stored 3 to 4 months at a time,I prep the car with a good wax job attach a trickle charger and keep a carcover on it.

always use a gas treatment before storage and change the oil before using the car after storage .

 

A few weeks to months is a broad time span. For a few weeks, I'd really just go down and rent a car, any car. For a few months maybe the answer is different.

You also said the word reliable. That might not indicate a mini. Particularly the MCS, the MC genuinely getting higher marks than the MCS. You don't want to deal with car problems for the limited amount of time at a vacation home.

I say go down rent a car and don't worry about having to deal with potential car problems and upkeep. You are on vacation!! If something happens to the car call the rental company up and say bring another one.

If you want a MCS, get one, but it would be at my primary residence not the every now and then one!!!

 

I would not buy a new MCS and leave it at the vacation home in FL. It seems to be a waste of a good car. The rental idea is a good one depending on the cost. Another idea is a cheap used car. There is also the question and frustration of buying insurance and paying for vehicle licensing on a car that sits most of the time.

 

I'd just rent a car every year for two weeks. Even a premium rental will cost less than $1000 for two weeks. multiply that by 30 years and you have the cost of a mini, except without maintenance or any of the hassles associated with leaving a car sitting in tropical climate for 50weeks a year.
Plus you get the convenience of picking up and dropping off the car at the airport.