We are going to look at this car today:
http://www.rosenrosen.com/Wisconsin-...-Car/31760664/


She need a reliable, fuel efficient vehicle for work and this seems like a good deal. I know it's been in a rear end collision. Anything I should look out for? Any thoughts? We are going to try and get it for $5500 out the door. Thanks in advance for your help guys!
C

 

did you check any price sites like Kelly Blue Book?


this price looks pretty low for a sale from a dealer if I'm entering it correctly on the KBB site .... which makes me suspect of the "known hit" ......


It MIGHT be a good deal .... but .....


on the other hand there are many that would roll their eyes at and mention of RELIABLE and MINI in the same sentence . . . .


AND some say stay away from a 7 .... but I had a 7 and had few problems (thermostat housing in 2013 ....)


(btw .... grew up in Hillside .... went to Proviso West)


***************
my mantra tho ..... "what is a used car worth?" What YOU are willing to pay for it . . .

 

Mini Brand is one of the LOWEST rated brands by different sources for reliability. Of course, reliability means different things to different people. Many will rate them low for nagging issues that are NOT really reliability issues, but merely annoying things that you need to fix....eventually.

To me, reliability is simply will it get you where you want to go reliably, and not strand you on the road side. I've owned four mini's, and while they are not bastions of trouble-free ownership, they've never stranded me on the side of the road...unlike, say, my BMW M Cars.

However, if cheap, RELIABLE transportation is what you seek, a Toyota or Honda might be a better alternative. If, however, you want to add some far better driving dynamics, then the Mini is worth a look.

 

Mine is the same year and model (base) with 83K miles. It has been quite trouble free and is running great right now. The only “unusual” repair was replacing the thermostat housing at about 50K miles. Since the front of the engine was disassembled anyway I also had the serpentine belt and spark plugs changed (ahead of schedule).

My recommendation is to take it into a reliable mechanic familiar with MINI’s and have it checked thoroughly. Tell him of the past rear end collision. Brake pads and rotors, serpentine belt, shocks / struts, battery, tires and alignment. Test all the electrical items and electronics.

In the pictures I see upgraded cloth sport seats and Bridge Spoke alloy wheels. So it MAY have the ZSP “Sport Package”. (A $1400 option)
- 16” Bridge Spoke Alloy Wheels
- Cloth Sport Seats
- Dynamic Stability Control
- Foglights

 

Thanks for the input. I thought the justa coopers were pretty reliable. She had been looking for a civic but the price for a lower mileage example is kind of high. That's why this one caught our eye. Other comparable MINIs are at about $9500 so I will be going over the car with a fine tooth comb.
Hillside, huh? We'll be driving by on the way to the dealer.

 

Justas are generally more reliable than S models, yes. But it doesn't necessarily mean that you're completely in the clear, you know? I had an '07 MCS and it had quite a few problems all in the span of two or three months whereas the year and a half I'd owned it prior, it was fine. It just depends.

With it being priced so much lower than other cars in the market in your area, I would definitely pick this thing apart and see why it's priced so low. The accident isn't necessarily a deal breaker so long as the repairs were done correctly. You might have to wait and see on that until after you guys test drive it. Like beedeejay said, if you like the way it handles, take it to a local mechanic who knows about MINIs and have them do a once-over too.

 

The 2007 the base model is more reliable than the problematic 2007 S model.

I see there was an accident on the Carfax, may not be a big deal.

The situation with this car is: The Price is Right!

Good luck to you!

PS - It also says: "Picture may not represent actual vehicle." Hmmmmm

 

LEAVE HER NOW!!
the car will be her new LOVE.....
OK..OK...a BIT of kidding there....
For some a mini is right...
But if she just want to add gas and drive, like an appliance, she might be happier with something different.
If she knows how to check her oil, and is willing to spend $$ to get stuff fixed...might be a good choice...
But if she just says "its do cute" she wants one for the wrong reasons...

 

P.S.
IN MY EXPERANCE...
A Honda/Toyota appliance will run 300,000 with regular mataince and few if EVER any repairs.... And even a rebuilt wreck is OK...
A MINI is usually considered "end of life" due to high parts costs at about 180,000 miles....so very different life cycle....a Honda can be fixed same day with cheaper parts...a mini is a 3+ day wait...and fewer places know them well...
Just saying a $7500 mini tranny vs a $1500 Honda tranny swap...
Same for a $2000 mini clutch vs a sub $1000 Honda clutch install....
Mini alternator... $800+...similar denso branded unit in a Honda, about $200...and half the install labor...
Similar difference in water pumps, heads, etc....
Still love my mini....

 

I agree with Zippy. You do need to realize before you buy that if your're going to hire someone else to fix ur MINI, it's going to co$t you.

Also, these are not the type of cars that you can take to ur local Walmart when you need new tires....new tires can be expen$ive, so do inspect the car's tire condition.

I still say that it's a good price at $5,500. Buy it and Happy Motoring!

 

I put my fiancee into a 2010 Mini - and overall, the ownership experience has been good.

However, her car was a CPO vehicle, and has been into the dealer to fix a couple minor issues. The BCM had to be reprogrammed, and the transmission output seals were leaking.

Fuel economy has been great, though, and aside from those issues, ownership has been wonderful. She loves the car.

 

Since "reliable" was the first thing on your list, I would think very hard about getting any MINI. I do love mine, but at just over 3 years of ownership it has had two oil pump solenoid replacements which required two thermostat housing replacements. Thankfully, all done under warranty. (The stock jack also failed to lift the car and scraped up the rocker panel when I tried to change a tire.)

The Justas are generally more reliable than the S models, as they are simpler and have less stuff to go wrong. But they're not perfect. Also, the first year of a model change is usually more trouble-prone on average than later in the run. Those are general tendencies, and there have been late-model Justas that have been nightmares and early S models that have run like tops.

Parts and maintenance on a MINI (or other German car, in my experience) will be more costly than on the appliance-grade Japanese cars, so keep that in mind too.

That all said, they are a hoot and a holler to drive. Especially on the sport suspension with a manual transmission. That's why I love mine! If your GF values the driving experience more than absolute reliability, then the MINI can make for a truly excellent choice!

All of the above is my opinion, of course.

 

Thanks for the info. The car ran well but they didn't accept our offer of $5400 out the door. The interior smelled like cigarette and the key fob didn't work. They came close....they came down to $5700 out the door. The search continues. My girlfriend likes my 06 MCS so much she wants a MINI of her own. She already has a list of mods she wants to do...... I've created a monster!!! ��

 

thanks for the follow-up


most folks leave us hangin'

 

reliable? LOL run for your life. however i havent owned newer models. ive had three r53's and all have been a PITA shouldve learned the first time.

I currently hate and want nothing to do with minis. only reason im on here right now is to post my issues at the moment with my car haha. the other mini owners are great though!!

 

Hey thanks for the update.

 

+1
Only thing you can do is keep looking...
Mini's are rarely sold at a SCREAMING DEAL price unless there us a reason....

 

Love the good times, hate the bad....lol
Might be politically incorrect to say this, but wonder if some mini folks suffer from a car version of battered wives syndrome....we love them too much to leave them...

 

Just wondering are most mini's purchased for or by women? I have to say about 90% of the drivers I see in mini's are women. Did I buy a chick car? Not that I care my other car is a SMART !!

 

Coopers tend to be female...COOPERS S and JCW male....so more like 70% male in my area...
But not exclusively....nothing beats a fast chick!!

 

Haha I'm female and own a JCW. My dream MINI in my area though I see a pretty even split of ownership.

 

Thankfully, my girlfriend would rather walk than drive a Japanese econobox, so a lower-mileage Justa was just the ticket to replacing her S60R, which is getting into the expensive range of mileage. Mini/BMW parts are cake compared to R-specific parts.

Justas are very solid in my (albeit limited) experience. If you can wrench, they are just like any other BMW. I know many have terrible BMW experiences, but I only have terrible VW/Audi experiences.

 

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nch/cto/4747256240.html
This is looking like a winner especially since it has the warranty. We went to see it and it and has new Bridgestones on it. The car is in excellent condition. The price was brought down to $10,200. She is going to sleep on it.

 

Wow thats some departure from the opening post car - I'm sure there's hundreds of cars between those two in price and spec terms, so be careful not to jump on this one as a result of failing on the first.

 

Definitely a plus that it has transferable warranty.