Considering purchasing a local 2012 roadster s.
One owner car, sold and serviced at a single dealer, and for sale at same dealer.
Auto trans with 89k miles.
Flawless interior, with only a few very minor exterior blemishes.

This would be an occasional driver for pleasure, not a daily car.

Priced about 13k.

Thoughts, opinions, advice?

Is the mileage a deal killer? I am thinking the price is about 1k high?

Thanks!

 

I don't think the mileage is a deal killer for a 2012 model yr, but it also depends what you're intensions are:
It seems you already not going to use it all the time so that a plus. But are you going to do a lot of road trips with it? or mostly drive it around town during the warm season? Is this a long term purchase or do you have pre determined goals for keeping it.
Most modern cars can do high mileage if cared for.

I would also try to find more information about the service history if possible to get a feel for how well serviced it has been. Have the fluids been changed frequently or at all (oil, coolant, brake fluid, transmission fluid? Are there repairs that have been done at all? Have the chocks been changed? Status of brake pads and rotors? etc... You can even request some of these to be done as part of the deal to feel better about it, especially the fluids. If this is a dealer sale it won't cost much to them to do all fluid change since they are equipped and know the procedure, especially for things like transmission fluid replacement which is often not well considered and could help extend the longevity of the transmission. And it will give you a piece of mind moving forward.

Just some thoughts...

 

I have a 2012 manual S with 64k miles. I'm horrified that it might be worth so little, it was $37k new. Luckily I'm planning to keep it as long as possible.

You would have the N18 which is the better engine, so if it's been well maintained I wouldn't expect issues.

 

It's primary use would be an alternate driver during warm months.
It would occasionally see a road trip under 200-300 miles one way.


Not real concerned about it's ending value, or the additional mileage we would add. Just a fun alternative on nice days, meant to be enjoyed, and not polished with a diaper.


Initial plan would be to keep it a few years and enjoy. Usage would determine how long we keep it.


Dealer has done all service since new, and offered to make it available. It was just serviced before being listed for sale, and has good brakes. Even has more than a year left on a service plan for brakes/oil changes.


Interior is excellent, and gives no indication of it's mileage. Exterior has a minor scratch or two, and the usual highway rock ships. Driver door seems to stick a little. Top looks fantastic.


Have seen 2 similar cars sell locally with 40k to 50k miles at just under $12k and just over $12k.


Just wasn't sure about the mileage, and thinking it should be about a grand cheaper, but not thinking the dealer is going to budge that much.

 

You didn't say what the sticker price was (ie how much in options on car). On the F56 forum someone said his 2015 was $28k new, 9k miles, and KBB private party was $17.5k now. That's 2/3 of the new price at about 3 yrs. This car is 5 yrs old, way more miles, and I bet it was about $30k new. That would be 43% of new. My 7 year old MCS was traded in at 25% of new. So that might be a grand too high like you said. And make sure they did the brakes front and rear, it costs $1k for all 4. They probably did both front and rear.

 

I did not see an original window sticker, but dealer says price new was $36k.
Has black leatherette, nav, and a manual top.
Kinda wish it already had heated seats.
It does have a maintenance plan good through July 2018 of 100k miles.

 

I'll probably get negative feedback for this BUT

if you haven't done so yet I recommend you also look at Miata if what you want is a 'true roadster' (2 seater, rag top). Not saying there's anything wrong with the 59 ... but you'll probably find a lot more Miatas to pick from ....

They are very reliable and fun as all get out.

We bought our R-59-S over a Miata in part because the 59 sits a little bit higher and is easier for us old farts to get in and out of. But we owned a Miata for 12 years with NO problems and the kid who bought it 7 years ago is still driving it with minimal issue to date!

******************

what dealer claims as sticker seems high IMO

our 15 Roadster bought new off the lot had a sticker of $32,550, base S was $29,100

leatherette (standard, no charge), base radio, bluetooth and USB were standard
"semi power top" no charge (that's what the S came with in 15 .... manually lock/unlock but power up/down)

cost options: eclipse gray metallic color; cold weather pkg; black wheels; stripes; armrest; piano black interior; color line interior; Sirius + 1 year service;

so question is $ for auto tranny and nav, but minus $750 for cold weather .....

*********

btw, we got the car for more than 30% below the sticker price. That's how much it depreciated sitting on the dealer's lot for 13 months ....

 

No way it was $36k. Base on my JCW Coupe was $30k. I paid $38k with Recaro heated seats. AT, HK, 17" wheels, etc. Base on Roadster MCS about $25k.

 

I'd say that's the big problem with pricing a MINI... there's little readily accessible record of the pricing options especially now the roadster is no longer manufactured.

If you get packages or if you get individual options, it can make a big difference in cost like seating package, weather oriented features, performance oriented features, xenon light, computer options, audio options, etc, etc, etc... It's very hard to gauge what cost what on a used MINI... Way back you could buy a JCW for slightly above 30k and still buy a "Justa" more loaded for more money.

At first I thought 13k seems high for a 89k miles car, but tan again one really must dig in the option details...

As far as the Miata, I agree it is worth a look but I found hard to compare the 2 in my opinion. While they are both affordable roadsters, they are also opposites on everything else (seating position, engine power, Trunk space, interior design options and refinement, handling, leg room and interior room). So I tend to leave it to individual preferences. The old Miata are probably more reliable. The newer ones I'm not so sure...

 

Thanks to everyone for the feedback.
My gut feeling was to pass this car by at the current price.

Had not really considered an MX-5, but a quick search revealed several retractable hard tops that caught my eye.
Thanks again.

 

Just let us know what you get eventually and why. It will make it worth our time

Good luck

 

Drove a 2008 miata retractable hard top tonight. Clean car, 101k miles, priced at $10.5k.
Car was decent, liked the price, but not for me.
Less character, and headroom, than the cooper.
I'm not that big of a guy, or that old, and entry/exit was difficult, and not as comfortable as the cooper. Just two very different cars.
Still wrestling with the roadster decision...

 

yup, that's what I said. "they are both affordable roadsters, they are also opposites on everything else (seating position, engine power, Trunk space, interior design options and refinement, handling, leg room and interior room). So I tend to leave it to individual preferences."

 

Dealer has produced a BMW document that lists all of the cars options, and shows an MSRP of $36,150.00 (for what that's worth.)


7/11/12 in service date.


Same document lists all service and warranty work performed by them.
Other than oil changes, brake fluid changes, wipers, and air filters it shows:


16,153 miles - retrofit engine coolant temperatu... (cut-off)
(I am assuming the thermostat housing that changed from plastic to metal?)


33,664 miles - brake pad wear da... (cut off?) calculated mileage... ?


35,255 miles - key battery, remote control permanent failure.


49,679 miles - vehicle battery permanent failure.


57,439 miles - ft. brake pads - maintenance plan.


66,091 miles - (main) mechanical coolant pump leaking (deductible)




72 month/100k maintenance plan is good through 7/11/18
Looks like they might be firm at $13k.
Threw them an offer at $12k, and we will see....

 

Swing and a miss... Offer rejected.

 

You mean you made then an offer they turned down? . . . if you aren't hail bent on it you can always let them think about it for a bit and see if they'll turn around. Sometime it's just a matter of who's the most patient

 

Correct.
Not really sweating it.
I would probably be better of spending a bit more on a lower mileage car that has everything i want.

 

I would also have passed on that one at so high mileage for a Mini.

As for the Miata, as nice as it looks, the cabin is really tight and the cargo space horrible.

 

Cargo space was what made the Roadster viable for us. The boot/trunk is a really good size. Two full sized suitcases and a few other bits and pieces are no problem, and it's the same top up or down. I would imagine the space it a top down hardtop Miata isn't quite as good.

 

Yep. Reason #1 for not going with a Miata... space in the boot. Mini Roadster has room for 2 to actually take a trip and is way up the ladder in overall performance feel compared to Miata. Rear wheel drive is fun in the MX5, but the Mini just feels more solid on the road and we found it to be more fun to drive with great classic Roadster style.

Shop around and find the Roadster you'll be happiest with. There are a few around, especially if you are willing to travel a bit. Most Roadster S models seem to have had an average new price between around $32k to $37k. Our's was pre-owned a little less than 4 months and that saved us a lot of money over new. Originally priced at $36K, we bought it for a surprisingly "low" $21K for it's age and like new condition. We found it on the last day of October at an extremely motivated Toyota dealership that was less than a block away from the Mini Dealer where it was originally sold.

Definitely seek out a nicely maintained Roadster with lowest miles you can find. Most of us seem be planing on keeping our Roadsters as long as we can and not keeping them as an investment. Very few cars are good investments. Minis are just fun to drive. Try to work out a good warranty if you get it from a Mini dealer. A Mini can be an expensive if major engine repair comes up. If you're handy, you can save quite a bit on routine maintenance. So far, we've had no problems with this car, and I haven't heard much in the way of mechanical problems with Roadsters.

I waited too long when deciding to buy and by the time I did they had already ended production. Have absolutely no regrets after buying this car. At this point, one year and 3 months into very happy ownership and 1 year and 7 months since this Roadster was originally sold, it still only has about 7,575 miles on it, since it hibernates most of Winter. I keep an old car to gift the road salt gods during Winter. Cars take a heck of a beating here in Maine during the snow road salt season.

There are some really low mile examples still kicking around or popping up from time to time on the used car sales sites. Search them out and good luck. Hope you can find a nice one. They all are pretty nice, really. Post what you find here. As you can tell, there's a good sized fan base on this forum for Roadsters, and a good deep knowledge base when it comes to Minis. I'm constantly learning something useful from all the posts that I read through here.

 

Fully loaded Mini Cooper roadster with 22k miles on it for $25k. Is that too expensive? Manual. JCW. I feel like based on what you just said above, it is.

 

Not interested in spending more than $18k for anything. It is going to be a toy after all. Since the wife will be driving it as much or more, it would preferably be an automatic.


I would be OK with the 80k+ mile car at a price closer to $10k. Not the car for me at $13k.


No rush. I'll keep watching for the right one. If not this season, then a whole new crop will be for sale this fall. Gives me just the needed time to get the current project vehicle completed, and solve my garage space issue.

 

Fully loaded JCW Roadsters started life around $40K from what I saw. If it's in great shape, at $25k it's probably close to fair value.

 

Might want to look at a non S Roadsters for a great value. I would have gone for one if the right one had shown up. I demoed a "Justa" Roadster and an "S" back to back at a dealership while we were visiting family in Florida a couple of years ago. I enjoyed both Roadster versions equally. And both were manuals.

The manual transmission on these cars from Mini is about as slick and easy shifting as you can get, and one of the best I've ever encountered. My wife actually enjoys the manual on our Mini. Go demo one and have her give it a try. It even has a hill hold feature that makes launches up a hill about as easy as having an automatic. The autobox is fine too, and more suited for city type driving situations. I live in a rural area, so our Mini does very little city or urban driving. Any manual can get to be a chore in congested city traffic.

 

A lot of 2013 S models are available with decent mileage and priced between $14-18k. Only considered the high mileage '12 model if a deal could be had.