Hey all,

About a year ago I got bit by the mini bug. I came very close to purchasing a used clubman but family issues held me back. I'm finally back in a place where I am ready to make a purchase and have decided the countryman fits my lifestyle better than the clubman.

Sadly, as a college student I cannot justify the expense of buying new, especially when college is sucking $15k+ out of my wallet every year.

I want to spend no more than $25k.

I have found a VERY clean 2011 clubman S asking price of $19,900. The car is about four hours away from me so going to check it out would be doable on a weekend. My main concern is the mileage of 54k. From reading on here people seem to start having problem when they hit about 50k miles. My question is, is it worth taking a chance? The mini dealer is also about 4 hours away from home so going to the dealer is going to be a two or three trip a year sort of thing.

The car is Oxford green and has all of the options except for navigation and comfort access. Beige leather interior in good condition.

According to carfax, oil changes aprox every 8k miles have been done at a dealer. Carfax also lists the car as a corporate car used in SoCal.

I would purchase an extended warranty for peace of mind but the car is at a non-mini dealer so I'm not sure the warranty would cover work done at a mini dealer.

Long story short, what do you all think? Is it a safe buy, or should I wait it out and hope for something with lower mileage. I have not been able to find a mini as clean as this one in my price range and within a reasonable distance. I live in Oregon so no sales tax! (:

Thank you for your advice everyone!!

 

If you are going to need the services of a dealer, then a 4 hour trip IMO is nuts.
Relying on Carfax is IMO nuts.

My son is in college here in OR as well. If he told me he was going to spend $25K on a car while still in school, I'd tell him he was nuts. I'd tell him to wait until he graduates and has a good job. But I'm telling him that not you.

Think about a more practical reliable ride for now. JMO

 

I guess I should have put a little more background information on my OP. I am a college student, however i choose to live at home because my commute to college is only 25 minutes and my parents allow me to live rent free until graduation.

While maintaining my grades I also work a full time job as an LPN at a skilled nursing home. I make enough to pay for college and save for my next big step, medical school.

Anyway, I am prepared to make at least a 50% down payment and plan to finance for 36 months so that the car will be payed for the year of undergrad graduation.

I don't want to spend over 25k as a choice and trying to be frugal. Do you think that I can get into a reasonably decent MINI that will give me relatively little issues for the next five or so years on this budget? Or should I continue to save and purchase new in another two years or so.

 

I think you would probably be overpaying by a bit. I picked up my 2013 Clubman S with plenty of upgrades in January with 13,000 miles (never registered demo) for $20,600. I would reconsider paying more like $15,000. I am not sure what prices in your area are like, but it might be worth buying one in Florida and driving back to Oregon.

 

Honestly, you are taking your chances. Id look at a Subaru Crosstrek, you can get one BRAND NEW for $25k! And it wont break down ever. Or look at the new JEEP renegade or FIAT 500X! AGAIN ALL 4WHEEL DRIVE AND BRAND NEW!!!! be smart, there are other great cars out there for that money.

Lets put it this way, Ive owned 4 MINIs and i make WAAAY more than you do, and I live 10 minutes from a MINI dealer and id never buy a 2011 with those miles for that price...

 

Yeah 19,900 does seem kinda high for a Mini with 54k miles already on it. I know I picked my 08 MCS hardtop with 34k miles on it for 18k about 2.5 years ago. Do you need the extra room that the clubman or countryman offers? Why not a 04 or 06 R53? Prolly pick one of those up pretty cheap... keep a good chunk still in your savings for a rainy day and it has much more potential than the clubman or hardtop. You mentioned having to go to the dealer a few times a year for service and such.... why not call around your hometown to see if any independent shops work on Minis? Cause the only "thing" you really need the dealer for is if your timing guide/chain etc needs replaced or a repair requires a specialized Mini/BMW tool.

Another thing is ok the car is 19,900 but then adding a extended warranty onto the loan is at least another 2500 bucks for a plan that covers everything. I guess what I'm saying is personally no I would not get the car right now. If you need the room the clubman or countryman would provide then get something else. But if you just want a Mini then maybe consider a 04 or 06 R53.

 

Unless you have some good mechanical abilities and deep pockets, i'd give that car a pass.

 

Is this for a Countryman or a Clubman? I think the first post says Clubman.

Anyway, I was shopping for used Countrymans for about three months in the Dallas area, and there were a TON of them available. You name it, private party (craigslist, autotrader, ebay), Carmax, Mini dealer CPO, off-lease wholesalers, big dealerships, and small boutique dealers.

I reviewed probably 25 cars that met my criteria (S, FWD, manual, HK audio, one of a few preferred colors, black wheels, black interior), I inspected ~15 in person, drove ~10 of those, and finally bought one from a private party a couple months ago. I got a 2011 Countryman S manual, nicely optioned (HK audio, auto-climate control, sunroof, flat floor, black bits inside, etc.), with 19,500 miles for under $20,000. I felt that the over-supply of these cars in my area drove the price down, making it a buyers market. The car really is like new.

I wouldn't trust CarFax or AutoCheck, they're worthless. Have the car thoroughlt checked out by an indy who works on Minis (or BMWs in a pinch).

I've already put non-RFs on the car, changed out some dash parts for 2013 parts (black instead of grey, larger cup holders), and am about to install lowering springs and control arms. I absolutely love driving the car, it's 10x more fun than my boring Volvos and Toyotas of the past.

Subies are good reliable cars, but I don't think they have the style of Minis, or are as much fun. Foresters have been on my radar for the past 10 years, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

Based on reading this forum, I do expect to have some issues with the car, but I'll probably sell it around 40-50k miles, so maybe not. Even if I do have issues, I feel like I'm way ahead on this deal financially (buying a like-new car used for <$20k), so if I have to put some money into it, I'm ok with that since I bought it pre-depreciated.

I live and work 15 mins from a Mini dealership (Sewell). The car is under warranty for three more months. I have two really good Indy mechanics who work on Minis that I trust (Southwest Auto and Hance Auto). They wrenched on my Volvos for 10+ years.

So, you live far away from Mini dealers, and the price seems higher than in my area. I highly recommend the style and driveability of the Mini, but you do have a tough decision.

 

Thanks everyone for the input. I've decided to pass on this one.

Thanks to Dwooderson for pointing out my mistake in the original post. I am looking at the COUNTRYMAN, not a clubman, whoops.

I've shifted my search to finding a newer used CM. I've found a 2012 S all4 with 25k miles on it and a balance of 20 months and 25k mls on the original manufacturers warranty.

Whatever I end up with i thank everyone on this forum for the input, I love poking around and reading everyone's posts (: