I have been looking into buying a used MCS. I have always wanted once since I saw the 03 for the first time. I am only 19 and it would be the first car I've bought.
I have found a few that I could afford, through financing, for around 12-13k, but I didn't take into account the cost of insurance (especially since I am 19) or the cost of maintenance. I have done a little research and a lot of people say they have several problems, mainly with the transmission. Is that a problem for a lot of MCSs? And my main question is does it seem like it could be a reasonable car for a 19 year old to afford and be able to maintain? or am I just being unreasonable?
Any input or tips would be much appreciated.

 

Sure. Just have the car checked out by a competent mechanic. May cost a few bucks but at least you start out with something no problem prone. I like the 6 speed, so you may have to go a little newer, but with decent credit, I got 2.9%
on a 2007 recently. I would avoid those earlier CVT automatic transmissions.

 

The main transmission issues seem to be w. the CVT on 1st gen MC's (1st gen MCSa's use the near bullet-proof Aisin tranny), but there are many who have had fine luck with the CVT anyway.

I'm not aware of any major issues for manual shifters of either generation.

 

Just like any used car, an MCS can be treasure or trash. Take time to learn more about the MCS (right here on the forum) as well your local MINI club if you have one. Your question is already a start in the right direction!

I agree with the other post about avoiding the early CVT automatic. Do you really want a MCS with a silly CVT when you could have a getrag 6 speed? There's no comparison for me --but that's me.

Try to buy an MCS directly from the owner if you can. Find an MCS owner who used their car recreationally, meaning they didn't drive it everyday, but maintained it properly. I know a person who only drives their MCS on weekends! A high mileage car is not a bargain. Keep in mind that even with a well maintained MCS, you will need to replace the supercharger somewhere after 100K miles. This is not cheap --It will cost you $2K with install. The SC alone is $1,500.

Also, try to find a stock MCS so you can have all the fun puttng mods on it. There are a lot of decent early MCS's on the market, but you will have to look hard to find the best one --kind of like finding a girlfriend that you would want to take home

 

Check out the insurance cost with your agent. One thing you have to be aware of is that insurance will likely add anywhere from $75 to $150 per month to the cost of the car and could be more given your age and location.

The tough part would be financing unless you're paying for it outright or going through a credit union. Most banks won't finance a used car that is over 5~6 years old so you may need to look for something on the newer side as IMAMINI said.

I'm not sure what you location is, but if you're in the NJ area, you might want to check these guys out http://www.lomedicoexoticmotor.com/. They aren't far from where I live and they specialize in locating older, low milage european cars. Minis are always popular with them and they'll finance anything on their lot and give you something like a 1 yr warranty. They can locate a car for you, but the cost involved might not be worth it.

Hope it works out.

 

There are plenty of young MINI owners so you can join the group, find a good clean car that is mechanically straight and you will save your self some money down the road, most MINIs seem to be in good cosmetic condition so that should be less of a problem. Get any candidate checked out by a knowledgeable MINI technician.