I have always admired the R53 Cooper S and plan on purchasing one here in the next week. I just sold my E36 M3 coupe (which I loved) and am excited to purchase another vehicle from the BMW family. I am looking at an 03 Cooper S with 190k. Yes I know this mileage is high. However it's right in my price range and previous owner says it is completely up to date on service with all work done by dealer, just had new clutch installed as well as new tires, front bushings & ball joints. The miles are mostly highway and it runs/drives excellent. It looks super clean & well cared for and is fully loaded with nav and the dual moonroofs. Seller is asking $5800 which seems correct per KBB. I don't know these cars well enough yet so what kind of issues do they have if any? What should I be looking for and is this a good buy? High miles scare me but I'm a firm believer that the maintenance & proper care outweighs mileage on a car. My 95 M3 has 203k and looks/runs/drives like a champ. I also know of a Cooper S with 350k and doing just fine. So it seems like these engines really last if properly cared for? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks very much!

 

Ask about powersteering issues and supercharger and waterpump. 03 falls within the years that had major powersteering issues look up threads here on NAM. Supercharger and waterpump are wear items and if they have not had issues yet at 190k I would certainly be checking them. I have an 04 JCW MCS and still smile everyday I drive it, I think you will be happy with your purchase.

 

This S sounds like a very well cared for car. The mileage would be too high for me, however, I do understand that if you have a budget, you need to stay within it. So the question is-- if that car was in my budget range, would I buy it rather than be without a mcs? Absolutely, a high mileage, well cared for car beats not having a mini anyday of the week. Go for it.

 

Sounds like a good deal, just know that even seemingly small repairs can be extremely expensive on these cars, so be prepared. If you are willing to pay the sale price, but also have some money saved up for inevitable repairs, I'd say go for it.

 

Thanks guys! My budget is $6-7k which I'm finding lower mile R50s for but if I'm gonna get a Mini I have to have an S. I can definitely budget some repair costs as needed, however I hope not to have too many problems with it. It will be a daily driver and I plan on keeping it so I'm not worried about resale value. Thanks again for the tips!

 

Get a compression test done, and make sure the supercharger has been checked otherwise you want to get that looked at right away. If it has a sunroof make sure the drains are not clogged and the sunroof mechanism slide is healthily greased to avoid jamming. At that mileage the engine mounts are shot unless they have been replaced