Hello, I'm looking into the purchase of a Mini S hardtop. Well more like trade... I financed a new car recently but the lack of rear seats has led to buyers regret. With that said I'm entertaining options for something with more seating. I still want a car with an automatic, capable of 30+ mpg highway, and offers more driving pleasure than the Civic I had prior.

At the same time I don't want to jump into higher payments... so I decided to consider the used route, which leads me to a couple questions:

1) If looking at used 07-09 Mini S models is there a better year range to look at? The only option I'd really like is heated seats. I see cars ranging from $14K-$21K with miles in going from 30,000 - 75,000. I'm aware the factory warranty is only 4/50,000. Would a cheaper Mini at 50,000 miles be past any issues still looming on a lower miles car?

2) What long term issues are "predicable" in that I'm sure to have to weather them?

3) Special situation here: If I'm trading a financed car that has a trade in value greater than what I still owe how is the applied with a trade? Car was $21,160 before taxes, Worth at least $19,000 I hope (4000 miles) and I only owe $15,XXX.

4) How does the Mini compare to the Volvo C30 (another car under consideration) and the Fiat 500 (aware we don't have that one yet but I've never even seen a European model aside from photos)



I understand this isn't the best financial decision but looking at things realistically it's going to be difficult to live with only 2 seats for the next 4.5 years. Thanks for reading and assisting me on my money wasting quest

 

The C30 is a cool car but is about as fun to drive as a tricycle, and the fiat should prove to be pretty cool but i feel like there will be a lot of issues in the beginning.
You can find one for what you're looking to spend just be patient and wait until you get what you're looking for.

 

Well keep looking for a MINI thats priced right and equippped the way you want it. Would probably go '08 or later, as '07 was the first year for the R56 Turbo.

Can't see the Volvo as a "fun to drive" car, but probably reliable and very safe.
The Fiat 500, well I remember from years gone by and I would want 3 or 4 years experience before I would take a chance on one. It wasn't as bad as Le' Car or the Yugo(which was a Slavic Fiat), but too close for comfort.

 

The better-year-range/differences-in-model-years question seems to be asked a lot, so you may want to search the forum for answers. Off the top of my head, '08 added auto window up. Some time around there the SPORT mode display changed. Nothing major changed, though.

As for your question at the end, personal opinion, I believe it's better to buy a car still under warranty so that you still have a chance to catch things that you may have missed. It may be as small as a rattle that pops up a few weeks after you buy it... or something worse. I just bought an '07 MCS from an independent dealership and 5 days after, the check engine light came on. A fuel line seal was leaking. Under warranty, no worries.

Also a friendly tip to confirm heated seats from pictures (online shopping): make sure to see a picture of the center console. Where the toggles are for things like window up/down, dome light, etc., the two ends are how the heated seats are controlled. If you see three indicator lights on the buttons, it has heated seats (see picture below). If it's solid (i.e., no lights), it doesn't. And since you mention highway miles, if you want cruise control, you'll need the multi-function steering wheel (the one with buttons). Save you some disappointment if they made a mistake in the listing.



Rattles. Timing chain tensioner issues and high pressure fuel pump issues have been the most common major problems I've seen while searching through the forum. Some people have had their hood scoops melt as well.

If the dealer offers you $19k for the car, and you owe $15k, you get to put $4k towards your purchase. It's the same as if you sold the car on your own for $19k. You'd still have to pay $15k back to the bank, leaving you with $4k. (just an fyi, dealer trade-in is almost always lower than a private sale, but as with anything in a car deal, your trade-in value is negotiable)

 

It's unlikely your trade in is worth $19K, you might be able to get that by retailing it yourself, unless it's a model that's in high demand and short supply. Otherwise, I'll be surprised if they think it's worth much more than your payoff in trade.

What 2 seat new car did you buy for $21K? I can't think of any currently offered - a CRZ maybe?

I agree with the other poster that suggested you look for one with plenty of warranty left, and if not buying it from a MINI dealer, have a pre-purchase inspection done by the MINI dealer.

Your other choice is Justa Cooper vs Turbo. You need to drive them both before you decide, under as varying conditions as you can find - in fact see if they'll let you have it for a weekend before you try to do a deal.

Lastly, if the back seat is important to you, take a look at a Clubman, rear seat access thru the side rear door is significantly better than on a coupe.

Good hunting, and drive lots of cars before you decide so you can make the best decision possible this time.

 

NewB to Mini myself. I would agree to look at an 08 over an 07 model since 07 was the first turbo & was the refresh year. I bought a certified 07 MCS this past June. I fell in love with the car and didn't really do much research. 2 months driving it, I've had to bring it back to the dealer to replace minor exterior trims but the biggest one was the chain tensioner. Other than that I am very happy with this car. So it would be good to have warranty on it.

I didn't even know the 08 had auto up. I was just complaining about it when I got the car. LOL! Ahhh yes, a little research would've done me good!

 

Yes CR-Z is the current car. 2 seats fewer than I can realistically use in hindsight.

Justa Cooper? You mean base Cooper I assume.

As for trying out I'm getting a 2008 C30 for the weekend (used from a Subaru lot) But the local New Country Mini doesn't do extended test drives or even allow you to drive one without a sales agent present.


Thanks for the additional advice. I browse cars.com all the time even for models I'd never even consider owning. I've never been in an 07+ Mini but I feel I'd be capable of hitting most buttons/switches blindfolded!

 

I was in the same situation about a month ago. I opted for 08 MCS. I bought it from Braman Mini here in Palm Beach. After four days of battling it out with the car sharks, we came to a compromise. I did not get as much as I wanted for my trade in. An 03 Harley Davidson Roadking Classic 24K miles. My 08 has Auto AC, Pano Sunroof, Sports suspension, Web Spoke 17s, and 6 speed manual, Hi Fi and probably some other stuff I havent found yet. My final price was $18,754.00 out the door. I only got $7K for my trade. I wanted $8.5. I went with a second generation due to Warranty and I got a better intrest rate because it was newer. 5.5%. After I got over the aggrevation of the whole purchase, I love it and havent looked back once. I have a long list of mods and I am excited to personalize it... Good Luck in your choice. You wont be disappointed with a Turbo Charged Mini, It is the Best Handling Vehicle I have ever driven.

 

The C30 is a smoother ride, but the engine feels pretty anemic to me. It's a really heavy car and while it may look cool on the outside, is extremely inefficient with its space. It feels claustrophobic on the inside to me. Gas mileage also sucks.

The Fiat has been out for years in Europe, so I doubt it'll have any reliability problems. It's only 100HP and really compares more to a MINI One than a Cooper. It's probably more economical and possibly more reliable. It is only about $20k for a fully loaded sport, so that's a definite plus.

As far as major problems with a used MINI go, a used '07-'09 S will have an extended Fuel Pump warranty, so that's one major issue you don't have to worry about. The other major issue may be the timing chain, which may or may not (likely not) have been replaced. Other than that, if you go to the dealer they charge BMW money for third world services provided. If you're out of warranty there's no reason to go to the dealer anyways though... Expect a lot of rattles.

My wife is actually thinking of a Fiat 500 or CR-Z currently. I'm going to "force" her to try out a TDI Golf as well. Oh yeah, did you think of a TDI Golf? They're pretty amazing value for the money actually.

 

Opted out of a TDI on personal tastes. The Jetta is about as exciting as a silver camry with the Golf sitting one yawn above. I guess vanity got the best of me here but I'd prefer to drive a car I'm emotionally attached to, not an appliance with torque.

Didn't know about the extended warranty on the Mini, thanks for the info

Fiat 500 has me interested. I even built the car I like over at the website Fiatusa. Came to under $20,000 for a Sport with Auto+heated seat options group & ambient lighting. I'd have to drive one first as 100 hp in a little hatch sounds like it could be a great handling joy like the Mazda2 but still slow as dirt. Not that my CR-Z isn't a turd in the same way, but electric assist makes the car fun around town.

 

The Golf TDI can be chipped to about 160 WHp keeping the Diesel Particulate Filter undamaged. That combined with the massive torque is pretty fun.

Emotional attachment is great and all, but make sure you REALLY love the MINI when you're getting the repair bills! I think the MINI is also an appliance. Maybe less so than the Fiat, but it really doesn't seem like they're built to last, at least from my impressions!

The car is otherwise pretty much a GTI, but with a round steering wheel, 17's, gray headliner and... the Diesel motor. Well, no Electronic crap diff either. Fully loaded with no sunroof the TDI is about 26k for the 6-speed and the dealer offered me about 3k off that price. Not too bad. Quality is way better than the MINI. My MINI rattles pretty bad. My VW has 0 rattles and more miles...

I'd for sure wait for the Fiat and try it out since you alreay have a car. Think long and hard and don't rush it. Your car isn't going to devalue any more than it already has anytime soon...

By the way, the back seats blow in a MINI hatch... Maybe you want a Clubman? Actually those seat are pretty small too... You sure you want a MINI?