MINI Most liked posts in thread: Need advice on buying a used car

Good luck, MINI and cheap do not go well together. If you buy cheap you are going to get high maintenance bills, so buy reasonable and make sure the MINI is good mechanically. A 2014 Countryman all4 with middling mileage should be OK, just check the service and the intervals on the service performed. I think the mileage on this 14 in your link is high, but if service was performed and a MINI dealer can check maintenace issues for you you might be good.

I would think price could be a bit lower with that mileage. My 2011 with 77K will only bring about 8K on a trade if I push hard at a dealer.

Don

Welcome to M/A

 

When I first bought the R50, no one ever told me about the faulty transmission until after I had run it hard on the track and at the Dragon. After all, a Mini/MINI is supposed to be driven relatively hard, or so I had thought Then, and only then, was I told how frail it was, so I stopped tracking the car and only drove it to British Car Shows and around until the CVT went out. Since replacing the CVT, the car has been to the Dragon twice [the first 2 years after the CVT was replaced because I was given a 2-year warranty and the installer advised me to "drive it like I stole it"...hence the Dragon trips], but has been driven locally and to the British Car Shows [where it wins a lot because of its color inside and out ] ever since...Silk Green, Emerald side interior panels, white roof and mirrors, Welsh flag on the sunroof, and green and black leather seats. I love that car, though. It is very nimble, corners like it is on rails, gets good mileage for local driving [31.3 mpg] and on trips, gets around 36 mpg.

 

Do not buy a Used MINI unless you like doing lots of maintenance.

 

I have 3 MINIs. My '06 R53 was bought new, off the dealer's lot. My '03 R50 was bought used, in 2004 off the dealer's used car lot. The last car I bought is another 2006 R53...also used, in 2012, off a non-MINI dealer's used car lot. I have had no real problems with the cars, other than the "injuries" I have inflicted on them during the time I have owned them and ALL 3 remain in my possession [even though only 2 can fit into my garage].

If you are planning to buy a used MINI, check it over before buying it. In my case, a really knowledgeable MINI friend accompanied me to check out the last MINI I bought. In 2012, it had only 26k miles, and yesterday, it had just under 96k miles.

Used or new, Generation 1 MINIs are a great deal...IF you do your investigation "homework" before buying.

 

I'm not here to knock MINI's. I like them very much & we have one in our garage.

There is nothing more expensive than a cheap used MINI. If it has a CVT transmission RUN away.

You must make sure it has a good history. Skipped services & long oil change intervals really are bad for these cars.

Good luck on your search.

Welcome to M/A.

 

You've received a wealth of great information from some very knowledgeable folks, so I'll tell you what an old timer told me a whole bunch years ago when buying used and what to look for .... condition, condition, condition.

 

The 2003 R50 CVT I bought in 2004 from the MINI dealer's used car lot had 2500 miles on it and was still under warranty. It was the first Mini of any kind that I had bought since my high school days in the early 1960s when I owned a 1959 Morris Mini Minor and sold during my junior year in college in 1966. With regard to the R50, I ran the piss out of it at 2 Phil Wicks driving schools and the Tail of the Dragon [4 times] before the CVT died at around 62k miles. My R50 is a rare color, inside and out, and I usually show it. So, faced with either getting a new CVT transmission or selling the car, I chose to buy a new transmission and bite the cost bullet. The car now has 86k miles and runs perfectly, now that it is no longer tracked or Dragon-slaying. I get it serviced at Best Auto Werks in Columbus, OH, and its tranny fluid will be changed at the 92k mark.

My point is that fluids and their replacements need to be changed when doing so is warranted. I'm pretty sure my R50 will last to the end of my driving days, as long as I stick to regular fluid changes and drive the car reasonably quick.

 

Welcome to Motoring Alliance.

 

Welcome to MA! Glad you are asking before buying. I never suggest buying a used MINI, unless full history from owner can be found. MINIs from a used car dealers normally are just auction cars with little idea of how customer maintained them, please be careful. Used MINIs become used for a reason. Continue to do lots of research and find an awesome MINI and have fun!