Buying a mini, are they worth the risk?

[Doink]

Hi guys and girls, long time lurker first time poster.

Need a new car for the girlfriend as her 53 plate street ka is eating front tyres like a pair every 2 months, its gotta go. Cut a long story short she's decided on a mini, budget is about £5500 and looking in the usual places comes back with plenty of choice. My question is what do we need to look out for, what questions to ask as there seems to be loads of niggles up to some real serious issues, i didn't even know about R53 and R56 models, thought a mini was a mini.

I guess from our budget we're looking at an R53, right/wrong? What do we need to look out for?

Any help i will really appreciate

Thanks in advance

[MX-5 Lazza]

I can't give any help on buying advice (though I do own an 03 Cooper which I guess is an R50 and my Mrs has an 08 Cooper S Convertible - which I think is an R53 or maybe R56???) but with regards the Ka - it really shouldn't be eating tyres like that. Have you had the alignment checked? I don't mean cheap "tracking" like you get on the forecourt of some tyre dealers but a proper 4-wheel laser alignment.

[Doink]

It passed MOT and within 2 months of that the tyres were down to the cords on the inside, new pair lasted 2 months as well, just put a third pair on and its gonna get PX'd, its been tracked and lasered and nothing is showing up yet looking at the wear you'd say the tracking was at least 20mm out. I know there is a steering rack problem with ka's but even so.....arghhh!

[scotty_d]

We bought our 53 plate cooper s 1 previous owner and 21k on the clock from a dealer for £5700 It's be ok so far over the last 7000 miles it has needed tyres 3 of them needs brake pipes and the rear exhaust needs changing out soon as it is rotten. A car of that age it is just wear and tear but it has been great in every other way.

[Herbert Austin]

This may help clear the R codes up for you:

R50 - 1st Generation Group Code (One, One Seven, One D, Cooper and Cooper Park Lane)
R52 - 1st Generation Group Code (One Convertible, Cooper Convertible and Cooper S Convertible)
R53 - 1st Generation Group Code (Cooper S, Cooper S Checkmate and Cooper S John Cooper Works GP Kit)
R55 - 2nd Generation Clubman Group Code (all models)
R56 - 2nd Generation Hatchback Group Code (all models)
R57 - 2nd Generation Convertible Group Code (all models)
R60 - 2nd Generation Countryman Group Code (all models)

[Herbert Austin]

Probably worth your while going to one of the MINI specialist forums (for advice and also enthusiast owned MINIs for sale)

I've run an R53 as a daily driver for 5 years now.
They are great fun, road tax for the R53 is similar to the cost of the StreetKa (my Wife has one)
Expect around 30 mpg

It seems to currently be a buyers market for the R53, so plently to choose from.
If you or your girlfriend have any plans to modify then you would get a better deal buying one already done.
A smaller pulley on the supercharger is worthwhile, also bin the run-flat tyres.

[Brite spark]

R50 be wary of them due to midland gearbox.

R53 getrag 6 speed gearbox so that's not a problem, but obviously this is the supercharged version so fuel consumption needs to be considered

R56 covers normal and s variant bottom end of the market on your budget! Even then I think you would be lucky to get one.

Total mini or miinitorque have a lot more info mini2 pretty much died a while ago but the information is still there.

Personally I would avoid a sunroof, they are known to fail and aren't cheap to fix.

Edited by Brite spark on Sunday 15th January 07:16

[Doink]

Thanks for the info Herb and brite spark too.

If its ok with you guys i thought i'd show you the 2 she wants to go and look at and for your informed opinion and what to look out for, i also guess these are R53's?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

And

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2011...

[MX-5 Lazza]

Thanks Herb, that helps but when did the 2nd Gen come out? I know it's different for hard & soft-top...

[Brite spark]

Black one showing signs of wear on the drivers seat bolster.

Yes both are r53 pre facelift.

You really need to look at the differences pre and post face lift are and see what you prefer, also have different gear ratios.


Both lack any toys and are overpriced for what they are, personally I would aim for mfsw and cruise. Base spec cooper s were about £14,600 brand new 9 years ago to put it into perspective. Stickers and fogs won't of massively increased the cost over that price either?
(£21,000 top spec)

There's a glut of unsold minis about at the moment, many are overpriced IMHO, people are still holding on for the kind of residuals that the mini had when it first came out, both dealers and private.
Although some reality is kicking in and prices are dropping, seen many on the forums drop 1-2k before they sell


Personally I wouldn't pay more than £4500 for either of those and would really be looking at £4,250 to be happy, of course I wouldn't waste the dealers time going so low below their price unless they had been there a while.

Privately for sale I'd be looking at £3,750 tops.

If I were you and you can I'd consider trying to sell the ka privately, then look for a mini

[Doink]

Thanks for the informative reply brite spark.

The Mrs will always buy cars from dealers, gives her a bit of peace of mind and some level of comeback so its no problem to her to lose a bit in the px.

When you say those 2 are over priced and with no toys what toys can you get in them for a £5500 budget, can you show an example? It really is a mine field, so many different specs i really had no idea.

[Brite spark]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Private sale but good spec, now sold.


Private sale, much newer, better spec another ph'er, also sold

http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f228/sale-2005-55-...



Ignoring some of the cheaper ones on ph for being high mileage, private or on Irish plates

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3497136.htm wrong colour for some but 4.5k before haggling


Same dealer network, slightly more money, better spec same colour-follow link to dealer site if you want to bother with the pics

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3549815.htm


How about an 05 cabriolet for less than 5k- hpi might want confirming as clear
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3493334.htm

Red 04 top money IMHO but newer and slightly cheaper than the two you started with
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3437942.htm

Red 05
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3465157.htm

Should give you a price comparison to the ones you started off with

Or
Try Trevor at minicraft recommended on a mini forum

Edited by Brite spark on Monday 16th January 20:20

[ch427]

make sure you take it for a good length test drive over different road surfaces, i find the ride quality horrific on ours.
Build quality is also suspect, the amount of corrosion ive found on the brake and suspension components is worrying. (early 2006 model)

[Doink]

Brite spark said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Private sale but good spec, now sold.


Private sale, much newer, better spec another ph'er, also sold

http://www.minitorque.com/forum/f228/sale-2005-55-...



Ignoring some of the cheaper ones on ph for being high mileage, private or on Irish plates

[url]http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3497136.htm[url] wrong colour for some but 4.5k before haggling


Same dealer network, slightly more money, better spec same colour-follow link to dealer site if you want to bother with the pics

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3549815.htm


How about an 05 cabriolet for less than 5k- hpi might want confirming as clear
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3493334.htm

Red 04 top money IMHO but newer and slightly cheaper than the two you started with
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3437942.htm

Red 05
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3465157.htm

Should give you a price comparison to the ones you started off with

Or
Try Trevor at minicraft recommended on a mini forum

Edited by Brite spark on Sunday 15th January 15:28

Hey thanks for going to the trouble for all those searches

[Doink]

ch427 said:

make sure you take it for a good length test drive over different road surfaces, i find the ride quality horrific on ours.
Build quality is also suspect, the amount of corrosion ive found on the brake and suspension components is worrying. (early 2006 model)

Thanks CH, when we finally go to see one i will most certainly test drive it for as long as possible, or the GF will, i do appreciate ride quality suffers with run flats on, her old Z4 was a nightmare but so long as its just the tyres causing it then they can come off eventually.

Having googled all afternoon and driving to some local dealers, including a main dealer, it looks like for the £5500 budget i can only expect to get an R53, pre facelift with around 50k miles, no real toys to write home about just a basic model, the GF isn't too bothered about getting a fully loaded one, its an 'only for the time being car' as she puts it, if she likes it and when we finally sell both our houses and buy one between us she'll get a newer higher spec'd one, oh and she doesn't like red ones either.

So with all that in mind are the 2 i linked to worth going to see, We live in Derby and prepared to travel to about a 60mile radius, hence those 2, are they a safe bet, would they have the better gearbox in or the chocolate midland type?

[Brite spark]

Doink said:

Having googled all afternoon and driving to some local dealers, including a main dealer, it looks like for the £5500 budget i can only expect to get an R53, pre facelift with around 50k miles

would they have the better gearbox in or the chocolate midland type?

Going for a dealer one is always going to comprimise what you can get versus the risk of buying private, personally I prefer private but each to their own.

The s variant r53 all have getrag gearboxes rather than the cooper midlands box

[Brite spark]

If you are willing to consider buying privately

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-cooper-S-1-6-superc...

Looks ok in pics and he may even px the ka with you, local enough for you too

Just put money saved to one side for potential repairs rather than having a largely useless dealer warranty.

Edited by Brite spark on Monday 16th January 01:20

[Doink]

Thanks for still finding the time and looking for me lol!

I think i'll suggest going to look at that one, its only 20mins away. Having a look around ebay i've come across these, what do you think?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-04-MINI-1-6-COOPER-...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2003-MINI-MINI-1-6-COOPE...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-1-6-Chili-Cooper-S-...

[MX-5 Lazza]

Does it have to be an S? Reason I ask is that a Cooper will give about 10mpg better on average than an S. For example my Cooper is giving me about 36mpg compared to my Mrs getting 27mpg from her Cooper S Convertible

[Doink]

Would prefer one, the fuel mileage isn't an issue really, she drives like miss daisy anyway, I have my own toys to drive