Mini Cooper Forums - Mini Cooper Enthusiast Forums - Looking at getting a Mini, need input!

I’m new to the world of “MINI” and need some advice:

I took an amazing new job but it will involve a 4x longer commute than I currently have. I have a pretty nice car that I would like to keep the miles off so I’m looking at getting a commuter car for the daily drive. I originally thought about just a Ford Ranger pick-up but that just sounds boring and really wouldn’t fit the nature of the job. After much looking around I think the wife and I have decided on a Mini Cooper. The budget started around $5000, but has been bumped up over time as the wife has become more Mini-crazy. I would go as highas 8K for the perfect one for my needs, but I’d like to stay below 7K. Now the questions begin!

1) It seems like everyone loves their Mini, but I’ve heard many horror stories about reliability. Is it a case of the squeaky wheel or are they as bad as I hear? Is it something I can trust to get me to the office?

2) Do I even want a Mini that comes in the $6,000-7,000 range? I just need it to be a “beater with style” so I don’t need anything perfect. It seems like it would put me around a 03-04 base model with 100,000 miles. There are plenty for sale and I’ve seen a few really good deals where it was < $8,000 a 04 Mini S with 100,000miles. I’ve also seen an 02 with 150,000 miles that was at the bottom of my budget range.

3) It seems like EVERY dealer wants $2-3K over bluebook value! Is that the norm? I’ve never even paid close to blue book for any car so this is throwing me for a bit of a loop. Any luck talking the dealers down the KBB price?

4) What are the known issues I should be looking for? Are there any model years to avoid? I’ve heard transmission issues are the achilles heel of these cars. I’m looking for a manual so what do I need to look for on a test drive? I’m handy with a wrench so I feel I could do a lot of the repairs myself.

5) Should I avoid a “Mini S”? I’ve heard they made the “Top 10 Biggest Lemons List”. In theory I’m just looking for a box to get me from point A to point B, but I’ve always owned sports cars and I’m not sure if the base car will just annoy me when I hit the gas.

Thanks in advance for all your help!