Hi guys, I know you must get allot of questions regarding the car..and I have done TONS of research but would like some owner input on the good, the bad and ugly of owning a Mini.

I am looking for a DEPENDABLE car that I can upgrade, and tweak a bit, but am not looking to do anything too over the top. (I have a track Lotus Exige 265 currently....) and really want to have a daily driver that get's decent gas mileage, handles well, and is DEPENDABLE! (I stress dependable, as I just lemon law'd my BMW 335 xi) and need something I can have fun with as well as save money on fuel, and insurance.....

The dealer in Irvine has a 2008 Mini with 7k miles with a 100k extended warranty for 22K...(Tempting)

And I looked at a 2009 S model in SF today at 25K...(I like the idea of a new car, not broken in, sat in..etc...)

In a perfect world, those of you who already have one, and knowing what I am looking for...what would you recommend???

Also, in regards to prices...is this current market? (I ask, as I am new back to the US after a fairly long tour in Europe, et al and I can see MAJOR deals being cut on current inventory with ANY dealer I have visited with the exception of the Mini dealers...)

Any constructive input would be greatly appreciated....

Thanks!

DNEVNOI DOZOR SF

 

We just bought a used (2007) Mini Cooper S hardtop with 13K miles and paid $23,950. The KBB value was $25,650, so we think we got a good deal. It's an unbelievable drive, fun as can be and fast as hell. Of couse, we've never owned a BMW or a Lotus, so this may not compare well. The pricing is pretty standard and we have not seen a lot of movement from MSRP. If you go to KBB.com, you will see that the prices being paid are actually above MSRP. The charts also indiate that they hold 50% of their value after 5 years. We had considered the Saturn Sky, the Mazda Miata MX-5, the Pontiac G6, the Mini Cooper and the Sebring (all convertible models) until we settled on the MC-S. I am now looking for a second as this one was for the wife, and I want one for myself. Oh, and it is averaging 39.5 MPG.