Hello from North Texas,

After months of anticipation I have a big day scheduled to check out two used Mini Cooper Hatchbacks.

I have looked at the buyer guide mentioned in an earlier post and still have some questions.

Mini one

The car I am more serious about is a 2006 Cooper base (R50?) with 70K miles. It's priced around $11K but is a Carmax car (has a 30-day warranty, 5-day money back guarantee, has undergone inspection) and has the panoramic sunroof. I sure am a sucker for that sunroof. It's a 5-speed.

I saw in the buyer guide to be weary of drive-shaft wear by watching out for a "chirp" at takeoff, seems straightforward enough. But it also said to watch out for clutch,flywheel issues. Is there anything I can check on the test drive to give me an indication of those issues.

The buyer guide mentioned oil leaks around the crank seal/gasket and crank sensor. Is there anyway this could be checked on a test drive, or would this have to be looked for by a Mini technician in an inspection?

Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for with the year model, milage?

I have owned the same little Chevy S10 for the last decade, my first car. I have worked on that thing and fixed just about everything you can think of, learning my way around working on cars in the the process. All to say, I feel confident in my DIY "shade-tree" mechanic skills. I understand that this isn't a Chevy S10. Will it be possible for me to cut some of the maintenance costs associated with ownership by doing work myself. I want this car to last another decade like my little S10 did.

Mini two

The other car I'm considering is a 2012 with 46K at right around the same price. Two things knock this car down the list for me. First, no sunroof. Second, looking through the Carfax report I see the thermostat has been replaced like three times and it has had several other repairs to the electrical system. This seems like a lot of work in this car's short life and indication that it may be a lemon.

What do you folks think?

 

Yes, the cooper base is an R50. 2006 is a good year for the R50. I honestly would get either of them checked out by a MINI indy shop to make sure they cover all the grounds on the possible issues each year has. Is the 2012 a base or an S?

 

The 2012 is a base model.

http://www.fiatdallas.com/used/MINI/2012-MINI-Cooper-3c8d9f230a0a00de38e21581574c3db9.htm

 

The Justa R56 come equipped with the N16 engine. The S R56 comes with the N14 and have a lot of complaints about many issues. The N16 still has quirks, but not as many as the S platforms. You read the motoring review about the common issues, so that is good. That being said, do you think you'll be fine with the Justa R50/R56 as far as power? Some people say they want more power out of it, but you wont get much even adding mods to it. Just make sure you're alright with its current HP output before you pull the trigger. Motoring file also has a review of the R50 vs. the R56 HERE. Check it out and see if it helps you a bit.

 

I would say keep looking. The 2012 sounds like it has had some problems, but the 2006 is now 10 years old. Going with Car Max doesn't mean the quality is better to go with the higher price. They get cars from the same sources as smaller, local used car dealers. I used Car Gurus to find my Mini and liked the info they provide like how long the car has been in dealer stock. I would go with something with the N16 engine.

 

What do you guys think about this one: HERE

 

Looks clean, but again that is an R56 S so it has the N14 engine. I would ask if the timing chain and guide has ever been replaced, along with the vavle cover (not the gasket, the cover tends to crack and have issues), oil leaks such as the oil turbo line and the oil filter housing, and the HPFP. Be sure to check on these records and I'd highly recommend a pre purchase inspection by a MINI indy shop. Just so you don't have any surprises.