Hi there, I have wanted a Mini ever since first seeing The Italian Job, but it's just now that I'm finally getting serious about obtaining one. My sincere apologies for the long-winded introduction. I just want to give an accurate account of where I'm at at what I'm looking for.

My wife has a Honda Pilot, and I have a Toyota Tundra... so we're now seeking a car that's FUN, small, great on gas, and for me... one that has crisp handling. I keep hearing about the Minis handling like go-karts, and that's exactly what I'm looking for. This car will be used for fun rides, but may earn its keep on our short, two-mile daily commute to a crowded parking garage.

I drove a 2005 base model 2-door hard top a few days ago that a private seller is offering, and I enjoyed it. But I did a VIN check on it and it's had 6 owners in 10 years. With me that would be 7. So we just weren't comfortable with that.

So I've educated myself now enough to know that I want an S model 2-door hardtop, and I want a manual transmission. My other requirement is that the price range I'm looking at is $5K - $10K'ish. So obviously, that's going to limit me to older cars with more miles.

What years should I be looking at closest? What years should I avoid? What kinds of specific things should I look very closely at before buying a particular Mini? I've got pre-approval from my credit union, so now it's really just about finding the right car. Also, I'm up here in Montana... so I know that I may have to expand my search to CO, UT, MN, and WA to find the right car at the right price. There are some up here for sale, but the selection is pretty limited. I wish that I could spring for a newer car with very low miles, but it's just too much of a stretch for me now.

Thanks for any input that you can provide, and I'll start really lurking around this site now that I've made my introduction.

 

Hi Red_Label, i'll just give you a little rundown of what I know. The Mini S from 02-06 are known as the R53. These are supercharged and pretty much a mini in size. The Mini S from 07-13 are known as the R56 and these are turbo. My suggestion is to test drive both and see which one you both like. Do a thorough check, like slam the doors, bonnet and trunk. Hear for odd sounds when driving. Good luck.

 

ooops

 

Hello and welcome to the forums.


Here is the break down.

Gen1 MINIs

2002-2006 R50 MINI Cooper ( NON Supercharged ), sometimes called a "Base"

2002-2006 R53 MINI Cooper S /JCW ( Superchraged )

2005-2008 R52 MINI Cooper Convertible S /JCW ( Superchraged )

2005-2008 R52 MINI Cooper Convertible ( NON Superchraged ) sometimes called a Base Convertible.


If you are looking at an R50 MINI Cooper the better years are 05-06 and without a CVT transmission. Get the manual if you can, comes with the 5 speed getrag.


Good luck and if you need any parts :

http://www.ecstuning.com/

 

Thanks for the info guys! It appears that my Mini purchase is going to be postponed for a couple of years. I was VERY close to talking my wife into a local John Cooper Works coupe with 50K miles on it (that would have been an AWESOME car), but we talked and decided to put-off the Mini purchase until our house is paid off and we're 100% debt-free in 2-3 years. We want to get as nice of a "frivolous" car as we can afford.

In the meantime, I purchased a 2008 Yamaha FJR1300 sport touring bike that should keep me well entertained. (More power, and 1/4 the weight of the Mini base.)

Thanks again for your advice and it will be retained for when I resume the Mini search.

 

Welcome on Board !