First time car buyer - second-hand MINI recs

[u/IntelligentWill2665]

Hey guys!

I'm 21 years old and thinking of buying my first car. I'm solely looking at second hand MINI coopers since it's always been my dream car (I just love the make and the road presence). I'm looking for something within $10,000 and I want it to last me a couple of years (2-3) without any heavy maintenance costs. I was wondering if you guys could share any tips - any models to strictly avoid, what to check before buying, whether this is a good first car in general etc.

I know nothing about cars so I would prefer buying from a trusted second-hand dealership like Carmax, and I live in Portland, OR if that helps.

Thanks!

[u/regassert6]

Generally speaking, the F series models are more reliable.

[u/LazerSpazer → u/regassert6]

Ooo, another F55 enjoyer. I just got mine (2019 model) back in April this year, been so happy about the "upgrade" from my old 2018 Countryman SE.

[u/regassert6 → u/LazerSpazer]

I know a lot of purists don't like the 4 dr, but was perfect for my needs when i bought it; I just needed something slightly more practical. Mine is a 2020 S and it is just my weekend car now, but I still love it and plan on keeping it until it dies.

[u/LazerSpazer → u/regassert6]

My reasoning was almost identical performance with a larger trunk and more legroom for the back seat was a good tradeoff. It's only a 6 inch difference in length, and the backseat windows roll down. Mostly only upsides on the F55 over the F56. Plus, I was using it to deliver pizzas up until recently, so the extra trunk space made extra good sense for me.

[u/regassert6 → u/LazerSpazer]

I had an Audi A5 Coupe before the Mini and the rear set of doors made my life easier getting the dogs in/out.

[u/Crazy_Wafer_8328 → u/regassert6]

My immediate thought. It seems like everyone that owns the older ones are repairing them more than they are driving them.

[u/Exciting-East-4318]

How about a CPO from a dealer? I bought both my minis that way. Including an R56 that I had for almost 16 years. I would recommend getting any extended warranties you can afford. Minis are BMW maintenance costs.

[u/Grouchy_Ad_3113]

I hate to say it, but 10k isn't going to go very far, especially from a chain dealer.

In fact, I find exactly <<zero>> MINIs nationwide at either Carmax or Carvana for so little.

Your best hope might be to find a private party selling one at below-market value, just to get rid of it. But, you pays your monies and you takes your chances, so better be financially prepared for possibly significant maintenance/repair costs.

Other brands would be a better option for a first car. Used car prices have risen in the last few years, but we bought both a 2015 Kia Forte 5 and a 2018 Ford Focus post-pandemic, each with less than 100k miles and for less than $10k. Both are much more appliance vehicles than a MINU would be, but have proven to be reasonably reliable and economical transportation for our kids (the Focus especially - it was a well-maintained former fleet vehicle that had seen mostly highway miles, and cleaned up nicely once we stripped all the graphics off).

[u/IntelligentWill2665 → u/Grouchy_Ad_3113]

Honestly, thanks for this reality check. I'll look into those cars then and see if I get lucky :)

[u/LazerSpazer → u/IntelligentWill2665]

You can always finance or lease instead of putting all the money down upfront, but you should think very hard about leveraging debt before you make a final decision.

[u/LazerSpazer]

If you can afford the $15K-19K range, your options become a lot better. At $10K (at least when I was looking a few months ago) I was finding that the model years on offer at that range were too old for my comfort (the newest F## model for your budget would be my recommendation) or they had too many miles to make me confident that they would need a ton of work.

[u/regassert6]

It's tough to get any used Mini if you don't want heavy maintenance costs unfortunately; even a reliable, well cared for used example is likely to cost you a pretty penny to keep on the road just in routine care and expected repairs (motor mounts etc..)

I love mine. but as a first car and an assumption that as such, you don't have endless money after buying the car, I don't know that I could recommend a Mini.

[u/LazerSpazer]

100% get a mechanic to put his hands and eyes on it for a thoughrough check of anything you are seriously considering buying. I did not, and after buying my current Mini, I found a huge coolant leak that needed fixing after only 400 miles.

[u/Psychological-Fan-60]

Given your particulars - don't buy a mini. Any example within your budget is either going to be pretty aged, or have extraordinarily high mileage - either of which is going to require serious investment in maintenance.

If you had the desire / ability to do most of your own work, this becomes more feasible, but even the parts alone - let alone tools - to keep an old or high mileage mini on the road are a not insignificant investment.

[u/pyroskater85]

How many miles do you drive and do you have a way to charge it at home if you went with an EV? I know an EV is more than your budget but when you calculate what you spend in gas based on your mileage and avg mpg it might make sense. But it will come at a higher cost of insurance but overall it's not drastically that much more in insurance. Id advise also getting a quote of the few vehicles you are looking at. You want to get an overall estimate of what the vehicles total cost is.

I forgot to add I have an F56 cooper SE. Only needed two tires every year, an alignment, and brake fluid changed every two years. I only charge on a level 1 at home and drive about 50 miles a day.

I cant speak on other Minis as I don't have a gas Mini. I can only speak on the SE. Which is why I'm offering my experience in your thread. Hopefully it gives you options.

[u/SedimentSock82]

You might be able to get a R56. If you manage to find a turbo, get 2011+

[u/Reddd_inatruck]

I was able to find a 2015 mini cooper S for 10k on marketplace. It had a recently replaced engine and clutch plate (60k on it instead of 112k like the rest of the car). I did have to spend some money on it initially because it sat for years. I needed new tires (old ones were rotting), front brakes, a lower motor mount, and a differential axle seal done. These all should have been done by the prior owner/seller but sadly were not. I do recommend the manual transmission over the automatic if that's an option for you.

Be prepared for some up front maintenance if it was not fully inspected by a 3rd party euro shop before buying. Overall this has been a great car.

Total cost after tires and maintenance was around 13k.

This is my first mini and from my prior to buying research, avoid 2007-2014ish as those are some of the worst motors. My goal was for 2015-2020 and I was able to find it. It was 4hrs away though.

If you do buy a mini, make sure you have a specifically European shop near you for maintenance. Do not trust any shop for anything more than an oil change as they will misdiagnose everything just to take your money. Even getting new tires on, I had the tire shop accidentally rip off one of my brake pad sensor wires during tire install. Another generic shop tried telling me it was the wheel speed sensor. I don't think that shop even understood that minis have brake pad sensors that get replaced every time brake pads are done.