MINI resale value

delly

Just thought I'd query the above as the resale is unbelievable. I know when the MINI first came out that there was a bit of a waiting list but judging by current prices here it seems there being sold at premium prices for a 6 years on. Base Cooper at the moment is just under €25k which makes me wonder is there something I'm missing.

Story being that the wife has decided to take up driving what with the arrival of our first baby a few months back and now wants to be more mobile. She cares nothing of fuel economy, engine size or resale but does love the look of the MINI which is fair enough. Little did I know when I said I'd try and sort one out did I know how overpriced they were.

If I do end up getting one I'll probably go the UK route and save a couple of grand, but they still make good money over there.

Anan1

You're right, used MINIs are ridiculously expensive. If I were you, i'd either buy a new one or buy something else.

bazz26

Yes resale values of MINIs are very strong. Laws of supply and demand I guess.

On a side note, since you have a new addition to the family on the way it might be worth checking out the feasability of putting a booster chair in the rear of a MINI. The MINI may not be very practical in this light. When I drove one I found access to the rear a bit tight. So getting a baby in and out could be an issue.

Worth doing a bit of research before committing to buying one.

delly

bazz26 wrote:

Worth doing a bit of research before committing to buying one.

I'll be doing that for sure. tbh she might sit in one and take an instant dislike to it, or it might be too small so I'm prepared for that. Her only real criteria for a car is something that looks good and something she feels comfortable in. Funnily enough the other car she likes the look of is an Alfa 147 which probably might not be the best choice based on reliability etc., but it'll be her car and she'll be doing feck all mileage so whatever she wants i'll be happy to oblige.

whippet

my missus was hell bent on a MINI cooperS a while back.

We took it for a test drive and the novelty wore off when she realised that the back seats were unusable apart from a 5ft vietnam vet who had his legs amputated. The ride was hard and raw, boot space was non existant ... don't get me wrong .. it was a super car to drive but there is no way she could have lived with it.

commited

Go to the UK and get one if you want one. That's the only piece of advice I can give - you wont really find any stunning bargains out there!

gucci

whippet wrote:

We took it for a test drive and the novelty wore off when she realised that the back seats were unusable apart from a 5ft vietnam vet who had his legs amputated..

an almost poetic description!!
would she consider the beetle as an alternative?? not sure how it works out with space but might be an alternative while still having the novelty value of the MINI for the mrs

cbyrne

I looked in the UK for second hand minis and to be honest discovered if anything they seem more expensive in UK.. Demand for them there seems higher and you will not get much better than here when you've gone to the hassle of importing it... believe me I looked.

whippet

gucci wrote:

an almost poetic description!!
would she consider the beetle as an alternative?? not sure how it works out with space but might be an alternative while still having the novelty value of the MINI for the mrs

To be fair it was an 'our car' purchase, so it was for the two of us, so the Beetle was out of the question and the missus does place performance highly in the requirments, hense the CooperS version. But after a quick test drive in the GTI DSG, there was no going back and so far no regrets.

But I must say the MINI was an exceptional car to drive, the 170bhp was instant and the steering very very direct. The seats in the demo car (Joe Duffys) were the rock hard John Cooper bucket seats which I couldn't have lived with.

By the time we had spec'd our MINI, it was working out at about €41K and that was after being told in no uncertian terms that there isn't any discounts with MINIs .. so after walking out the door we knew we wouldn't be looking at that option again.

rebel.ranter

It is very hard to compare one 2nd hand Mini to another, well I found that anyway. Before I bought the 525i I was looking at getting a new well specced Mini Cooper, long story. There are so many optional extras that it can drive the new price through the roof with the knock on effect of affecting it's 2nd hand resale asking price. Also the colour can play a huge part in the depreciation, yellow ones seemed to be better priced than the Black or Metallic Blue variety.
I thoguth it was a nice car to drive, rented one for 10 days on a holiday in Spain 2 years ago. Probably not that practical for loading or unloading a baby though (of which I have none!) I see friends of mine with kids & they seem to need a small truck to move all the stuff that goes with a baby!!