Suitable replacement for a Mini Cooper S? Under $10,000.

[CyborgGT]

dibs on the one piecers

Haha, one of the first things I noticed was that the pass side lense was broken.

[lummieCB7]

I did a craigslist search for 4/6 cylinder, gas, manual, fwd/rwd, mid/sub compact, clean titled, coupe/hatch/sedan/convertible thats under $10k and the best thing that comes up that I would buy is a Mini or G35 coupe.

https://newyork.craigslist.org/que/ctd/5324687726.html

https://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/cto/5306371422.html

[The G-Man]

I would just go for a non-SI civic. The R18 is no massive power, but for a guy that drives a fit, you should know that power isn't everything. I love zipping around town in the Civic more than the 4Runner, granted I dodge less potholes with the 4Runner.

[gloryaccordy]

I would just go for a non-SI civic. The R18 is no massive power, but for a guy that drives a fit, you should know that power isn't everything. I love zipping around town in the Civic more than the 4Runner, granted I dodge less potholes with the 4Runner.

Ha, you have an R18 Civic too? I love mine.... it's like the spiritual successor to the CB. So much fun to beat on, and I still get ~27 MPG.

Did you ever sell the CB? If not when are you gonna be back in CLT? I wanna meet up.

[Theos92VR4]

Haha, one of the first things I noticed was that the pass side lense was broken.

I have a passenger side with a broken housing but a good lense so it would work out perfect lol

[ol blue]

What about a newer Saab 9-3 aero with the 2.8t caddy engine. Not terribly big and plenty of them come in a 6speed manual. Simple tune will make it plenty quick too.

[deevergote]

I have a passenger side with a broken housing but a good lense so it would work out perfect lol

That's what I was hoping would happen! The housing of mine looks to be good. Only the lens is cracked. Blackhoused, with Audi projectors (A4 I believe... I got them that way).

What about a newer Saab 9-3 aero with the 2.8t caddy engine. Not terribly big and plenty of them come in a 6speed manual. Simple tune will make it plenty quick too.

Caddy engine?

I gave some thought to Saab, but I have a feeling they're not terribly cheap to fix. Especially now, since they're now a defunct brand. Although, that could also mean they sell pretty cheap, which could offset repair costs somewhat!
She's not a fan of American cars (as she takes my CTS-V to work today...) and while she likes European cars, the Mini may have turned her off on repair costs (the problematic Passat she owned before that probably doesn't help either.)

[sonikaccord]

Saab 9-2x = WRX in a suit
I think they use the exact same mechanicals.

[deevergote]

Yeah. The Saab 9-2x really IS a WRX (well, I think the 9-2x is an Impreza, and a 9-2x Aero is the WRX... I have to look to be sure.) That's one I kinda wrestle with. I've never been terribly interested in Subaru, and the Saabaru is just SO thinly disguised... It's like driving an early Lexus ES and pretending it's not a Camry!
It does hit the right price points, though... and it would be a hell of a lot more fun than something basic. Being a fairly common Subaru underneath takes care of the concern of it being a defunct Swedish car, so that's a major plus. AWD is good in all weather, which is another plus. And it's probably more likely to have been maintained properly than a WRX of a similar year.

She hates wagons, but I might be able to convince her that it's really just a hatchback


edit: found one nearby for $7000. 5 speed manual, 9-2x Aero (I was right... in 2005, the base Impreza engine was used for the non-Aero models). Silver, 120k miles. Sent Lina a picture of it and she likes it.
It's not the most exciting car to me... although, it WOULD be nice having another hatchback once I get rid of the Fit!

[ol blue]

Caddy engine?

I gave some thought to Saab, but I have a feeling they're not terribly cheap to fix. Especially now, since they're now a defunct brand. Although, that could also mean they sell pretty cheap, which could offset repair costs somewhat!
She's not a fan of American cars (as she takes my CTS-V to work today...) and while she likes European cars, the Mini may have turned her off on repair costs (the problematic Passat she owned before that probably doesn't help either.)

Well the motor is essentially the same as a 3.6l found in all other gm products now. They had a 2.8l for awhile in the cts also, just don't remember which ones. Mine has also been pretty good to me for the way I drive it since it is only driven on the weekend. I put 30 thousand on it and all I have done to it so far is regularly maintence. Though when you smack a super single gator skin on the road it does rip the front of the car off being it is a little lower than your normal sedans. Repair bill for that wasn't outrageous, though the insurance covered damn near everything.

[deevergote]

Wow, I didn't realize that!
Yeah, that 2.8L engine was found in the base CTS... the one that only poor folk that want to look fancy bought. In the Saab, it made up to 280hp, though (300hp in the final 9-5x). I wonder why Cadillac didn't use that version! That's pretty cool!

According to Wikipedia, it was a Holden/Cadillac joint venture.

The 9-3 is a pretty hefty car, though. Well over 3000lbs for the lightest FWD models, and the heavier AWD wagon models approach damn near 4000lbs! The Saabaru might be the better option so far as Saabs go.

[deevergote]

Ok, so after a long talk with my Jiminy Cricket (AccordWarrior), I've realized that it MAY be worth checking into buying a certified preowned car. We originally talked new, but Lina isn't fond of car payments... and honestly, neither am I.

We could probably make a $12,000 car happen. If her Mini is totaled, I expect we'll get about $5000 for it. Assuming we just take the money (rather than buying the car back for $1000 and parting it out), we'll have $5000 cash in our pocket. I could HOPEFULLY liquidate the more in-demand CB7 parts for $2000 (please someone just take the whole car with the H22A swap!), and I might be able to get $2500 for the Fit as a trade-in. That gives us damn near $10,000 to play with. We could either take the remainder out of savings (not my preference), or take out a loan for the VERY small amount... which would result in an absurdly low car payment. My insurance will be cut in half by giving up the Fit, so we'd actually be saving money each month!

Now this opens some new doors for us. We'd have to go with some seriously unimpressive cars to hit the $12,000 mark for a CPO... but we may still have a few options.
AccordWarrior suggested the Ford Fiesta SFE. For roughly 12 grand, we could get a beastly 1.0L 3 cylinder turbocharged engine... making more horsepower than my Fit, and significantly more torque... with a manual transmission. Now, my friend's girlfriend has a regular 4 cylinder automatic (we've dubbed it the "Suemobile", and she kinda hates it. Granted, it's been hit, and the automatic transmission seems to be trying to escape with every shift. Still, the 1.0L turbo engine's fuel economy ratings are pretty impressive, and it's supposedly the next best thing to a Fiesta ST... so it might be worth checking out!

Does anyone else have any suggestions for a CPO car in the $12,000 range? There's a definite "no" on the Dodge Dart, Mitsubishi Mirage, Chevy anything, Toyota anything, Scion anything.
So far, the Honda Fit might be an option (though the argument of just keeping mine might be valid...) The Mazda 2 or 3 aren't off the table. Not sure what else there is out there that's worth buying.
As a car guy, I simply can't have my fiancee driving something boring like a Corolla. I just can't. I know she cares about cars, and she enjoys an engaging driving experience. I just can't stick her in a standard people mover. It would be absolutely wrong. I'm preparing to postpone my Miata dreams to ensure she's in something good!

[Straight Success]

Hyundai Tiburon.

[deevergote]

That's not a bad idea. I mean, I know they're pretty pathetic (170hp from a 2.0L V6... kinda weird...) but they look cool, they're fairly reliable, and they're not obscenely expensive. Not sure if CPO would be an option, but I bet we could find a decent used one if necessary.
The Hyundai Veloster is a possibility as well.

I searched some of the more fun/interesting CPO offerings in the area, and aside from the Ford Fiesta SFE (which Lina wasn't terribly excited about, but she agreed to drive one), there aren't many terribly exciting options.
However, if we bump our search up a LITTLE higher to $14,000, and maybe haggle a bit to get the price down below that...


2013, 6 speed manual, 21,000 miles. She does like her Mini, and this is different enough that it's not as if we'd be going from a fully-optioned Cooper S to a bare-bones base model newer mini. This coupe is a base model, it seems... but at least it's not directly comparable to what she had (IF it gets totaled... we're still just assuming that it will be.)

She's not happy about the price, but CPO might be safer than used. Especially if we want something fun. Fun, cheap, reliable... you can only have two!

Plus, if I forego the Miata plan for a while in order to get this, at least it offers SOME of the same appeal. Zippy little 2 seater convertible. (edit: nevermind... not a convertible... still kinda cool, though.)

[F22Chris]

I had an 06 bmw mini. Absolutely hated it. Super bubbly, roughest ride in the world, 26mpg, and was totaled in a 40mph fender bender. Real Mini or gtfo!

Topic wise, I think scions are reliable cheap options. I would burn the Miata route into her. Cause those are honestly all 3. Cheap reliable and fun.