03 mcs jcw, reasonable?

[killerkane]

so a local dealer just took an 03 mini s jcw edition in on trade, it is a dark blue (don't know name of the color) with black wheels (unfortunately). with different wheels it would look awesome.

however, it has 51k miles on it and they are asking 19k for it, obviously this is just an asking price but it still seems high to me, car was in good condition but not immaculate. it has the dual panel sunroof and nav which is not something i really want but the dealer is just using it to raise the price. 19k is wayyyy out of my price range but what would be reasonable to try and talk them down to on price?

is it worth buying a jcw or should i get a mcs for cheap and mod it?

or should i buy an e36 m3 (near stock) or even a 318ti (to be modded) so i have a rwd platform which i would prefer?

right now i have an 03 focus that is riced out, i love bimmers and mini's, i want it to be an autox and track car (i will be new to the track) as well as a dd.

to me the small wheels on a mini mean tires are cheap but idk if i'd be satisfied with a mini versus an m3 or a different rwd car, i realize that all three of the cars i mentioned are pretty different but each serves a purpose

any input would be appreciated

thanks
josh

[Spitfire007]

WAY too expensive for a 6 year old car, and it's not even equipped the way you want.

Buy the old M3. It's 'pre-modded from the factory', and although not the fastest, it's perhaps the best car there, provided it was cared for.
Just keep in mind it'll be expensive to maintain...bushings, control arms, brakes, then more bushings and control arms....

Nothing on an M3 is cheap, but it's a great car. Just keep in mind it's old, and will need constant maintenance, but it might be fun.

[RRSperry]

You are kidding right? Mini holds it's value better than ANY other car. You are lucky that thing isn't priced in the 20's...

Sunroof is $1000
Nav is $2000... Yea, I think they are using it to raise the price.

If you can't afford the 19K price, you probably can't afford to insure it either.


I just ordered a 2010 MCS and it's out the door price is over $30K... A JCW car is much closer to $40K...

[bholloway]

Its not worth it, especially because you dont really love the car. If you're going to buy any sort of Mini, I would buy a newer Cooper S and mod it. Even if you buy a new, nicely equipped 2010 Mini S it shouldn't run you too much more than 28,000. You should also look into the background of the car. With 51k on it, its possible that the car has been tracked/driven hard especially because its a JCW. If you dont need much space I would go with the Mini, its fun to drive and with a few mods it can be a great car. If you do need space and really want a great track car, then an M3 is probably better.

[RRSperry]

Lol...

I just ordered a '10 MCS out the door was $32k..
I ordered the 4 packages (premium, cold weather, sport, and convenience) The anthracite headliner ($250, piano black trim $250, rooster red color line $250, and smartphone integration ($100)

If you want leather it's $1500 more, and nav is $2K... That JCW sounds like a fair deal for what it is. But My 95 M3sc will run circles around it.

Keeping the M3, and the bike. The Mini is replacing my 01 Audi A6 Avant.

[killerkane]

yeah ideally i'd buy an m3 but there are never any available near south dakota...especially dealer owned ones. i'd have to travel which isn't the biggest deal but the only dealer owned ones are super sketchy and so are the dealers.

has anybody seen a race between a mini s and a 318ti? idc about what mods im more interested in the fwd vs rwd....

im still hoping for an m3 to come around...

[beken]

In 2003, the JCW package was dealer installed. So there was no such thing as a factory JCW at the time. Those opting for the JCW package likely would have autocrossed it. MINIs hold their resale value very well. If the dealer does his homework and prices the car at that value, then that is probably pretty close to the price the market will bare. You might have some wiggle room to negotiate, but probably not a lot. Note that the 2003 would be out of warranty long enough that if anything goes on the car, it would be your responsibility to have fixed. Most cars start to need things replaced at around the 7 year mark so it's getting pretty close.

Also note that there appears to be an oil pan gasket issue coming to light for MINIs around that age. So check the car out carefully.

Nonetheless, the car is probably a ball to drive.