Probably selling

  • Thread starter Thread starter JonR
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I have a 2021 SE with only 12,400 miles on it that I'm considering selling. My state makes it more attractive to trade-in but I thought I would float the idea here first.
  • Signature trim (no sunroof, parking sensors, or heads-up display)
  • 17" OEM wheels (Signature comes with 16")
  • Black Mini center caps
  • Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires
  • ST X coilovers
  • Front grill converted to Cooper S
  • Rear hatch handle converted to Cooper S (OEM is dark gray and the S is black)
  • Smoked rear fog light covers
  • Smoked LED side markers
  • Side marker from base Cooper (gets rid of the yellow)
  • Black "S" badges on front and back
  • VIP Bike Rack kit installed and includes poles that screw into bumper
  • Garage kept
This car is in perfect shape. Zero rust as it never saw snow or salt. I used DC fast charging less than 10 times and level 2 charging less than 10 times too.

View attachment 22719 View attachment 22720 View attachment 22721 View attachment 22722 View attachment 22723 View attachment 22724 View attachment 22725

Based on being on a multitude of forums over the years, your modifications are unlikely to add much value to the car unless you can find that specific buyer who knows, for example, the value of a set of coilovers.

Best thing is to take a gander at a bunch of on-line sites such as Cars.com and CarGurus and see what the ask is for a 2021. Now the interesting thing is that your car could qualify for the Federal used car incentive - I was wondering about this and there seems to be a way to do it for a private sale - something called keysavvy from a quick google search, a kind of brokerage, who, I'm sure, will take a cut.

EVs are on a roller coaster of depreciation. Our Coopers aren't helped by the lease deal MINI did - I got 11,900 off. So that takes a 38,000 sticker down to ~26,000. They get us back with higher fees and interest though. Still after much deliberating I went for it and have enjoyed the experience so far.

I wish I could get some decent seat time in other EVs to confirm what you all say above - the SE has a better driving experience.

cheers
MacMini34
 
I wish I could get some decent seat time in other EVs to confirm what you all say above - the SE has a better driving experience.
The MINI Cooper SE has 2 things going for it that put it in a class of its own:
  • No other EVs on the market were designed primarily for spirited cornering.
  • All other EVs on the market are heavier (most are much heavier).
There are 4 things various other EVs can do better than the MINI Cooper SE:
  • Go longer distances on a charge
  • Hold more people/stuff
  • Accelerate more quickly
  • Go off-road
@MacMini34, IMO you chose well.
 
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The MINI Cooper SE has 2 things going for it that put it in a class of its own:
  • No other EVs on the market were designed primarily for spirited cornering.
  • All other EVs on the market are heavier (most are much heavier).
There are 4 things various other EVs can do better than the MINI Cooper SE:
  • Go longer distances on a charge
  • Hold more people/stuff
  • Accelerate more quickly
  • Go off-road
@MacMini34, you chose well.
But if you wise shopper you get SE cheep if you shop around and prices excellent for buyers not for someone who is selling in 2 years for me SE is keeper forever is an example :1 owner clean tittle 9900 milesIMG_1471.webp
 
But if you wise shopper you get SE cheep if you shop around and prices excellent for buyers not for someone who is selling in 2 years for me SE is keeper forever is an example :1 owner clean tittle 9900 milesView attachment 22791

Check the fine print to make sure they're not factoring the $4k Federal credit into the price. The credit is available to a lot of people but not everyone.

cheers
MacMini34
 
Check the fine print to make sure they're not factoring the $4k Federal credit into the price. The credit is available to a lot of people but not everyone.

cheers
MacMini34

And yes, looking at the advert, it's right there in the big green star "Price displayed with IRS Green credit applied" so they're actually asking 22995
 
With body shops by me having months long waitlists, and someone saying they now total at 50% it may be interesting to see how they value my car if they declare it a total. Will they pick asking prices from the web that assumes I am eligible for the $4,000 when determining what it would cost to replace? I guess I won't all into that rut yet since mine is a 23.

Purchase price of car must be $25,000 or less.
Car model must be at least two years old.
Income Limit Used EVs
Single and married filing separately: $75,000.
Head of household: $112,500.
Married filing jointly: $150,000.
 
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Well, I did it. I traded in my 2021 Mini Cooper SE for a 2024 VW Golf R with a manual transmission. It is the last year of the manual!
 
Well, I did it. I traded in my 2021 Mini Cooper SE for a 2024 VW Golf R with a manual transmission. It is the last year of the manual!
The Golf R is an amazing car--the pinnacle of the hot-hatch category (except that VW won't make a 3-door version).

I drove nothing but cars with manual transmissions for 50 years before getting my 2021 MINI Cooper SE. I don't miss the third pedal at all. I hate the feel of an automatic transmission deciding when it's time to shift, but there is no shifting in the SE, it's just continuous GO from stopped to 93 mph.

The MINI made a big difference in my family: Finally, my wife can also drive the fun car in the family. We fight over the MINI while our poor Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid languishes in the garage, coming out only for long trips. An unintended consequence is that I'm now usually the passenger when we go out together.

I had a couple of VW Rabbits in my day and loved them before I became a Honda CRX addict. I won't get a Chinese MINI (not even if it's built at Plant Oxford), so I'm pinning hopes for my next hot-hatch EV on VW getting their software act together and bringing the ID. GTI to the US, despite our country's distain for anything smaller than an SUV.

The ID. GTI hides its rear passenger doors better than today's Golf.

upload_2024-7-29_14-1-40.webp
 
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Not a VAG driver, but my streak of manual RWD vehicles came to a close in 2014. While I don't miss driving manual, I still really miss the feel of RWD. Driving the SE in reverse is just not cutting it for RWD.

VW should be able to get their act together now that they've partnered with Rivian.
 
I came really close to getting a BMW 230i but the Golf R was a better value. The 230i being RWD, also sounded good but also bad. I've primarily had AWD (Galant VR4, Lancer Evolution, Golf R) or FWD (Accord, Eclipse GS Turbo, Sentra SE-R, Saab 900, Civic SI, Mini). I've only had 1 RWD that was an Infiniti G37s sedan that was RWD. Of all of the cars I've owned, only the Saab and the Mini were automatic. I prefer slower corner entry and mashing the gas pedal on exit which can get you in trouble with a RWD car.
 
Yeah that's a FWD technique using the throttle to straighten the vehicle. RWD is more like ice skating around the current and next curve.
 
My first two ever vehicles were VW Beetles, and my first new car was a VW Scirocco. I drove a VW Corrado VR6 (manual of course) before getting my first MINI. I think VW lost their soul, coming out with generic vehicles which is why I switched to MINI.
 
My first two ever vehicles were VW Beetles, and my first new car was a VW Scirocco. I drove a VW Corrado VR6 (manual of course) before getting my first MINI. I think VW lost their soul, coming out with generic vehicles which is why I switched to MINI.
Every car i drove was rear drive and manual start in EU in 1970 All Fiats than in USA I drove 4 Fords Escorts hatchbacks front drive manuals for work and own for fan Porsche 911 Porsche 944 VW cabriolet manuals and 944 was the best road car with 50/50 weight distribution in my opinion VW Jetta station wagon Diesel manual use for work Kia Soul manual after that BMW I 3 and SE as first my automatic cars As I’m married my wife refused to drive manuals I have in my household automatics just for her but as I have those 2 EVs for 8 1/2 years she never drove them once!
 
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