2002-2005 Mini, help!

[Matthew-W]

Hi there

I am new to this forum and mini also. My parents said when they were younger they had a mini and said it was an incredible car. So therefore as my first car (as i am learning to drive) we are looking at minis. As this will be my first car we are in the price range of $10,000-$16,000 NZ dollars which may be unfamiliar to many of you, but this will buy you a 2002-2005 Mini cooper, but probably only a 2003 Mini cooper s. It will have to be in manual.

So my question is what are your recommendations on my best option, or should i steer right away from Mini's of this age (even if it means buying another car ), Thank you.

[Floor-is]

For a young driver I'd personally advice a One or a Cooper, not the S. Don't get me wrong, the S is great, but it's fast and you're young
Also: maintenance is more expensive, there's more parts that can break down and there is a viable chance the car has been used differently.. The previous owner could have been less careful to put it that way.

Minis are easy to find stuff about, but they are a PITA to work with because the places you want to work at are mostly tiny.