[dazzpowder]

Hi,

What would most consider to be a basic or minimum requrement when speccin' an R56 Diesel in terms of desireability / resale?

[Griffer]

Quote: Originally Posted by dazzpowder (original)

Hi,

What would most consider to be a basic or minimum requrement when speccin' an R56 Diesel in terms of desireability / resale?

Any Mini has to have the Chili or Pepper packs for better trade in (all depends on how long you are going to keep it). Other essentials for the Cooper are white indicators and an interior dash trim ( eg piano black or fluid silver) to save you from the black plastic door ellipses. All other options are personal taste and will loose value but the ones that don't loose too much money are metallic paint and the options packs.

[Harpo]

You can get a number of freebee enhancements...

Roof and mirror caps in black or white
Mirror caps in body colour
Additional decor rings (essential as door interior will look very drab otherwise)

Pocket money enhancements include:

Heated washer jets - £40
Chrome mirror caps - £50
White indicators - £50
Bonnet stripes - £60 (only with black or white roof)
15" Rotator alloys - £70
Chrome line exterior - £90
Colour line - £90
Front fogs - £90

But don't even think about buying without Air con or alloys - you just won't be able to sell it when you eventually replace it. The same applies to a lesser degree with Metallic paint.

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

There is not one single extra that you will see your entire original investment back on. Spend a lot of money speccing the car up and you will loose a large amount of it come trade in time

The things that come closest to getting your entire original investment back are:

Air con
Metallic paint
and, to a lesser extent:
Options packs (Pepper / Chilli)

Tigger.

[dazzpowder]

Thanks for the reply's

[KenL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Griffer (original)

Any Mini has to have the Chili or Pepper packs for better trade in (all depends on how long you are going to keep it). Other essentials for the Cooper are white indicators and an interior dash trim ( eg piano black or fluid silver) to save you from the black plastic door ellipses. All other options are personal taste and will loose value but the ones that don't loose too much money are metallic paint and the options packs.

Yes, you will get more on a trade in and the car would be more desirable if it had a pack, but you will still lose more than you spend. Overall a lightly specced (or even base) car should retain more of its cost price in percentage terms.

The packs are decent value and well known by prospective customers. I still don't think you really need it (in Scotland anyway) but AC seems more like an essential these days.

The last thing on anyone's list as essentials will be clear indicators - money straight down the drain if you ask me

[jdcooper]

You will always loose money on he mini, but if you want the best return the mini must have
- Pepper pack
- Air con
- sun roof

I dont bother with chili pack as is twice the value, an also anything you put inside the car it wont be noticed.. like interior trim, leather seats an so on.

[DaftBoyfriend]

You will always loose more money on options than on the actually car, so in theory you should buy a car with no options!

But I know my local dealer wont buy a car unless it has a pack!

So realistically I would put either the Pepper or Chili Pack on and nothing else.

Metallic paint wont add any value but certain colours (Yellow & Green) maybe worth less.

[Griffer]

The last thing on anyone's list as essentials will be clear indicators - money straight down the drain if you ask me [/quote]
The orange indicators in the headlights look cross eyed. If you don't pay £50 for clear indicators and you really don't like them then very expensive to put right after you have got the car so quite important I think. In fact the first thing I did was get rid of the nasty orange bulbs that ruined the look of my standard clear indicators on my MCS. Compare my indicators to yours, what do other people think??
http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1173553009
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/500/IMG_3182.jpg

[GarryThomas]

Low cost options Pepper pack
air con, & sunroof combined often makes the sale secondhand
chrome mirrors
Red sells well & looks great.

White, or clear, or Indicators
are just a fashion statement once everyone has
Dark, white, clear or green.
Orange will be back in vogue as a cost option.
I think orange suits a black car anyway
that's my opinion

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by Griffer (original)

The last thing on anyone's list as essentials will be clear indicators - money straight down the drain if you ask me

Quote:

The orange indicators in the headlights look cross eyed. If you don't pay £50 for clear indicators and you really don't like them then very expensive to put right after you have got the car so quite important I think. In fact the first thing I did was get rid of the nasty orange bulbs that ruined the look of my standard clear indicators on my MCS. Compare my indicators to yours, what do other people think??
http://www.mini2.com/forum/attachmen...1&d=1173553009
http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/500/IMG_3182.jpg

It's, without any doubt, a huge improvement; it's just how they should all have left the factory in the first place.

Sadly, however, come trade in time the dealer is likely to offer you naff all in additional trade in allowance and I think that's the main issue for thread starter.

Tigger.

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by jdcooper (original)

but if you want the best return the mini must have
- sun roof

Quote: Originally Posted by GarryThomas (original)

Low cost options Pepper pack
air con, & sunroof combined often makes the sale secondhand

If you guys are both convinced sunroofs are so good for resale value here's a challenge.

1) Call any dealer and ask for a value on your car, but don't tell them it has a sunroof.
2) Once you have a value call them back and tell them you forgot to tell them your car has a sunroof.
3) See how much more they offer you.

Actually, I'll save you the time, they won't offer you a penny more. There was £670 well spent!

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by dazzpowder (original)

What would most consider to be a basic or minimum requrement when speccin' an R56 Diesel in terms of desireability / resale?

Opinions from people that have different options are always helpful, but looking at this question objectively as someone who has spent the last 10 years selling cars my advice would be to keep it simple.

The Glass's Guide that all dealerships use to value cars breaks each model down into Base +SALT +PEPPER and +CHILI (where applicable) and assumes that all cars have metallic paint and air conditioning. ALL other options are ignored. However, some dealers will take highly desirable options into consideration when valuing a car, but don't count on this. It is also important to note that the resale value of cars fitted with, in the case of Cooper, a PEPPER or CHILI Pack is virtually identical to the difference in the cost new, so either would be equally good value.

From my experience, the Sports Front Seats, Visibility Pack and MFSW are desirable from a dealer's perspective, but things like a Sunroof or White Indicator Lenses are just classed as a bonus.

Also, don't be tempted to go for the cheaper PEPPER Pack but upgrade to 16" alloys and/or part-leather upholstery, as you will lose out long term.

The only other option I would strongly recommend on a Cooper is one of the interior finishes, as the door ellipses otherwise look cheap and nasty. A Colour Line on the other hand will do little or nothing to enhance the value of the car.

Hope this is of at least some help?

[morrisminiminor]

I'd have thought that any remaining TLC would be desireable especially if you were selling your MINI privately.

morrisminiminor

[Scrogg]

I think it's pretty much taken for granted that everyone that buys a MINI takes the TLC, hence nobody else has mentioned it.

So far, I've only come across two that don't have it.

[Griffer]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tigger, Eeyore & Roo (original)

It's, without any doubt, a huge improvement; it's just how they should all have left the factory in the first place.

Sadly, however, come trade in time the dealer is likely to offer you naff all in additional trade in allowance and I think that's the main issue for thread starter.

Tigger.

Original thread said resale and/or desirability. £50 is a small price to lose at trade in to ensure you can look at the car the time you own it!!!

[octy2]

As a newbie, I'll stick my head over the parapet and say "less is more"!

I drive a company owned Ocatavia and own a S1 Elise for fun. I'm tempted by the new Cooper D as my next company car, however, I have a lease budget equating to a purchase price of approx £15k. With this in mind, I have configured a Cooper D which looks good and is not loaded with heavy, needless optional extras. For example, who needs air con? It is fitted to my Octavia, but is used about a half a dozen times a year!

Mini Cooper D in Mellow Yellow with black roof (£14,175) and the following options:-

16" Bridge alloys (£460)- less unsprung weight, without harsher ride of 17" wheels
Space Saver spare wheel (£40)- foam is OK, but what do you do if you rip a sidewall!
3 spoke Leather sports steering wheel (£180)- I hate plastic steering wheel rims
Heated mirrors/washer jets (£40)- essential for winter safety
Sport button (£90)- sharpens steering and throttle responses

Total cost= £14,985

Who needs to spend £18k? In any case, you'll lose most of the cost of optional extras on resale.

[Mini ClubMan]

Well its clearly a matter of choice, I spend 4hrs+ a day in my car and cover 35000 miles a year - my aircon is never off as I hate being warm when driving, I like to have access to all my music collection without having to mess around with CD's - hence the Ipod connection. For me the many extras Ive ordered is about making my working day more enjoyable amd more comfortable - not looking to make the money back at trade in... its about the here and now.

It really is down to personal choice .

[James]

Quote: Originally Posted by octy2 (original)

As a newbie, I'll stick my head over the parapet and say "less is more"!

who needs air con? It is fitted to my Octavia, but is used about a half a dozen times a year!

.

do you live in the mountains?

[octy2]

Quote: Originally Posted by Crammy (original)

do you live in the mountains?

No, I just don't like being chilled to the bone! Plus, if it's very hot, I can always take the Elise (with the roof off, naturally!)

For the record, I do 30k miles in my company car and prefer to savour the driving rather than posing experience. I'm sorry, but that's the impression I get as a non Mini driver/owner. For instance, I can't recall the last time I saw a Mini being driven with any enthusiasm.