Buying a used mini

My seat' Ibeza is 11 years old and has only 58 thousand miles on the clock and I am beginning to think is it time for a newer car , you know the feeling of , is it gonna start costing me ?

So I had a look at a couple of used minis . I was offered £1500 for mine in exchange for a 2017 diesel with 10 thousand on the clock . I have no more than 9grand to spend to include the money they give me for mine .

So while I'm thinking about it ( no rush as it's just a thought)

Is it wise to buy a diesel mini
Should I wait till new number plates come out as people may exchange theirs for newer .

Any other thoughts please

Thankyou

Re: Buying a used mini

Depends on your mileage, if you do lots of local short trips, then any diesel car is a no no, if you do lots of motorway miles however, then a diesel makes more sense, btw, minis tend to be less reliable after about 5 years or so, how about a Suzuki swift?
( petrol) nice cars and reliable...

Re: Buying a used mini

Diesel not really according to my local showroom guys and the garage I use. Diesel is gonna be hit hard with tax and also at the pumps its moving away again from petrol.

I pick up my next Zafira on Wednesday at Leigh on Sea cannot wait.
Traded on my old old Zafira for £300, its running smoothly now but over the past couple of years it as cost me a few bob. The next thing to go is going to be the windscreen wiper motor and arms at a cost of around £600 for just the from motor and arms thats without labour.
I have decided enough is enough.
I have tried through various breakers to get the parts but even those are struggling to get spare parts for 02 Zafira's.

So roll on Wednesday I am taking my boy with me because if the weather is not good then I will be struggling and I may miss something.
Good luck with your new motor if you decide to trade in.

Re: Buying a used mini

Because I only do 6/7,000 miles a year now I was advised against a diesel car for the reasons Primus has given. Also, I think it is Bristol who have banned diesel cars from the city because of environmental issues. When I looked at the reviews when I changed cars, it seems that Minis don't hold their value very well, so you might get a bargain, particularly if you don't intend to change your car very often. If you liked your Ibiza you could always get another one. I think they are nice cars, although not as trendy looking as a Mini. Not that I know anything about cars. What about a VW Polo? They have very good reviews.I have a Golf and I think I would go back for a VW every time.

Re: Buying a used mini

how about a Suzuki swift? ( petrol) nice cars and reliable...

We were very pleased with our Swift and only upgraded to the next model as a grandchild arrived and the boot couldn't accommodate a child's buggy. Once our granddaughter is a wee bit older, we will probably revert back to a Swift.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Re: Buying a used mini

Minis don't come without their own set of problems but, at the age and mileage you are looking at (and the miles you do) you should be Ok, stick to Petrol though.

Re: Buying a used mini

Susan, l was looking into buying a Mini lately, so l could use my car as a spare for my family when needed. I gave my grandson my Mini Cooper last year so l wanted to replace it.
I wouldn’t consider a diesel car as l think they are slowly being phased out. There seem to be lots of diesel Minis on the market at the moment and that makes me wonder if people are offloading them for maybe, electric or petrol.

I found used Minis to be very expensive in comparison to other cars and sales people don’t seem to budge on the asking price.
I looked at Minis manufactured in 2016 as the road tax is around ?£30 in comparison to ?£140 for Minis of other years.

My friend has a 2016 Swift with integrated sat nav and the road tax is really low on that year of manufacture. I asked if they would sell it to me when they want to buy another car. It’s been such a good car and great on fuel, l think they are keeping it for now.

Re: Buying a used mini

Aww thanks everyone. I wont jump in quickly and I definitely wont buy a diesel. I just am thinking that my ibeza is now 11 years old and dont want to pay out money on lots of repairs etc. I'll keep you informed

Thanks a lot your a smashing bunch x

Re: Buying a used mini

After Christmas is usually a good time to buy a car, as no one has any money and sales are low.
If you can find a hungry salesperson who needs to up their target figures. Go for them, you might get a bargain!

Re: Buying a used mini

Why not stick with what you know and like,Seat are part of the Volkswagen group,not unkown for their quality.Vauxhall is my prefered choice.