My wife got a 03 Cooper. Lasted 3 years to 32k. Needed new clutch, new brakes, power window motor, leather steering wheel was badly flaking and tires only lasted 12-13k each time with just normal driving. Had a few door dings and scratches that needed attention too. It was going to cost me $3k to get it back in new condition so I went to the dealer and for $3500 I could trade it in on a then new '06. So for an incremental $500 she got a new car. Not up to speed on the S models but for the regular Cooper the 05 and 06 have the better Getreg transmission and some of the electrical gremlins are sorted so get as new a first gen as possible (the car is entirely electrical - PS, drive by wire, etc which made he very nervous initially buying it as I had no interest in chasing electrical issues as the car got older.). There are a million airbags in the car so it is comparatively expensive to insure as the repair costs are high. Her new 06 still eats tires every 13k but for far everything else is fine.
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