Does look a bit strange

Post #434,293 by scoenye 6/2/20 7:11:23 PM 6/2/20 7:11:23 PM Reply	Does look a bit strange Long term trends https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/price-trends/MINI-Cooper-d436 In 2008 the Mini was among cars that retained value better than average. The only thing I can think of is the fuel cost. The Minis take 91+ which may cause some sticker shock for those that only read the window sticker.
Post #434,294 by a6l6e6x 6/2/20 9:08:31 PM 6/2/20 9:08:31 PM Reply	Re: Minis take 91+ fuel Regular gasoline is $1.589/gallon here and premium is $2.089/gal at QuickTrip and $2.879/gal at Exxon. The gap in prices is significant now. Alex "There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -- Isaac Asimov
Post #434,298 by pwhysall 6/3/20 2:03:29 AM 6/3/20 2:03:29 AM Reply	Good point, and one which I didn't consider at all Outwith the realms of genuine/exotic sports cars, everyone can use regular (aka non V-Power (other brands are available)) fuel, over here. Anyone buying a car that needs the fancy stuff knows about it. You can run a Ferrari on the normal stuff from a supermarket forecourt, although it'll do better on the posh juice.
Post #434,303 by scoenye 6/3/20 9:07:37 AM 6/3/20 9:07:37 AM Reply	I think it is a feature of imported Euro motors European regular (Euro 95) is roughly US 91. They might be able to use US regular (87 here, ~ Euro 91) but as there is no European equivalent, the paperwork doesn't say.
Post #434,307 by Another Scott 6/3/20 11:34:01 AM 6/3/20 11:34:01 AM Reply	91 octane required might be "required". When I was looking at new VWs in 2003, one of the things that turned me off on some of the models was the "91 octane required" statement. But then I talked with a VW lover at work with a Passat and he said he runs regular 87 in it all the time with no issues. And that makes sense - modern control electronics adjust the timing, etc., to minimize pinging no matter the fuel. It's just that to get the best (and rated) power out of it, you need the higher octane gas. The Mini might be the same way. https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/to-save-money-on-gas-stop-buying-premium.html Cheers, Scott.
Post #434,317 by scoenye 6/3/20 6:26:09 PM 6/3/20 6:26:09 PM Reply	Check their "91 required" list The Minis are on it :-) They're not going to stick their neck out and countermand the manufacturers. The key thing is the lack of certification. If you use 87 and it burns a piston, you'll end up holding the bag, even if still under warranty. In the end, compression is the source of pinging/knocking and the ECU can fiddle only so much with the ignition timing to cool things down. It can't change the compression ratio.
Post #434,323 by Another Scott 6/3/20 11:50:47 PM 6/3/20 11:50:47 PM Reply	Yeahbut, so are VW Passats. ;-) Yes, nobody is going to recommend it in writing with all the potential liability, but... You must wash and wax 3 times next sat. Then sleep with feetfacing southwest for 3 day's. Good luck ;-) Thanks. Cheers, Scott.
Post #434,333 by Ashton 6/4/20 5:04:36 PM 6/4/20 5:04:36 PM Reply	re Knocking.. Yess My impression also ... unless you Are an 'explosives engineer' /also thermodynamicist: you cannot imagine what hapens when 'burning' becomes Detonation; the little mouse momentarily tears-off a small carbon-flake (firmly attached to some aluminum!), likely at that spot already? a precursor to a new 'crack' etc. tl;tl ...how Many? little-bites before Carmageddon happens--in a trice? Roll dem dice -->
Post #434,299 by drook 6/3/20 5:04:18 AM 6/3/20 5:08:23 AM Reply	Good catch, I'll look for that After looking at the chart, I really want to see the ads she's looking at where they're under $5k. If she's looking at 15+ year old cars we need to have a discussion. -- Drew Edited by drook June 3, 2020, 05:08:23 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #434,300 by pwhysall 6/3/20 9:01:04 AM 6/3/20 9:01:04 AM Reply	Just had a quick look on Auto Trader UK If she's seeing Coopers for $US 5K, they're definitely in the 15-year-plus bracket. At five years old here, they go for about £8-10K. They're twice that, new.

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