Should I buy a MINI?

Just a quick sanity check here. I drive about 50k per year for work. I never buy new cars because I burn them up in a hurry. I'm currently driving a 2007 Ion Coupe with 290k on the clock. Knock on wood it's been a decent reliable DD but it certainly doesn't stir the soul. If it bought a 2008 or so basic MINI could I expect a similar level of reliability? I do all of my own wrenching but I don't want to be stuck working on my DD all the time. I've never owned a MINI and I was thinking now may be a good time. What sayeth the hive?

I see your profile shows Ontario so I will presume the 50k is kilometers which is equal to 31k miles.

Also for reference 290 Kilometers is 180 miles

Just remember that they are modern BMWs with all of the good and bad that it entails.

Long periods of driving enjoyment punctuated by moments of extreme monetary peril.

Wayslow wrote: If it bought a 2008 or so basic MINI could I expect a similar level of reliability? I do all of my own wrenching but I don't want to be stuck working on my DD all the time. I've never owned a MINI and I was thinking now may be a good time. What sayeth the hive?

Based on my recent ownership of a 2011 Cooper S, hell no. Experiences vary, sure, but that was the most crowded engine bay I've ever worked in, and I chased down a random misfire and inability to handle full throttle for the last six months we owned it before we traded it in.

BIL bought a 2011 Cooper S used last fall. He loves it but I warned him to get a good extended warranty with it. He did and has exercised it several times getting them to chase down a persistent misfire code.

With the amount you drive, I would say probably not for a non turbo and HELL no for an S. Tons of fun to drive, but not great for high mileage duties.

MINIs are one of those weird cars where the first generation performance version seems to be a lot more solid than everything that came after. The first gen Cooper S (R53) with the 6-speed appears to have the most solid reliability out of them all, though weird stuff goes wrong with the rest of the car. The non-S first gens were pretty decent too when they finally ditched the terrible Midlands 5-speed.

With the second gen came the timing chain issues, fuel pump, etc...

If warranty, yes. Brilliant chassis, decent shiftgear in a manual. Ergos are a bit off due to the quirk factor. One of the best fwd cars from a fun perspective ever.

If not warranty, or slushbox, no. The odd packaging means it can be infuriating to work on. Consumables arent bad, but if non wear E36 M3 breaks.....

I would say no. Go buy a Mazda 3 and don't look back.

92dxman wrote: I would say no. Go buy a Mazda 3 and don't look back.

I had both. At the same time. Mazda was far more reliable, but damned if that cooper s didnt handle hilariously good for a fwd.

I love MINIs, but would one likely be as reliable as an Ion coupe? Hell no.

I'd buy a VW before a MINI if reliability was the #1 concern.

I hear nothing good about their reliability. But man, I do want one. I love the handling and the greenhouse--you can see so well unlike most modern cars.

Is the first gen really more reliable?

I own a '08 JustaCooper and I love it and hate it sometimes. I commute about the same distance (100 km daily) and I got as much as 850km out of a tank. I've owned the car for 18 months and I've had to change the water pump, thermostat housing, battery, all 4 coil packs, plugs and radiator. I do some wrenching but due to cold weather I had this work done at a shop. Not BMW but a specialized shop near my work. I just did the brakes with a friend and saved $400. I bought the Mini with 139,000kms on it and I'm sitting at 161 km's right now. CEL came on awhile back but has since gone off. I love the handling and I autocrossed it last year, did well. Now my kids are getting too big to fit but I find myself still looking for a Clubman. I'd love to get an '06 JCW Cooper S but kids won't fit there either. I'm still concerned about timing chain issues, ticking bomb maybe? I've been working locally this year so my mileage has kept low. I'm tempted to just find something else soon, though I know I'll miss this car.

I drive an R53 and occasionally take it to a local MINI specialist. The folks there were driving 1st gen cars last time I was in but told me that 2nd gen cars are their bread and butter. That tells me something.

I bought Mom's 7yo '03 R53, when she got a new car. At the time, it had 48k miles on it. I had it for about another 8k. In that time, the BCM puked ($1500), the HID headlight aiming module was dead (wasn't going to replace that - $450), and finally, the engine E36 M3 the bed. Had it rebuilt, and unloaded the car.

But, it was hilariously fun to drive.

CyberEric wrote: Is the first gen really more reliable?

Maybe... possibly... it's a crap-shoot.

My ex's '03 R53 (bought new) has been giving her a world of issues lately. She will never get rid of it, but she finally gave up and bought a new ND earlier in 2015 so she'll have something reliable to drive. Just dropped over $1000 into it at a German car specialty shop and it's going back again to look for a coolant leak.

Put is this way: Even with 3x the miles on it, my '03 VW TDI (well over 300K) has been a model of reliability compared to her MINI (a bit over 100K). Even when both were new.

Like I said - I love the cars and will one day own another one, but it will never be a primary driver.

For a daily driver seeing lots of miles, I think this would be a bad idea. I had a 2005 Cooper S that only had the "usual" issues of thermostat housing leak, supercharger oil leak, oil pan gasket leaks, and O2 sensors going bad before 50k miles. Otherwise, it was a blast to drive and never left me stranded.

My wife has a 2011 Cooper S that has been better than average. It's nearing 50k miles and has been good so far, but the timing chain guides were done under warranty. It's pretty crowded under the hood and I hate simply changing the engine oil. I'd own one that was a backup to my daily, but I don't think I'd want to put the kind of miles you're thinking of on it.

I'm doing the long (45 min one way) commute thing in a 2008 R56 Copper S with around 140k miles. Love driving it, but fear the repairs. I consider myself lucky with no major replacements out of pocket. Done the high pressure fuel pump (just before the extended warranty ran out and the cause of the intermittent misfires), timing chain guides (warrantee), thermostat housing, oil lines, now a coolant leak from the water pump... Given up on the oil leaks and rattles.

92dxman wrote: I would say no. Go buy a Mazda 3 and don't look back.

Except for the fact that up here in the land of salt, every used Mazda 3 I have ever seen is shall we say "perforated".

JoeTR6 wrote: For a daily driver seeing lots of miles, I think this would be a bad idea. I had a 2005 Cooper S that only had the "usual" issues of thermostat housing leak, supercharger oil leak, oil pan gasket leaks, and O2 sensors going bad before 50k miles. Otherwise, it was a blast to drive and never left me stranded. My wife has a 2011 Cooper S that has been better than average. It's nearing 50k miles and has been good so far, but the timing chain guides were done under warranty. It's pretty crowded under the hood and I hate simply changing the engine oil. I'd own one that was a backup to my daily, but I don't think I'd want to put the kind of miles you're thinking of on it.

My 05 s leaked oil from all those things too. Eventually it settled for spinning a bearing instead of oil starvation knock. Safe to say, the wife got to keep that car in the divorce.

It makes me sad these cars are so "compromised."

In reply to CyberEric:

Yup. They are an absolute hoot to drive. So unfortunate.

Damn. This thread just confirms what I really already knew. I was just hoping that at least a few of you guys would've had positive experiences but I guess not. It's a shame because they're such a hoot to drive.

You would be wise to stay with the same manufacturer. You can't beat the reliability, and prices being what they are, the value either. There is a certain SS model that is both cheap and not particularly boring to drive.

Mine was positive. I had a '06 R53 and did nothing to it really except brakes once and thermostat housing. The new owners are friends and in the almost year they've had it they have spent no money on repairs. His wife drives it everyday.