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...i truly dont know anything about the car. my current car has about 6 months left to live. its dying pretty quickly, and i am in the market for a new car. ive seen and test drove the subaru WRX, and it is a great car (my personal favorite) but, the problem is, they are sold with such a high mark up (sometimes passing the 27K mark, when the base is 23.5) that i was very turned off by the whole thing.
then i saw a mini driving around, i instantly became intrested, and now im doing my homework to see if it is worth it. im pretty young (23 years old) and im not the type of guy that likes to run with the crowd. i could very easily get a civic, or a sentra, but i dont like being a lamb in a herd. i dont mind spending the extra bit of cash for something original. i like the fact that the mini cooper stands out in the crowd.
but i dont know anything about it, what im most intrested is in reliability. if you guys could clue me in on any problems or issues that have arisen since the car came out i would be very appreciative. ive heard from a buddy that he had seen 2 minis broken down on the side of the road. plus living in Miami Florida, i have to hope that the car doesnt overheat or anything (heat + humidity + traffic = headaches) that kind of worries me. i wouldnt want to invest in a car thats gonna give me headaches, ive already owned two that cleaned out my bank account when it came to repairs/maintenence.
anyways, if you guys could give me any advice, i would definitly be greatful
Being the first year in production there are bound to be problems so I won't say that there aren't any. I think one of the big selling points for me is that it's backed by BMW. The biggest concern for me is that it's backed by BMW.... :smile:
The biggest compaint among the MINI afflicted is being able to get one! There are waiting lists out tell next year. So if you do want one, put your money down now.
Oh and shop for good pricing..... the gouging effect is running wild in the MINI market.
By far and away the most common complaint is a veer to the left. But a fix was supposedly implemented for this in March. The majority of these complaints have been from UK owners where the base Cooper has already been on sale for over a year. This is one advantage for North Americans, since our European friends have been more or less the guinea pigs for the car. There have also been less critical issues, such as problems with the seat adjustment mechanism, where it has either gotten stuck or the adjusters have broken off altogether . People less familiar with electro-hydraulic power steering have complained about steering noise at low speed and sharp turn-in, but this is a normal characteristic for this feature.
>>but i dont know anything about it, what im most intrested is in reliability. if you guys could clue me in on any problems or issues that have arisen since the car came out i would be very appreciative.
I must say that it is pretty difficult to judge how reliable a car is going to be in the long run until there are a large number of them out there with a lot of miles and years on them. This is true for any new car that comes to market, you just have to look at the track record of the company that is making the car, and roll the dice so to speak.
Perhaps, in response to the original post, current MINI owners could critique their cars based on whatever shortcomings (if any) they may have experienced thus far. While it is obvious that the true reliability of a car is measured over time, many shorcomings become evident soon after the initial excitement of purchasing a new car has worn off. All readers of this forum would benefit from the observations of the fortunate few who already own their own MINI.
For instance, during my 45-minute test drive of an S model, I noticed that it was difficult to see around the rear-view mirror (and I'm not very tall at 5'11") when looking for road signs and traffic lights. Also, there was an annoying rattle that came from some place in the rear of the car every time I hit a bump (rather common in the Chicago suburbs). And the lack of a spare (I know, it's got 'run-flat' tires) was unnerving.
While these observations had little negative effect on my desire to own a MINI (mine is due in August) I find myself wanting to hear answers to the same questions asked by the new member in the original post.
So, how 'bout it, members? How do you like your MINIs so far?
I've had mine for nearly four weeks now. The biggest problem so far? People keep stopping me to look at the car and ask questions. I even had a Corvette pull along side on the freeway and just stay there for over a mile (at 65mph!) to ogle the car.
I have had my chili red for about 2 months now...3,500 miles. My seat did get stuck and the dealership took care of it - I do not like the way the seat works. We did get a flat - that ruined the tire - dealer replaced.(Road Side Service Never Showed) Small thing but the lighter/power does not work unless the key is on. Having much fun w/ the car and yes takes longer to go anywhere as people have enquiring minds!
I've had my MINI since early April. Here are the pros and cons. Until these things flood the streets be prepared for nonstop looks, questions, people following you into parking lots, groups of people staring into your car when you return from errands, etc. That is either a pro or a con. Here is what has gone wrong with the car so far: The rattle on the hatch back. It is a real issue and I found out from my dealer today that I'm not the first person to make the complaint. I will be making an appointment soon to have this looked at. MINI may end up replacing the hatch back doors if this is something that is a common problem. My heated seat on the driver's side stopped working. Not too big a deal since it is approaching summer, but you hate to see those kind of problems this early. I too have experienced the pull to the left, but I notice it most when I put the car into nuetral when slowing down to a stop. Didn't realize it was much of a concern until I read a few things on this board. I may mention it when I call the service people. As for breakdowns, I learned to drive a stick to get this car and the first week was a little tough. I stalled out here and there and I can't help wondering if people on the road thought it was something wrong with the car. Nope, it was just me. But I'm dong great and overall, I love the MINI. Nothing takes a corner quite like it. I live near a lot of rotaries and it is fun to watch people's faces when they see how tight I spin around those traffic circles.
The only problem I noticed during my test drive about a month ago was lack of room near the pedals. I wear size 11, which is pretty much average for a 5'10" guy like me, but often my foot was stepping on 2 pedals at a time or getting stuck under another pedal. That's about it. I have to say that my test drive was only 15 minutes long, and when I got back to the dealer, I was getting used to it. If I go back to the dealer, I will definitively need a longer test drive to see if it is really a problem (however, that wouldn't stop me from getting the MINI).
In my opinion, the pros totally outweighted the cons. The car is so much fun to drive and I have never driven a car that corners like the MINI.
I must say that it's really great to hear that most of you guys really seem to love your cars! It makes me want to get one even more, and faster!!! The problems I hear from you guys seem to be mostly little problems that can be associated with first year production. Hopefully they'll be able to iron out the kinks. I am curious to see how the little motor holds up to 12 lbs of boost over the years though.
Hi. I'm trying to find a Mini. Here, they start at $6,000 over sticker price. That's before extras. There's an upcharge on every little option. So, would you mind telling me where--what city and what dealer--you found Minis below sticker priced?
. People less familiar with electro-hydraulic power steering have complained about steering noise at low speed and sharp turn-in, but this is a normal characteristic for this feature. 
