I am looking at purchasing my first MINI in the next month or so.

I am mainly looking at cars from 2011 and newer, trying to stay right around $20k. I am leaning towards getting an S however willing to consider to the base MINI.

I am more interested in the Clubman however the Hardtop also intrigues me. I am attracted to the added space of the clubman however the go-kart look of the hardtop is also attractive. I am single guy without a family so I dont NEED the added space.

One thing I have noticed when checking out the carfax's on the 2011 and new MINIs is that most of them have not had the timing chain or tensioners replaced. However when looking at MINIs from 2010 and earlier almost all of them seem to show having it replaced at some point.

Did something change in 2011 making the timing chain a non-issue?

I will not purchase a MINI of this age with more than 40k miles. That said, what should I expect as far as reliability? As with my current car, I expect to spend money to maintain the car every year, how much I am willing to spend to keep it running good, I'm not sure.


What do you think? Is a newer than 2011 Clubman a good way to go for someone with limited mechanical experience? And if so, is the S a safe car that I expect to drive for many years, or something to be nervous about?


Thanks for all you guys do on this forum it is a treasure chest of information for those of us who are just getting into the world of MINI.

 

The engine changed in 2011 to a N18, so the timing change issue was no longer as serious an issue.

The n18 has better reliability than the N14 reportedly.

I suggest you drive a clubbie and a hardtop and see if the handling is much different. The extra few inches are good to have. It smooths out a few of the twitches of the hardtop on uneven roads. Most of the aftermarket parts work, except body mods.

Hope this helps

 

I would suggest trying to negotiate or find a Mini that has CPO coverage. Without extensive mechanical knowledge and out of warranty these cars can get expensive very quickly.
The turbo models (while boasting more power) are less reliable and require a higher level of maintenance than the non turbo models, such as walnut blasting the valves on the turbo's..
The Clubman with standard transmissions seems to have a weak clutch which can be very expensive to fix and usually is not covered under warranty.

 

Thanks for the advise. I am considering a 2013 clubman, S model. It has 23k miles which is on the higher side for my liking however it has been driven since february of 2013 so thats about a year and eight months. It is part of the MINI NEXT program which adds 2-years of warranty and either 25k or 50k mileage, I cant remember which, I think its the latter.

The dealer is asking right at $21k. It has leather, navi, HID, heated seats, panorama sunroof etc, most all the bells and whistles. It is also an automatic which is what I prefer.

Does anyone have anything bad to say about the automatic transmission in 2011+ clubmans? I know previous year CVT transmissions are considered questionable by many.

Thanks for the responses!!

 

The automatics seem to be mostly trouble free.
Looks like you've found a pretty decent CPO car at a fair asking price that sounds reasonable and if you like this MINI may be the one for you.
Just be aware that with the S model you will probably have to have the valves walnut blasted at around 40K miles and that won't be covered under your warranty.
Also you will need to keep a close eye on your oil level as the S models ar known to use as much as a quart of oil per 1K miles.

 

Great, thanks for the advice once again

At this point my BIGGEST concern is that the nearest mini dealer is 5 hours from where I live. Meaning that trips to mini dealer will be far between, say 4 times a year as needed?

Is this distance going to be of major concern for me or should I feel comfortable knowing that I can go if needed but it's not an easy everyday thing.

Thanks again

 

I have a 2013 S hardtop automatic and love it. Actually I am really glad that I did not get a manual.

They are made by Aisin and are solid.

 

I had a 2009 that was walnut blasted by dealer twice at no charge. Also I don't thing 2011+ LCI minis have the oil consumption or a carbon build up issues, it's a different motor. Please correct me if this is proven wrong as I traded my 2009 for a 2012 expecting to avoid these problems.

 

+1 I totally agree. The Aisin transmissions are very solid! Im also glad I got a automatic in my 13.

 

I'm very glad to hear about the transmission. And from the sounds of it the N18 engine is an all around more reliable and slightly less maintenance intensive engine.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to take the leap, financially speaking, I want to wait maybe one more month so I can make a larger down payment of at least 50%.

I definitely think I'm going to try and get a clubman CPO 2012 or 13 depending on what's out there in a month. If I was ready today I would pull the trigger on the car I mentioned above.

Thanks for all the advise and if you think of anything please let me know.

 

Overall good car. Seems like a better setup than the previous generation. I have an automatic, "Cooper S Clubman" in Mini nomenclature. I don't think there's a significant issue or difference with turbo vs non-turbo. I think that's a hold over from when there was a big difference in quality, maintenance and reliability. I asked the same questions when I bought the car. Now I have a Honda 4cyl-turbo Accord and my Mini. I'm not concerned.

My 2011 has had the following issues:
1) First 10,000 miles - Replaced the radio twice since it was making significant, very loud popping noises randomly, even after having the car off. - warranty
2) ~50k - Fouled a spark plug on hard acceleration getting onto the freeway. Ran horribly, parked it and had it towed to Mini. Easy fix. - Mini paid for the tow, I paid for the fix, I believe.
3) 65k - Bad vanos solenoid - paid for full replacement
4) 65k - Bad High Pressure Fuel Pump - 75% of cost covered by Mini USA
5) ~45k - cracked a rim, replaced all rims and tires with non-runflats

Not a real problem with the car, but Jiffy Lube won't change my oil because you have to move the coolant reservoir to get to the oil filter. With my two other vehicles, I will buy Mobile 1 from WalMart in the 5qt containers and then have them change the oil. Not so much with the Mini. I've been intending to start doing this, anyway, but now I will have to if I'm going to change the oil every 5-10k!

 

The automatic transmission that MINI uses is a good one. Be aware the fluid is not lifetime even though MINI says it is. If you want the transmission to last change the fluid. I do mine at 30,000 mile intervals.

 

I got 36k on ours and overall its been good but not great.

@5k- replaced temp sensor under warranty
@7k- replaced temp sensor under warranty
@17k replaced battery under warranty
@23k replaced timing chain under warranty
@34k replaced battery under warranty

Initially I wasn't a fan of Mini's until my wife wanted a clubman S. She loved this car and after I drove it I just liked it. The sport suspension with the 17"s run flats made the car handle on rails but was a bit too harsh a ride for my taste. I've since add a few performance & suspension mods and I now love the car.

My advice if you buy used is to get a comprehensive warranty with a car with the lowest miles you can afford.

 

Thanks for the continued advice everyone I really appreciate it!! I'm definitely going to be purchasing at least a 2011 and definitely a certified pre-owned and then if appropriate adding an additional extended warranty to that.

My concern is that I have a BMW dealership here locally, however I do not a MINI dealer closer than 250 miles from where I live so is the warranty worth it when I'll have to travel so far?

Thanks again for the continued help.

 

Used car, then find one that's cpo. Even if the mini dealer is far.

Something goes wrong at least you are covered. You can never be too sure if the previous owners