We are looking at a 2009 Mini convertible. We've had a few convertibles lately and love it when the weather is nice. My wife really wants this one, but I've got to be the practical one. And I'm not seeing good reviews about the reliability of these. Even a German car repair shop in my town didn't recommend them. Are they really that prone to breakdown? I've heard carbon build up, difficult battery replacement, timing chain guide issues, etc.

 

If you can hold off and find a nice R52 S, '04 to '08, you will be much better served. The engine and Getrag manual gear box are near bullet proof (but avoid the CVT auto). You will find that the SC whine combined with wind in your hair is totally addictive.

 

I did see that most of the bad reviews were from the years after what your saying. But the one's I've seen in these years still had the turbo, not the supercharger. I need to manual to pull behind my motorhome, so I've never considered the CVT auto. Now to find a convertible.