My wife and I are thinking about buying a new MCS. However, we are wondering how reliable this vehicle really is after reading all the posts on this website. We are going to test drive one this Thursday. Are there any owners out there that have not had any serious problems with their 08' MCS w/ automatic trans.? Thank you for your help.

 

My $0.02 - find a low mileage 06. Better car all around and rock solid.

 

If you think about it, people like to complain and post when things go wrong. If everything is great, people don't tend to talk about it. So yeah, reading "all the posts on this website" seem to be troubling, but for every post about a problem, I'm sure there are many others who have no complaints and therefore don't write much.

 

And as you can see, I have both a 05 and an 07. The R56 is much superior, but that is not what this thread is about, so I hope it doesn't turn into another one of those R53 versus R56 discussions. Afterall, the OP stated they want to buy a NEW MINI.

 

New to them.

 

Right, as others have said, the % of people on NAM with problems will be much higher than elsewhere. Many people sign up for the forums just to get help on an issue.

 

in my opinion this is TERRIBLE advice. my 2007 has been flawless. can't say the same about my 2004 and 2005 MINIs. go get yourselves a new 2009 MINI with a warranty (for piece of mind). these are great cars and you should not have any issues at all with them.

 

If you get the MCS, WISE CHOICE!!! Please don't mistake everyone's negative posts as an indicator of poor-vehicle-manship...Like the other posters have said, people usually come to NAM for answers or the community consensus. Others come for the Obsessive Compulsive MINI Disorder (OCMD) support group (like yours truly). I'd bet that 99% of the NAMers would recommend the vehicle to others (some more emphatically or enthusiastically!), and all have opinions to the best years / models / options.

My advice: Go for the MINI. Get what options you want - order everything that appeals to you, because, unless this is just your "starter MINI" and you'll be buying more...you'll have this baby for a LOOOONG time. Unless of course you and your wife start serious fights about who gets to drive it...then you'll HAVE to buy a second MINI. Good luck, and welcome to NAM!!

 

Oh, and by the way...I'm on my second MINI (first was an '04 MCS, now have an '07 MCS turbo).....

I LOVE THESE CARS!!!!! I will never be without a MINI from now on...

 

Your posts always make me smile and I needed one today. I have been waiting patiently for my first MCSa 08. First MINI ever had. So can't wait. Thanks again. Great advice

 

 

I've never owned an automatic Mini, but in my experience the reliability is good/very good. I had an '03 MCS for almost 5 years -- it had several little issues (hatchback latch needed to be adjusted twice, windshield washers jammed once, etc.), and only one major issue (a design flaw with the power steering pump that isn't relevant in the new models).

We've had our '07 Sidewalk convertible for over a year now, and not one issue. We just picked up our '08 Clubman S, so the jury is still out, but no problems with it so far.

 

Glad to hear it. How many miles on your convertible?

 

A little over 17k so far.

 

We are probably going to get an '09 MCS since the '08 py is shutting down at the end of August. I am hoping that Mini got all the bugs worked out for the '09 models lol. We are going to test drive on Monday instead of today because of the weather. Will let you all know how it went. Again, thanks for the comments and support.

 

I disagree, the 07/08 is a much better car all round, we just swapped the 05 for an 08. (And the 04 for an 07 last year). We don't have auto, but have had no significant problems.

 

What it boils down to for most of us, I think, is how much you feel you can trust BMW to design and build a good car. So far, two months and 3,000 miles in, I'm very happy with my little car. I love how it handles, and while I do not expect to get ten years out of it, if I'd really wanted ten years out of it, I would have bought a Civic. What I wanted out of this car, was a fun drive. I test drove several cars and nothing else gave me perma-grin. I'm willing to replace the car in five years if I have to. Any time I get with the car after that, is a bonus.

There's also something to be said for proper maintenance on a vehicle. I believe that any car can last an owner ten years, with proper maintenance and good driving habits. I have friends that chew through cars in five years, like clockwork, and I have a bad habit of keeping mine going for a decade or more. When my friends ask me what I'm doing right, I tell them "Oil changes and I follow the scheduled maintenance in the manual." I usually get dirty looks for it, but there is a reason why I have a ten year old corolla that my mechanic is amazed at every time I take it in.

It's because I actually take the thing in!

Keep that in mind while car shopping, and purchase accordingly. Good luck, and I expect we'll see you posting about your custom order on a new MCS very soon.

 

Hi Gem, we currently have a 1994 Ford Taurus with no problems. We also have a '97 Chevy Malibu that we call "The Princess" because of all the problems that we had with her. Currently, she is doing well. We just want to get a fun and reliable car that we can keep for many years. By the way, we are getting rid of you know who if we get the MCS lol. Thanks for the reply.

 

Mact go for it, these cars are very reliable I've had 3, 4th on order now and only 1 issue on my first an O2 sensor. Remember the longer you wait to order the longer you will wait for the fun. Cheers

 

No... could it be... *taps finger on chin and thinks... *

Not the chevy/pontiac/3 different oldsmobiles! Say it ain't so! <insert as much drama and sarcasm in the above statements as you like.>

 

The MINI has been around long enough in the US now (6 years) for the free marketplace to have figured out whether MINI's are a good buy or not. And here's what the marketplace has decided ... 1) you cannot find a new MINI anywhere in the country to buy off the lot, and 2) used MINI's have the highest resale value of any car in the country. Don't ask us, we all love our MINI's ... ask the marketplace!