Hi All!

I am so smitten with this car and I want to buy one. Problem is ... which one?! I have been reading all your posts here trying to figure out which one is right for me.

I live in the Boston area (and travel to NH often) where we have a lot of snow, and that concerns me. I read the posts regarding snow tires, etc. and traction in the snow. I am concerned about this and was going to wait for the AWD to come out next year, but frankly, I don't like the look of the crossover. It really doesn't look MINI.

I plan on going to a MINI event next month in my area to meet MINI owners and learn more.

Please feel free to comment about your experiences and help me decide. Thanks!

Donna

 

Excited to hear that someone is in the same boat. I live in NYC at the moment, and while I don't have weather concerns, my real issue is the traffic. I'm most likely going auto due to that alone.

As far as I'm concerned, if you get a MINI in almost any form, you can't go wrong. I've never known a person who has regretted getting one. Good luck!

 

Well, that is the ONE thing I am sure of - an automatic! If you drive in lots of traffic, I think that getting an automatic is a good idea.

 

Welcome from Lowell!

I just got my MINI 3 months ago -- '05 MCSa -- so I haven't been through a winter yet, but I think you'll be just fine: just get a good set of snow tires for added peace of mind.

If you want an automatic -- as noted above, I have one and like it just fine -- make sure you stay away from the Mk.1 "justacoopers" with the CVT transmission (notoriously unreliable/expensive to replace). MCSa of any vintage should be fine; I'll defer to others on the realiability of automatic transmissions on later model "justacoopers".

Also, be sure to vist MassMotoring if you haven't already done so!

 

Thanks, Tim L.

And that's another thing ... the lingo.

make sure you stay away from the Mk.1 "justacoopers" with the CVT transmission (notoriously unreliable/expensive to replace). MCSa of any vintage should be fine; I'll defer to others on the realiability of automatic transmissions on later model "justacoopers".

Is there a "class" I can take?! What is Mk.1, CVT, MCsa (Mini Cooper Sport, I'm thinking here, but was is "a?"). MINIs have a language all their own - supa cool!

Like I said, I'm new to all this. Thanks for the Massmotoring link, too. I will check it out.

D

 

Mk1 = 1st generation of the 'new' MINI. 02-06 model years (05-08 for the cnvertible)
CVT = Continuos Variable Transmission. The type of transmission found in the 1st generation MINI Cooper.
MCSa = MINI Cooper S Automatic. Whenever you see a lower-case a immediately following the model it means its an automatic.

For more short hand, check out this thread.

 

Jeremy's spot on.

Donna -- If you hang out here or on MassMotoring long enough, you'll pick up the lingo in no time!

I don't know if you have specific years or price range in mind when you're shopping for your MINI, but this is a helpful article for '02-'06 MINIs:

http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

I don't know if there's anything comparable for '07+ (the newer MINIs were out of my price range)

So, what's this Mass. MINI shindig -- oops, more lingo! -- coming up next month? I'm curious, especially if you didn't hear about it on Mass Motoring.

 

BTW, looks like the troublesome automatic CVT is endemic to all first generation ('02-'06) Coopers -- although NOT the '02-'06 Cooper S automatic, which uses a completely different transmission.

If I recall the CVT woes are no longer an issue with the '07+ Coopers, but I'm sure someone here will promptly correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

Correct, the 07+ uses a different transmission, probably because of the 1st gen problems.

 

Thanks for the great information. It will be fun reading though all this information.

So what you seem to be saying is look into '07 or newer, if buying preowned? I have noticed that some preowns are almost as much as a new one ... a good thing if you're a seller.

MINI of Peabody is having an event, Octoberfast, on Oct. 11th

http://www.minipeabody.com/News

I called and asked if I could attend - me, a non-MINI owner - and they were more than accommodating and welcoming, so I am going! They even have "extra" MINIs to test drive.

 

Dunno what to recommend, D. Me, I will never, if given the choice, drive another automatic vehicle. I just love driving manual, even if traffic is involved. My *personal* opinion: I feel more in touch with the vehicle when I'm the one shifting gears. Totally subjective for me.

But good luck!! We look forward to finding out your decision!

 

I actually agree with you - standard gives you more control. However I have a back issue (like now, and the reason I am so available to answer these posts!) and years ago when I owned a standard Volvo, I was unable to drive it at all. Since then it's been automatic for me.

 

D:

I'm very happy with my 2005 MCS, but I didn't look at any '07+ Coopers (or Cooper Ss) primarily because they were out of my price range.

If you're looking at automatic First Generation ('02-'06) cars, you'll want to stick with the Cooper S. '05 and '06 are -- in general -- better years than '02-'04 as MINI seems to have worked out many of the bugs from earlier years. I'd limited my search to '05s and '06s, but can be some good deals on older cars if you shop carefully.

If you don't want a Cooper S, then you will probably want to limit your search to '07+, largely due to the improved automatic transmission.

That said, each generation of MINI has its own personality. The only way to know which is best for you is to a) see what's available in your price range, and b) test drive. I expect MoP will have both First and Second Generation vehicles available for you to check out on the 11th.

 

Also, it's worth noting that MINI automatics are shiftable, which essentially turns your car into a 6-speed manual minus the clutch pedal. I actually really like this feature and the flexibility it provides. Having come from 5-speed Audis ('87 4000 and '96 A4 Quattro), I thought I'd never drive an automatic again, but the MCSa is just dandy for a daily driver. (The automatic probably isn't so great for track/autoX, etc., but I can't speak from experience here.)

 

Hi there,

I own a 2008 Cooper S from MINI of Peabody. They are great (ask for Joel but they are all nice up there). I would recommend you get a winter tire set with dedicated snow tires and you shouldn’t have any problems. I would go for a manual but understand if you have to settle for an automatic.

My wife and I did a bunch of research online and configured many cars on MINIIUSA.COM. In the end, the most helpful was to talk to the dealer and walk over their lot. You’ll get a better sense about what you are really looking for (color-wise etc.) and how various models differ from each other.

 

I would love to get a cabrio (I used to drive a MB SLK and loved it), but I need additional room for my travels back and forth to NH. So I was thinking of the Clubman. How much differently does the Clubman drive compared to the Coupe, Coupe S or Cabrio?

I know I need to get over to look at all of them, but I need to wait for my back to heal more before going up.

I have been reading the articles provided in the links below - they are a great source of all kinds of info - thanks.