I'm looking at an 03 cooper S that is a serious contender looking for feedback from any owners of simmilar models. I would like know how reliable it is, any issues and general satisfaction Thanks

 

i know some people would steer you away from the older R53s but I havent had any major issues with mine.

here are a few issues ive had
- slightly mushroomed strut towers
- rusty exhaust bracket

the hanger isnt a big deal since when i had the OEM exhaust i made a hanger out of some scrap metal from home depot. the strut towers arent cracked or majorly warped. ive since installed some coilovers which have camber plates and a strut brace so that has helped a lot flattening them out.

the chewbacca sound is annoying on cold or damp mornings, but isnt anything to worry about.

car has been 100% reliable over the past year and half, gets great gas mileage, and offers great performance and aftermarket support.

 

My 03 as been a blast to drive It has 66,000 miles. As mine is highly modified my gas mileage is down. Only thing I can say bad is it has a few squeaks and rattles. The sunroof rattles quite a bit.

 

Thanks all points worth some thought The little beauty that I'm looking at as a bit over 100k on her

 

oh that last post remind me that the sunroof surround plastic on mine rattles when the weather is cold. last year i took it out and stuffed some styrafoam behind it and it hasnt rattled since.

 

May have to try that? Thanks