So I've been looking into buying a new car. I've got it narrowed down to either a) chevy ssr b)nissan 350z or c) the mini cooper s
probably an 04/05.

Heres some stuff that someone posted on a forum with no reply.
So heres what i have to add.

How comfortable is the car? I'm only 5' 11" but having never sat in one it looks like there isn't much room. How do repair/alignment costs compare to a bmw? Also how well does it handle in snow (I have to drive 45 miles one way to work).

Thanks for any input.

 

They're a lot bigger on the inside. I'm 6'2" / 210 pounds, and with a 2006 MINI convertible, I don't even have to put the seat all the way back and there's enough headroom that I can wear a helmet with the top up when I'm autocrossing it.

Maintenance costs will be higher than a Civic, but that's true for almost any car. I haven't had to rotate my tires any more frequently than any other car I've owned, but as a general rule, you need to rotate tires on a front-wheel drive car more often than a rear-wheel drive car since the front tires are doing double-duty (steering and propulsion).

My wife and I have two 2006 MINIs. Hers has about 55k miles and mine has about 80k. Both of them needed work during the warranty period (the engine mounts and thermostat housings are prone to leaking, and both of our cars needed both replaced), but neither one has needed any out-of-warranty repairs.

If you get a MINI, I would choose a 2005 over a 2004, especially for an 'S'. The gear ratios were improved in 2005, and there's a chance you could find one with a limited-slip differential (the LSD wasn't available before 2005). Also, there was a mid-cycle "facelift" in 2005 that I personally think improved the looks of the car slightly.

I only have a little experience driving the MINI in snow, but it's comparable to other small FWD cars - i.e. pretty good.

The MINI does require premium fuel, although you can run mid-grade without any harm - you just won't get the most performance out of it.

 

Welcome, of the first Gen MINIs, the '06 was the bomb! (That's what my first MINI was).
I had only minor issues with mine, a windshield replacement and something to do with the ABS light but that's about all I can remember.
My son is 6'1" and will always opt to drive my MINI if given the choice .
I don't recall rotating the tires on El Kabong (my '06) ever, but I did do track days so I replaced them pretty regularly.
Here's a good article on what to look for when buying an R53 (first Generation MINI Cooper S).

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

Annette

 

With a good set of snow tires you will be fine in the snow. As for comfort I'm 6'2" as well and have plenty of room. Drove mine from CT to FL a couple years ago. at the end of the day driving I was not sore at all. Repairs are comparable to the cost of BMW since well they own Mini. Mine is an 06 with about 63K on it and I have not had any major repairs done other than the motor mount and T-stat housing which are pretty common on these. If you can get an 06 since these are considered the best year for the 1st gen cars. the 05's are good as well though. Good luck with your search and keep an eye in the marketplace here for used cars. Also see if you can find a local club and see if someone will give you a ride in theirs so you can get a good feel of the car.

 

The good thing about the mini is that it will get better mpg than the other two cars on your list, even though you have to feed it premium fuel. There will be a few more maintenance cost compared to owning a honda, though. It won't cost any more to align the wheels than it would with any other car, so long as you don't take it to the dealer. You may experience some of the common problems that minis suffer from, as well: power steering pump, thermostat, radiator fan, engine mount, and control arm bushings. If you are comfortable working on cars then it won't be that big of a deal. There are plenty of How-to's floating around for most of the problems you may face.

 

d. b. cooper (I knew you'd surface again some day):

The quoted post probably didn't get a response due to the "any known problems" phrase; that's just too open ended. Scott gave good info though.

I'm 6'1" and am very comfortable in the '06 MC hatch. I don't put the seat all the way back either. The front seat passenger is comfortable as well, but adult rear seat passengers are short on leg room, unless the front seats are moved forward enough to compromise comfort in front. Trunk (boot) space is also relatively small, but the rear seat backs can be tilted forward (assuming there are no rear seat passengers) to provide more carry space.

The Mini Cooper S still has worse than average reliability, while the Mini Cooper non-S (justa Cooper) has moved up to average in recent years. I own an M3 which has been very reliable, so I don't expect the MINI to match that. The MINI is not even in the same reliability ballpark as any Honda we've owned (Accord, Civic, and Pilot). I won't try to list the most common problems, but if you scan through posts in the problems forum here, you'll get some idea. For MINI owners, it seems that fun to drive trumps shortcomings in reliability, and they are a hoot to drive. If you don't have fun driving it, buy something else.

Our MINI does well in light snow and slush shod with only high performance A/S tires. Some who live in more serious snow regions than VA prefer winter/snow tires, however.

Premium fuel is recommended for all MINIs, but some try to save a buck by using lower octane. I'm not one of those.

From what I can tell by reading here, the more popular tire rotation interval seems to be at about 5000 miles. Some don't rotate at all. When the fronts wear out, they move the rears to the front, and buy two new tires for the rear.

From what I've read here, Scott is right about the '05 and '06 being somewhat improved over earlier models. Gen1 MINIs ended with the '06, and Gen2 started with the '07.

 

Yes, I had to spend that money sometime

Thanks for all the info guys. It helped alot Probably won't be buying anything untill next year, but its never too early to start researching.

Well, time for me to disappear once again.

 

I actually traded my '04 350z in on my new MCCS ( pick up on the 24th ), but have been driving a MCC and a MCSc ( My Wife's ) for the last 6 months. The conv S is a blast to drive and i don't miss the Z as all...but definitely get the S. As for height, I am 6'5" and 245 and have no problem with the Clubman or the Conv. I don't even have to put the seat all the way back and my legs are still under the steering wheel. Good Luck...