I have a 60 (total) mile a day commute, mostly highway. I want a fun, reliable, comfortable car that gets good MPG, and is safe and affordable. I am asking alot, I know

Would you recommend either a 2005/2006 or 2007+ Mini (non S) for this job?

 

Yes with no hesitation. Stay away from the automatics. as far as year I like the looks of the 02-06. But you have to like it.

 

I have my wife driving the R56S ('09) in town and for commuting (60 mile total as well) I bought a low mile R50. I love driving the boring traffic/highway with my MINI. Either will suit you fine. Are you looking for a stick or auto? To me an auto non-S can be a little lackluster if doing city driving but highway should be no issue. Not as fun, but hey you don't always need to be the first off the line from a light. I think the newer motor in the '07+ gets better mileage. Older will be more affordable though...decision decisions.

 

Manual preferred, for simplicity and increased MPG (probably?) and lower cost! Does the 6 speed in the newer model give it higher MPG?

 

You basically described our typical use for our '09 Cooper. We absolutely love it and 'fight' over who will drive it. We average mid-high 30s for mileage (6-speed), and haven't had any issues. As far as which model to get, I don't have enough R50 experience to compare, but you can't go wrong with the R56.

Oh, and even with the Cooper, you can still get out to a local auto-x and surprise some BMWs and Porsches with your 'commuter car' if you want.

 

Absolutely! Can't go wrong with the MC...95% of the fun as an S without the long term high mileage reliability concerns the S brings.

 

I just bought an 05MSC for my 70mi daily commute. Loving it so far. I was also looking at Mazda 3s.

 

80 mile round trip commute. Just bought a '12 Cooper HT 6spd auto for the job. Doing great and lovin' it.

 

I have a 30 mile commute along with driving to and from Pittsburgh to Cleveland almost every weekend and bought a '08 Cooper Clubman Auto. Best decision I ever made.

 

My commute is kinda funny. I leave my house and drive down a gravel road for a couple of miles, and then I exit onto a paved road for a couple of miles. Next I exit onto a highway and drive about 20 miles. Exit, back roads for a few miles to work. I think I have three traffic lights on my entire 30 mile commute.

 

I think the 07 and up get a little bit better fuel economy.

I was looking into a non-S until I drove a few supercharged models, big mistake on my part...

 

That's why it's important to drive both... To make up your own mind. I've seen plenty of people say they had to have the S after driving it, but others (including myself) have decided after driving the S that it's not enough different/faster to outweigh the downsides.

So, drive both!

 

Not sure the knocks on automatics. I love manuals, but just started a job in Atlanta and will be a 100 mile commute. Didn't want to change gears in a lot of start and stop traffic, so bought a 2005 Cooper S auto.

I see where there are hundred or so people on this site that loves the auto and I tried to read reviews and nothing bad.

So can someone tell me a horror story with the autos? I would like to know what to expect and how many miles they did or didn't last or is it a wus thing to have a auto?
thanks
Ron

 

Auto is okay if that's your thing, but if you get a first gen (02-06) Cooper (not an S.) avoid the auto, it's a flawed design that you want to stay away from. It's a $7000 replacement when it goes, and there's no repair option. If you want an auto box, get an '07 or newer, OR get ANY year Cooper S. The troublesome CVT trans is only in '02-06 non-S Coopers.

I love my '06 Cooper 5spd. I'd say it fits all of your criteria, but as others said above, the '07+ will get better mileage.

eaker02, since you have an "S" the auto bashing doesn't quite apply. The Non-S auto can feel a little sluggish.

 

this is the reason I bought the MC, seems like the perfect commuter car, perhaps others are cheaper or more reliable, but I was happy in the car, and can't say that for many cars I tried.

 

I live in Buckhead (Atlanta), driving a manual in and around the city is a pain in the *** sometimes. Don't get me started on the dependency of I85, 75, 285, 575, and 20. At last once a week you'll be stuck driving .5 mph for an hour. I love my Auto Cooper S. I'm sure the manuals are more fun to drive, but Atlanta is just way too hilly and congested for me to drive a manual every day.

 

I commute with my 08 MC and I can't think of a better car to spend the time in!

 

dannyhavok you're correct, My bad. To begin, didn't realize there was the CVT tranny and then the Aisin tranny which is what I have. took a while just to figure out R50, R53, R56, etc. Still trying to figure out what the Justus, ones, etc are.
I also love manuals, My old BMW 2002, 2002tii, VW bug and now restoring a VW Thing were/are maual. after a year of commuting may check into a 6 speed. they are fun, but now auto is practical. still not sure how long the auto life is. The manual Getrag trannies are very good

 

Any photos of the Thing ??

 

I have a 2002 non-S 6 speed (you read that right), and I ONLY use it for commuting (60mi / day). I have a full size pickup for weekends. Economy-wise, the MINI was a bit of a step in the wrong direction from the TDI I had used for the past 6 years, but it sure is a whole lot more fun.

 

Hi eaker. Auto trans life depends upon how you care for the vehicle/drive it, very much like a manual. I would at least change the transmission fluid filter at least every 50-60k miles. I have had many vehicles with auto transmissions well above 120K miles without problems following that schedule.

 

Having come from an '06 MC with the 5 speed and an 80 mile commute. I would say get the 06, it was by far the best production year for the R50. Matter of fact, I would probably state for any of the Gen1's in general.

Before getting it totaled in 2010, I was pushing over 130K on the mileage without any serious issues. It was going to be my sons vehicle.

 

Are the non-S much more reliable than the S of the same years? How do the convertibles compare?

I have my eye on an 05 non-S convertible with 5 speed

 

I wouldn't say it's a matter of the S being less reliable. I think it's just more potential points of failure in the more complicated S. Then figure some maintenance tasks are more difficult due to the extra components in the engine bay, and you have a car with a higher projected operating cost. Of course a pre-facelift R50 with the Midlands, or any R50 with CVT has high instance of transmission failure, as previously mentioned.

I think ALL the early Cabrios had the Getrag 5 speed, so that seems like a good choice. Of course the top itself won't last forever, but that's to be expected in any soft top car.

 

Yep, true. How do the leather seat surfaces hold up? Easy to replace yourself? Did the non-S come with LSD?