I'm sure this is a common question, but I'd like some feedback concerning the reliability and liveability of the MINI as a daily driver.

I've always liked MINIs, I've driven a few in different states of modification, but I've been turned off by their reputation for poor reliability. I read the used MINI Buyers Guide, it says 05 and 06 were much improved, but even those have issues like leaking seals. Also mentions leaking coolant tanks, but that seems like a very minor issue, is that correct? How difficult and expensive is it to replace the seals? Thanks.

 

Here’s my black sheep advice that 99.9% of people will disagree with.

I would be hard pressed to recommend an old MINI as a daily driver if you have a career level job. With that said, my R53 has never broken down, I’m not sure I would trust it. There are just way too many things to go wrong with these cars that can require down time.

The 2005-2006 MINI Cooper S people love to dote on about how much more reliable they are. That sad truth is nothing really important changed. The supercharger, water pump, belt tensioner, power steering pump, fan and assorted seals and o-rings are still failure prone.

The early models take a bad rap for crank dampeners and the cooling fan wiring, which are easily updated. A good number of early cars might have this stuff sorted out by now.

The only reason I put up with my MINI is because I have a company car.

 

If you are so scared, then don't. You can never lover a car that you are scared of and Mini's deserve to be loved.

 

Reading this forum too much can both increase your love and fear of the MINI.

I bought my R53, used, four years ago. It has only been a daily driver for three of those four years. The closest it has come to stranding me was during a thunderstorm downpour, when the wiper motor threatened to fail. It had the courtesy of holding out until I got home.

 

Replacing anything engine related on a FWD car these days (not limited to Mini) is a nightmare. The only car I didn't curse working on were my volvo's, but even now they've gotten bad.

As far as daily driver, if you take your time and find a well maintained one, its as far a crap shoot as any other used car that may be 9-10 years old. Also depends on your definition of reliable.

My wife thought I was crazy when 3 years ago I bought a 2004 Silverado 1500 with 300k miles on it (was only $3k). After spending a few months with it, I didn't hesitate hoping in it and driving 350 mile trips for work. Also spent a weekend driving around all of new england from Boston, to Buffalo, and back, the whole time towing cars with it. Was it reliable? By my definition yes. It started, it stopped, it went. Did everything work perfectly? No. CD player died. AC Belt tensioner seized (it had dual serp belts, one for AC only) that caused me to cut away the belt on the side of the highway once. But it did it's job. It hauled lots of heavy stuff long distances while I gapped between newer trucks.

Older cars are going to have issues. Generally speaking, engines and transmissions are the least of the concerns. What will bug the **** out of you is all the electronic and emissions related parts going bad.

But then again, I spent quite a few years driving a 65 mustang convertible 10k miles a year as a daily driver. Yes, this was a professionals daily driver but I had a newer car as a back up.

 

I use my 2008 MCS as a daily driver. I have found it to be one of the more reliable vehicles I have owned.

Sorry, can't help with the question about seals on a first gen.

 

Mine is the only car I own.

 

If I had to rely on just one single car I have to admit I'd be reluctant to make that single car a Mini. Since my wife has a CR-V I'm not concerned about reliability. I consider the Mini a great toy but if my main concern was reliability I'd probably buy something like a Civic.

 

Sometimes I think mini owners have a automotive version of battered wives syndrome....the worse their car treats them, the more they love it, and the harder it is to part ways....
Simple fact is it comes down to HOW the last owner(s) treated/matained the car.....
I have owned my car since new....and it has never left me stuck or spent the night at a shop.... Something I CANNOT SAY about my wife's Toyota!!
If you find a one or two owner car with good records and lower miles, it might make an OK daily driver, but just remember, a MINI requires regular mataince, and as an expense, high octane fuel....skimp on either, and you WILL get a big bill.
So many mini's are driven by folks who wail on them, then just do an oil change....then run them on a track/auto-x, then wonder WHY they broke, it us sad....heck many issues ARE caused by well meaning issues trying to save a buck by doing a DIY repair/upgrade....
Look closely at any used mini....ANY car with a supercharger/turbo is more likely to have been abused/misused.....

 

How new is new? We all drive used cars.

My MINI has never let me down, very reliable.

Dave

 

Had my 05 r53 for just over a year now, I don't make much money and have only one car to get to work. The only time my mini left me stuck was when my crank pulley finally gave up, however I knew it was going two weeks before that and was waiting on the money to buy one and be delivered. Basically of all the issues with the minis, they are known and can be taken care of to become very reliable.

 

My .02

I have had my 05 R53 for almost two months now, and I purchased it as a daily driver. I had just seen the MINI on the lot, had the cash in my pocket and after one test drive, without an inspection, I slapped down my cash and took it home. I had never driven an MINI before (and honestly at 9 years old and 120k it is still, hands down, the nicest car I have ever owned)

-BUT-

I have no idea how my new to me MINI has been treated in its last three owners, and I did have an oil leak within the first week of owning it. (I had requested that the dealer change the oil before I took possession of the MINI, and had cross threaded the drain plug, ruining the oil pan, which the dealer was nice enough to replace free of charge) I have since concluded, and my reading on this forum seems to confirm, that MINI's need more preventative maintenance than most. I now ONLY buy premium fuel, I recently changed the air filter (which was god awful filthy) and am currently saving for new shocks and spark plugs.

I didn't know that the MINI would be so high maintenance, but now that I have it, I don't think of myself owning any other car. It is my daily driver, and will stay that way for as long as I can keep it on the road.

I would not recommend that you buy a MINI like I did without an inspection, but if you do, just remember that ANY car can, and sometimes will, fail. I only hope that just as I am encouraged to take good care of my MINI, someone else before me has too, and that might help keep these cars on the road.

 

I can only speak from my own experience... I am on my SECOND USED MINI... I refuse to pay for a new car and loose all that money when i drive off the lot... When I bought my first one (had been wrecked and fixed.. and a CVT at that) I was teaching high school. And a used one was all I could afford. Never had any major (or really minor) problems with it. and had more than 125k on her when we traded her off. Almost bought another one for the wife THAT DAY (also used) I have recently purchased an 07 Cabrio. low mileage. I can afford a new one. Just won't pay for it.

 

Are you the same Whaap who was on Miata.net? I'm Greasyman there, I had to change the spelling to get on this forum. Hi!

 

I bought my 2006 MINI new, but after almost 10 years & 123,000 miles it's hardly new anymore. It has been my daily driver all these years. My Miata is my garage queen.

The second car in our household is 2008 MINI clubman, it is also used daily by my wife. As you can see I'm not afraid to daily drive our MINIs.

I'm Crashton on Miata.net

 

Hi Crash. I guess there are a lot of people who've owned both MINIs and Miatas. Stands to reason.

 

This is pretty much spot on with how I got mine (minor differences in red). I plan to get it checked thoroughly when I get back and make pre-emptive strikes on several of the items that typically fail over time. I'm not as meticulous on vehicles as a lot of folks on here are, but I do seem to take better care of my vehicles and manage maintenance better than a lot of folks I've known.

I'm rarely willing to baby-step around a vehicle. If I can't rely on it I won't have it long. In the meantime I'll drive it however I feel I need/want to and I don't believe one should stress excessively over their vehicle's reliability. If you are you probably need to get a different one. That being said I've had all used 4-wheeled vehicles (the wife got a new minivan) and out of 5-6 I only had an issue with one after about two years (Isuzu Rodeo). The rest have all been easily over 100K before trading them in. Given how the MINI drove the first couple of weeks so far I'm hoping for the same.