okay so im trying to figuire out to get this car or not, im just a little tramatized after my 00 zx3 and the amounts of problems i had. have you guyshad a lot of problems with the 06's? i have heard small problems, and tranny problems on older models im not sure if they have been taken care of?! and expensive repais need be in the future (compared to ford)?? please help me make my decision a little easier.

 

Well I think pretty much anything would be better in the reliability dept compared to the focus.

 

I've had my MINI for a little over a year and have had no problems (even though thats a really short time)

 

Stevo101... I purchased a used '04 MCS in the spring and I did my homework before, narrowed down my choices, and purchased a used MCS that had less than 5K miles on it. According to Consumer Reports, the Mini reliability has improved over the last couple of years and now carries their "recommended" lable. I also went online, like yourself, and read about issues related to the reliability of the MCS. It is my understanding that the '06 currently has the least amount of issues for a production year Mini. The transmission was changed in '05/'06, but I haven't had any transmission problems either and I've put 7K miles on it in 4 months. My opinion... get it!

 

We went from a '05 MC to a '06MCS and love it, we have had a little over 7k trouble free miles, if I were you, I wouldn't hesitate to get a '05 or a '06.

 

We have an '05 MCSa with over 11K miles and an '06 MCS with 7.5K miles. Neither car has had any mechanical issues.

 

'03 here...rock solid...and a blast!

 

Minis have 3 years of free servicing & 4 years of warranty so the 1st 4 years should not be expensive. But...after the 4 year free ride you will be buying BMW priced parts which are way more expensive than Ford parts. For example a Mini clutch replacement will run $1600 if you have it done at the dealership

 

yeah thats what im worried about, anyone else had any problems, expensive repairs after warranty ran out, or can we extend warranty?! yeah or nah on the cooper for anyone else?

 

Bought an '03 Cooper CVT in April of '04 with 2200 miles on it and have over 30,000 trouble-free miles on it now.

 

8 months and 13K. Don't think I'll be riding free for another 3+ years, but I will be motoring freely, God willing.

I LOVE it. Best choice I ever made. And that was before I even found this forum.

 

For the short-term you'll be fine with the warranty and free maintenance. I'm not too scared of the repairs but then again I grew up with Volvos so I'm used to European repair prices. I have not any problems yet, but then I've only had my car for two months and about 2800 miles. As for choosing a Cooper though, it was far and away the best choice I could have ever made. When looking for a car I was considering the Scion TC and the VW Rabbit. I kept going back and forth in my preference for each but then the MINI caught my eye. I was a little worried going into it because it was a little more than I wanted to spend and I wasn't sure if the 115hp Cooper would be as fun as the 150hp Rabbit and the 160 something hp TC. But after driving each, the MINI is waaaay more fun to drive. I have not regretted my decision once. In fact every day I am reminded in some way that I made the right choice. At first I was just going to keep my MINI as a filler until the Volvo C30 came out, but as long as MINI keeps making cars this fun I'm hooked for life (and I don't even have an S or JCW, yet!). In addition getting involved in the MINI community is great and I've never been around so many people so passionate about their cars. The enthusiasm and my participation in MINI related events was just an extra bonus to owning the most unique, fun-to-drive car out there on the market

 

okay so i wont have to make a new thread im going to hijack my own and ask since i have read people have problems with the car staling any mc 06s doing this??? or any other problems i should be aware of before i make the 20,000 plung!?!?!?!

 

Obviously, it will boil down to how you drive your car and how much you expect it to perform for you. I LOVE my Cooper for its nimbleness and ADORE my S for its sheer power. Both are economical when driven at normal speeds, but who wants to do THAT? These cars were born to be driven in Europe [where highway travel is NEVER slow]. So, get whichever one you want...but, be prepared to have the time of your life!

WMWNY

 

I haven't had a problem with my 06 yet (knock on wood) after 2 months and 3000 miles. Overall I think the later model MINIs have been pretty good from what I've observed. Is there a chance you will have problems? Absolutely. But no more than most other cars out there, and I figure thats what the warranty is for... No car will ever be perfect and I'd say the reward of driving a MINI far outweighs the risk of unreliability