I'm going to look at a 2015 Cooper today around lunchtime. I owned a 2007 r56 previously but got rid of it because of engine issues (timing chain was part of it), and having 2 kids in rear facing seats just wasn't going to work. Well the kids are forward facing now, and I miss driving a Mini, but I'm a little out of the loop on any issues. I was just curious if there are any common issues to watch out for with the 3cyl. I'd prefer the S, but I think the deal they are offering me here is really good.

I know they say the mini is now bigger, but I was wondering how many of you fit younger kids with boosters/fwd facing seats in the back. I'm avg height and my wife is on the shorter side so I think we have some wiggle room. I'm figuring if we were to use that car for around town and my wifes for longer trips, which is what we do anyway, we should be good to go.

Any advice is appreciated!

 

Can't help you with any of the kid questions. We have a 2014 F56 2-door and it's tight in the back seat, but we hardly ever use it (maybe once for a passenger in the last 6 months).

The 3-cylinder with the manual transmission is awesome. We like it more than the S-model 4-cylinder MINIs we drove. Plus we're getting almost 40 mpg.

 

Has it been pretty reliable? Mind if I ask how many miles you got on it?

 

The car had 24,000 miles on it when we bought it 6 months ago. Now has about 29,000 miles. Had it serviced and inspected at the local MINI dealer at around 26,000 miles. Dealer reported no problems and replaced the steering wheel air bag under warranty because the emblem was peeling. History of the car doesn't show any problems either. Everything has worked perfectly for us in this short time, no complaints.

We like the car so much we ordered a better equipped 2019 F56 3-cyclinder, should be here next week.

 

Only issue I'm aware of is the AC drain line getting kinked during manufacture causing the cabin filter to become soaked (and passenger side foot well to gather water under the carpet) causing a mildew stink to permeate the car. Mine is a "S", but assume this issue affected the Justa also.

There was a SB issued that resolved the issue. Ask to make sure the one your looking at has the fix.

 

I hear the JustaCooper is a gas to drive now that it's turbocharged. Dunno about the back seat in the HB it's probably pretty tight though.

 

Took it for a spin. It was fun to drive. In sport mode it reminded me a lot of my 07 r56. I was impressed by the 3cyl and how smooth it was. It does need brakes/rotors and a good cleaning which I offered to do if they lower the price. We will see how it goes though . I think my next step is bringing up the taller child and see how well he fits with his seat in. It was good to drive a mini again.

 

If you have compliant kids who willingly jump into the seats and don't fidget while you strap em in then okay. If it is a wrestling match every time you might not want to deal with the issues. I only had 4 door cars when dealing with young ones in cars. My F56 and 2 car seats for me would have been a struggle.

Now the F55 in 3 cylinder is fun to drive and while the back seats are still pretty small, access is easy for car seats, plus more room in the back to carry kid related items.

 

Thankfully they don't fidget much, and the older one is good at clipping in/out himself, I usually just have to adjust the belt once it's on. The little one doesn't give much fuss either, so most of the time *knock on wood*, they are ok.

 

We love that 3-cylinder. Hadn't even considered a non-S model until the dealer talked us into driving one. Pulls willingly and feels great. Sure, the 4-cylinder has more power, but it feels like you really have to work it to get the power out of the 4-cylinder. The 3-cylinder just seems to want to go. That much fun and almost 40 mpg is hard to beat.

Disclaimer on the 40 mpg, my wife drives it most of the time and uses the Green Mode on the highway to work.

 

Yeah it seemed like it drove well. They are offering it at 12,900. Needs brakes and rotors but they are willing to throw the parts in since I offered to fix them myself. Other than that, it was just dirty and needs a good cleaning. I think I may pursue.

 

My two cents. The F56 two door is a two person car. It will be very difficult to get the kids in and out of and will not be comfortable for any time duration. I wish I could talk up the 3 cylinder engine, because it is fantastic, but the space issue would be a non-starter (I love my F56 two door btw). You MAY be able to get away with it for a year or two, but the fatigue of getting your kids in and out or your kids outgrowing the seat is far more likely.

Moving past that issue, there are a couple items that I have found on my car that I would look out for when buying one. The first is that bearing sleeve issue for the early model f56 engines. Mine was serviced and replaced prior to my purchase, but cars that are not from a mini dealer may not be. The second issue was the rear sway bar end links. Mine were bad on my car, I test drove a 2016 f56s and they were bad, and I rode in an uber of the same model (4 door) and they were also bad. When I say bad I mean that I would hear a light clunk at low speeds when going over a less than smooth road. There was no road hazard associated with the end links and the sound isn't very noticeable (which is why I replaced them on my own after the mini dealer couldn't find the issue). I used a set of nm adjustable end links and the problem instantly disappeared. The stock end links are a plastic composite, which is something that is probably not suited to rough roads and any type of longevity.

Other than those two issues, the car has been a blast.

 

Yeah I took the car seat and my tallest Lil guy with me to the dealer. He had to turn his feet sideways, so sadly it's a no. They have a decent priced 4 door, a Clubman and a 2013 countryman also. A lil higher than I was looking to spend, but we'll see

 

Yeah, unfortunately the rear seats in the 2 door version is basically an "insurance seat".

 

Well once they graduate from baby seats...

I put my 9 and 13-yo back there all the time. Granted, just for a ride home from school or something short. 13 can sit behind pass seat, if it's moved up. She's like 5'4. 9 fits ok behind me, if I move seat forward a click. I'm 6', and there's probably 8" of rear seat legroom behind my seat.

 

If this is your only car then probably not a good idea but I have a 2015 base 2 door no problem getting my 16 and 13 year old kids in the back.

 

Too bad on the Justa. I love mine. I drove all three models when looking (Justa, S and JCW), and the Justa was FUN. Like others have said, it has pep. I just needed a new daily driver, so wasnt looking for all the HP (nor wanting to spend 40k+ on a JCW), so the JUSTA was just fine for me. I did recently add the Dinan Elite ECU and this car is SUPER peppy now! Really enjoy driving it.

Out of the Countryman and Clubman you mentioned, if you can swing it, I'd go for the Clubman. I like the Countryman, but if it is the newer model, they feel too Maxi! The Clubman has great personality, too, while being able to conveniently carry all that you may need to. I've actually thought about looking for a newer model (used) Clubman to play around with (slam it on some smaller wheels and meaty tires; really make it that aggressive wagon I always envision they can be). But we'll see.

 

Yeah I was kind of bummed, but I did test drive a 2011 Countryman S all4 yesterday and enjoyed it. Plenty of room in that car and the price is decent. I put a similar post on the countryman forum for common issues. HPFP seems to be the biggest.

 

The 2011 Countryman S is a fun car. My friend has a 2012 Countryman S all4 and it gets up and goes. Whichever you choose, good luck and enjoy!