I was considering buying a 2009 Cooper S or Clubman S for many reasons: fun to drive, fuel efficient, and reliable long lasting car(so I thought). After all I have a 2001 BMW 3 Series that I love to drive, but the rear-wheel-drive keeps me from driving it in the snowy conditions of Chicago. I was hoping to buy a Mini and be able to drive it for a long time without issue, but this site is making me think I need to go another route. I have heard about all sorts of issues such as: hood scoops melting, moon roofs sticking, lifters clacking, and plastic parts cracking in the cold weather. None of these an issue until the 4 year warranty runs out and I'm paying out of pocket.

I appreciate all of you here turning me in another direction. I just don't know where to turn for something that is as zippy and fun to drive. Corolla? Yuk! Civic? Too many on the road. VW? Maybe, I like German cars. I am on the waiting list for the 2010 Prius. Doesn't really seem fun to drive, but maybe the 60 mpg will make up for that. Have a blast y'all.

 

Don't let what you've read here dissuade you from buying a Mini! Yes, there are issues but every car has it's issues. Mini is working towards fixing most of the problems and though they are problems, they are relatively minor problems.

As to the plastic cracking, if you read the thread about the car with a big hole in the spoiler, originally thought to be due to the extreme cold, towards the end of that thread you will see where the car was hit by a stray bullet fired during a crime.

Yes, some of the Minis clatter during the cold but back in the 70's and 80's, GM cars did the same thing. BMW says that it's not harmful and I believe them.

One other thing to consider is that those few who have problems are more likely to talk about them than the folks who don't have problems. I felt much the same way that you do before I ordered my Mini but I bought one anyway and I couldn't be happier. Yes, there has been an issue or two along the way but the dealership fixed it fast and without a hassle.

 

No regrets. Love my Silver Critter. IMHO, your thread/post was rather strange.

 

I would have to agree with this. You will find a list of problems with any car and the forums of those sites will scare anyone. However, the MINI is just as reliable as most cars and a lot more fun.

 

You are reading way too much into these posts. It is good to be an educated buyer and learn about possible issues, but that doesn't mean it will happen to you.

Unhappy owners will be more vocal in internet forums. It is just the way it is. Problem free owners don't post often.

All cars have problems...Toyotas, Hondas, VWdubs, you name it. If you read each dedicated site to a particular make, you'll quickly come to the conclusion that is better to walk or take a bicycle and don't bother to buy car anything.

I have owned 4 MINIs since 2002 and I am very happy with the overall quality and reliability of the vehicles. Prior to my MINI ownership I owned several Hondas and Acuras and had problems with some of those to. Good cars, but I have not looked back. Way too generic and way too boring for the money.

I have a 10 month old Clubman S automatic and I love it. Never had a problem with melted hoodscoops or anything of that nature. Rock solid car.

Ditto for my 4 year old 2005 R53 S hardtop with 51K miles. Great car as well.

VWdubs have great interiors, handling and such but the dealers tend to be utter garbage when it comes to problems.

Best of luck and hope you change your mind. Don't let the internet fear monger you out of a great car.

 

A Prius? That has to be the most novocainated car in the market today. Boring to the max and ugly to boot. Sorry to be so brutally honest. You'll be dumping it in 3-6 months. Don't make that mistake.

 

Someone told me that the typical Toyota buyer is someone that hates cars and seems them strictly as souless transportation appliances.

 

quoted for truth.


this thread is a joke. youll see a lot of problems on a forum. thats one of the main reasons people post on a forum...its not all looky what mod i did, ect.

The problems are mostly minor...

Go browse the GTI forums and then compare. IMO they are a pretty good compromise if not a MINI.

Prius

 

I'm a strange guy.

 

NAM is a community forum of enthusiasts. When I previously hung out on AudiWorld or VWVortex, the content was similar: people's poor experiences may shine the brightest, however they are not indicative of the population as a whole. I'm on my second MINI and have never experienced any of the issues you stated, nor have I met any MINI drivers locally that have voiced these issues when at driving events.

I didn't write a post late last night when I was driving through the snow with the streets to myself loving my MINI, nor did I post after grinning while I heel-toed around a slow moving car on the way to work yesterday. If NAM dissuaded you from thinking about MINI, realize that most of us are perfectionistic opinionated enthusiasts willing to discuss any esoteric foible that we encounter. NAM is more than this and I find it interesting that you failed to mention the posts of people running with 100,000 miles (or 200,000 in some instances) on the odometer, or the number of two or three car MINI families.

It is this community's love and dedication that has fostered a whole slew of events, MINIs on the Dragon, MINIs in the Mountains, MINIs On Top, AMVIV, MINI Takes the States, etc including countless other smaller local events. Each time I attend one of these events it solidifies my love for MINI. Maybe a GTI would have been just as fun and more reliable (questionable, it is made by VW) or a Civic SI (fairly nice, very simple but the opposite of German feeling) or Subaru WRX (little emotion and countless labels follows you) or a Mazda3 (rides well, poor interior) but I want none of those. Good luck in your future car choice, but if you're looking elsewhere due to perceived reliability I apologize we've led you astray and hope you'll come back.

 

A Prius is like an EnergyStar Refrigerator on wheels.

A MINI S is like a 172hp Street Legal Go-Kart.

One is fun, one isn't. One has character, one doesn't. One is sporty, one isn't. The list goes on.

The only characteristic they share that couldn't be considered inherent of cars in general... such as "They both have wheels/headlights/seats/etc"... is that they both get good gas mileage.

Otherwise, they couldn't possibly be more different.


BTW, go look at the Civic forums and see the people who are hoping for a transmission recall because grinding is so common... All cars have problems... and the car you research THE MOST on forums will probably be the one that SEEMS to be the most unreliable. It's the nature of the beast. Random people don't sign up for forums and start threads to say , "My car has been totally reliable for the first 26,538 miles... just thought I'd pass that little tidbit along to a bunch of people I don't know." Random people DO start threads on forums to ask other owners about problems they are having.

All that being said, NAM talked me out of buying a 1st Gen because of the strut tower mushrooming problem!

 

Nice comparison

 

i agree with the op on this forum being a center for whining and bitching about small problems......nobody ever posts a thread stating how they're loving their problem-free mini, cuz most minis out there are problem free....
i just wouldnt base my decision on a few hundred enthusiasts on an otherwise leisurely forum.....

 

We tend to like strange on NAM, although we don't usually understand Prius-owner strange. I've driven them and they're fine "appliances" as ClubmanS previously mentioned, but I think I'd go mad after not too long. One of my coworkers has one and countlessly asks to drive my MINI. He's looking to sell his Prius and get a MINI if his wife lets him! Mileage is one thing, but with the Prius, that's about the only thing its got going.

 

get a mini you will love it like it was your own child.

 

How could a Prius even be considered by someone who was interested in a Mini, that just does not compute. It is as if you were looking to get a dog, but decided on a fish instead. I understand that both the Prius and the Mini are considered automobiles, but come on...

 

Straight up broham sandwich....I've had 7 different cars since 2001...2000 Contour SVT, 2001 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 2001 Veedub Jetta Wolfsburg(my love..still got it), 2003 GT Stang(sold, though i wish I kept it), 2003 BMW 330CiC Individual(loved but had to move on), 2003 Marauder(still got it), 2004 MINI S( my most valued purchase yet!!!!) Talk about variety!!!

Of all my buys, my Dub, the Stang, and Marauder were the best.......till I bought my 04 Cooper S this July....I always liked...test drove and fell in love....no car I have ever owned modded or not was as fun to drive. I actually like driving again...I haven't been with my Jetta in 3 years cuz I'm living overseas for now....but the MINI is great.
I had a friend always talkin s**t about my "matchbox car", always threatning to take the AA batteries from underneath or keep the RC remote in his pocket so I can't go anywhere...lol ...I finally let him drive it....needless to say he asked me to help him pick one out now he fell in love...think about it before u run away is the lesson being taught....

P.S sorry for the book

 

If you go to any car make forum you will find lots of complaints no matter what brand. People with even a minor problem are much more likely to post something than the people with no problems at all.

 

+1!!

I have 2 Four-legged Kids AND 1 Four-Tire Kid!!
(My 49 Year Old Husband is NOT included in this count.)

 

Yeah... don't worry... Yugo's had the same problem

 

For the record, I love my Clubman, look forward to any driving opportunity and can't imagine driving anything else . I've just had it for one month, but wow, has it changed my perspective on driving!

 

This is really funny!! If I had not had a similar reaction initially, I would swear that Iwannaclubman just found a really good way to jerk everyone's chain. MINI vs Prius!?! That's great stuff, and I have to hand it to you!!

If someone who's brain hasn't wilted with years of abuse would please check my logic and math, I think we can prove this is a joke. There are over 12,000 people registered on NAM. I have no idea how many MINIS are registered in the US, but I don't think it is unreasonable to do a wild guess that this represents less than 1% of the total US ownership. Round it up to say .... 5% to be really conservative. Of that 12,000 people, I bet half never reported any negative experience. (I have a point here, hang on). This means there are 6000 people investigating typically minor issues, many of which were quickly resolved, on more than 240,000 cars. To me, these represent pretty good odds!!! I have a 97.5% chance of being REALLY happy with my car.

So, using my less than scientific guesses and assuming someone that can actually add numbers checks my math, you are letting a LOT less than 2.5% of MINI owners talk you out of something a lot more people (97.5%!!!) are happy with and actually enjoy driving. Because a few sunroofs stick? Because some lifters rattle? For a PRIUS!?!?! How come bad stuff always gets all the press?

This has to be a joke, but if not, I hope you put spend similar efforts into your alternatives. If you apply the same logic across all your potential choices, I don't see how you can buy any car. Let alone one with an upside anywhere near what a MINI offers.

My new MCS got off the boat yesterday.

 

I would not let the few small issues keep you from buying either. I just picked up my 09 Mini Cooper S and I would not trade it for anything. I can tell you that it has less issues that my BMW X5 had any day, You have to realize that when you come to sites most people that post are whinning about something. Same thing on the BMW site I use to visit before I got rid of my X5. I really dont think you will find any car thats perfect. I have had all sorts of cars, from low end to Jags. I can drop you a list of complaints on each vehicle any day. Small example I have a 91 BMW 318 that needs a new battery. But guess what, when the battery is dead you cant pop the hood. Now how retarded is that? The BMW x5 I had, I had to replace 3 front passenger door actuators for the windows. They would always break when it rained or snowed. WTF. But it was a known issue. It just goes to show you that every car is gonna have some kinda issue. I just sold my wifes Audi A6 Avant wagon and she broke the passenger mirror. Whelp Audi wants to charge $700 to replace. So I sold that car. I say get your mini, and the parts you dont like replace with AM better parts. Make it yours.

 

I'm not saying a Prius wouldn't be neato to have but there were actually people out there who thought Pacers and Matadors were neato also. If you bypass the entire MINI mystique, it is still a small and fuel efficient vehicle. I shudder to think what goes on in Prius forums.

 

okay for the record....
the mini is a luxurious sport sub-compact

and the prius is a hybrid compact....

they should never EVER be mentioned together in the same sentence....EVER....
let alone be compared to eachother....