Hi,

New here...and don't have a mini yet.

Very much a car enthusiast..

I am looking for a new vehicle for day to day driving in Michigan (yes with Winter).

I recall my son telling me years ago Mini's are great and great in snow.

Tired of 17 mpg in SUVs and looking for something fun, practical and that will work in snow.

So looking for feedback links:

How good in snow?
What should I know about maintenance/cost?
Like the sportsman for extra room
Will buy pre-owned....any particular years I should consider/stay away from?
What can be done to maintain by reasonably talented DIY and what must be done by dealer?

Thanks in advance....looking forward to learning!

Jeff

 

I love my Cooper in the snow. You will want all-season or snow tires, however. I do fine on all-seasons but some people prefer snows, and I don't doubt for a second that they help even more. However, keep in mind this car is much lower to the ground than an SUV, so more than 4-6 inches will have you probably wanting to wait for the plows to come through.

The 05+ are considered to be more reliable overall; the CVT transmissions in the 02-06 Cooper (non-S) are particularly problematic.

Maintenance - if you are relatively handy there is SO much to be saved by doing the work yourself on these cars. They're like Tinker Toys and come right apart. Things you find you can't or don't want do for yourself - find a good indy shop, don't ever pay dealer prices out of warranty if you can help it.