Having been both a Gen1 and Gen2 owner, there will be some who feel and speak that Gen1 will always be the better of the two. For me personally, both have their plus and minus.

The same will happen when Gen3 comes out. People will always have their preference and nothing will ever change that.

Everyone on this and the other MINI forums, drives a MINI. So no matter which one you prefer, at least respect the person who made their choice in selecting this vehicle.

 

And there in lies a problem. There are a lot of people that will not ever feel that newer MINIs are good. They will stick with what they know and never even bat an eye at anything new. That is the snobbery that I speak of. Go to a big MINI even and you will see it.

 

Personally I haven't seen the snobbery you're talking about (can't imagine why there would be any.)

If someone prefers a 1st gen over a 2nd gen, that may not be snobbery as much as merely a preference. It may the whine of the engine or whatever—they're entitled to their preference.

It only becomes snobbery when someone rags on the 2nd gen as if it's a poor "wanna-be" version of a "real" (so-called) MINI. And at least so far, I haven't seen that at all on any forum I've been frequenting.

For ex., I love my MINI but not really liking the coupe and don't mind saying so - but that doesn't make me a MINI Cooper snob, it's just my personal preference.

 

I haven't seen on the foum well other then a couple of times of 2nd gen bashing. But I see and hear it more in person while at MINI meets.

 

Surprised - but I guess it takes all kinds.

I actually could understand original Mini Cooper (pre-2000) owners being a bit snobbish. Theirs was the original and ours is a dressed up German version.

But so far I haven't seen that either - tho I would imagine it exists.

 

All I can do is speak to my personal experiences here and at
large MINI events. I've never noticed the snobbery. I've been welcomed to regional club events and never looked down upon for having a Gen2.

Hell, I've posted in the Gen1 forums and yet haven't experienced any oh you're a Gen2 owner, "you don't know what it's like to drive a really MINI" comment yet.

I just don't see it...

 

I guess it is me and the owners that I have met.

 

I'd say two things stand out in my mind. One, you don't drive it enough. Two, the model you have is the very least exciting of the Minis. If you had a sportier model, like an S or JCW, and you drove it more often, you're feelings just might be different. Also, I think that you only drive it roughly 133 miles per month, tells me that it doesn't excite you too much. Unless it was a true classic, I think that if I had a car I only drove that infrequently, I'd sell it for something more stimulating.

 

Umm Who is that directed at?

 

Sorry. The original poster.

 

The worrisome frustration that I have read here is with BMW not stepping up and fixing a problem as soon as it appears.

VW's and BMW's were dead reliable automobiles thirty years ago. Now service is bad across the board. It is business that has changed.

 

Thirty years ago VW and BMW owners had no way to complain about every issue they had from the comfort of their own home or even from the repair shop and dealership while they wait. It is also a different era as far as communication and information goes which is a huge change in how we perceive situations.

 

I will have my JCW for 3 years next month. I have just under 30,000 miles. I live 15 minutes away from a very large MINI dealership that always has plenty of MINI loaners. I have never had a car go back to the dealership so many times for so many little things such as rattles and trim not attached properly to major things like a totally destroyed clutch at 28,000 miles.

I love the car and I hate it at the same time. Its fun to drive. Its very cool looking, starts lots of conversations etc. I have had a ton of fun reading the posts here on NAM over the past 3 years. This forum is the main reason that my car is so heavily modded. If there was no NAM, then my car would probably be bone stock.

The ride is very rough... yes I do have the JCW suspension but I no longer have the runflat tires on. There are lots of rattles and sqeaks that have never been addressed even though my car has been at the dealership MANY times. The windshield has been replaced 2 times. There is a lot of road and tire noise transmitted into the cabin and lots of wind buffeting from the windshield. The HI-FI stereo is complete garbage.

But the car is a lot of fun to drive and I do enjoy it. I still stare at it in my garage before I go to upstairs to bed. I have a very cool colored bronze 2011 BMW X5 in my garage too. I never look at it the way I look at the MINI. Maybe that is because the X5 is a lease and I own the MINI.

My opinion of MINI as a brand has changed pretty significantly over the past 3 years. The first year or so I recommended the car to friends and family. Today I tell people to stay away. In this day and age a car should not ever need to go back to the dealership for anything in the first few years. These cars have way too many problems and I would not recommend one today if someone asked me what my opinion was.

I still love my car. I am glad that I bought one but I would not buy another one.

And the whole MINI cutesy thing, the marketing, the website and the decor of the delaerships is really just annoying now.

My .2 cents...

-Steve

 

+1 You have had your MINI about 3 months longer then I have had mine. And I am the same way. Minus the Bimmer and having an upstairs. Also I think some people not all but there are quite a few find that they have to complain about every little thing.

 

LOL...LOL...LOL. Man you are too much.

 

This could be true. I was concerned about buying a car that was so heavily dependent on computers. I've been working with computers for 30 years, both software and hardware. I know that they can be very unreliable.

But I took a chance anyway.

The complexity of these cars and the way so much is crammed in such a small space I think is prolly why service is bad, not so much the business side of things.

Good point.

 

Funny, but I can stare at my car too. It is a beautiful machine.

It sounds like you have a genuine love/hate relationship. But perhaps it would be love/love if you went with a justa next time?

They have much better reliability, a more comfortable ride and still the most fun ride I've ever had in a car. Lovin' mine.

You get the best of both worlds, minus the fast acceleration, but still the manual has plenty of zip.

 

Agreed. While I agree that the MINI's are dependent upon computers, so are most other cars now. In fact the IEEE had an article about the same point on how cars are exploding with microcontrollers and millions of lines of code (millions more than fighter jets and commercial aircraft). To be honest we both know there are bugs, the real question is how does the system as a whole handle them.

While I'm worried about the amount of code, most cars manufactured now are just as dependent upon electronics as our MINI's and I'm only expecting to see this increase as time moves on. As we move forwards to EV it pretty mandatory to have all sorts of electronics to help us manage our own vehicles and its pretty clear that both the consumers enjoy these perks as well as the manufacturers.

I wonder how long it'll be before cars receive Over The Air updates.

 

That is a good thought but there is no way to go from a tuned JCW to a Justa. Not being a snob here that is my opinion.

I have driven every model MINI (due to the many visits to the service dept) from hardtop justa/S to Cabrio justa/S to Clubman justa/S to Countryman S/All4. I prefer the JCW hardtop.

 

It's not so much that 1st Gen owners hate 2nd Gen cars, as it is the route BMW went with them. It's getting worse. These cars are fun, but to be honest, the technology is too much for them. It's sad that the Honda Fit captures the spirit of the original Mini more than the MINI. By that I mean, cargo space, passenger space, gas mileage, etc.

 

I understand - justa thought.

 

That is why I decided to go for the MINI regardless of the electronics; so many cars are now computer controlled, it's getting impossible to avoid.

I have always believed that if a manufacturer went back to the old slant-six engine and a simple, non-electronic car - with manual windows, etc., etc., combined with easy repairs and access to the engine—it would sell like hot cakes.

 

I agree, to be able to work on a car without having a degree in electronic engineering would be great.
I have a 38' Int'l pickup that is stone simple to work on.

 

I love working on my own car. My MINI is the first new car I've had. Other than a few minor mods, (Gages, Oil Catch Can, Graphics) my MINI is stock, it has been trouble free.

That said, all cars break, then you fix them. It's no big deal and it isn't expensive, if you do the work yourself.

Computers are becoming more and more prevalent in our vehicles. Heck, my '97 Ford F350 diesel has an electronic throttle and the injectors are triggered by an engine control unit. I abuse it terribly and, other than an alternator and regular maintenance, I haven't had to do a thing to it. It seems to me that the manufacturers have got vehicle electronics nailed, as far as reliability goes.

I not worrying about electronics failure on any of my vehicles and I don't have an electrical engineering degree, but my wife does!

Dave

 

Just in case I need some help in the future, perhaps if we ever meet, I could buy dinner for you and your wife .