actually the best most reliable car I ever owned was a 98 Lexus GS 400. Awesome car!

 

I second this: the Rav4 . Got one and it's a trooper! Not planning on trading it in or selling it anytime in the near future.

 

Nissan 350z?
Subaru WRX?

 

Mazda Miata if I wanted a convertible, which is allways a plus for me or
Subaru WRX if a hard roof was required

 

It seems you have the MC not the MCS. They seem much more reliable.
My first choice when you are talking 10-15k would be to keep the mini,
bank the money from a paid-for car, for future potential repairs.

Second option I would watch ebay closely or other places and drop
$5000-6500 on a low milage CRX, and still keep the mini. They still exist
you just have to wait for them to come up, and, you will pay a premium
for low miles.

I don't like the other options, particuarly when the price approaches $15k.
If I were looking to spend $15k on some old used thing, I would instead come
up with a little more, ~20k and get a base model mini, with warranty, and
just start over.

I agree out the door it would be a little more but you would be back to peace of mind.

I have the base model except for sport and auto at the time it was $22k.
I regret having waited so long to get one because I wanted the super duper one
and just could not afford it.

 

My 2¢ (since you asked) The most fiscally responsible thing to do is keep your MINI. Unless you've had problems and think it's a lemon it is your best bet. You know how the car has been driven & maintained. You know if it's been wrecked and the amount/severity of the damage. For $10 to $15k you're not going to get much if you go with a new car. And if you spend it on a used car there's a huge unknown. You're better off to tighten the financial belt and toss a little bit of each check into a savings account. Even IF you have a breakdown it won't be $10 to $15k. Good luck with your decision.

 

+1 .... I had a Kia Forte SX before I bought the MINI. It was a great car and i would have kept it if it wasnt totaled Not as fun as the MINI, but still fun. Good build quality, looks, and value! It has quite a bit of pep too!

 

I love some of these suggestions for the guy. A Subaru or a 350Z for $10k-$15K with a warranty? Where do I sign up for that!?!?

Pay off your car then keep making payments into your savings account. If your car breaks down, there's your money to fix it. Or when you are ready for something new, use that as a down payment if you haven't used it. At least, that's always my plan, but it never seems to work out.

That said, if I didn't need a back seat for a childs car seat, I'd easily replace my Mini with a Miata. Super duper fun car to drive. I enjoyed driving it so much on my test drive that I was sad to hand the keys back over to the sales guy. If you don't screw with them too much they are very reliable as well. And yes, you can put a child seat in the passenger seat, but I don't consider that safe with my kiddo so I have a Mini. Maybe once he's older, but not now.

 

A 2012 Ford Focus hatchback,

That is if you would just not want another Mini.

If you just need more space you could do with a Countryman Mini

 

I would look for an old Honda CRX HF for mpg. Honestly, if it were me (and I came close) for an in-town driver I'd be tempted to go for an old school Honda civic cvcc (like 1979). Almost original mini sized, 40+ mpg. Of course, repairs and maintenance would be bananas.

 

Oh, and don't forget old school MR2's. I still miss mine, but the Mini helps me miss it less.

 

The OP is looking for a car in the $10-15K price range, "something Asian" with qualities of the MINI, and is also concerned about being out of warranty.

1) Recommend a Honda Fit Sport or Kia Soul

2) Suggest to keep your 2009 MC instead, maybe refinance and lower the montly payment?

3) Or you could always get a hybrid:

 

Intriguing....faster and better gas mileage than a Justa, however with my knees it'd be less reliable than an S.

 

Fun is a requirement.

Again, I'd like a MINI, just with Japanese cost of ownership.

 

The water pump needed replaced at 29k...that's it so far...but is IS a European car. Basically I'm going on my experience with Euro vs. Japanese cars.

Of course I am generalizing here, but:

European cars:

Are like a torrid love affair...making mad love one night, and throwing dishes at each other the next. Can't live without them, and can't live with them. (I've only been able to afford, until the MINI, used Euro cars that are out of warranty.)

Japanese cars:

Are like living with a very nice, reliable appliance...very little excitement...just give it some fuel, and it works. Nice in some ways, but YAWN. Lexus is the epitome of this (at least they used to be)...driving one is like being on mind-numbing drugs in a padded white room.

 

I hear you, for sure...but I would still like to play the odds.

The basic question is...

Is the MINI enough more fun, styling etc, to justify it's probable higher cost of ownership?

Of course each person has to decide this for themselves...just exploring here as to the best alternative to the MINI.

 

Good thoughts SCMountaineer...

Yeah...any car can break...too bad about your Civic...

And I know what you mean about "low buck" interiors...no one matches the Europeans for a quality, ADULT, interior...

One of my main choices would be a VW GTI...awesome to drive...awesome to look at, esp on the inside.

But...it's a VW!

I've owned a few of those and OH MAN the repair bills.

 

Yep...great choices.

 

I put $12,000 into my Mazda after seven years of ownership keeping it running. Fuel pumps are cheaper to replace than a MINI, but they are fragile as glass on Mazdas. Oh yeah, and those damn catalytic converters, don't get me started on those. Avoid old Mazda's like the plague. You might get stuck with a Ford Mazda, piece of junk.

You want a reliable car buy a Honda. Avoid the Si models as they've probably been driven by a some teenager who constantly tried to impress any girl he saw. The Accord is a fantastic car. It's as boring as boring gets, but it won't break down on you...even if you drive it rough.

 

Driving an Accord rough only barely gets the same smiles as driving the MINI as conservatively as possible. Oh wait...its not.

 

Warranty not necessary...I am specifically talking about post-warranty cost of ownership.

Yes, I agree with you about the Miata...I've had two...the first one was a used 1991 (the second was a used '94).

The story...

I was on a Ford used car lot in maybe 1993...had my eye actually on a VW Cabrio (I was young and foolish then <g>), and someone else was already test driving it.

The sales guy suggested taking a Miata for a spin (ONLY PIECE OF GOOD INFO I EVER HAD FROM A USED CAR SALESMAN!)...and oh man...by the time I had gone ONE BLOCK, I was sold.

What fun...what a revelation...what a SMILE on my face.

Oh, and the Miata meets another one of my wishes...that the replacement for the MINI also be competitive in autocross.

But like you, I really appreciate the MINI's utility...4 seats, and a hatchback...I can go to Costco...can't do that with a Miata.

 

Well heck, if you don't care that what you get is out of warranty, pay off the Mini and keep it out of warranty for a while then. Out of warranty maintenance should still be less expensive than monthly payments....for a while anyway. :D

And a Miata can go to Costco. You just can't bring a friend or buy soda, but a barrell of animal crackers will fit in there!

 

I agree with the concensus that you're probably better off just keeping the Mini and banking some for repair. Also, find a good independent mechanic or learn to fix stuff yourself. Owning a Mini out of warranty is about like owning a MB, BMW, or Volvo - meaning EXPENSIVE - if you throw the keys at the dealer for every little problem. Dealers these days are almost predatory in how they charge for non-warranty repairs.

If long-term, you want to get into a larger car or just want to return to a japanese car for their overall lower cost-of-ownership, then I'd suggest a Mazda 3.

While you're not going to get any overall consensus on which cars are most reliable just listening to people's good/bad stories, the data is pretty conclusive - Japanese cars, in general, break down less than Euro cars. But speaking of averages, the difference is not that the Mini is likely to be in the shop every month while the Mazda once every few years. The data shows that perhaps the Mini might break down 1.5x as often and given that its repair bills are probably 30% higher, you'll spend perhaps twice as much on repairs. Do the math and this may only be an extra few hundred dollars a year, which may be completely acceptable if you like the Mini otherwise. And it might take five years to recoup the cost of flipping cars with lower repair bills.

A lot has to do simply with how you comfortable you are with an occasionally breakdown. Some people hate dealing with any car repairs (mainly of these are often at the mercy of unscrupulous mechanics and dealers) and for them getting THE most reliable car trumps everything else. Good choices for these sorts of folks are mainstream Asian cars like Honda Civics, Toyota Corollas, and Hyundai Elantras. Others don't mind the occasional repair and bill, and these are better candidates for BMWs, Audis, VWs, and Minis. And some are living paycheck to paycheck where any car repair is a financial crisis. Others have money in the bank and are able to absorb the big, but typically infrequent, repair bill.

No right answer for everyone here. It depends on your priorities, personality, and finances.

- Mark

 

I owned a CRX (1990 Si) for eighteen years before getting Fenimore. They're good solid cars--IF you can get one that hasn't been beat to pieces already. I sold mine at about 220,000 miles because the engine was showing wear metals in the oil. And because Da Wife said I had to get a car with modern safety features.

The car was as fun as a roomful of kittens, could be quite competitive autoXing, could haul a good bit of stuff, got good mileage, and was on the whole very reliable for that time. (With a few exceptions, mostly owner-induced. Oops.) I just couldn't justify dumping double the "value" of the car into it for a new engine, and continue to daily drive it on my local roads with the insane people we have here.

The CRX is an awesome choice if you never need more than 2 seats, and if you don't mind driving a car that folds up like wet paper in any serious wreck.

 

Mark,

All good thoughts...you summed it up nicely.

I do a lot of my own repairs, so I do have that going for me.

Plus the MINI pretty much can't be beat for MPG's (I get 36-38) unless I was to get a hybrid, (and NONE of those are fun to drive), so I'd be "banking", ah, maybe $25/month (1200 miles/month) in the difference in gasoline expenditures compared to the 30-mpg alternative choices.

Part of the reason for my original question was to get my head wrapped around the possibility of replacing the MINI, and with what? Keeping it is certainly still on the table.

The suggestions so far are (not in order):

RAGTOPS:

MR2
S2000
Miata

HATCHBACKS:

Evo
WRX
Mazda 3
Fit
RSX

SEDANS:

Civic Si (2002 to 2005 unit would be a hatch)
Kia Forte
Focus (nice choice, but perhaps not cheaper to own than the MINI)

I might add a GTI to this list, only because it's such a great car, with a very handsome, adult interior, but really, probably MORE expensive to own than the MINI.