I'm new here, and have never owned a mini before. I am thinking about scooping up a 2005 Mini Cooper S but have heard some not so good things about reliability and what not. I've also heard that these engines like to frequently grenade themselves.

I just wanted to get some opinions from long time owners, definitely looking for good and bad stories!

Thanks in advance!

 

The 06 Model is the best 1st Gen Mini S; but still some problems but are fixable.

 

I don't have a 1st gen but a 2nd gen. I think with any used car you run the risk of some issues, othewise the previous owner probably wouldn't have sold it. Just make sure you check everything out as best as possible and keep in mind you may have a few issues pop up.
I've had a few on mine but nothing that couldn't be fixed and I love it.

 

Thank you!

The one I'm looking at seems pretty clean! 1 owner, under 45,000 miles, etc. Maintenance records and what not but I'm a little unsure on their cars reliability, etc. Still heavily debating!

 

I own a 06 Mini Cooper S and love driving it! I would go with either 05 or 06 because they are basically the same. I've drove mine over 35,000 miles in 2011 with no problems except for the power steering pump that died on me but I had it replaced with Mini's extended warranty for a $50 deductible. I'm at 76,000 miles and my engine is as peppy as ever. It's in such good condition that I just made it even faster with a few mods. I think many people will agree, including some of the very popular vendors and tuners here, that the 2005-2006 Mini Cooper S is the best used Mini to buy. Love the Supercharger!

 

Yea I like the sound of the supercharger better than the turbo and I have to agree most folks that own the 05 and 06's seem to really like 'em. They have their little quirks as well though. If it's worth having, it's worth fixin'.