The MINI Cooper S is listed today on the MSN.COM...."LIKELY LEMONS List....10 used cars to avoid...this is what it says:
"The MINI Cooper S and the slightly larger Clubman S have a more potent engine than their respective base versions. More power means more problems. Consequently, the S engines — turbocharged or supercharged, depending on the year — are seriously problematic. In addition, transmissions, fuel systems and body parts that squeak, rattle and break will also upset owners."

Here's the link http://editorial.autos.msn.com/10-us...d=autos_3187#8

As an alternative it suggests the VW GTI...I'm glad I stuck with my "Justa"

 

I laughed so hard my dogs think there's something wrong with me - beyond what they already know.

I know local MINIacs who have both Gen 1 and Gen 2 S cars that have gone well over the century mark with nothing more than routine maintenance.

My mechanic works on Nissan, Audi, BMW, and Porsche, and has worked on MINIs since they returned to the states in 2002. He attests to the stoutness of the R53 supercharged engine even with a reduced pulley on it. Without hard numbers or more data cited I take this as one car resource's opinion. And we all know what they say about opinions...

 

Funny considering MINI consistently ranks as one of the top, if not the top, make for retaining value.

 

Looks like it is a rehash of the info from consumer reports which is data from consumers.

It seems to be dominated by European models.

 

Read the bottom line again. It is nothing more than poorly disguised VW advertising pandering to the soft minded easily influenced....how close does it come to political electioneering? This should really find it's way to the "And Other Messy Stuff" column shouldn't it?

 

You can tell by them stating "the S engines — turbocharged or supercharged, depending on the year — are seriously problematic" that this is a very generic write-up approved by the MSN editorial staff without real prior research or insight. Heh, I don't think anyone's complained about the R53 as being problematic, esp. compared to the R56. Embarassing.

As with anything on the Internet, question the source. Anyone can post anything they want on these sites.

 

This logic is rediculous!!! That would mean that any engine with more than 140 horsepower will have more problems. As an example, Corvette engines have 430 hp and the engines are VERY reliable.

 

You obviously haven't visited the 1st Gen Stock Problems/Issues forum and their 11,000+ threads.

But yeah, they can't put anything on the Internet unless it's true.

 

Haha, well yeah it's not like the R53 is perfect either, but relatively speaking, the fact is the R53 supercharged engine isn't known to be "seriously problematic". We're not talking about timing chain failures in the R56 turbo, or CVTs in the early R50s grenading in 50k miles. Categorizing the R53 engine as seriously problematic is just a garbage generic statement coming from who knows where.

 

It's interesting. Yesterday had the Jeep Rubicon at the dealer for its routine service and was waiting outside the managers office. Some guy was trying to trade in his Mini and the manager said, "I won't even look at it if its a S, and otherwise it better be damn clean." Obviously there's more to the story but it got me thinking. We have a lot of used car lots by my work and the Minis seem to sit on them a long time. Probably I'm just more aware of them versus the other generic cars.

 

Well, I'm going to swim against the tide with this one, and agree with them... to a point. If you are buying a USED MINI, which may have had uncertain maintenance, could have been driven by an idiot, or by someone completely inattentive to it, and it has a TURBO, you are buying a pig in a poke and that's for sure. Not so much with the superchargers (do you get the feeling that the article writer doesn't know the difference?) but certainly 2nd gen MINI S models can have hidden problems.

Which is completely different than saying that a well maintained, well driven S is unreliable. A one owner car that has had the recalls and maintenance done to it, can do very well.

But would you buy your kid a 2007 MCS, for example, without knowing how it was maintained? If they couldn't afford to replace major components, and needed a reliable car, for instance if they were going off to college in a distant state? Probably not.

 

Joanie, I'm with you on this one. We can look at it anyway we want, but it is what it is. If you're looking for a car from a sheer reliability standpoint, MINI should be near the bottom of your shopping list, along with most European cars. They're prone to trouble, especially if not properly cared for. Time has borne that out.

But if you do your research, you know going into it that you're getting a car with higher maintenance needs and higher risk of issues. So shame on you if you buy the car expecting Honda reliability.

I think what they're getting at with their comment of "more power means more problems" is the higher strung an engine is, the more potential to have issues. There's some truth to that. If you take an engine, then add a turbo/supercharger to it, the forced induction motor is likely to have a higher issue rate than the naturally aspirated. Again, I say do your research. Know what you're getting into and what the pros and cons are, then there are no nasty surprises.

 

Minis tend to cost more than and are smaller than most other cars in its segment. That may be a big factor in them sitting on the lots for a while. They also may not be in high demand in your area.

 

Seems like a good list of used cars to avoid (or at least to be very careful about) to me, but I doubt that they did their own basic research. The list seems to be consistent with reliability reports from established sources such as Consumer Reports and JD Power. Their list of cars that will go 200k miles (about half of which are Hondas and Toyotas) seems similarly consistent with other such reports.

I also agree with them that a used VW GTI would normally be a more rational alternative to the MCS. So what's helping to keep the market value of used MINIs so high? Maybe it's partly the emotional component that's missing from the objective analyses. Quirky MINIs seem to have soul, and some miniacs here have owned a string of them. I think the same could be said about another car on their used car poop list; the BMW 330i/335i.

 

Anything that is writen by MSN I disregard. They are the bunch of liberal idiots that help elect Obama. Enough said?

 

But...but...they are right!

 

Politics. So unpleasant. My GF put an Obama sticker on her car and everyday people were flipping her off, cutting her off on the freeway and spitting on her car. She took it off a few days ago and no more harassment. Shameful behavior whatever side you're on.

 

Yup. I have an Obama 2012 magnet on the boot. Within three days, some guy in a truck tailgated me, pulled up to my side, waved thumbs down at me, then accelerated off. Romney bumper sticker.

Civil discourse? Nah. Makes terrible TV and lower ad revenues. And we viewers just follow that lead. Sad.

 

I tend to disagree. If an FI engine is designed with FI in mind and designed well, they are no more trouble than an NA motor.

As for the reliability issue, its interesting because if you look at the Consumers Reports, you will see that since 06 or so, the MINI S family has improved year after year in almost all categories. I think the writer is lagging behind about 5 years with his/her info, just like the public perception is lagging from reality....the current MINI S family has average reliability according to CR.....

 

Right but, how about a guarantee fail of the oil pan gasket or the power steering pump cratering.

 

Absolutely! The current LS series engine (LS3, etc.) are incredibly reliable and in my opinion along with the Rover (originally Buick) V8 are two of the greatest engines ever designed. I am a huge critic of GM but the small block V8 is one of the very few things they are still doing right.

The MINI's engines(s) by contrast are more complex and whilst I am a big fan of the Turbo engine in my R56, it is very hard to top the simple yet legendary engineering behind the 16 valve push rod juggernaut that is the Chevrolet small block V8.

 

6thGear: My April 2012 issue of CR shows the MC reliability has improved to "average", and the MCS reliability has improved to "below average."

 

I don't care...about some person you sits all day and records everything off the internet not by going around asking MINI owners about their cars. So in other words, screw off. I'm happy with my MINI(2nd one) and I will never stop buying a MINI, especially going to a VW GTI, which I almost bought four years ago, but it was B-O-R-I-N-G.

 

Well, the pushrod V8 only has about 60 years of development...

 

You feelin' OK?