Hey All. New to the forum but I've been checking it out for a while now. I'm looking into buying an 08/09 MCS. Want something under 40k and it has to be a stick. I'm a bit of a modder and will definitely be swapping the intake and exhaust in time. I'm looking for some advice on the car itself. I've heard some horror stories about the clutch which has me nervous, seems like a pretty expensive repair on the mini. I'm not the burnout at every stop light type of dude, but I like to have some fun occasionally. I'm wondering how much of a concern this is for the majority of people with the same year MCS. I am aware of the timing chain tensioner & the carbon issues, I can do some things with a wrench so I'm not too concerned there. I will also check with the dealer on the fuel pump.

So for the Mini itself, I'm coming from an 06 miata. LOVE my car and the only reason I'm getting rid of it is because I moved from Arizona to the arctic hell hole known as the northeast. I've dealt with it for 3 years now. But coming home from work in the snow last week, I spun it out and had to call the wife's family to pick me up. Sitting in my car, waiting to get creamed as cars slid by me on a hill I couldn't get up, I started thinking this is getting old... So I did some research. I think the Mini is about as much fun as I could have with FWD in the price range and while staying economical on gas. I could go with a Prius for reliability & gas (wife's suggestion) but I explained if I drove one of those for a week she would find me hanging in the basement. I have beat the crap out of my miata for 95k miles with no issues, had many good times and I'm going to miss my fan club of 17 year old girls (yes, I know I'm married) but it's time for a change. Wondering if anyone else went from a miata to mini and how happy they are with the decision.

Any advice you could give me would be appreciated. Going to be buying one in the next few weeks.

And yes, I posted this in the welcome forum but only got one response. I've been on a few different car forums and know that hardly anyone ever checks the welcome threads (I never did), so let the flaming commence...

 

I switched from my long-serving (180k+ miles) 1996 Miata M just this spring, to my 2012 MCS. It's very much a blast to drive, seriously so, different in feel from my Miata both from the FWD/RWD change, and also from the extra hp in my MINI (S + JCW tuning kit). No regrets at all.

I don't have information on clutch life on these, other than what I've read here and elsewhere. I'm assuming some large part of it is correct (i.e. that this is an expensive-to-replace part of my MINI, and that the stock unit doesn't suffer abuse well, or for long) and drive accordingly. So no dumping the clutch, powershifting, using the clutch to hold it on hills, and so on. Using such caution (even if overcautious) hasn't dampened the fun-to-drive factor for me (joyous twisty road driving, blasting on/off ramps, etc.).

I've got a set of Blizzaks that need to go on this week or next, and it will be all set for winter. (My Miata ran some Firestone snow tires, with an 80 lb sandbag in the trunk, and did "okay", up to it's ground clearance limit in the heavy stuff...LSD on M's of that year).

 

Can't give any comparison with a Miata, but I have had two higher mileage MINIs now (first an '06 R50 and now an '08 MCS with 72k and climbing) and haven't had any clutch issues with either one. I'm not a racer, but I drive hard at times and never have had any slippage or other clutch problems. I also have several friends who are owners of multiple MINIs and have never heard of them having clutch problems either.

I know that people report here that they have lost their clutch prematurely, but keep in mind that on a car enthusiasts forum, you're likely to get spooked by what you read because people tend to come here and post about problems/issues when looking for help. What seems like a high number of instances may only be a small fraction of MINI ownership overall. Not saying that clutches don't tend to be problematic on these cars....they might be....I just don't personally know anyone who has had a problem.

Regarding high prices for clutch replacement....I have heard (through reading here) that people have been quoted ridiculous amounts by dealers to replace clutches. I've also read where independent shops will do it for around $1000 which doesn't sound all that terrible to me considering the amount of work involved. The only time I've had a clutch replaced was on an '87 GTI about 15 yrs ago and it was $600-$700 at that time by a national chain transmission shop.....so a grand doesn't sound all that unreasonable.

Get a MINI....you'll love it.

 

I had a 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata that I picked up around the same time has my Cooper S. The MSM was relegated to the garage for the year and then I picked up a 12 JCW and that was it, she was sold. I suspect I didnt put more than 1,500 miles on it in the time I had my MINIs.

 

Thanks much for the replies. It's reassuring to hear the clutch isn't too common of an issue. Guess I wasn't thinking dealer price vs repair shop price either. It's good to hear people happy with their cars. At first I was dreading getting rid of the miata but I'm actually kind of psyched for the cooper now. I had a wrx before the miata and miss the rush & sounds of the turbo. Also miss the huge hp gains from swapping out the small stuff. Thanks again.