Hi everyone, I am in the market for a used Mini with around 100k. I would really appreciate everyone's feedback on how reliable your cars have been throughout the years and what repairs to expect on a Mini with over 100K. I have read horrible stories about transmissions and their cost of replacement ($8500), losing power on a highway, expensive maintenance in general. I have had a few BMW and loved them. I don't know if a Mini is built with as much precision and reliability. I would really appreciate your input. Thank you.

 

Not what I would choose in a high mileage used car... You'll find them pretty inexpensive to buy, but that's probably because they need a lot of maintenance at that point. A well sorted car, will be a lot more to buy. It's a classic pay me now, or pay me later.

If god forbid you have a major problem,

clutch job, $2500. clutch, flywheel, PP , bearing, labor...
used replacement engine, $4K. New... $8K+
Turbo, $2500?
Transmission, (used) $3+K Might as well put a new clutch in while you there... so $5+K...

Or you get one cheap, and it runs forever.. You just don't know.

 

Thank you Richard, I appreciate your insight. It seems to me that a base BMW 325i or 330i is a better built and more reliable machine. I understand the "never know" factor too, but I'm not about to go out and buy a Honda or a Toyota. I've always had Mercedes or a BMW with high miles and learned to trust their reliability within the range of course, (like I would never get a C-class Mercedes). Also I find old BMWs and Mercedes to be fun and reliable.

 

I think you just have to do your homework. At this point, I've found no real difference in manufacturer when it comes to failure rates. If you are diligent about looking at the car during the buy process, you can find good ones. I bought a 2004 Silverado with 290k miles on it 2 years ago to use as a round the house beater. I've put 30k miles on it since and I've only had to replace the water pump (easy on that truck), a vacuum canister on the fuel system, and a belt tensioner. Original engine.

I had lots of luck with my volvos as well and even when they had 250k miles I never shied from driving them on long road trips.

I would agree though, the 3 series BMW is probably better overall quality as they've gotten good reviews over the last 5 years or so on reliability. But man...the handling of the mini...mmmm