This is kind of an odd question but I was just wondering. In my whole family I am the only one that drives a MINI/BMW because they are all Toyota/Lexus/Scion. My older sister has a 2010 Lexus IS250 and shes put well over 23,xxx miles on that thing (she drives a lot because when she visits our parents its like a 3 hour drive from
her school). Anyway my mom back then drove the Toyota Avalon and she put over 100,000 miles, I cant remember but I know forsure it was over 100k because that was her car throughout my elementary and middle school years. I was just wondering if you know or you yourself has MINI with a lot of miles in it? BTW my MINI has 9,6xx on the odometer.

 

There are a few around.

Nik

 

Life Expectancy of a MINI? ... its as long as you have money in your wallet, willing to spend at the shop.

Just kidding.

With general upkeep and making sure you keep up with major services and regular oil changes, it should last you well over 100k miles. I'm only at 36K and haven't had any issues. Many of those that post on forums are here because they have a problem. Look at MINI's annual sales figures (45,111 in 2012; 40K+ in 2011; 45K+ in 2010), you don't see nearly that many folks on here complaining about reliability, etc. While these aren't Hondas, they aren't the worst cars in terms ofreliability. Especially those justas like yours.

 

Thanks "NJ Mini", I was just a bit worried because I don't know much about MINIs especially that I already crashed it, I am scared that issues sooner or later might come up.

 

Last weekend I helped a MetroplexMINI club member replace a super charger, water pump, hoses etc. in her 2003 JCS R56, mileage somewhere north of 185,000. Last I heard, her car is running just fine. Care, driving style and money for repairs are important factors with the life span of any vehicle.

 

I am just about to hit 233,333 kms (145,000 miles) and my 03 MCS has been solid. I use this car for everything including track work and have done the standard intake, pulley, full exhaust engine upgrades, BBK up front, new suspension.

Original clutch and no major parts failing! My supercharger makes some noise and will take it apart to see what it needs.. fluids were good last time I checked, so maybe the bearings are starting to show their age\abuse.

The most important thing is... THIS CAR IS STILL A BLAST TO DRIVE!! I bought a 911 (993) last year and that didn't change the way I feel about the mini and am impressed every time I drive it. Its so easy to drive, push and just so much fun

Key thing is maintenance.. but the preventative type to keep everything working well together.

phil.

 

More varible than most due to modding, shoddy or inept repairs, and hard driving, racing and auto-x...
With a few super high mile cars around, you can see they can last....and be reliable ....but some are money pits if they were mistreated....

 

as NJ Mini said... depends on your pocket. I had the engine of my 2005 Cooper S blow at 47,000 miles. $8500 dollar fix was not easy to pay for, but I couldn't image parting her out. Almost at 66666 now (so excited) and currently experiencing some transmission problems. She's been autocrossed for five years, so it's a lot more pressure on her than a regular daily driver MINI, so it depends. As you've seen, they can last well over 100k without issues.

 

Hi, just saw the comments about life expectancy for a Mini. I own a 05s named Sherman, he currently has 284,988 miles! Yes I drive A lot, and we’re still motoring!

 

This is a 6 year old thread but it does deserve a revisit for a lot of folk new to the forum. On a recent service call (waiting room at a nearby micro brewery) we were followed by a very spiffy classic Mini. As the old saying goes: Take care of your machinery and it will take care of you.

 

Old thread or not, very good information: model type, year and how previous owner maintained it.

My 2005 MINI Cooper non S has 168,000 miles on it, I bought it new. It has been driven up at redline a lot at autox’s, track days and many, many, many Dragon Runs(over 9500 miles on the Dragon!). It has been modded......a lot! Lol

 

My 2003 R50 has over 90,000 miles.

I have been keeping up with all the maintenance, and it has been done by my local MINI dealer.

As others have said, as long as you are willing to pay, you can keep them going for nearly forever. However, what I am facing is that if any major repair comes up, it could possibly cost more than the MINI itself is worth on the used car market. Paying/investing that kind of money, does make one stop and take pause.

 

There comes a point where owning tools and a good manual costs less than one visit to a repair shop/service. Other than the ECU and electronics, most jobs are research, time and labour if you are fit enough to get under, over and into the engine/wheel arches, etc. DIY is also a hobby for me and even if you don't have a garage space, you can rent a ramp/shop space for a few hours.

 

Back when I went to college, the college "donated" their old vehicle maintenance garage to the students. We could sign up for a bay, and there was a tool loaning room too (you hand them your student ID, and they hand you a torque wrench).

I do wish that today, there was something... anything... like that. Somewhere where I could rent a bay (with lift) for a few hours, and possibly be right next door to an Autozone where I could buy parts and take advantage of their tool loan program.

 

I have a 2010 Clubman S with 93k on it, and it's not been too expensive to maintain at the dealer. I'm really hoping I can keep her alive for another 25k at least. I bought it used from Carmax with their MaxCare insurance, but that's now expired so I'm wondering about the expected lifespan too. I know I need a new set of tires, and I need shocks too as the rear tires are showing signs of 'bounce wear' on the inner edges of the tires. I'd like to have a slightly softer ride too as the streets of Los Angeles are atrocious and the 17" rims and low profiles are a bit harsh as a daily driver. But other than that, she's in perfect working order, though quite a few rattles and squeaks inside. Any reccos on shocks and tires btw?

 

I’ll chime in on tires, but will also ask you to think about wheels......16” wheels are a better option for our cars, especially if you are not racing or autoxing. Many used OEM MINI wheels pop up on forums, I bought a set of Bridge Spokes for $100! Now, I can run a much taller all season regular tire. A tire that rides better, creates less bang and rattles on the streets, plus they cost a lot less too!

 

Yeah, that's definitely worth thinking about. I so rarely ever get a chance to push the car hard, there's really little point me having those higher performance feet on the ground. I'lll look into the 16" rims, for sure.

 

I wonder how many more old threads there are moldering in the cellar that could add some new life to the conversation?

 

Not sure where you are located, but the is, used to be, a shop in the Denver area that rents out lifts. Here is a link to some places.
https://bookgaragetime.com/
http://diyautorepairshops.com/index.php

 

It’s amazing to me to read that so many people think 100k miles is a lot. Maybe it’s because this is my first Mini and I’ve always driven Hondas until they aren’t cost effective to repair(usually around 250k-300k miles), but I bought my used 2014 countryman S All4 with 86k miles on it fully intending to put at least another 100k on her engine.

Out of curiosity, do most people just always have a car payment/lease then get a newer car? Is that why you never end up with high miles on the engine?

 

IMO Minis (especially the JCW cars) require a bit more maintenance per mile than a compareable Honda, Nissan, Toyota or domestic vehicle. I've found the Minis which we have owned to be reliable, but they require a more mindful owner, whereas with the others mentioned, you can get in and drive...and drive...and drive...and never give maintenance a thought until a little light comes on or chime sounds telling you to do something. A couple of examples would be: Our Mini gets spark plugs every 30k miles, and our Ford (also a turbo) gets them at 100k.The Mini averages 5k miles between oil changes and our Ford averages 7-8k. The Mini needed brake pads at 40k, and the brake pads on our Ford, at 40k miles, are only 50% toward being replaced.

All in all, we believe that keeping up with the Mini maintenance schedules will yield a long lasting car. It's just going to cost you a little more to get there.

 

Agreed, But then I don't drive my other vehicles like I drive my Mini, so I expect the added maintenance and shorter service intervals.

 

I had a 2010 Clubman S that I traded in at 128,000 but it definitely had plenty of life remaining. Beginning at about 70,000, I had to replace the valve cover, throttle body and timing chain - all fairly standard for the N14 engine. Still had the original clutch.

 

I'm about to perform my 100k service a little early. My alternator is putting out low voltage. So I'm going to replace the following.

Alternator
Water pump
Belt
Tensioner
Thermostat
Hoses
Coolant reservoir
Crank sensor seal
Oil change
Blower fan resistor

 

I'm a car enthusiast.
Life is wayyyyyyy too short to drive the same car for that long.
Plus I tend to only put about 8-10k miles per year on my cars. 3-5 years is the longest I've ever kept a car.