I have admired the mini from afar for many years and I'm wondering if I should bite the bullet and get one. I currently drive a 2000 civic ex and haven't really had any issues. I don't want to go from that to something that is going to be in the shop every month and cost me my life savings to keep on the road. From my recent google searches I have read that some people love their mini's and others say they are junk. Are there any threads that discuss typical mini problems?

Since all mini's require premium fuel (what grade to they require? 89 91 93?) I figured I should go with a cooper s model. I was thinking 2009 or later but from what I see in consumer reports I should stay away from the s models. How true is this? I would be getting a manual transmission if this makes a difference.

Also I recently bought 15" 4x100 rims for my civic, would I be able to put them on a mini?

A somewhat lesser concern is the rear seat, they look pretty uncomfortable and there doesn't really appear to be any leg room. It's usually just me or me and one other person in the car, but it's always nice to be able to fit four.

Thanks

 

Mini's do not have the reliability of Honda's

They are more expensive and in the shop much more often

 

And Hondas do not have the fun of Minis - except for the old S2000 or the really old CRX, both no longer in production.

I have nearly 10K on my 2012 MCS with only one minor problem (bad temp sensor) taken care of while I was in for an oil change. I'd say find a 2011 or later MCS with the N18 engine and go for it.

 

I have an 03 mini s and I have really loved the car (had it for 5 years).

That being said there are a few things that I would have done different. Mini's changed from being supercharged to turbo'd I believed in 08. I really like the supercharged version, and if you want to go with that I wold go the last manufactured year (i believe 07). They fixed most of the bugs by then.

The major expenses for me have been two things. The clutch and the supercharger. For the clutch it cost me about 2,600 to have it replaced, and the previous owner did some damage to it so I had to do it pretty early. Nevertheless I am babying the second clutch. The supercharger has the issue that mini says you don't need to change the supercharger oil, and you do. At about 100k miles it dries up and is super expensive to replace. I did all the work myself and upgraded the supercharger, but if I would have looked online more I would have just changed the sc oil every 50-60k miles.

Overall I really do like the car and it has been reliable beyond the few instances. If you like to do your own work I would recommend the car. If you want something that is cheap and will run forever...keep with the honda/toyota.

 

I think you need to go look at a MINI...test drive one once.. Get a feel for the car... MINIs have a fun factor.. Go check them out!!

 

MINIs aren't as reliable to Honda's.



If you love the MCS, look at a 2010+. The 2011-2013 got a N18 motor compared to the N14 2007-2010. Most kinks got fixed in the 2011+. This is my second MINI, my first was an issue and it was a Cooper. This one takes the cake, he's only been in the shop twice(thermostat and recall work). Other than that I've kept oil changes at 5-6k miles and did all the maintenance work to keep him in good health. If you don't mod like 60% of this forum then you'll be fine and you'll have money to put towards maintenance.

In the 2007-2010 the carbon buildup is pretty rough but not all MCS/JCW. The 2011+ they still have carbon buildup but not as bad from photos I've seen and my own engine diagnoses.

Also check the car fax cause timing chain issues are quite an issue on the 2007-2010 MCS/JCW models.

Other than that check to see if oil is leaking or if it consumes too much oil. Check the clutch to see if it has been replaced or if it is still on the original.

Hope to see ya on the forums, good luck!

 

MINI's are more expensive to own than Hondas but very unique and great fun. I sold my beloved 3 series BMW convertible to buy my 2009 MCS convertible. I ordered it with exactly what I wanted. The MINI is the most fun car I have owned in over 30 years of car ownership.

Check out the "Cheat Sheet" links about mid page at http://www.motoringfile.com/ for excellent model write ups.

 

just like any car, its how you take care of it. if your good to it, its good to you. Worried bout leg room, go with the countryman. of course any car that is supercharged or turbo'd, you gonna have problems at some point. I find that the Mini culture is different.. Happy people. Everybody has or had a Honda, eh, Go with Mini and experience the difference, and be HAPPY!

 

I bought a 2008 Non-S Cooper and I have had zero issues with it to date. I bought it in 2010 with 37000 miles and I'm about to turn 90000. I absolutely love it. I am a performance guy, and I bought a Non-S for a better reliability reputation. This car with a Sprint Booster, has been very responsive, and never leaves me wishing for a S. I have seen the terrible experiences of other Mini owners, but I have seen many great experiences from them as well. Definitely more on the Non-S side than the S side, but as others have said, the one you buy may not be a Honda in the sense of reliability. Do your homework and find one that was serviced beyond the dealer intervals and you may find one as reliable as mine has been.

Ivan

 

Honestly, comparing anything to a Honda will be a bit of a letdown when reliability is the measuring stick.

As for back seat room, depends on the model. The Countryman (and I think Paceman too as it is the same platform) will easily let someone 6'1" sit back there. The Clubman is pretty good too in the back seat, though not as good as the Countryman. The hardtop and others though, the back seat is mostly for short trips.

Go take a test drive, do your due diligence, but remember, people will get on the internet to complain. Few will get on and go "oh wow! everything is hunkey dory!" And when it needs service, and it will - all cars do - make sure the dealer you select has a good reputation. I am fortunate to have 2 dealers within 20mi of my house, and I picked the one the furthest away after talking to several Mini and BMW owners.

On Gas, the gas cap says 89 (on the Countryman S anyway) and when I asked the dealer about it, he said it would take it, but you'd get faster carbon buildup and that would be more detrimental to the motor over a long time. Leasing no issue, but owning one for 5+ years it would make a difference. He said no warranty would be voided and it was my choice. Since I've been burning premium since 1998 in my other car, I'll just stick with that in the Countryman.

 

As has been said, do your homework. I did A LOT of homework before I bought and I found nearly everything I read to be true. That being said, some of it I learned more about after ownership. For example, the "stiff ride" was something I read in how many reviews. Still after doing some homework and owning one, I learned that the rim size factored in and even more so the run-flat tires factored in. I got some Continental DWS tires after the run-flats went and the ride noticeably got more comfortable, but it was still a sporty ride. Also, I consistently read that the car's controls and toggles were tough to get used to (mainly the ones in the center console). They were EASY to get used and I loved some of the quirks, like the window toggles being in the center console and not on the door. I love that. Now though they're looking at making the interior more "typical", which I find really annoying. One last thing about the cars, I LOVE the design. Great design that hasn't changed a lot in the first decade and so you car will likely still look new for a while depending on what you get.

As for getting one, if reliability is your thing, go for a Justa not an S version. Test drive both, but I'm guessing a Justa will feel sporty enough for you. For me the S felt too much when I first test drove and was ready to ditch my then 12 year old Camry. After another test drive or two I decided to go with the S though and now a Justa feels a bit too slow. Still compared to say a Mazda 3 (a recent rental), there is no comparison. Much more fun to drive and I definitely feel safer with the handling and brakes. I would think the Justa is enough car for you too if you're coming from a Civic that is that old.

If you're willing to take one off the lot, you should be able to negotiate a new car. Probably less so if you special order one. Otherwise, you can always go the used route. A 2012 with under 10,000 miles at a good price shouldn't be too tough to find. Problem is they're sooo customizable that you might not like the color or the options. I recently had my 09 S Clubman totalled and before I found out that my insurance covered a brand new car, I found a great deal on a used 12 S Clubman that was practically fully loaded (in fact more loaded than I wanted). I would have nabbed it, but with insurance covering a new car I went that route. I had my Dad near sold on that used one, but my parents dragged their feet and Mom sorta balked on the deal at first.

 

Most of you questions have been answered but one; the wheels. Most 16" wheels will fit over the S model brakes but there are very very few 15" wheels that will clear them. I personally think 16" is a minimum size for a wheel on a MINI and 17s look even better.

If looking at an '09 look for a CPO, they have a 6 yr 100k warranty or find a clean car with all of it's maintenance and service history. I would stay away form the '07 and some '08 just because the timing chain tenisoner was more of an issue in the beginning. Or, if you can swing it find a car with a remainder of a factory warranty (3yr 36k for maintenance items and 4yr 50k for bumper ot bumper). Extended maint will get you consumable parts til 100k and it includes the clutch too.

 

I definitely plan on it, was going to go this weekend but it rained Saturday and the mini dealer wasn't open Sunday or Monday. But I was wondering about the general opinion of mini owners because no amount of fun can overcome a car not being able to get me where I need to go.

 

Is it a bad idea to buy a used mini from a non-mini dealer? For example they have one at a nissan dealer down the road from me. Say something relatively new with about 18,000 miles. The mini dealer closest to me doesn't have a huge selection in terms of used cars and what I would be looking for.

If I were to go the mini dealer route, how worth it is the 6 year 100k warranty? From what I'm reading seems like they pretty much cover oil changes which I could do myself.

How easy would it be to add a center armrest/storage in a mini that doesn't come with one?

Is it a bad idea to repaint a car as long as it's done right? It wouldn't be ridiculously expensive as that's something I can do myself also.

 

I bought my car from an Audi dealer with 37000 miles. I was and am happy as pie. No negative issues at all and truly a good deal on the car. I do all repairs myself, so no warranty in my future. Installing an armrest certainly can be done. Places like Mini-mania and other places sell them with installation instructions. Finally instead of the expense of paint, look into wrapping the car in the color of your choice. Far cheaper than a real good paint job.

Ivan

 

If you are not buying at a MINI dealer it would be wise to get a PPI (pre-purchase inspection done on a car by the dealership. Also, if you are looking at 3rd party extended warranties, see what the dealer you would go to has had luck with. I bought a 3rd part for a '02 R50 I bought 2 years ago through Easy Care, it was perfect. They covered tons of stuff and I still got the remainder of my policy back after I sold the car. But, every dealer has different luck or 3rd party companies that they work with frequently, so check into that if you are going to go that route.

 

It's not a bad idea to get a Mini from a non-Mini dealer, but you should do your research because there's a good chance that the dealer doesn't know much about the car. This could work for or against you, since some used dealers may not know all the options on the car you are selling and you can get a better deal that you thought. On the same token, the dealer may list options not available on the car due to a simple misunderstanding. You also want to make sure you do an inspection. A higher mileage Mini that's been properly cared for would be more reliable than a lower mileage Mini that's been thrashed.

 

i had a 2008 mini cooper clubman s that i bought used. it came with a multiple amount of problems and the cost was way too much to repair. i kept it a year. because i love the cars i traded it for a NEW 2013 Mini Cooper Convertible. I didn't buy a S model because of the problems that i experienced and from all the sites I read. I will more than likely trade it around when the warranty expires because the dealership is one and a half hours a way and there are no mini mechanics here. we have a family mechanic and every time i had a problem he wanted to pass out. he told me to trade in the car with no gain to him because now i have a new car under warranty. no problems with the new car but i do miss the extra features of the clubman.

 

i bought my first used at a non mini dealer. they lied about everything and as soon as i drove off the steering went out - that they sent out to be repaired at their cost. but the list went on and on. i had two preludes and a civic before i bought the minis.

 

i've had car repainted they never look right
i wouldn't buy a used car from a non mini dealer
i now always question why a mini with low miles is for sale - it possibly has problems
i love my mini. go test drive a new one. you don't have to get all the bells and whistles.

 

We have a 2002 base 5 speed with 109k. My wife drives it and loves it. She drives 70 miles a day round trip for work and averages 32-33 mpg. No issues at this time.