I am wanting to buy a Mini. I have researched a little bit on the subject, but was really wanting the feedback from those of you who have either vehicle. No matter which route I go, mods are planned in the future. Can you guys help a future Mini owner out, and point me in the right direction? This car will be my daily driver, mapping out ~30 miles round trip per day. All thoughts and theories are welcome.

Thanks

 

depends on preference, turbo models are newer, different body shape bumpers ect. You can get a front mount for a turbo (SC too, but done less). I get bad heat soak in traffic, but after 2-3 minutes, after being stuck for 5 minutes in traffic moving back up to speed (45) its cool again.

I prefer SC's I like the whine, plus to me its a more simplistic setup.

But in the end, its preference, but turbos will be more expensive.

 

Better low end and mpg with the turbo if either of those are important to you.

 

Drive both....
The experience is night and day...
The sc cars are more raw....more visceral....the car becomes part of you...
The turbo is more refined......but more separate...the steering is very different..as is the ride.

 

Thanks for the input so far. Is there anything that separates one Generation from the other, i.e. one Generation is a little more solid built than the other, or anything to that nature? I know a lot of it depends on how well the car has been taken care of, but assuming all playing fields are equal, does one stand out more than the other? It always seems like there are always a few issues with the 1st generation of anything, that are fixed come the second Generation. Thanks again for the input.

 

A couple hundred threads covering this stuff....
We try not to make it a religious war...lol....but folks tend to like what they like.
My take...
The sc cars (gen1) feel more solidly built... More of a built to last nature IMO...plastic bits etc....but they, in all honesty, tend to be more likely to rattle.... My car, bought new is and has been rattle free....but others are not so lucky....so many mini's (both gen1 and gen2) have been abused, used hard, given poor or iffy MX, I would suggest you get the car looked at by somebody before you buy it.....or you could get stuck with a money pit.
Both cars have different issues....some comes down to luck, prior MX, and care....some just crappy design. My suggestion....try both...get the lowest miles, newest year you can afford in either group, and enjoy....both cars were sold with an amazing variety of factory options...so finding one that is "right" can take a bit...some are obvious...like xenon headlights or halogen.. Sunroof or not....others like sport suspension...harder to spot...and many owners have muddied the water adding a few parts....heck a JCW sticker or air cleaner might look nice....but make it a JCW car (about $5000+ more new, either gen...much lower used...) It does not.

 

P.S.
consider gen1 (sc) and gen2 (turbos) to be different cars....with similar shape....cause that is what they are...very little commonality other than the name and shape.

 

If you are wild about HP mods there are manny more options with GEN 1 SC MINIS. Also AT will limit HP possibilities.

Good luck.

Tommy T

 

I second much of what Zippy said, especially his suggestion about a pre-purchase inspection (PPI). Find a car you like, but spend the $$ ahead of time to have a dealer or experienced independent mechanic vet the car before you sign on the dotted line. Especially with the penchant for some MINIs to be driven hard, this is money well spent.

As an aside, a common sentiment is that the first year or two of any refresh or any gen can be more problematic. It's pretty widely accepted that '05 & '06 MINIs are solid, as they worked out many kinks or design issues from '02/'03. By the same token, you'll find many threads & posts with advice to avoid '07 as it was the first year of the 2nd gen turbo cars.

You'll have exceptions to this - some '02/'03 or '07 that are solid, some '06s with issues - but by & large I think this good advice.

Best of luck with your hunt!

 

Yep. Different beasts. I love the immediacy and connected feel of the 1st gen. (I have an 06 cabriolet with every possible JCW option.) Plus, the supercharger whine and burble on lift is music to my ears. If you go for a 1st gen, 06 is preferred. O5 is also good. Don't get an earlier car. And if you're going the cab route, they made them in 07 and 08 as well.

 

I have an 04 and cannot complain , no rattles no b/s just power when I need it and an overall tight feel. If you do your own maintenance just be very strict with it, these cars do not like being left to there own ways.

 

I would shop both. Since you are considering R53's and R56's (or other turbos), then a good used one with a few mods, low miles, would be the way to go.

I would specifically target owners that 'love' their cars and have done a few mods but want to trade up for whatever reason (money, family, house). They will generally eat the mod money because they do not want to deal with the hassle of trading it in. Dealer's generally don't like modded cars which requires the owners to take it back to stock before trade in.

However:
The SC minis have been around longer and have more mods available to them.

The turboed ones have less for now, but they do have better gas mileage.