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You $$ gets you to the end of the gen 1, the start of the gen2....
Very different cars, different issues..... Also very different feel...gen1 is a drivers car...more rally car feel, more feedback...
Gen2 is more disconnected....more...er..modern BMW feel...the first couple years do have some carbon buidup issues due to early direct injection....
Most mini's of EITHER VINTAGE may have had the snot driven out of them...So an inspection is needed....mini's that have been wailed on/flogged daily can be money pits...
Also I suggest 2nd set of rims.... Snow tires are a big plus...the typical owner uses uhp all seasons....which are OK till you have about 1/4 inch of snow......
There are folks with BOTH generation of mini's that have put many miles on cars....
And dealers are OK...Peabody sold me my car new, Bedford nh is the same ownership group...but a 3rd party mini centric shop (I go to greasys garage out in Worcester ma) is about half the hourly rate.....

 

A lot of people don't like the idea of not having a spare tire. I could care less if I had a spare. In the past +25 years I've only had ONE flat tire while driving. Now I just have roadside assistance. Or you could go with run-flat tires, but people say they are harsh.

Do the math I think roadside is cheaper than the increase in cost for run-flats over regular tires.

You might have a different viewpoint since you drive a lot of miles.

 

Thanks for the responses so far, I do have a set of basically new Hakki 5 195/65/15 off the 328i. A bit big, but heard they will just fit the Mini. Would be getting the steelies to save the alloys and the tires.

When I first got the BMW it had AS tires...first hill I almost lost it...next day got dedicated studded snows and the car has been a tank since.

I do like the sound of the 1st gen, but are the reliability issues a deal breaker...or are they even as bad as some say?

I am actually in Midcoast Maine so even NH is a haul.

Funny thing about flats, I've only had one on a trip. Although I had AAA, ended up changing it myself as it was quicker. Probably should learn to plug my own tires and get a quality plug kit.....

 

My gen1 has NEVER spent a night at the shop...heck only been to a dealer 2x....
Only failed part was a interior dome light (underwarrenty), a cooling fan (low speed), and 2 PS cooling fans (one under warrenty)...both diy'd....
But I do drive it like a normal car...and just push a bit on "fun" twisty roads...
Driven well, most gen1 mini's IMO, are reliable.... But if wailed on cost $$ to fix...cheaper in most ways that the French motored n14/18 gen2 car IMO...just lower mpg's...no carbon issues, and more doable repairs for a diy'er.....simply not as computerized (try going to a dealer on a grn2 just to get a new battery "regerstered " with the computer....
But drive one of each....see what "speaks" to you...
Then look for a GOOD CLEAN, WELL DRIVEN car....preventive MX is a must...

 

Seriously? You need to register the battery on the gen 2? That would be a deal breaker....
I am generally a PM DIYer. I don't beat my cars, but do like to drive...not be driven hence I will not own an automatic. On the BMW I was at the dealer once and bitched when they charged me so much. Most of the time I did my own work...including changing the water pump...in the snow in Janurary following a snowstorm.....mmmm greenish blue snow!!

 

With the issues...are there aftermarket (not performance) replacement parts that solve. An example would be the tower strut plates to prevent the mushrooming.

 

Finding a shop or knowing something about cars is a big help...
Many mini's are bought as first cars...
Folks sometimes "wait for the red oil light" to add oil...or "only let it overheat 5 or 6 times"....
The list goes on and on....and on...many are first time stick drivers...
Not saying a mini is like a Toyota/Honda.....But it is NOT a gas it up and NEVER check the oil type of car....
Tracked cars...lots of them...tend to have wheel bearing issues... Clutches, etc...
It is all about finding a GOOD ADULT DRIVEN CAR.....

 

If it were me, and I could only have one car, and I was going to use a car as a commuter car in Maine, in winter, I wouldn't be getting a MINI. I know you would be ok, but what's the point? I'd buy a newer Toyota or Honda, for what ever $ you have, and not really worry about it. In the three years or so, sell it for basically what you paid for it, and move on.

 

Put them on my car when 6 months old....still perfect.
If bent...bash them back...put them on...
Did an at I crank damper to matain relilibility....pre-emptive strike....
Sc...have a spare I got for $600 on the shelf...15,000 miles from a wrecked car...had it for almost 5 years...the sc gear issues is either an issue or not....not epidemic like the netvleads you yo think....
Hate to say it, but 50% of folks in mini'S seem to have ocd issues....
Fixing things that are not broken....often messing stuff up....or chasing "ghosts" in a older car....nothing is perfect...few new cars are....and a 10 year old one....lol...

 

That's what people said about my BMW too. That it was bad in the snow, unreliable etc etc. Many days were spent driving that RWD car in extreme storms, and never an issue. I really don't see the difference between a BMW, MINI and a Toyota when it comes to driving in Maine in the winter. Have the driving knowledge and proper tires it should go. The long term reliability is my concern. I would prefer to NOT be broken down in rural maine during a blizzard.

Thing is, if I'm stuck behind the wheel for 3hrs a day, I want to at least enjoy it. I also buy cars for the long haul. Selling one after 3 years is a waste of time and mtnc money for me at least.

 

My $0.02 is to discourage you from getting a Mini. It sounds like you're interested in a supercharged model and the only objective data we have is that they have higher-than-average repair rates and repairs are generally expensive. Used models carry further uncertainty and opportunity for problems. The dealer being 2.5 hours away is a another reason. I would never own any brand, especially a relatively problematic one, with dealer support so far away.

You will get the complete gamut of user experiences in a thread like this but they're all anecdotal. The bottom line is that the cars aren't terribly reliable. They're super-rewarding to drive and great enthusiasts cars, but they tend to fall down the more you press them into the day-to-day necessity of getting a long ways to work and back, especially in a cold climate. And they're punishing to drive for long distances on rough pot-holed pavement. The stiff suspension tends to make them rattle-traps on bad roads as well, especially in really cold conditions.

If you are a good mechanic or have a good one who knows Minis relatively close by, this could temper my negative assessment. A really good guy who knows the tricks/trades of these cars and works for reasonable rates can turn the tide and make the somewhat practical.

Assuming there is a close-by dealer, I'd be looking at a Mazda 3 or a Ford Focus if you can get into the latest generation with your budget. And AWD would be pretty high on my list if I were driving a 12-mo, 120-mi/day vehicle in Maine.

- Mark

 

I didn't mean it won't be reliable, just that for that kind of driving, it will be cheaper in the long run to get a vehicle that doesn't require the level or maintenance the BMW or the MINI do. ANY car will work, just put some decent snow tires on it and check the oil every now and then.

The MINI REQUIRES maintenance. Suspension bushings, shocks, inspections, fluid flushes, Just like a BMW. And yes, I do know about BMW's, I've owned my supercharged E36 M3 for 18 years. (along with a E30 325, and a 2002)

But when I had to commute in winter, I drove a AUDI A6 Quattro Wagon with snow tires. lol The thing was a beast... But it REALLY required attention from the German mechanics...lol

 

How about one of these - Japanese, reliable, reasonably sporty, AWD....

 

Heh heh heh...and about $22k minimum. That car is on my want list as well.....but currently paying on my jeep rubicon so have to stay within budget!! I was looking at the VW TDIs.......but really dislike VWs as
I had a bad experience with them in the past.

So...is the Mini maintenance intensiveness any worse than the BMW? A big requirement for me is MPG over power so the supercharged minis are nice...but not required. AWD is nice...but good studded tires are good too. Never got stuck in my 328, and had more issues with my 4wd jeep with all seasons

 

Do what I did when I lived in New England - for good weather I had my BMW, but it was impossible in the snow - even thinking about touching the accelerator would get it sideways. So for snow days I bought a well used Toyota Corolla for $150 from a girl who's boyfriend had "tuned it up." He didn't know what he was doing and it ran like crap. It took me less than an hour to have it running perfectly, then I added a new muffler and a set of re-tread snow tires, and for $300 I was set. I insured it for liability only since if I wrecked it I didn't care. Drove the snot out of it on snow days, learned how to drift in that car. Then when I moved back to CA I sold it for $150.

Other suggestions: Late 80's or early 90's Jeep Cherokee with the 4.0l straight 6, reliable, cheap, easy to work on, and just about unstoppable in the snow. Or a used Subaru Outback.

 

You should read the thread; I have a BMW, it is great in the snow, you had the wrong tires. A $300 Toyota is probably worse than my BMW on reliability...see 120mi commute and breaking down in Rural Maine during the winter. Finally I have a jeep extended bed with the straight six. Yes easy to work on...but gets 15mpg if I'm lucky...see 120mile commute and many references to my 4wd jeep.

I need to simply know if the mini is better or worse than my 328 in regards to reliability, and if all the hubbub about the reliability that is available is just internet whiners or verifiable issues that occur to more than just 100-200 owners out of 1,000,000+

 

Seems from what I'm reading the 2005-2006 then 2011-2014 are the years to get for lack of issues.

 

Similar, maybe the Mini a little worse. But the devil is in the details here... for both the 328 and Mini there are good models and bad models, good years and bad years, good used cars and crap used cars. I'd just say that if you're comfortable driving high-mileage BMWs and dealing with their problems, you'll probably be Okay with a used Mini.

I don't think a $10K budget will get you into a 2nd-gen except the earliest ones which are perhaps the most problematic. On the 1st-gen, they got steadily better from 2002-2006. I don't think the difference between a 2004 and 2005 is probably very significant and both there are in the wheelhouse of our budget. I'd try and find the absolute cleanest, least molested, lowest mileage, least abused 2004-2006 that your budget can accommodate. Read everything you can about things to watch for and make sure you get it up on the rack and give it a good inspection before buying. The standard Coopers are less trouble than the S, but the power of the S is awfully nice.

- Mark

 

Sounds like a good plan...
One more tip..
The gen1 s (r53) is not a great mpg machine like the gen2 cars...
Make sure you can live with 25-28 mpg on PREMIUM FUEL, or even 19-22 like some...... Some do worse...some do slightly better...it it ONE case for the newer gen2 cars with the revised n18 motor...generally less issues (and no odb2 tunes, so a safer buy than earlier gen2 cars), and generally decent...not my favorite... But with lots of miles, it might make $$ to spend more up front to save $100-200 a MONTH on fuel....

 

Good point. If you're buying another car to get better gas mileage, the 1st gen's aren't very good. I get 21-23 city and 27-29 highway on premium. This wasn't too bad back in 2004, but an Elantra I just picked up for my wife gets 26/34 on regular in the same service and is much larger and more comfortable. A SkyActiv Mazda 3 does another 3 mpg better than this.

Speaking of which, I'm seeing deals for Elantras in the $15.5K range for a brand new car with a 5-yr/60K chassis and 10-yr/100K powertrain warranty. With better gas mileage and much lower maintenance bills, I 'd bet you could drive one of these for quite a bit less than a 10-yo Mini. No, it's not a Mini, but if I had a 120-mile day commute, honestly, I'd rather be in the Elantra anyway.

- Mark

 

Our 2008 r56 just passed 100k and has not had a single problem since warranty. Driven hard and still great. Even still has the factory clutch. If you can live without an S you'll have a lot less room for trouble and still a very fun car.

-no carbon issues (only the turbo engines are DI)
-no turbo issues
-no timing chain issues
-you're less likely to burn up the clutch
-much cheaper tires and you get a spare.

Also the battery thing is mostly bogus, I've replaced the battery in both cars with no problem.