I am in the process of learning about these cars and i'm in need of your smarts.
I want to know what is the best year from 02-06 is.
what is the maintenance cost yearly on these?
How is insurance rates? average? expensive?
what are common problems
what to look for when buying one.

i'm uneasy about getting one it seems really hit or miss with them.

I need to know it all. haha thanks for the help!

 

[QUOTE=czsummy;3907487]I am in the process of learning about these cars and i'm in need of your smarts.
I want to know what is the best year from 02-06 is.
what is the maintenance cost yearly on these?How is insurance rates? average? expensive?

I did my research and 05 / 06 S with the 6 speed , seems to be the years when mini sorted everything out, you might find a jcw for not much more. As far as maintenance cost , again, after my lengthy research not much problems with these years, power steering pump? Maybe. The regular stuff like, oil changes, cost of fluids, and parts are more money, check your fluids regularly is the order of the day ! Insurance should be the same as any car with loan.
hope it helped
I lucked out and got a jcw love it !

 

Okay, I am looking to stay away from the S just for mpg reason and avoiding possible more expensive repairs. The budget will be 7000 no more so I have seen two 2006's in the price range. Now the ones I've seen typically have low profile tires ($$$) was a model with regular. Or what tire comb seems to give the nicest ride and tire life?

 

'05 or '06 are good years for the Justa. Just stay away from the automatic gear box. The Getrag manual is rock solid...and it's worth repeating. Check all the fluids at least weekly, change oil and rotate tires at 5K intervals regardless of what naysayers say and 50K interval is a good time to replace brake fluid. Also, don't join the crowd that tries to see how close to empty they can run the fuel tank and also, don't try to save a few pennies by running lower octane than called for. Both of those practices CAN wind up costing money you don't need to spend.


PS: Mileage? on the hiway with cruise set for the long haul average mileage for this S is in the neighborhood of 32MPG. When we're MINI motoring especially on the twisties, I don't give a rip what the mileage is, I care where the top of the power and torque curve is.

 

" Also, don't join the crowd that tries to see how close to empty they can run the fuel tank and also,"

Could you explain what you mean about the tires here? I'm not understanding. You mean don't run the tires to flat?

 

Here's a link to the first gen buyer's guide on MotoringFile. It's a good read and points out many of the common issues to be aware of.

Have you driven both an S and a "justa"? The "justa" may get better gas mileage, but the S is a helluva lot more fun. Just my $0.02 but the extra punch and the whine of the supercharger are addicting. As for repair cost, the supercharger is one component that will eventually need to be replaced on an S, but many owners get > 100K miles before needing that. In the end you should buy what you want, but personally I cannot imagine passing up the whine of a supercharged MINI.

I'd suggest you spend a little extra upfront ($150 - $175) on a pre-purchase inspection. Especially if you find a car at a non-MINI dealer or private seller, take it to an experienced independent MINI shop or dealer for a PPI so you know what repairs might be needed in the near future.

Finally, tires...get rid of runflats as soon as you can. Depending on your weather, budget, and driving habits there are a ton of options out there, but almost any "regular" tire will ride better than a runflat. Carry a compressor and slime in the boot for roadtrips (and/or AAA) and you're good to go.

Happy hunting!

 

I think you are mixing metaphors here. Fuel tank shenanigans and tire care issues remain exclusive.
Tires should be rotated at least at 5K intervals to ensure as even tread wear as you can get.
There are those who like to challenge the wisdom of maintaining sufficient fuel in the tank. Don't become one of them. Believe it or not there are those who don't seem to believe what the owner's manual says about tank capacity and try to prove it wrong by running down to near empty then go by whatever the pump says when they refuel. They run the risk of damaging the fuel pump.

 

Alright so is there a rim tire comb that is optimal for the most comfortable and fuel efficient?

And THANK YOU ALL very nice people here!

 

What ever size tire to fit your rims in any run of the mill all season tire properly inflated is all you can expect. Under inflation will kill mileage and over inflation will kill tires on the inner tread. 32 to 35 lbs is pretty much universally normal for passenger type rubber.
Avoid high performance tire unless you are engaged in hi performance driving. They provide about half the distance of all season tires.

 

Inflate to what it says on the door pillar. On my '12 S, it says '38 lbs or 40 lbs if driving over 100 mph'. Ya right, no way I'm driving this little guy over 100 mph..

 

2006 Justa with a 6 speed. Fear not and go for it.

 

Let's not confuse the neophyte. The '06 Justa manual gear box is the Getrag 5 speed. The S is equipped with the 6 speed. But other than that, yea, go for it!

 

Sorry. I own 2nd gens.

 

to AZdsrt I drive over a 100 mph at least once a week , on ramps at 90 and the car is rock solid ! Go for it !

 

06, you're a braver man than I..

 

How do you guys feel about 04's? Are they reliable and comparable to the 05's? I get 05-06 is better but budget falls more inline with the 04

 

Sounds like you have your head screwed on straight. If you are concerned about costly repairs, the base model (non-S) is, IN GENERAL, a safer option.

I have no experience with MINIs other than my own, a 2010 Justa. As you probably know, there were a significant changes made in 2007. So far, at 35k, no repairs of any kind, knock-on-wood.

I can tell you I'm getting 36 MPG, day in and day out; minimum 32, and maximum 42.

I've never had run-flat tires, but here is my experience with my base model, which came with Continental ContiProContact - 175/65R-15 84 H on my stock 15" x 5.5" - R100 5-spoke Spooler wheels. Mine wore out at about 25k, so I doubt you'll see any OEM tires on a 2006 or older. I liked the OEM tires fine on dry pavement, but ...

I replaced the Continentals with some Michelin Primacy MXV4, 195/60R15 - and here is what I found. The Continentals were more fun on dry pavement, but the Michelins are WAY better for comfort and wet/snow traction. Quieter too. And I'll be very disappointed if they don't last a lot longer than the Contis, too.

 

I believe that I read that '04's are pretty good. When I was looking at possible choices a source that I used ( but not exclusively) was consumer reports. They list all the years with areas of concern by year. You can also search problems by year on the computer and recalls. There is a ton of available info out there.