I've owned 2 minis and thought I would share my experiences in case you own one or are thinking of buying one. Cars are a very personal matter and these are my opinions only- so please don't submit a rebuttal.

The Mini was the first car that I ever owned that I really cherished. I've owned both a 2005 Cooper convertible and a hardtop 2008 Cooper S.


PROS

• Handling, 2005 and 2008
• Braking, 2008
• Styling, 2005 and 2008
• Pickup, 2008
• Topless, 2005
• Long time between oil changes, 2005 and 2008
• Very good in snow with snow tires, 2008
• Heated mirrors, 2005

2008 (2nd Gen) CONS

• Timing chain rattling noise (repaired under warranty).
• Power windows had to be reset by mini dealer 3 times (no user reset possible) after minor snow/ice storms.
• Bad steering wheel emblem design as it crushable.
• Very hard to replace the so-so factory stereo.
• Didn't care for the run flat tires.

2005 (1st Gen) CONS (or issues I had with mine)

• Bad engine mount (but fairly easy to replace).
• Backup sensors issues.
• Too many sensors, especially because it is a convertible.
• Top wears more quickly than other convertible tops.
• Battery drain (a consideration when parking a car for more than a couple weeks).
• Bad sounding speaker system, even with the higher end Harman Kardon setup.
• Deformed strut towers (aftermarket plates helped take care of it). This is potentially a very serious flaw.
• Couldn't just replace torn window weather stripping on rear side window.
• Significant engine oil leak through (crankshaft?) sensor.
• Crushed steering wheel emblem and Mini doesn't sell a replacement other than a complete airbag assemble.
• Water leaks in the boot (trunk) with heavy rains.
• Door mirror covers had to be replaced (but fairly easy to do).

General Cons

• In my case, the dealer was a 45 minute ride; something to consider when needing maintenance, service, or parts.
• Cost of repairs (similar to a boat- Bring Out Another Thousand).
• Little room under the hood to do serious work on engine, or you have to disassemble front end for access.
• Oil spills when changing due to the canister design. (So much for helping the environment.)
• Very little storage space when traveling long distance.
• The minis I've owned only comfortably fit 2 people.

 

All I can say is owning a gen1 hardtop was the most fun you can have in a car with your clothes on!!
Feel free to use your iminagination...

There...simple...to the point..
Gen2 more liviable, more comfy.more about "toys"...not quite as much fun to drive IMO...
Gen3 more livable, more comfy...least fun, to drive, most gizmos and toys BUT ....enough room to get naked in...so no need to drive to have fun!!

Remember, driving a MINI is about FUN!! SMILE!! YOU ARE DRIVIBG A MINI!!

 

I don't know... There are pros and cons to owning a MINI, but to me, it's a bunch of little cons vs. a few huge pros. I have never driven another car that puts a stupid grin on my face every time I drive it.

 

Me too on the grin every time I drive it. Now on the f56 JCW: I like just about everything about it, except.....no not the catfish. Snout, but the damnable tach-speedometer-fuel gauge. CHEAP-CHEAP-CHEAP! Did I say heap and plastically? It's something that one sees every time one drives the car. I'm not so sure I can get over that, but I want to. It's also what's driving me, maybe over to mother BMW go maybe a slightly used m235i or 135is. I know that they're bigger and different, but they have great looking gauges, go fast, seem safe and also get just about as good of fuel mileage as our Mini roadster. Still trying to get the right numbers together before the lease runs out in March. But, the JCW swill win out, I think but right now who knows. By the way, the roadster was a hoot driving the Dragon last month.

 

Interesting. Wish more of you would post a pro and con list.

 

Here is my pro and con list; I have only owned a mini for a few weeks. A little perspective to frame my opinion. In the last 5 years I have owned a BMW 5 series, several mustangs, a miata, a 76 corvette, an Acura TSX and currently still own an Infinity G35. As you can see I like domestic and foreign vehicles alike. My trade-in on my f56 MCS was a 2014 mustang.

Pro's
- Gas milage
- Handeling
- Classic, recognizable design
- That feeling, the one where you feel as though you are going much faster than you actually are
- Interior comfort
- OPTIONS, this is a huge Pro, maybe number one. If you build your Mini the options are endless. I went all out to my standards and could not be happier.
- Warranty, boot to bonnet for 36k is nice
- Driving modes

Cons
- Endless interior rattles on a new car
- I enjoy wrenching on cars, this may never be much of a possibility under the hood of this car. What they have fit in such a small space is an engineering feat in and of itself.
- Slow for the price in a straight line. I know that is not what the car was designed for, however somedays all you get is red light to red light.
- No bluetooth streaming for the radio I have
- Cost of ownership outside of warranty

 

You can buy a Coolstream bluetooth adapter to plug into your cars input jack in the glove box

 

Get a Coolstream Bluetooth adapter.

 

Great tip, just bought one. $25 is not a bad deal to add exactly what I wanted. Thanks for the tip!

 

Thanks from me for the tip too!

 

Hi I have heard you should stay away from the early 2000- because of transmission problems is this true or are there other issues , I am thinking of a mini s or john works if I can find one any thoughts

 

The Gen 1, non S models with automatic have the CVT...when it breaks it's very expensive to replace. A lot of CVT failures and a class action lawsuit were the result. Not many CVT MINIs are still on the road. The CVT is a non issue for you, because you're looking for an S model...

The other MINI to avoid is the 2007 - 2010 MINI Cooper S...they use the N14 engine. (note: the JCW used the N14 thru 2012). Most problems were on the early models. Problems can include excessive oil consumption, carbon buildup and timing chain issues. Lastly, even though I said to avoid them, I will also say if you can do your own maintenance and the price is right....these cars can still be a good option for some.

A lot of the early JCW MINIs were were the result of mods done by the dealer; they were branded by the dealer as a JCW. The factory JCW didn't start until later.

 

Thanks for the great tips!

 

Actually, my 2008 S R52 has the W11 engine.

 

Sorry, I was not specific enough in my post.

These cars have the N14 engine:

2007 – 2010 R56 S model
2009 – 2010 R57 S model convertible
2008 – 2010 R55S Clubman S
Factory JCW thru 2012

 

Hi.
I have a 2009 S convertible with 88,000 miles on it.... runs great but having problems with the passenger seatbelt and airbag Idiot lights.
Did they find out why they consume so much oil?

 

Hi all!

Last year oil change was done in MINI dealership in March of 2019 and when counter was reset, car showed next service at 9000 mi. Since it was now a year, yesterday I went ahead and changed oil and filter at the same dealership as above. This time car showed 8000 mi until next oil change.

1) Does anyone know why is that? To me it is odd and leading me to believe that tech maybe didn’t completely drain oil and then filled with new oil which in turn mixed old and few. And car is showing the status accordingly? If this isn't good, I will contact dealer and figure things out.
2) The paperwork at the end of oil change showed what was performed and which oil was used. So the list of parts needed showed BMW Longlife-17 FE+ 0w-20 oil and filter. One or two lines down shows what was performed: BMW Longlife-17 FE+ but this time shows 0w30(instead of 20). I asked the service writer and he went back and asked the tech and he came back saying 0w-30 was just a typo.

So could it be above #1 or #2 which would give 8000 mi ready for next oil change instead of normal 9000 mi?

2016 MCS

 

In theory it is condition based for mileage on oil change. So the computer algorithm determined you need more frequent oil change. That is how it is supposed to work.

 

So after resetting, right at the spot, shouldn't the system just default to 9000 mi and then re-calculate during that period?
I wonder if BMW Longlife-17 FE+ is the culprit for this as last year Longlife 14 FE+ was used by the same dealer. Just checked my records, last year's oil grade was LL-17 FE+ too.

 

It would base it on your past driving. As I recall 10,000 was the standard number. Often times it will do a sudden change.

 

Interesting. So I did a calculation according to my March 2019 oil change mileage. I drove 4908K miles since last year's March oil change. And before I entered MINI dealership yesterday to change oil, my car would show me that I still had 3100K miles til next oil change or March 2020 which ever came first. So may be you are correct, as it seems my car determined 8000 mi throughout a year of driving, even though 9000 mi were reported initially. I subtracted 4908K from 8000K which leaves ~ 3100K as car reported.

This is just my second oil change as I am second owner of the car.

 

Easy

PROS it’s small really small with oh = Fun

CONS it’s small really small.

 

Will the Coolsream work on my 03 MCS?