Here is a post you might like:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3754065

As others have said, spend some time reading threads here on NAM. But, also remember that a lot of what people post here are questions about how to fix something or how to modify something. They rarely post that nothing has gone wrong with the car in the last 15 years. So, just because you see a number of post about one thing or another doesn’t mean that the car is bad in total.

Like any car, if effort has been taken to maintain them, they tend to do well. The car respond well to having had oil changes every 5K miles or so. While BMW thinks that the transmission fluid is “lifetime”, it isn’t and should be changed. But if you find a car with, say, about 60K on it, that wouldn’t be an issue. Again, spend some time reading about them. A lot of people will say they have had issues, but the car is so much fun, the issues are not an issue... There is a thread called “Who plans to keep their Gen I MINI forever” and another thread called “What did you do to your MINI today”. Take a read through those.

We have a 2004 Base Cooper with 56k on it. Basically no issues. Minor oil leaks. Also, I have a 2012 S; 60ish K miles. Again, no major issues, and I run the car on the track. It has had the high pressure fuel pump, thermostat and auxiliary water pump replaced.

The biggest major issue these cars have had, IMHO, is the Gen II’s with the N14 engine (2007-2010) and the timing chain. Other than that, I would find one I liked and run with it.

Have fun.

They are the most fun on 4 wheels you can legally have!

This is a very long thread (800 pages or so) and I would suggest starting from the last page and read it backwards until your eyes cross - - but it will give you a good cross-section of the MINI driver and what they think of their cars:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ini-today.html

And here is the other thread I suggested:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...y-forever.html

There are other threads like this one. But this gives a good idea of the positives.

One thing to note with the Gen II MINIs with the direct injection, the injectors make a bit of clatter, kind-of like the sound of the lifters of a solid lifter cams in a ‘69 Z28. This is normal.

Someone mentioned thinking about a base Cooper. Ours is plenty fun to drive and reasonably quick. Yes, the S is much faster, but as a DD, ours gets driven quite a bit. The auto (not the CVT that was put in the base Gen I MINIs) is another option that you might consider if the DD-ing is in heavy stop and go. In an S it is just as quick as the stick, and it can be had with paddle shifters. That said, the stick is a lot of fun to drive.

Welcome to the forum and good luck in the search. If looking at gen 2 as stated above, you may want to look at the post 2010 models as they have the N18 engine. While it has had its own issues, they are an improvement over the N14 IMO. I can’t speak much for the other gen cars, but basically what has been said is good advice.
the gen 1 cars are the most raw and go-kart like, with each successive generation getting a little bit bigger and more refined as they went. That’s about all I’ve got for you.
good luck and enjoy! They are the most fun on 4 wheels you can legally have!

That’s quite the collection to choose from, lol. Like mentioned above, don’t let the forums scare you away, I’m sure there are forums for the other cars that have lots problems too, just at a glance, but we usually don’t post when things go right, lol.
I have coveted owning a cooper for years, so when I finally got the chance, I jumped and am happy that I did. I’m not tall, but they are shockingly roomy inside. You will have the most fun with a Mini, but other concerns are important too, I suppose, lol.
Good luck, and let us know if you pick one up