I've only test driven one MINI...a 2015 and I loved it. For the past six months I've been doing my homework and saving my money. I'm on a bit of a budget so I thought I wanted a 2014-15 S version.
However recently I've met some long-time owners (one a well known MINI specialist and mechanic) who have been telling me how wonderful the 2005-6 R cars are....assuming you find a low milage, mechanically solid example.

Here's the concern; I've had a couple of Miatas over the last 20 yrs....but my wife couldn't drive them because she doesn't know how to drive a stick and I'm not going to force her to learn.
Will I be happy with an '05-06 automatic? And does the auto tranny hold up well in those cars? The '15 I drove was an auto and I could have been happy with that....but I'm not sure if the earlier models would be as snappy...especially with the auto tranny?

Last, I have run across more than a few 2013 cars that looked clean, solid and low milage. However, they were all in the $12.500 rage vs $14-14.500 for a 2014 model. Is there any major reason I would want to choose a '14 over a clean '13? Sorry to ask so many questions, but thanks in advance for any input you can provide!

 

2014 is the first year of the third gen. While the third gen is overall more reliable than the second gen, I hesitate to get the 2014 because it is the first year of its generation. For any car, i prefer to wait until its current design has been out a couple of years. 2013, being the last year of the second gen, may be a good choice. by the end of a generation, most of the problems have been worked out.

If you are considering different generations of the MINI, I encourage you to test drive them sooner than later. It may be very helpful in narrowing down your choices. I haven't driven the first gen, but have driven the second and the third many times - and they feel very different. Hard to believe they are the "same" cars.

I strongly prefer the way the second gen looks and drives. it is smaller and cuter. It also feels like a rawer, more direct driving experience. You feel the road better. The third gen is quieter, smoother, and more comfortable, but not nearly as fun to drive (to me). That said, I'm still considering buying a third gen because it has colors I love and can't get in the second gen. You just gotta figure out what is important to you.

 

Original post deleted: Error in research and misread a notation. Just be sure to avoid any with the N14 engine.

 

Thanks for the update Fly'n. I was going to respond to you but pretty sure I know the correction you were going for. Appreciate it.

 

I would stay away from '05-'06 unless you're handy with a wrench. Super fun to drive but maintenance/upkeep will be constant.

 

Interesting. The gentlemen I spoke with the other day makes his living as a MINI mechanic and occasionally sells used Minis that he totally refurbishes. I've seen his name mentioned on several MINI sites as being a trusted source. Anyway, we chatted the other day for about half an hour and his bottom line (based on my questioning) was that if I had to buy used...then a 2005-06 was the best early model and 2012-13 from the later generation. Interestingly, he was not high on the '14-15 models based on the amount of repairs he does and their resale value. Let me mention that I do standard maintenance but mechanically it pretty much ends at brakes.

So color me a bit confused ...in Kite Blue or Grey. Thanks guys (and ladies).

 

There are a few common recurring issues (mostly various oil seals and gaskets and power steering hoses) with the facelift first gens, and there are some one-time fixes for problematic parts (front strut towers/mounts, front LCA bushings, etc.). But, in general maintenance isn’t too terrible on cars that have been well-cared for from the start.

They aren’t Toyotas though. They’re a mashup of a Rover and BMW design with a bit of Chrysler thrown in. If you come at them with the attitude of owning a 15 year old BMW with the powertrain complexity of say a 25 year old BMW (DME and BCM not withstanding), you won’t be surprised.

 

Ha! That's quite a mashup alright. Love the little bit of Chrysler thrown in. When I started looking around almost a year ago my auto life was Toyota, Honda with a little bit of Mazda thrown in. I've had to re-adjust my expectations. But in this day and age....why? The British and Germans can't build a worthy competitor to the Asians? That's rhetorical....no need to go there in this thread. I'm still hoping for a good used MINI. Thanks much.

 

I tend to compare to Toyota because of all the vehicles I’ve had experience with, Toyotas seem to take the most abuse with the least amount of maintenance. I’ve also been around quite a few BMWs, and they just seem to be a bit needier on average. All anecdotal of course, and I’m in the south where Tacomas don’t rust in half.

My understanding is that the Tritec engine is largely a Chrysler design that shares some commonality with the one used in the Neon and PT cruiser.

 

Post ended up deleted during editing and can’t be restored. :(

 

If you do seriously go for a first gen, check out this buyers’ guide on what you need to look out for (or plan for): https://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

My old 2006 R53 was hands down the most engaging car I’ve ever driven.

 

An auto MINi is definitely a fun car to drive, but a manual is almost always more fun in any car. I would definitely test drive a couple to see what your initial feelings are, and make sure to try the manual mode by moving the shift lever over to the right and using the paddles. The car has basically has three shift modes. Just putting it in D will be full automatic with less aggressive shift points. If the paddles are used in this mode, it will return to “full auto” after a few seconds, 10-20??, if the car is not accelerating.

When in M/S mode, the car starts in full auto, but raises the shift points for more performance. Once the shift paddles or the shift lever is used to change gear in M/S, the car will not return to automatic sport mode. It will only change gears if redline is close, or when coming to a stop. One quirk about it is the car will always stop in 2nd gear for starts. If you want to start in first, you have to down shift to first every time before moving again. If you want to resume full auto sport mode after manually shifting, you have to toggle the lever back left and right to reset the M/S mode.

I would avoid any Aisin auto MINI with no history of fluid changes/maintenance. The transmission can be reliable, especially if fluid changes are kept up with, but expensive and/or time consuming to repair if things go wrong. The fluid is not a lifetime fluid as originally stated by MINI. This has been revised by MINI and other manufacturers with fluid changing recommendations in the 25-45K range depending on the manufacturer. When checking the fluid level it’s really important to make sure the temperature of the fluid is in the correct range as the transmission can end up over or underfilled if it’s not.

A couple things I’ve learned from owning an ‘05 is a supercharger pulley definitely wakes the car up to a level it should have been at from the factory. Also, driving the car in M/S with the paddles (99% of the time) keeps me more engaged, but I still occasionally forget to downshift and lug the engine for a second. This doesn’t happen when driving my manual cars and is probably due to the muscle memory of the gear stick movement for each gear being unique over the repetitive movement of just using a paddle.

 

Thanks for the info. All my Miatas were stick shift, which I prefer. However my wife doesn't drive a stick and I'd like to have her drive the MINI. Sounds like if I get an auto that I may be better off getting a slightly newer one with a bit more power. I want to enjoy the car on my own and driving something underpowered doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun. Thank you.