Are Mini's expensive to own like the BMW 3 series due to insurance or repairs etc? I ask this because as a Honda Accord owner I visit a Honda website and I read many posts of people getting rid of their 3 series BMW and getting instead a Honda or Acura due to high repair cost for the BMW. I'm planning on getting a Mini Cooper S.

 

Insurance isn't egregious IMO, repairs can be pricey. BMW dealer techs are NOT cheap ($140/hr in my area.) The warranty and service plan make it cheap for the first four years.
Expensive is really a nebulous concept. If you don't think $25K for a new car is expensive, you can probably manage.

 

I would say no. But as a former Honda owner (I owned several), I was always rather offended by the "service scheme" that Honda dealers push. I always felt like SOME of those services were not warranted. Having said that, however, Honda makes GREAT cars.

Welcome to NAM!

 

Insurance for my '06 MCS is A LOT higher than my 2000 Accord, but then I'm a 18-25 y/o male. I expect repairs from the dealer will be a lot more than a Honda dealer. If you can DIY? Then not so bad, eh?

 

It's the MODS that make it expensive

 

Well, when I got my MSC-JCW added to my AAA, and removed the Suzuki Sidekick, my premiums went up $15. Oh the pain!

 

Insurance may not be the cheapest, but insurance is primarily where the value that these cars retain is helpful:

Nobody's going to buy your loaded 2005 MCS with 30K on it for $26,000 -- they'll buy new instead. But if it's totaled, that's how much the insurance company will pay you if you hold out for them to "give you a fair price" -- "make you whole" -- "put a car comparably equipped in your driveway."

Cars.com and Autotrader.com sure help you get your inve$tment back.

 

i dont feel like the insurance is too bad. i was paying $145 for my toyota camry and the day before i wrecked it it went down to $110. so when i bought my mini it went to $150, felt like i only went up $5!

 

If I hadn't had everything fixed under warranty (and they would have never told me about these things), I would have paid thousands to fix the stuff.

Kind knowlegable people on this site told me what I should be asking for under warranty. For example, both window motors and both door locks would run you over a grand! And they would have never fixed it unless you specifically asked for it to be fixed! It's the BMW way. They won't make good on the warranty unless you bring it their attention, even if they personally see it during routine maintenance. Be warned.

 

I had a Honda Accord that I sold to buy the MCS that I am selling now. The insurance for me (45 years old) was that same. I only have 12,500 mile with plenty of warranty left so upkeep is essentially free.

RR

 

Not for the first 36K miles there not .

Insurance for the hubby and I (both in our 40's with clean driving records) is right at $1000. a year, not to bad, but I would hate to see how much it would be if we were in our 20's .

We have always had either a honda or a toyota in the driveway, and IMO the mini will be considerably more expensive to maintain, I love our mini, but it is not a daily driver and we are toying with selling it if your interested in a slightly used '06 MCS.

 

Extremely expensive...after the warranty is over be prepared to have money set aside to pay for maintenance and repairs.

New windshield wiper motor plus labor: around $600
New Clutch plus labor: around $2500 (happens a good amount)
New Transmission plus labor: around $4500
The feel you get when you drive a Mini: priceless

 

Going from a 1999 Dodge truck, my insurance barely went up, if any at all. As stated in an earlier post, MINIs can get expensive when the mods begin.

 

I dont understand the insurance complaint.....Before I purchased the MINI I called my insurance co. and asked them for a quote on the MINI and other comparable small cars forgein and domestic to see how rates would be affected.....the cost was the same whether it was a civic, sunfire or MINI.....they were all 2dr, 4seat, 4cyl = same rate class......It seems to me that alot of the increase is perhaps due to the fact that you are insuring a brand new car instead of a used car and its not fair to compare a 10yr old accord to a 06 MINI and say that the MINI is expensive unless you campare it to an 06 accord rate

Regarding parts......call down to your local parts store and price a common replacable part like an alternator or starter for a 2003 MINI, 2003 civic and 2003 chevy cavalier
I priced alternators and starters on autozone.com for these 3 cars .....RESULTS
Alternator/starter
03 cavalier.....$200/$144
03 civic.........$150/NA
03 MINI.........$170/$104
Seems to me the MINI is no more expensive to own than any other new car! If you want cheap parts go buy a 20yr old chevy when everything is only $30 to replace

Labor is a rip-off at any dealer and all work after warranty should be done by a good local mechanic and they charge the same rate regardless of car.

 

Hopefully by the time our 2006 MCS starts getting expensive to maintain, there will be several local (Washington DC area) independents who service MINIs. I've always had my new cars dealer serviced until warranty goes out, then I go hunting for an independent who specializes in the brand.

It is a good idea to find the independent shop a couple months before you go out of warranty and pay them to do a special checkover for things you should bring to the dealer's attention before the warranty expires. Since most good independent shops are owned and staffed by mechanics who defected from the dealers, they are almost gleefully happy to do this and they know how to write it up so that the dealer has to address the problem.

 

I'm 18 and have a 2004 Cooper S. My insurance is somewhere around $200 - $250 a month. Also add in that I have a 100% clean driving record.

Only went up about $100 from my 1988 Lancer Shelby.

 

As others have said, MINI are cheap to run during the warranty period, which is a good long four years. After that point, I'd add that...based on my own ownership experience...the MINI is one of the few cars actually worth fixing and hanging on to, given how good/fun it is to drive. I still park my MINI so I can sit and admire it...not many cars come along that engender that level of attachment.

 

Cheap as can be while under warranty... as others have said. I've had two if them and there have been repairs on both. I have not paid a penny on either. Mods...heck yes... repairs and maintenance... not a cent.

However, I won't own the car after warranty. I love it, but I just can't see myself paying for things that I have seen others pay for or to imagine if I had been required to pay for the things that have been repaired on my 04 and 06... sheesh. I'll keep her in really good shape though so someone else can love her for a long time after she leaves me.

As for insurance, it's not bad at all. I called and got quotes on 5 or 6 cars when I got my 04 MINI and it was the next to cheapest. That included nearly $400 a year cheaper than a brand new Civic (yuk, I was just curious).

(PS, none of my repairs have had anything to do with mods. My most recent one was a replacement of the airbag sensor in the passenger seat. Car had 11K on it. I would have been livid if I had to pay for that)

 

I have seen VERY few cases of any drivetrain component failure on UNMODIFIED cars. (except the very early midlands tranys in the MC). I have seen many cases of window motors and latch rattles....etc....but I would fix those items myself if not in warranty....and as I have shown with some actual facts and data, any component failure after warranty will cost you no more than a civic or chevy.

 

Insurance wise, my '05 Mazda6i (4 cyl), is more than my '06 MCS. Personally I don't anticipate a great deal to be needed for repairs and such, I don't abuse my cars but sure know how to have fun with them. I will be prepared to pay for any repairs and upkeep if and when necessary.

 

How about clutch set

03 civic....$120
03 MINI...$140
03 cavalier..............get this .....$479

 

It is hard to say how expensive an '06 MINI will be once the warranty runs out. Most people that are out of warranty have '02s and '03s. All new model cars have more issues. '05s and '06s should have most of those issues worked out and should be more reliable. But it is too soon to tell yet.

Now the MODS are what get expensive. I am constantly spending money for things for the MINI. Heck, I love it so much I went and bought my MINI a little brother (the 1980 Classic).

Don't forget about driving schools (and the extra tires and brakes that ensue)

 

I have a Honda Odyssey, Mini Cooper and a VW beetle convertible. The Mini is no more expensive to insure, repair or keep fueled. Having owned a 325is, the Mini is a relatively cheap ‘sports’ car. Buy one, if you don’t like it you can sell it for about what you paid for it within a week. Did I mention they hold their value as well…

DJDport

 

Owning a MINI has got to be less than owning a boat... and much more useful. Plus I drive my MINI everyday unlike a boat.

swizzle

 

Traumer,

MINIs are expensive to own when you start modifying them (As a future S owner you will succumb to temptation , we all do). Just remember that speed and agility come at a price. As for day to day ownership costs? MINIs are very economical, easy on gas, and there are lots of DIY services and discount parts available from several sources.

Welcome to the tribe (almost).