Hello Everyone,

I'm in the market for a new daily driver and I have always loved the way the MCS looks, especially how different each one is. I need a bit of advise to figure out if this car is right for us.

My fiance and I will be driving the car, it will be a 95/5 split as I will be using it as my daily. Even though she will only drive it very rarely the car will have to be an automatic. How reliable are the transmissions in the supercharged versions? I'm looking to keep the car for at least 4 years and put 60k miles minimum. The cars I have been looking it have under 40k miles.

I will also be tinkering around with it a bit to make it fast enough for my taste. what modifications are out there in the form of bolt-ons?

When you reply just keep in mind that I know nothing about minis, this is a learning experience for me.

Thank you for all the help.

PS...
I'll leave you all with a picture of my summer toy at least im not a noob to British engineering

 

as for bolts ons, what year you looking at? right now the market will lend plenty for your bank acct to devour, as you know these vehicles do come with a hefty repair trend, unless your good under the hood! i love my MCS, just hate the power steering pump, just had mine fail, and hit a curb pretty hard in a turn and tore my tire! Mini needs to recall these pumps!

 

You talking about the truck in the background, right? The Lotus accentuates the graffiti on your rig.

If you have the supercharged toyota engine in your lotus, you'll be in love with up to the '06 models. I'm not sure how popular the autos are, but there are still mods-a-plenty. Jan at RMW will make you 400hp if you ask nicely $$$.

 

yup the rigs my current dd lol. I have the all motor toyota engine soon to have a blower added on.

Im keeping my eye on the 06 models possibly a 07 model if the price and mileage is right.

 

I used my 06 MCSa as a DD for 99000 miles. No issues other than tires every 30,000 miles.
There are plenty of mods out there for the 1st Gen S. CAI, pulley upgrade, exhaust...... then there's the suspension. Rear sway bar upgrade, coilovers if you so desire. Your wallet is your only limitation.

 

few things
+older mini's are supercharged and newer mini's are turbo. people all have different opinions on this stuff.
+the beauty of the older mini's in my eyes is more options. they've been around longer and thus there is more stuff, seems to be cheaper AND a more vast pool of knowledge here (for what it's worth)
+they are a lot of fun but they do seem to be pricey in the end
+despite being made in the uk most design and engineering seems to have been done in germany (for better and worse...mostly better i think)
+know that in most regards you're buying BMW (again for better and worse)

 

What are the known issues of the S? What can I look forward to replacing right off the bat?

Thanks for all the responses everyone has been very helpful. If anyone here is selling a low mileage S feel free to post the link

Is it worth to try and go after a JCW or can I get the power upgrades else where?

 

i'm also about to close on a 06 MCSa as a new daily driver. how do the auto trannies handle the extra power from bolt ons and tunes? is there any type of tune for the auto tranny to have a snappier shift?

 

Hey Lowtush. You can plan on replacing the right side motor mount soon if not immediately as the oil filled units on the '05 & '06 cars all fail routinely. Stock replacements are ~$80 and aftermarket options that tighten things up and wont fail are a bit more than that.

JCW stuff is nice, but a simple pulley/plugs/airbox gets you the same power for MUCH less money.

I was most impressed with the engine/tranny mount inserts on my '05 S 6-speed. Really tightened everything up nicely without adding any noticeable vibration. (I went with the softest of the available compounds)

 

I'm loving all the helpful replies. Looks like the auto MCS might be the right car for me?

What are the recommended brands for the bolt-ons?

 

i don't wanna sound like pushing you away from a mini but have you looked at the gti? much much better auto transmission and similar in a lot of regards besides the "quirky mini thing"

 

we used to own a vw. Didn't have a great experience.

 

I've owned almost all generations of either Jetta or GTI. I love VWs. I now own a MINI...period

 

I too am a newb to MINI's... so I also appreciate the helpful information that you all have contributed.
I do most of my own work on my cars... (currently own a Del Sol- B16A3 & Toyota Solara).
I have little, to no idea, besides what I have read recently, on MINI's.

I have read, that you can swap a Honda B16A2 into the MINI, but I'm not sure if that's a road I want to take.
My wife and I are talking about having a kid, and my Del Sol (for those who don't know is a 2 seater) just doesn't cut it in her mind...
So, I suppose my concerns lie between affordability, performance, and shelf life of the engine/transmission.
I love my Honda, and don't want to get rid of it, but I find that the MINI, might be a compromise...
It looks like a straight up FUN car to own.
Question 1: BMW engine... I am thinking that I will want the supercharged version, which as I understand, come in the older models. Could you please tell me which year range? Supercharged is the MINI Cooper S right?
Question 2: If any of you have prior experience with Honda's... are you able to compare the shelf life of the engine/transmission?
Question 3: I'm only minimally concerned about the cost of repairs, since I mostly do my own work. Are replacement parts comparably more expensive? How hard are parts to come by? Who is a good supplier of parts... besides the internet?

I will leave the performance questions out for now. Again, I appreciate everything you have provided so far, thanks for answering my questions in advance!

 

Vtec engines are usually swapped into classic Minis which is different from the R53 which is what the OP is inquiring about.

1. Correct, superchared is the S model. Years covered are 2002 to 2006. 2007 to present are turbo'd.

2. I owned a 00 Civic Si, but it was leased and I turned it in before I had any problems with it. However, I know that you can easily get 200K out of a Honda engine. You could probably do so also with a Mini, but there are a few reliability issues with Minis such as the power steering pump and the supercharger that should be rebuilt or replaced at 100K.

3. Replacement parts are comparable to Honda parts in price. I'm hearing that some parts are getting harder to come by. BMW is notorious for not stocking sufficient replacement parts.

Some suppliers are Way Motor Works, German Auto Parts, Out Motoring, Helix Motorsports, Turner Motorsports, Mini Mania, Detroit Tuned, Classic Mini

Hope that helps. I've found you can't go wrong buying a Mini. I have 3 young kids and stuff them all in the Mini. If my wife needs to come along, we take the van. Oh, and it's an incredibly safe car.

 

on the 1st gen mini's a common issue (besides the leaking motor mount and the power steering pump/fan) is the automatic transmission failing around 50-60,000 miles.

You can read on here and Motoring Alliance about the multiple failures and expensive (6-8 grand) replacement options.

The mini was my first stick (learned on the test drive) and I haven't looked back.

Buy the manual or you're probably going to regret it. It's WAY more fun, and everyone should learn how to drive a stick.

 

That's the CVT transmission on the Coopers, not the S.

The auto on the S was much more reliable.

 

Good to know, but I'm a standard ALL THE WAY! Once you know how to drive a manual, there's no going back... until I'm 85...maybe...or start driving a F-350 (not a fan). There's just so much more control.
Awesome reply Grey Poupon! Exactly what I was looking for. As far as replacement parts though... Does Autozone / Checkers / NAPA, etc. usually carry parts for MINI's? I don't mind buying performance parts online so much, but as far as something like a CV Axle / alternator / radiator / power steering pump or something, it's more convenient to be able to go pick it up.
Also... I've never had a supercharger... What types of problems do you run into with the supercharger? What are the costs of repair/replacement? (If I were to do the work myself.)With the problems of the supercharger, would it be a better option to go with the turbo?
And the last question for tonight... I thought I read somewhere that the MINI had an engine / transmission combined... or something like that? Something like the transmission actually ran off the engine oil? Maybe I'm confused, but that's what I thought I read... then again, maybe that is an oldschool MINI thing?

Thank you guys! You are a lot of help, and full of great info!

 

I came from the VTec crowd, I do missed my b17a1, but the mini is just as fun! The only thing that I hate are the Mini parts prices, they are insane.

 

It's not a question of learning to drive manual, my lotus is a 6 speed. The 2 things holding me back from buying a manual is the wife (does not want to learn) and that I drive city roads 99 percent of the time.

I did how ever test drive a 07 6 speed yesterday and it felt pretty good. The cloth seats weren't too comfortable but the leatherette in the 06 that they had was very nice.

The sales guy stated that the cvt was also in the 06 S is that incorrect?

What kind of price range can I expect a low mileage 06-07? I see them on eBay and autotrader for low to high $15k and the dealer was selling one I drove with 55k for high $15k. My ideal car would have less than 40k miles for around $14k is this realistic or am I dreaming?

 

I haven't had to rebuild my supercharger yet so I haven't researched how expensive it is. I just hit 50K before the hibernation. A good person to talk to is Way from Way Motor Works. He's on these boards often. You can also email or call him direct. He's pretty responsive and extremely knowledgeable.

I also don't know about the local auto parts stores too much other than buying generic things like tools. I usually order all Mini specific parts from an online store. For me, German Auto Parts is great because their prices are one of the lowest around and they ship super fast. I get my parts from them in 1 day.

 

The supercharger is generally good for a long time with no problems. I changed mine at 120K, but it turns out all I needed was a new belt tensioner. It can be a DIY job, depends on you and your situation. If you can take teh car off the road for a few weeks, you can send the S/C out for rebuild for around $800.

Turbos can have their own issues. Neither is inherently more reliable. There are pluses and minuses either way.

That's the classic Mini - not the MINI. (The new brand is all uppercase)

A car salesman who didn't know what he was selling? Go figure! That never happens! The CVT was NEVER used on the Cooper S - only the base Cooper.

 

Lol the sad part was he was refered to as the mini guru at the dealership and supposedly owns a 06 mini S.

 

Get two Minis. A justa automatic for the wife. A JCW 5 speed for you. Problem solved. IMHO, adding performance to an automatic is a waste of time and effort. The automatic just takes so much fun out of it. (And yes, I know there are some fantastic automatics out there. The Mini's, however, is nothing to write home about.) The 6 speed Getrag with LSD in the first gen, now that's a different story..........

 

[quote=Lowtush;3213136]It's not a question of learning to drive manual, my lotus is a 6 speed. [quote]

Then you'll love the Aisin 6 speed auto. My husband loves his '11 Corvette Z06 6 speed manual, but says the auto in my "S" is fun to drive in manual mode.