I'm looking to buy a used mini this week. I have $15k to spend. The reliability issues I'm reading are very scary and have me reconsidering. I just sold my lexus IS with 93k (never had one issue). I do want a mini real bad though. I found a one-owner S with 81k that has never had a problem(for $13K), my logic is that perhaps a higher mileage mini with a good history may be a safer bet than one without a history. Debating between minis with 60-90k miles for about 13k or ones with 15-40k for about $17k. Regardless I'm looking for any advice on a purchase under 15k with reliability being the main concern. What should I be looking for?

 

I just bought a 08 MC with 29,500 miles. Consumer Reports says the MC is more reliabile than the MCS, i think that is correct. I would buy the lowest mileage MC possible within your budget. I would buy 07 or >. Before I purchased I would take to mini dealer and have them tell you the service history and have them inspect. Find out what and when the next service will be and how much will cost. Find out how many more miles until the other expected services so you will now how much $ you will have to spend in future.

My 08 was serviced by BMW dealer before purchase. They replaced back brakes and replaced tires. Just found out that the oil pan gasket seal is leaking/seeping. This is common on Mini's.

Good luck.

 

Things obvious are oil leaks, etc. Check the start up => google "r56 timing chain rattle" to hear what a problematic tensioner would sound like. Drive it hard after it's well warmed up and make sure all power is there (making sure high pressure fuel pump is good/clutch slippage). Good luck!

 

Are any year models better than others for reliability - is the S any better than the non for reliability?

 

As I always advise, try looking for a GP!

 

The "Justa" seems to be a little more reliable on average than the S models. That makes sense, because the extra power in the S models comes from more parts (either supercharger or turbocharger) which means there are more things to fail. Also, the basic engine is not that different between the two, so the S will generally be more highly-stressed, which usually leads to slightly worse reliability.

It's worth driving both to see what you like better and what you can live with.

 

The justa is definitely more reliable than the S. Another suggestion is to stay away from a lot of electronic gadetry. Also prone to issues.

I would have kept the Lexus if you want reliability. I kept my 99 honda cr-v when I bought my 07 justa. I can say for sure that I've been glad to have that honda available when the mini wasn't available. The reverse is not true, I've never had to use the mini because the honda wasn't available.

All in all though, the justa is pleasure to have and generally has been fairly reliable.

 

I'd personally stay away from 2007s, since those are the ones I most commonly see having issues on here. I'd either go for a late model 1st gen, 2005-06 or a 2008+. I bought my 2009 6spd Justa with 36k for $16250 and it never gave me an issue.

Are you looking at auto or stick? I've read of a few issues with the CVT, but the newer model manuals (2005+) seem pretty strong.

 

My opinion, take a previous owner's "my car has never had any issues" statement with a grain of salt. They are trying to sell their car first and foremost, and with that trying to get the most possible money in the process. When doing a private sale for a used car the first thing I always look at is the owner's other cars. The last Mini I looked at before going to the dealership instead had a BMW 5 series and a Lexus SVU in the garage. I asked the guy who was the primary previous driver and, quite reluctantly, he told me his 17 year old son. The deal was over at that point.

 

After going through what we went through until I hit the reset button in 2007 I can say I doubt I will ever buy another used car again. I'll either save more, finance longer, or just buy cheaper or not at all.

 

For ANY used car, pay the money to have it throughly checked for a "pre-sale inspection" by a Mini Dealer service center or a qualified mechanic specializing in Minis.

The $150 or so you spend on this will be invaluable as you can use any minor flaw in the negotiations, and they should also be able to highlight any major flaws to give you the info you need to walk away.

I would never buy a new car again.

I buy used and save thousands by doing it this way. You just need to have qualified people review the exact car you're considering. Good luck.

 

I'd go for an '06 MCS. First gen cars are way more fun to drive (IMO) and seem to be more reliable.

 

I walked away from a 2007 mcs today that had the rattle. That was one of the many red flags, thanks for the help guys. I'm still on the hunt.

 

GP!Being a collectible, many are well kept w/ very low miles. Electronics on these are much simpler. IMO,1st gen kinks are much easier to deal w/ & fix.To many,GP, the best MINI ever.

 

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If reliability is a concern, I advice you to not buy a MCS. All the MCS owned by people I know had problems once reaching higher mileages. Mine (2007) started to have problems right around 50,000 miles. Water pump leaks, HPFP failed, Carbon Built Up, etc. I spent about $2k/3k fixing mine last year. One of my coworker spent close to 10k last year for his. Another had to take hers in every 2 months for engine lights kept coming on. They told her she is not driving aggressive enough so her MCS got carbon built up.

I traded in mine at the end of last year. And everyone at work now knows not to buy a Mini. It is fun to drive, but expansive to own unless you can fix it yourself.

 

I found a 2009 Justa with 24k miles on it for 16. It has the remaining 2 years 25k miles of warranty left on it so I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Thanks for the help, I'll post it when I get it. Now I have to go figure out how good the factory warranty is.

 

In my experience, the factory warranty is great.

I bought my 07 MCS with 36K miles on it, and time left on the 4 yr warranty. I was able to get the timing chain, vacuum pump, carbon buildup cleaning and a bunch of small interior fixes (not working door mood lighting, new door sill strips, faded radio screen) all replaced under warranty at the dealer. I then bought the Mechanical Breakdown Insurance offered by the CU that I financed through. Today, I replaced the thermostat using that. $600 job was only my $250 deductible. So far, besides an oil change I paid for, that's the only "extra" $$ I've put in.

The days in the shop are well worth the pleasure of driving my Mini.

 

Thanks again for the help, I picked up the 2009 Justa with 24k and I'm very excited about it. I defiantly didn't need the turbo the way I drive. What a fun car.

 

yeah, remaining factory warranties are fantastic. I purchased a 2008 two-ish weeks ago that has 8 months left on the original warranty. The automatic gear shift needed to be replaced (previous owner's fault, not the MINI) and the $1200 fix was covered. I will be strongly considering an additional warranty when mine runs up.

 

Very nice!