I posted a similar thread in the R53 forum - I've always liked the mini cooper s since it came out and am really considering getting one. I'd prefer the r56 model as its a new, more refined car compared to its raw'ish r53 brother.

However, none of that is worth it to me if the car is unreliable. I'd be looking at getting one with approximately 50-60k miles. Based on some of the stuff in these forums it seems like R56's have ALOT of quirks and generally a crap shoot when you buy one. In 2011 I think all the issues were finally sorted out but 2011 is jsut out of my price range of what I'm looking to spend.

Any thoughts are great, anyone with an r56 that loves it with minimal issues or anyone that has had it so bad that they will never buy another mini?

 

I think you'll find people on both sides of that argument. Some will say they have 120k miles and only done routine stuff like oil changes. Others will say it's been in the shop 15 times in 12 months. Also, remember that forums are a place people tend to come to gripe.

All that said, you have to remember the lineage of the car. BMW and Renault, assembled in England. It's just not a recipe for Honda or Toyota quality. So you can expect the higher maintenance and repair levels that most European cars require. That said, if you expect/know that going in, then you won't be upset. If you happen to get lucky and get one that is dead nuts reliable, then that's a happy bonus.

I've only had my '09 MCS a few months and only put 1000 miles on it, so I don't have a lot of experience with repair issues. But I do know my car was at the dealer several times in its' past for warranty work (which I view as a good thing, because most of the "known issues" have been resolved).

The MCS has more known issues than the base Cooper.

 

No more than any other European car... perhaps no more than a Toyota Prius.

 

I have had mine for 5 years, and had little to no problems. I would buy again in a heartbeat.

 

We own an R56 and are preparing to buy a Coupe. We are willing to put up with the quirks because we love the cars, and have had no problems with our R56 base model.

 

Interesting replies - I will say that certain european and/or model lines are definitely more quirky than others, so to say its no less reliable than any european car isn't really accurate. The volkswagens I've had have a history of reliability (3 R32's but those are notoriously solid cars). THe mk6 platform GTI (and late model mk5) is also very solid (although the mk6's will have relatively low miles.

i guess it depends on luck of the draw as well as owner maintenance (like most euro cars)

Is there any validity to 07/08 being worse than 09/10? I know 11 is definitely the best R56.

 

Perfect. If you're used to VW build quality, then you'll be thrilled with the MINI.

Actually, sad to say, but I think it is fairly accurate to lump most European car manufacturers together in reliability. Mercedes, BMW, VW, Audi, Jaguar, Range Rover. Sure, there are certainly some differences between them, but none of them are standards of quality or reliability. They're all way behind the pack. The only European one that seems to be somewhat better is Volvo. They're not perfect either, but better.

 

If you have taken care of the carbon buildup, timing chain, hpfp, water pump, and clutch...is there anything else that would keep you up at night in an 07+ mcs with 50k+ miles?

 

Dude... Many people, mayhaps most, come here to find answers to whatever problems they think that they may have. So.... Don't think that the majority of R56 owners have issues because the majority of R56 owners are NOT on these forums.

 

Used cars are always a gamble. Get a warranty if you can. 2011+ has a new engine, supposedly they worked out some of the issues of the early R56's.

Personally I'd never own an R56 out of warranty, I spend too much time reading NAM.

 

My 2010 justa has been trouble free but it has very low miles. That said, after reading these forms for a couple of years, I wouldn't buy a used "S" that was out of warranty. Carbon build up seems to be a recurring problem along with fuel pumps, timing chains, etc., etc., etc. If reliability is high on your list of priorities, buy a Miata or Civic.

 

Knowing what I know about the two Minis I've owned, I would not buy a used one unless the car comes with some warranty.

 

Getting cpo is good. I would also have it checked out by a good mechanic before signing on the dots.

I personally would not buy a used Mini especially if I was on a tight budget.

 

Awesome replies - although there is serious truth that you usually hear more people complain about something than praise something.... the issues seem far too widespread. As much as I want a mini, I don't think its a good idea :(

 

There are always Camrys.

 

You've already posted that weak *** argument in this thread, stop, its a rrrrrreally bad one.

There are also the 26 other cars I've owned which were performance oriented... and for the most part reliable. It has nothing to do with being european or even manufacturer oriented (although european cars do tend to be more buggy). In my eyes it has more to do with "was THAT model built better". Example - mk4 generation gti had some real quirks, whereas the mk4 generation r32 was VERY solid with minimal quirks.

Lets bring it to this forum, take your MINI - r53 seems to be seen as much more reliable and less quirky compared to the r56 in the yes of mini techs. They're both european though, gee how is the r53 better? It's euro, isn't it supposed to be bad? Maybe just maybe, the r53 hs a more simplistic setup or the sum of its parts were more thoroughly tested and work better together. German engineering goes out the window for me when the beauty of proper engineering is thigns that don't fail and are designed properly. I hate the whole european argument in general, its dumb, I like cars, not countries of origin - I don't care where a car is built, so long as its built properly, its fun to drive, etc. You should try adopting that mindset.

\rant

Thanks to the rest of you that added value in this thread.

 

If you think a MINI R56 is more trouble/less reliable/more expensive to repair-maintain than a VW R32... then bye. Go back and troll VW Vortex.

 

I've had my 2004 MCS since it was new. I have 82K on it now and i've never had a serious problem at all. Typical maintenance requirements. If you want to compare mini's to VW's, well you cant. I've had 3 VW's prior to my mini. A european car is a european car. You can have 2 identical cars side by side and one could be solid as a rock and one a nightmare. You gotta just get what you like, mini's are great cars. Yeah they can have their quirks but so can any car. They've only been out for 10 years, no one is perfect .

I'd recommend getting a 04-06 S and just make sure the person that owned it loved it and took care of it. A brand new mini can be pricey so it sounds like that year range would be in your price range. The other thing that's nice about that is all the quirks have been worked out in that year range and you won't have to work too hard to figure out the best way to fix a discrepancy if something goes wrong.

I'm obsessed with my car, Its been 8 years and i still get excited to drive it everyday lol.

My 2 cents

 

Thanks JrMC40 - I just mean on average... I definitely agree with "luck of the draw". Heck you could have a honda civic that you have bad luck with. I do think 05/06 R53 is the better move, I need to go look at some!

Also - I don't see many CPO MINI's for whatever reason.

pmsummer - I really don't know what your deal is. I'm not trolling anything, I asked a legitimate question and you responded with dumb arguments that really don't add anything to the thread.

 

I've only owned/leased Hondas, Toyotas...then the MINI. I've had my fair share of woes with the car: HPFP, water pump, chain tensioner, thermostat all replaced under warranty. Engine was FUBAR but replaced with a refurb. Out-of-pocket total of $50.

I love this car and would buy another used one again but would only do it if it was CPO.

In the end, it all boils down to what you really want to drive.

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

With any purchase, best to be prepared, to gather as much knowledge. Should you insist on getting something you really want after knowing all the flaws, just lower your expectations & enjoy the ownership. That's enough justification. Like nerves, it's all in the mind.
You don't buy a MINI for reliability. That's for Toyotas & Hondas. It's for the unparalleled fun + a huge bonus of a great community of MINI brethren.

 

I think I'd rather push my MINI barefoot across shards of broken glass than drive a Prius though. So we got that going for us...which is nice.

 

FYI, if you are not finding Mini Next certified cars where you live, you can buy the extended warranty from Mini separate from the car. As long as the Mini is still within its original factory warranty period, you can buy the Extended Motorer Protection plan for up to 7 years/100k miles.

 

I'm new here but what does HPFP stand for? Can someone point me to a link or thread listing all of the acronyms?

 

HPFP is the high pressure fuel pump. Due to problems with the part, MINI has extended the warranty on that part to 10 years/120k miles. I'm not exactly sure which models/years it applies to other than they are all 2nd Gen.