I’ve owned a lot of different cars from BMW, Honda, Toyota to VW. I have to ask why are MINI owners so cheap? It seems like a lot of people are bending over to pick up a dime while a dollar blows away with these cars. You really see it come true once these cars hit the second owner.

 

I don't see it. Do you have some examples?

 

I'm not buying that either . . . Generally speaking MINI parts are pretty pricey for the car level so if anything to me it seems that people are willing to put more money just to own a MINI, and often a lot more than most other average brands.

Even the mod attitude is pretty strong amongst average MINI owners, again in proportion to other average brands.

Having said that there are obviously a lot of people who buy a MINI on the low end because they want a small daily car that has good mpg with still some attitude, often the second car with the other one being the family/high occupancy car. Those are going to want to keep it low cost. But it still is a MINI which as I said will cost more to own. So MINI owners being cheap, I don't buy that...

 

I think a perfect example is the R53 belt tensioner between $100-$130 that problem is solved for the next 80k. Nope we have people looking where to buy the little dampener that goes on the tensioner. I mean never mind that the roller is nearing the end of life and the spring has maybe lost some tension.

 

You will always have people on a tight budget that do what they can, no matter what the brand. There's no data to support the idea that MINI owners spend less. . . . Perhaps MINI does attracts on average a younger crowd to which point they will always have to cut corners to their spending... Most of the younger people in our office don't take care of their car very well and ride them even with a CEL on, worn out suspension, etc... for the longest time. I can't blame them they often don't have a tone of cash entering the business world.

 

Cheap? As others stated, a Mini is not a cheap car to buy or maintain..

 

I would disagree strongly disagree with that idea. When mini owners modify or change their cars they tend to lean toward the more reputable brands, not really towards saving a penny or two.

visit some other forums for different car brands, you might be surprised to see what corners are being cut and what people are spending on their cars. Mini owners in my experience take very good care of their vehicles and spend for the best components.

 

Yup...
Penny wise, pound foolish is the old saying....
Or
Nothing is as expensive as trying to do it cheap...
Noticed it YEARS AGO...
Threads of folks spending hours to try to track down a part to save $...likely to have it be a stopgap fix, and still have to spend $$ for the main fix any way...so folks spend MORE by trying to be cheap....
They debate the best oil to extend the life of their motor and buy super high end oil, then skip basic stuff like coolant flushes....folks buy $150 brake pads and coilovers, but keep 45lbs S-lite rims on their cars, shod with cheap Korean/Chinese tires...it goes on and on...
Folks want to spend $$ on flashy items for show...but then cheap out on the important stuff...
I'm guessing it has always been a symptom of folks reaching a bit too far above what they are truly comfortable spending on a car....when folks spend a bit more than wanted, they are never really happy.....
Sure...
I never want to spend more than I need too...but there is something to be said for doing it right the first time. It is usually cheaper with less downtime too!!
But wisdom comes with experience....
And MINI'S are frequently a first car for many.....or bought by folks who are technology literate, but have little mechanical experience.... And often view things as Black and White as opposed as shades of gray that you must use judgment to determine if it is worth doing A VS B.

I have always hoped that some of us could steer folks in the right direction and impart wisdom into threads to help folks out..but anybody of a different opinion convinced against their will is still of the same opinion....

 

...I would also add... I never allow myself to get into the the "Never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it over." attitude.

Motor on!

 

Dimes? I still bend over to pick up pennies.

 

At least with the Honda and Toyota you don't have to ask "why" the owners are so cheap--it's pretty obvious...

I've owned a few different cars over the years, and with practically every community it seems like there are a whole ton of real cheapskates. I haven't owned any six-figure exotics, mind you, so I can't speak to those. But I've found that there are quite a few people who own $80K Porsches who are also real penny-pinchers.

I do think that part of it is a selection bias. As an absurd example, the folks who duct-tape their door back onto the car are the ones who are more likely to have problems, and write in on the BBS about them, than the ones who actually fix the door correctly.