I want to buy a mini for my self my dad has had 3. 1st one was an 07 r56 and it was a absolute lemon, we spent more time in cars the mini dealer gave us than our own mini. 2nd was an r53 with a 100+ K's and we had to replace the clutch and a few cables after the gearbox went out, and it cost 3 grand. The one he has now is doing well besides some minor issues. I am going to be getting a lisense soon and a car of choice under 7k. I want a mini i love them but all the ones priced well have more than 130k on the clock and they seem to be ones owned by people who dont really care know what conrol arm bushings are. So my question is will it be smart to buy a mini like that than end up sinking a lot of money into it becuase of maintnace. I know to get a a pre-purchase inspection but thats only temporary.
UPDATE: Thanks for the help guys. Ill just have to see how it goes.

 

If you're just getting your license I'd recommend going with a tired and true Corolla or Civic. It will carry you through college and beyond with nothng more than basic upkeep.

 

LOL, I don't think he'll like that answer.

 

i dont

 

Nope

 

I absolutely love my Mini. I've been buying cars since 1952. With that said I will also add that I will only buy a Mini that has a new car warranty and I will trade that Mini in before the warranty runs out.

Nicefeet's recommendation is right on.

 

Considering that majority of first gen MINIs are no longer spring chickens, knock your self out. I’m not even sure why people ask if it’s ok to buy one of these cars knowing what challenges can be had. It’s like asking it it’s ok to do an 8-Ball of coke.

 

i know its a stupid question

 

If you want to die from boredness, it's a good choice. If you wrench on your car and buy a well-maintained Mini, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Parts can be costly if you don't shop around and it get worse if you pay someone to work on it (I'm looking at you dealer).

Owning a Mini doesn't require practicing voodoo, it just requires maintenance and knowing the weaknesses of the car. I saved myself from experiencing some known problems by doing preventive maintenance.

 

BadgeFTW,

Can you do your own maintenance?

If the answer is NO...then get a MINI with a warranty, unless you've got at least $3,000 in a maintenance account (at all times) to pay for repairs. Also, shop around for independent mechanics who work on MINI...they are much cheaper than the dealer.

When it comes to the MINI dealer...when the warranty is over, so is the love. They will charge you BMW prices for repairs while they smile at you!

 

It sounds like given he first post that his family is not the DIY-er type. If he has to pay for a clutch, power steering pump or supercharger replacment he'll find himself paying a good portion of the value of his new MINI. My MINI currently needs a DSC pump repair kit and that's about $700. I can swap it, but it will still have to be coded.

There's no amount of PM that could have prevented that from failing.

Why send money to die? A Civic EX coupe with a manual trans will teach him more about the basics of driving vs. used up old ***** of a MINI.

Don't get me wrong I love my MINI, but there's no point in sugar coating things.

 

This forum is absolutely the worst place to ask about MINI reliability, all you will get is negative comments.

Those of us who have had the opposite experience i suspect now generally ignore these threads. Keep in mind that those with problems are always more vocal than those without.

That said there are definite models you want to avoid.

Get a low mileage 2005/2006 Gen1 R53 that passed a PPI.

Get an even lower mileage Gen2 S with the N18 engine that passed a PPI.

Get any low mileage Justa (that passed a PPI)

Avoid the early Gen2 with the N14 engine.

Own the car outright and then set aside $200 per month to cover ongoing maintenance, this should be standard practice for any used car. Follow guidelines on recommended maintenance intervals from this site and not the manual.

Would a Civic or Corolla be more practical? Yes, but do the above and you should be fine.

I just gave my old 2006 R53 Checkmate with 140k miles to my 22 year old son and I have no concerns that it will go another 100k+ miles with just the $200 per month investment. Assuming it survives the young driver break-in period that is.

 

Complete nonsense! There was not a reliability survey done when these cars were new that MINI did not rank dead last in. I guess we’re supposed to believe these cars aged like wine?

A perfect example of just how expensive these cars are is mine currently needs a DSC pump repair kit. It runs near $900 for just the part. There is no hopping into Pepboys or Napa for this part. It also needs to be coded.

 

im bot stupid enough to go to the dealer. Most of the cheaper minis arent under warrenty anymore

 

i dont want to spend money on a car i dont want.

 

my dad is thinking about giving me his 08 r56 so well just have to see