I used to have a 2006 MCS 6spd, It was fun and I wouldn’t mind another one but now they are getting hard to find without rust and in overall good shape. My dad had a 2011 MCS that had some issues from new (but I think that was a lemon).
I am wanting something small and fun again, so trying to decide between a 05-06 MCS again or a 11-13 MCS.
Is the N18 a lot more problematic than the old Supercharged MINIs (like the horror stories of the N14s were) or are they pretty much the same in terms of upkeep and reliability?

 

Couldn't pay me to own an R56. IMO the R56 is what really destroyed MINIs reputation.

It's either R53 or F56

 

Thats how I feel about the N14, seemed like the 07-10 were the worst MINIs, wasn’t sure if the N18 (11-13) was any better.
Tried to like the F56 when it came out but I just couldn’t, it grew up too much and lost some of that fun factor for me. Guess I’ll keep looking for a clean R53.

 

Looking for a good R53.... Look from some of the reputable MINI specialist dealers on the west coast and have it delivered.

Lack of rust and good maint are a big plus in these cars as you prob already know...

This thread is one of the most active on the forums here.... breeze through it and set your notifications/subscription
Real hunters post up what they find.

Have your money ready... and be able to pounce when you find the right car!!

You can find them in great shape for the $7500 -$12000 range easily... and get one without excuses with less than 75k-miles... if you take your time and wait.

These guys carry some great cars...
https://www.northwesteuro.com

IMO...BAT is a bit overpriced... but is convenient to find the gems if you time is valuable.

 

Thanks for the info! I’ll start searching for some out west. I THOUGHT I stumbled upon one in my own back yard so to speak, but looked at it in person and for 63k miles it was beat, lots of scratches in the paint and every wheel had loads of curb rash, I didn’t bother looking any closer though as their price was set at $11,991.

 

We have two R56's. The early ones created a bad reputation. Once the N18 was introduced it was much better and kept improving. Once they changed from the Continental HPFP to the Bosch sometime in early 2012 it became a great car. Our friends had a 2014 and it was as problematic as the early R56's. Every year seemed of the gen 3 seemed to be better but they are too big for what we want as we have several other vehicles.