Hi!,
I am considering buyiing a non-S cooper, but the nearest dealership is 1-1.5 hours away. I am concerned that if something really bad happens to it, The towing bill alone would kill me. So, my question to all you mini owners out there is how reliable are they? Has any one had any significant problems in the first 45K miles? And if so, how much do repair bills usually run? Since BMW owns Mini, do i have to pay BMW prices to get it fixed (yikes)! I currently own a 2000 VW GTI and the repair bills arent real bad with it. Can you relate repair costs to another make of car? Also, if there are any nuggets of wisdom a mini owner could give a new buyer, lay it on me.

Thanks,
Grant B.

 

first off, welcome to MCO!

There are something things that you should learn about the MINI. first is free road side assitance and maintenance for the first 3/36K. Second is the actually warranty, which is 4/50K (6/unlimited for rust and corrosion). And, most dealers will offer warranties/maintenance to go beyond those time limits.

I've put almost 12K miles on mine in the first 12 weeks and have zero mechanical problems so far. My only complaint is the sun roof rattle, and that will be addressed in a couple of weeks. Otherwise this car is solid and run great everyday!

I would check to see if the closest dealer to you has a loaner car program, especially being so far away. I'm an hour to my dealer, but they offer a loaner car if needed. That is one of the reasons that I choose the dealer that I did. As far as service prices go, I know that my dealer does charge more than the corner jiffy lube (actually quite a bit more at close to 90 I think) for an oil change, but I am unsure what my next suggested maintenance visit will cost.

It an awesome car! keep reading the posts here and you are going to be driving one before the end of the year!

I would take a few minutes to read through much of the information at http://www.miniusa.com. many of your conerns are addressed there.
:smile:

 

>>Hi!,
>> I am considering buyiing a non-S cooper, but the nearest dealership is 1-1.5 hours away. I am concerned that if something really bad happens to it, The towing bill alone would kill me. So, my question to all you mini owners out there is how reliable are they? Has any one had any significant problems in the first 45K miles? And if so, how much do repair bills usually run? Since BMW owns Mini, do i have to pay BMW prices to get it fixed (yikes)! I currently own a 2000 VW GTI and the repair bills arent real bad with it. Can you relate repair costs to another make of car? Also, if there are any nuggets of wisdom a mini owner could give a new buyer, lay it on me.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Grant B.

welcome to MCO Grant!

As posted by dbwilldo, the MINI is covered by a 3 year full service and roadside assistance plan. It is only after that you would even have to think about towing costs. I believe the roadside assisatnce and service plan can be extended for another year.
Browse MCO and you will find lots of information on the reliability of teh car. MINI is a new car, and as such has a few issues. All in all, I would say it is quite reliable. You may have to get it worked on, you may not, depends. Generally it appears from the posts that in most places MINI dealerships give great service, but there are exceptions. Do a search on MCO for postings on the dealership nearest to you.
I have 12k on mine, and have not had it service yet. I am coming up on the 1st service. I've had a few minor problems, and no major ones. My one gripe is the sub-standard windshield, and this one could become a cost issue.
Cracked Windshields Post

If you are lucky, you will not be troubled by the soft and weak windshield. However, some here have had 3, 4 or even 5 windshield replacements, and at that point it becomes a big issue if you have to go into the dealer that often, and it seems like in a lot of cases the dealers / MINI are trying to weasel their way out of replacing the cracked windshields under warranty. I hope MINI addresses this real soon! If you do go ahead with the MINI purchase, make sure you get zero glass deductible on your insurance.
Mind you and all out there, I don't think the zero glass deductible on insurance is the solution to the windshield issue, because all it does is spread the cost to all. It does not solve the problem of the substandard windshields!
That aside, the MINI is a great car!

 

I took a chance at the reliability factor when acquiring my MCS. I just loved the car too much to pass it up.
So far there has only been a few minor faults. If you experience a problem where you can't drive the car, MINI pays for a flatbed to tow it to the nearest dealer. And from what I understand, is that MINI will also reimburses you for any hotel bills, etc up to $500(CDN) for any inconveniences that you experience due to the cars' faults. Not only that, but the warranty covers parts, unless you modify some parts and then you may be looking at a repair bill out of your own pocket.
My nearest dealer is 4 hours away. And so far very minor problems, like a sunroof rattle which I fixed by lubing up. Brake light malfuntion, which I fixed myself. Discolored coolant issue. Paid to have it done locally at a Ford dealer rather than traveling far and wide for nothing. That's about it, and I'm coming up on 17,000km's(CDN, eh)
An hour away from your nearest dealer isn't that bed. It still can be an inconveience, but I think, (as I'm sure other do as well) the fun factor of the car out weighs the inconvenience of MINI dealers being closer to home.
Join us. You won't regret it. Step over to the MINI side of life
Cheers,

 

i have a 2003 mcs that i have had since january

not a SINGLE problem with the car

happy motoring and good luck with your decision :smile:

 

>>the only thing i wish for is quietness like my lexus sc300, but you have to realize the mini is a 20K car...so it cant be perfect :smile: >>>

ReallY?

 

>>>>the only thing i wish for is quietness like my lexus sc300, but you have to realize the mini is a 20K car...so it cant be perfect :smile: >>>
>>
>>ReallY?
>>


drive a sc300, and you will understand what quiet is lexus started putting a thing in their ignition so that you cant start the car after it was already started, because so many people were doing it and ruining the starter, since its SO quiet

 

Thanks so much for the prompt replys! You guys are great! MG_BGT in one of his postings wrote "I have 12k on mine, and have not had it service yet. I am coming up on the 1st service..". Are you saying that you havent had the oil changed for 12,000 miles? Cause thats would be awesome! I am a soon to be graduate from college and starting a career (thats the plan anyway) so Im looking for a car thats FUN to drive that wont break the bank. I hope the Cooper is it! I dropped a line to my nearest dealer to schedule a test drive in about 3 weeks. Anything I should ask about in particular when I talk to them?
Thanks again guys!
Grant B.

 

You mentioned you were interested in a Non-S Cooper. So you have to choose from:
CVT vs 5 speed cooper. Both are good but different. Better mpg with the 5 speed. CVT better for heavy traffic.
Your decisions are which packages to have-
#1-Premium- sunroof, auto AC, trip computer,multifunction steering wheel, cruise control,etc
#2-Sport option- 16" alloy wheels,Dynamic Stability control, sport seats, spoiler, fog lamps.
#3-Cold weather- heated seats-mirrors-windshield,etc
Choice of seat covers- $1250 for Leather-pick a color, no charger for leatherette or cloth.
Dash -finish- silver, alloy patina, anthracite
Nav system- $1600
HK audio upgrade- $550-highly recommended if you like music and are not interested in aftermarket costly upgrades. Stock audio system not bad though.
Generally the 15" alloy wheels work fine but the 16" are a little nicer looking and there are optional wheels for more $$$. In the 16" wheels there is the option for runflat tires-most people find that the run flats are harsher riding, more expensive to replace, and may wear a little faster than standard all season tires. The smoothest ride comes from standard tires and 15" rims. It is a comfortable ride but not as good when cornering fast.
Best thing is to drive as many times as you can to get a feel for all of the different options. It is easier to get a feel for the 5-speed if you know how to drive a manual car well. The CVT has a manual mode that you will need to practice using to get the best performance- it is a capable option if you know how to shift it well- and can rival any manual when done in a racing situation.

Regular oil change is about 10,000 miles due to use of fully synthetic oil (Castro). The car monitors how you drive and adjusts the first oil change which is displayed as miles until next oil change on the speedometer when you start the engine. Generally most of us will need to do first oil change (which is no additional cost by dealer) at about 11,000 to 12,000 miles. I think if you drive harder then the change is a little sooner closer to 10,000 even.

 

We drive our Cooper CVT mostly in city traffic. Our first ever oil change will come at 8,550 miles according to the computer monitor system.