I took delivery of my dark silver/white MCS w/premium combo on July 23. In general, I am very pleased with it. But there are some pissy little things that are beginning to detract from my glee. Below is my current laundry list:

1. The letter "S" on my neat little side emblem on the drivers side fell off while I was washing the car. Figured out how to get it back on--had to open the hood and support the perforated screen from behind with a stick while I pressed the "S" back on, as it wouldn't simply 'click' into position otherwise. I'm thinking about getting a half dozen of them to keep as spares.

2. The black plastic grill popped loose from one of its connectors. I can't figure out why it popped loose, as I didn't hit anything, not even a piece of paper. Looking at how its attached it doesn't seem like it will take much to knock it loose again. Not a very sturdy piece considering it's supposed to be protecting the radiator. Took some ingenuity to get that re-attached, too, because there's no room to reach behind it.

3. The emergency brake handle is starting to get loose. I can easily twist is about 1/8" back and forth. It didn't start out that way.

4. Same thing as #4 above with the gearshift ****.

5. The side view mirror lenses appear to be plastic. I've already scratched the driver's side mirror with the same damp 100% made in USA cotton terry cloth towel I was using to dry the car (which didn't scratch the paint finish). I've never heard of plastic mirrors on cars, unless, perhaps, they were standard equipment on Yugos. I think my sister once had a plastic mirror that came with a Barbie play set.

Discovering little crap like this is making me a bit apprehensive. Starting to wonder about durability. Is anyone else out there feeling this way?

 

a

 

I recently discovered a problem in this same vein on my Cooper: the leatherette skirt around the parking brake handle has come unglued from the surrounding plastic. I can now see down underneath the handle. I've had the car since mid-April.

I've had several people comment how much sitting inside the Mini feels like sitting inside a BMW. I haven't spent much time inside BMWs, so I can't confirm this. Does anyone know if BMWs also have some of the same "cheap manufacturing" problems? Or has Mini just cut corners to make the Mini look and feel like a BMW without giving it a BMW price tag?

As for durability concerns, aside from the plastic clip in the transmission in early production Minis (the cause of the notorious gear linkage failure), it seems like all of the shortcuts appear to be on cosmetic things -- the S emblem, the grill, the leatherette around the parking brake.....so no need to worry yet.

And if the glee is wearing off, just find some empty, windy roads.....

 

i am looking forward to the "smoke gray" interior trim option on the 2003's

the bright silver trim on the 2002s makes them look cheapo imo

 

I think I'll whiz off an E-mail to MINIUSA and ask them if those mirrors are made of glass or not. I don't see the benefit of adding a safety glazing material to mirrors that are on the outside of the car, but who knows? I understand the need on a windshield, but I can't see how one would smash their face into a side view mirror...

I have wanted a MINI for so long (since I saw my first in 1976) that I think I built the 2002 MCS up in my mind to such a degree that I'm expecting perfection. I agree completely that the fit and finish on this car is impressive. It's just that the things I posted my concerns about make me wonder how long I can keep it looking new. I didn't just buy the car for its performance. I bought it for the way it looks, too. Perhaps I'm worrying prematurely. Then again, I've never had a car's emblem fall off in my hand while I was washing it, and I can't recall ever having to pop a grill back into place.

As far as hitting the empty, winding roads go, I'll break the 1200 mile barrier later this week. Then it'll be time for some real therapy...

 

geez....what do you expect for 20K....laugh!

 

I read an article somewhere that compares the MINI to the New Beetle in this way: 'While the new beetle is an excellent design exercise, with fine fit and finish inside and out, it has a ho-hum chassis based on the golf... BMW deicided to go the other way with the MINI, cheapening out the interior to finance a superb chassis, excelent rear suspention, and all- aroud fine mechanicals.'

that's VERY paraphrased, but it hits all the important parts. Anyone who has done extensive reading into the attention paid to the chassis, suspention, and driver ergonomics surely realizes that a cheaper interior is a very small price to pay for an excellent structure and mechanically sound car. (An interesting note, the MINI one and Coopers both have an existing {pre-MINI spec} Rover gearbox, the only part brought in from an existing platform)

Look at the original Minis. From what I understand, they were simply wonderful piles of crap. And I still like 'em.

Personally, for the $, I'd rather have the hard bits be well sorted out and have to use some super-glue here and there, than have the Fuel-injection fail and the rear-end break loose around every corner.

*I* Think this is a car like they USED to be. The old VWs, minis, porches, chevys, fords, mercedes, and bmws had exposed sheetmetal in the cabin, simple push-pull ***** to operate the heat, and leaky everything. They didn't have undercoating, and most didn't even have headrests! But they went like bats out of hell, and everyone loved them to death! No one complains TOO much when they have to actually get into or out of a Lotus esprit, or sit in a Ferrari for more than 30 minutes. At least the MINI is comfy.

So what if it doesn't have a BMW interior. Anyone ever driven a Fiat?

I don't even have my MINI yet, but if I have to completely re-do the interior in 6 years, well,it'll feel just like new again, and it'll probably drive just as well as at 1200miles!

Oh, and another bit of trivia... The leatherette is the same as BMW uses (and almost identical to what's in Mercedes, but don't tell)

_________________
Lean, Mean, British Green, MINI Cooper 'S' Machine! (due date:9/14)

 

:smile:

p.s.
the use of plastic does not give a car maker an excuse to build a cheap-tacky-poorly made vehicle. I do not feel Mini falls into this vein.
I hope you get your bugs worked out soon.

 

no complaints here. ever ride in a m class mercedes? same el cheapo appearance on the interior imo, but the mechanicals are sound. it is (again) just mo that toning the bright silver down a bit will fit my preferences more closely. i am sure many folks like that shiny look and even opt for the all shiny silver trim (sorta like the exposed sheet metal that verruckt mentioned) instead of silver on black.

i sure aint gonna be looking at the interior trim while i am motoring, though, so this is a very minor concern. i look forward to wearing my mini out because if you don't buy one to drive then why did you buy it anyway?

 

a

 

I fell in love with the styling of the MINI as I saw it, the handling, feel, and driveability sold me. The interior, however is where I have issues with the car.. No, I've not found it to be over-cheap or poorly constructed, but just way way over done. I love the mini, and can't wait to pick mine up from the dealer in a few days, but I still wish that it had simple door panels without extra decorations and a nice usable arm rest rather than the pseudo roll cage star-trek design. I wish I could have gotten normal crank operated windows rather than the electric-powered-dash-operated-computer-controlled-gizmo-matics that come standard... I would actually have been willing to pay slightly more for crankable windows and non powered push button locks, but sadly they were not available. One thing that BMW did RIGHT, is the nice cleanable materials like vinyl seats. Cloth seats in a car are silly. If you have been working outdoors, you can clean up and change clothes before sitting on your couch, You can't always change into clean clothes before sitting in your car... fuzzy flock door panels and cloth seats are stupid.

 

I didn't intend for my post to start a debate into whether the merits of the MINI outweigh its faults. They do, hands down. I was simply stating that it appears to me that the MINI, while very nice looking, seems to be wearing some very cheap cosmetics, especially in light of the fact that I've had the car one month and things are already starting to loosen up and fall off. I was concerned that I might be discovering the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, with regard to durability. I also intended my post be be of some service to those who would not wish to accidentally scratch their side mirrors or yank off their side emblems while simply cleaning their cars. Its this kind of sharing of information that has made this such a wonderful web site.

However, Verruckt, I don't understand your reply. Allow me to itemize:

>>Anyone who has done extensive reading into the attention paid to the chassis, suspention, and driver ergonomics surely realizes that a cheaper interior is a very small price to pay for an excellent structure and mechanically sound car.

Why should anyone "pay a price" for a mechanically sound car? If the way our new cars looked didn't matter, we wouldn't care about stone chips and parking lot dings, would we?

>>Look at the original Minis. From what I understand, they were simply wonderful piles of crap. And I still like 'em.

Me, too. But I like them in spite of their being piles of crap, not because of it.

>>Personally, for the $, I'd rather have the hard bits be well sorted out and have to use some super-glue here and there, than have the Fuel-injection fail and the rear-end break loose around every corner.

You assert that one must sacrifice the durability of the interior and exterior trim for the sake of superior mechanical engineering. We already know the stuff is cheap--its plastic. But it shouldn't fall off or come loose. Super glue? Are you serious? Do you feel that a $24,000 car is so inexpensive that one should expect to have to super-glue it together?

>>*I* Think this is a car like they USED to be. The old VWs, minis, porches, chevys, fords, mercedes, and bmws had exposed sheetmetal in the cabin, simple push-pull ***** to operate the heat, and leaky everything. They didn't have undercoating, and most didn't even have headrests! But they went like bats out of hell, and everyone loved them to death! No one complains TOO much when they have to actually get into or out of a Lotus esprit, or sit in a Ferrari for more than 30 minutes. At least the MINI is comfy.

It was this paragraph in particular that I had to reply to. This car is not like they used to be. It shouldn't be, either. Today's cars are better in almost every way with regard to performance. I'm 44 years old. I owned a 63 VW Beetle. It didn't leak, but it couldn't get out of it's own way. I had a '64 Plymouth Belvedere with a 426 wedge and a 4-speed, and it didn't leak, and it was so fast it was scary, as long as it was going in a straight line. My dad had a '59 Ford Ranchero with a 352 V-8 that he bought brand new. I'm pretty sure it didn't leak, but it overheated, the passenger window broke when he closed the door, and the starter exploded, all in the first two months of ownership. Sat in a Pantera once. I couldn't see out of it. None of those cars had headrests, except maybe the Pantera. What does any of that have to do with the new MINI?
>>
>>So what if it doesn't have a BMW interior. Anyone ever driven a Fiat?

I wasn't expecting a BMW interior. I bought a MINI.

>>I don't even have my MINI yet, but if I have to completely re-do the interior in 6 years, well,it'll feel just like new again, and it'll probably drive just as well as at 1200miles!

If you are meticulous with your car's interior and it still looks so shabby in 6 years that you feel you have to replace it I'd be willing to bet your opinion of the entire car will have by then changed.

My point, if not yet evident, is that comparing the positive attributes of the MINI to the negative attributes of cars of other types, styles and eras, is excusing those flaws. And knowing a '59 Ranchero was a P-O-S will not make the owner of a Lotus Esprit feel good about his windshield molding flapping in the breeze at 110 mph. It doesn't make me feel better about the "S" falling off the side of my car, either.

I really like my MCS. I have high expectations that I will still consider it to be a fine car many years from now. Those of us who love this car should hold the manufacturer to those expectations.

 

>>Why should anyone "pay a price" for a mechanically sound car? If the way our new cars looked didn't matter, we wouldn't care about stone chips and parking lot dings, would we?
>>

What I meant is that the chassis, drivetrain, and handling bits are MUCH better than say, a Ford focus, or even a VW GTI. A better chassis costs more to develope and build, as do better suspention and braking bits. What I meant was, I'd rather have a cheaper interior than a wallowy, mushy, weak, non-responsive beauty. I think maybe that makses more sense?

>>You assert that one must sacrifice the durability of the interior and exterior trim for the sake of superior mechanical engineering... Do you feel that a $24,000 car is so inexpensive that one should expect to have to super-glue it together?

<shrug> I like to fix things, so I guess the little stuff just doesn't bother me. An electrical problem, however, WOULD. I'm not good with electronics.

>>It was this paragraph in particular that I had to reply to. This car is not like they used to be. It shouldn't be, either. Today's cars are better in almost every way with regard to performance.

I just meant the FEEL of the car, the IDEA, How it makes you think about it. I personally have a BLAST driving a '75 VW thing around with the doors off. I don't get that from modern cars. I wasn't trying to be technical with that. More esoteric.

>>If you are meticulous with your car's interior and it still looks so shabby in 6 years that you feel you have to replace it I'd be willing to bet your opinion of the entire car will have by then changed.

Nah, I like small changes to keep things fresh.,... I get attatched to cars as a whole, though.

>>I really like my MCS. I have high expectations that I will still consider it to be a fine car many years from now. Those of us who love this car should hold the manufacturer to those expectations.

Hey, I was just getting into the "MINIGeist," not trying to say your crazy for being upset. I just think the good outweighs the bad, so I was trying to demonstrate it. Failed. oh well, it happens!
:smile:

 

The only thing I wish they would have done different is attach the lower grill screen a little better. Mine also comes off it's mounts while driving and when being washed. A bent coat hanger puts it back on and I'm real close to trying to put some superglue on it to hold it in place. Just don't want any excess to show.

Other than that, I knew about the plastic everywhere before I bought it and then noticed my 99 Tahoe is full of plastic but not anywhere near as fun to drive!!!.

987 miles and counting.

 

1500 miles (which includes one road trip) and nothing has peeled, cracked, torn, malfunctioned, fallen off or come loose. Although after reading this forum I am watching to see what happens.....

 

I'm real close to trying to put some superglue on it to hold it in place. Just don't want any excess to show.

my mcs came with superglue & instructions in the welcome kit...didn't you get yours?

 

Wasn't in the protection plan I purchased.....................

 

Speaking of cheap... Does anyone have any idea if there are replacement parts for the center of the steering wheel? I let a buddy drive my car and he promptly scratched the steering whee with the key. Now i have a big ding in it and it looks bad. Ideas??

 

Aklu4u -- How did he do that? Clumsy ox :smile:

Oh yes, WELCOME to MCO! :smile:

I'm sure that replacements exist as this part is destroyed when the airbag deploys (there's a pic here on the site someplace). Unfortunately, it may be that you have to buy more than just the black piece (w/ logo) and/or trim ring. It might be the whole skin with badge and trim, and could be a big pain to replace. Or not. Check with your dealer.

ps -- I'd be careful trying to pry things apart up there until I had an actual dissassembly diagram. You don't want to go poking at any part of your airbag without knowing what's what.

 

I've had my MC a week, and the cheapest thing I've noticed is the mechanism for tipping the seat back. It scares me. It is so thin and flimsy that I'm almost positive that it's going to break off in my hand.

Other than that, I took a very speedy 60 mile drive through the very curvy Columbia River Gorge yesterday and I wasn't focused much on the cheap stuff, if you know what I mean.

 

I'm not sure I get the point of complaining about aspects of a car you ALREADY bought; do you expect MINI to retrofit according to your personal specification? (you'll have to pay a premium for this service, btw) Sure, you can be dissatisfied if you're gonna feel better about it, although expecting forty-thousand-dollar materials as well as fit-and-finish on a sixteen-thousand-five-hundred-dollar car (yes, even your "optioned to the max" $30k MCS still applies!) is definitely not reasonable.

I urge all dissatisfied MINI owners to look at EVERY other car on the market that has a base price of $16.5k. You will be surprised at all other manufacturers relatively low quality materials, performance, and social cache'.

 

I've heard about this, but thought that they upgraded the lever for 2003. I have a 2002 (July build) and think that the lever is perfectly sturdy. Some of the paint on the silver part that says "Press" is wearing off, but that's about it.

Now, if you want to talk "cheap," how about those pedals? The rubber on my clutch pedal falls off about every other day, exposing the very flimsy looking plastic below it. I'm fairly sure that someday I'll step in on the clutch and break the damn thing right off.

Overall -- and I'm sure this has been said before --my biggest concerns re. cost-cutting are in the area of control engineering, not fit-finish or performance. I think that the HVAC controls stink; the turn signal/headlight/wiper-washer controls are a joke; and the inability to program computer options (e.g., "convenience features&quot yourself vs. having to take it to the dealer is very annoying. Oh yeah, the lack of storage space is pathetic too. I think that BMW designed and built this car for looks first, then performance. What got left out was durable functionality. But I guess the psychology is that if it looks good and feels good, then it must BE good. Time will tell.

 

>>I'm not sure I get the point of complaining about aspects of a car you ALREADY bought; do you expect MINI to retrofit according to your personal specification? (you'll have to pay a premium for this service, btw) Sure, you can be dissatisfied if you're gonna feel better about it, although expecting forty-thousand-dollar materials as well as fit-and-finish on a sixteen-thousand-five-hundred-dollar car (yes, even your "optioned to the max" $30k MCS still applies!) is definitely not reasonable.
>>
>>I urge all dissatisfied MINI owners to look at EVERY other car on the market that has a base price of $16.5k. You will be surprised at all other manufacturers relatively low quality materials, performance, and social cache'.
>>

I think that there are TWO points to this commentary. First, in an online community such as MCO, people want to know if other members are having the same experiences as they are. Second (and this is probably the longer-term value), there is the hope that some of this info will be distilled and ultimately make its way to BMW/MINI...perhaps by someone reading this, or perhaps by members learning about the broader MINI experience and then communicating this to dealers and service depts. That way, these "complaints" can be used to improve future models. And since we all can agree that overall we LIKE the car, helping to improve it seems like a reasonable goal.

 

I'm not going to run down the list of parts I think are cheap but...

Has anyone noticed that ALL of the exterior chrome is chromed plastic ?!?
...and very easy to scratch.

Also, the windows make me kinda nervous when you open the door (with the window up) and the glass quivers... like the glass is not very securely anchored.
I always warn people that ride in my Mini NOT to try to close the door when they get out by pushing on the window.
And please don't even think about leaning on my side window glass!

 

>>I'm not going to run down the list of parts I think are cheap but...
>>
>>Has anyone noticed that ALL of the exterior chrome is chromed plastic ?!?
>>...and very easy to scratch.
>>
>>Also, the windows make me kinda nervous when you open the door (with the window up) and the glass quivers... like the glass is not very securely anchored.
>>I always warn people that ride in my Mini NOT to try to close the door when they get out by pushing on the window.
>>And please don't even think about leaning on my side window glass!

I had 2 Acuras, a 1995 Integra sedan and a 1997 2.5TL sedan, both with frameless door windows. Actually the glass quivered the same or worse on those cars. This is a fact of life with frameless windows design.

I haven't had any problems with the exterior chrome bits and pieces or anything else, but then again, we are very careful in general.