I crashed my 330ci and ended up getting the new Camry. I've had the Camry for about 1.5 years and I am definitely not happy with it. (It feels like a boat) I checked out a couple of 04-05 Cooper with 30-40k miles at local dealers and found out that I could pretty much do a straight up trade with my Camry. I have a couple of concerns about getting the cooper.

1. How is the insurance? What category does it fall under?

2. Any well-known mechanical problems with the vehicle? (ie: BMW 3s (e46s) were well-known for bad window-regulators)

3. Are they reliable? (I plan to keep the car for another 2-3 years...so if I get a mini with 30-40k then I would probably ride it out until 80-90k?)


Thanks in advance!

 

I know the front strut towers mushroom very easily, and some have bad window motors.

Mine stayed the same from my last car (02 Camaro Z28)

I am sure someone else will chime in with more. i have only owned mine since August.

 

Sweet Jesus, isn't Camaro considered a sports-car? If the insurance is too high then I should probably look into a different option

 

Actually my insurance on my Z28 was pretty cheap, as I have no tickets in a very long time.

 

The insurance is quite reasonable, IMO. When I checked with my insurance agent, an '06 MCS was cheaper to insure than an Acura RSX Type-S and was on par with my then-automobile, a 2000 Nissan Sentra.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=123346

found this thread on the problems

 

I have a 05 MINI. If you drive sanely, the mushrooming issue shouldn't be a problem. Just be awares, if the suspension is modified then the chance of having mushroomed strut towers might be an issue. As there is no safety recall on it, the best insurance against this might be to get the reinforcements. But they do add a small amount of weight to the suspension. At the same time, I don't remember reading anything anywhere that the mushrooming problem has caused somebody to have to scrap their cars because of it. So it may be something that's easy enough to fix.

A 05 MINI should still be under warranty for one more year. Mechanically, my car has been bulletproof. Just routine maintenance (oil changes and inspection services). Except for the one issue where the bolts for the supercharger came loose. The dealer fixed it right away (warranty). Also, inspect carefully the interior and the headlights. My headlights came loose and were easily tightened. Same with interior bits. Some plastic bits may come loose over time. My dealer would apply some heat to make sure they wouldn't after one of my door speaker covers popped loose.

Other than that, my car has been extremely reliable. I have not had any of the issues others seemed to have brought up. Perhaps by 04/05, the bugs got ironed out.

Insurance rates (if you're a safe driver and have no tickets) is on par with other cars of approximately same value.


Good luck to you on your decision.

 

I've been a MINI owner for five days now. My insurance only went up $15 a month. I regret not having done it sooner. DO IT!

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...isplay.php?f=9

The above forum section should answer the question about problems/issues.
I too am a potential buyer and those post have nearly scared me away, but when I talk to owners in parking lots or wherever I see them they seem to be happy with their minis. The biggie for me is the lack of a nearby dealer for warranty work. There are no dealers in my state. There was a mini cooper magazine I bought that had an article about buying a used mini. I think the mag came out quarterly. It mentioned the mushrooming, the midlands transmission, and the cvt transmission failures, the door sill rust issue, something to do with the bushings in the front suspension getting sloppy, and the liquid filled motor mounts leaking.

With all of that, I am still looking/considering a mini.

 

i just got mine and i must say make sure you get the sport seats. They are worth it.

 

Get it .. I just got mine a couple of weeks ago and am loving every minute of it ..

 

I disagree, I have driven sanely, I hit a small pothole (hidden by shadows on a country road) that did not hurt the tires or wheels but mushroomed the towers. I have since looked at other club members cars and have seen mushrooming on cars that have not hit bumps or potholes. One thing that seems to be common is the 17" wheels, on cars with 15" and 16" it does not appear to be a problem. My advice - Get the M7 plates !



I would be a bit nervous not having a dealer nearby, I'm most fortunate to have three in my area

I have not had too much trouble, the flywheel, mushrooming (fixed myself with M7s) and defective left front strut and control arm. Other than that, she's a great little bird, I've never had so much fun driving !

Cheers,

Mike

 

If you loved your 330ci then you'll really love the MINI.
Believe me the last thing you'll think you're driving is a boat.
The only down fall for me is PEOPLE. They take up too much of my time looking, asking question, and I've been asked by strangers for a ride.
Anyway, get an "S" model, a 15% pulley, cold air induction, and exhaust.
After you add those bits (and an ECU tune) you'll forget about the 330ci. Though the 330ci is a nice car the MINI puts a bigger smile on your face.
I don't mind those extra trips to the store for the wife anymore.

July 06 Mini S w/over 35K miles. (Yeah!! I love to drive this car!)

Minian

 

And I thought I had a lot of miles at 19,000 ! You get in and you just don't want to stop !

 

Back in 2002-2003, I read NAM (MCO) and nearly passed on going through with the purchase of my '03MCS, as the complaints regarding problems really concerned me. However, after nearly 40K miles, I turned my '03 back in (it was on lease). I loved it so much that I bought my '06 MCS JCW, which now has 19K on it.

I love the '06 even more! Of the two cars and nearly 60K miles driven, I've had very few problems, all which were under warranty. Call me lucky if you want, but I have never experienced all the horrors I read about.

BMW 3 trade for Camry= total driver's depression
Camry trade for MCS= total driver's ecstasy
BMW 3 trade for MCS= more responsive, higher fun factor, more visceral, but less cushy comfort (I'd still rather have the MINI!!!!!!)

go for it.

 

Hey potentialminicooper,

I forgot to answer your questions... Insurance? No problem. Mechanical problems? Yes, there are some. I would recommend an '05 or '06. IMO, the '06's are the best as they worked out any issues that bothered me with earlier models. Again, IMO, the '05 and '06's have better gear ratios, better DSC, ECU does not yoyo, hick-up or stumble when taking off in first (especially with A/C on). Man-oh-man... I wish I could ****** up a low-mileage '06 MCS JCW and store it away for the future, as I dread the day mine wears out!

 

Just keep in mind that people come to forums to vent and find solutions to problems. This makes it appear that there is a disproportionate number of problems. There are many many happy Mini owners out there. I've had my 04 since May and haven't had any problems to speak of. In fact I think it's a very reliable car as long as you look after it.
It is also the cheapest of my three cars to insure. I've got an 02 GS300 and an 03 Ram in addition to the Mini.

 

1. The insurance on my MCS-JCW came to $25 a year more than the Suzuki Sidekick it replaced.

2. Depends on exactly what type of Mini you get. The mushrooming is more prevalent with the larger diameter wheels and sport suspensions. The M7 Strut Reinforcement Plates take care of the issue.

3. I've found my 2006 MCS-JCW very reliable. No issues beyond a bad catch for the armrest.

 

my only complaint is that i am 3 hours from a mini dealer.. makes it a pain in the ars..
they are great.. take it there.. hey.. we will fix.. no charge..

we will order parts.. then i have to go back ..
its a pain.
car is reliable.
i have an 05 still under warrenty.. now.. do i buy an extended warrenty ?
or just get a new car when the warrenty is up ?

my new delima.. june 08