I am amidst a search for the right MCS to replace my, um, "troublesome" Porsche 944 daily driver. I have come upon a car that represents very nearly exactly what I'm looking for, and I feel the price is right. My only issue is that it's an '03, and based on all my research of used MINI's I should be steering away from earlier cars. It certainly seems the '05+ cars are better, but I've gotten a lot of mixed opinions about the earlier cars. The particular car I'm looking at has been very well maintained by the owner, and has reportedly been 100% solid in the time he's owned it...

I know they're all great cars, but I'm very wary of anything with sketchy reliability. My 944 has failed in a pretty catastrophic manner pretty much on a monthly basis since I bought it, and I absolutely could not put up with anything like that again. So do y'all think it's worth serious consideration, or should I scale back my expectations a bit and go for a newer car with less features?

 

Knock on wood my 03 is doing fine. The fact that it is a S and a 6 speed will keep you out of most of the early problems. CK the records look for rust and the mushroomed sturt towers and if all is good drive the wheels off it.

 

I was having the same questions/concerns running through my head a couple months ago. I ended up getting an '03 MSC with 42k and must say it puts a smile on my face every day I drive it! It was very well maintained. I looked at the items noted in NAM that might cause problems before I bought it and got it inspected by a mini dealer. The dealer will be able to tell you if anything major has been done to it within the warranty period. After, I added some preventative parts like a power steering fan shield along with regular maintenance and have had no problems. Luckily it came with a full 3rd party warranty so it will be covered if anything does happen. If you are worried, get a warranty for peace of mind.

 

Oh yeah, I had a 944 turbo too. Needs a timing belt every 35k miles, the thermostat is inside the water pump, the list goes on. Fun car, but I was highly advised by a friend of mine that's a porsche mechanic not to rely on a 944 as a daily driver. As for the 03 MCS, I can't help you there but I have an 04 with no problems so far. I think the general recommendation is to get a manual shift in those years due to problems with the automatic.

 

It hit and miss on the 03's. I've had very little problems w/ mine and I am over 180,500 miles now. As for problems broken door actuator, broken oil cap, broken dip stick.

Had a few other small problems probably caused by mods, but the car has never left me stranded. Still on the original clutch, and original supercharger.

As long as regular maintenance has been done, you're probably good to go!

Good luck w/ your decision.

Nik

 

I recently purchased a mini and over the last 6 months probably read the same threads and reviews you did. I think everyone is reading the same comments and that has put a little price premium on the '05 and '06. I drove one '06 and it felt better than the '02, '03, '04 I tested, but it's difficult to draw a conclusion, because maybe the other cars were not running right.

I eventually got a well cared for, '04 MCS at a good price. Since the purchase, I probably only saw 1-2 newer MCS I would have seriously considered, and maybe those would not have been good if inspected. So I'm happy I got the '04 as opposed to waiting. I also thought since I'm able to repair a lot of stuff and have other cars, a early car at a good price is fine. If I expected to take everything that goes wrong to the dealer (and or it was my primary car,) I would have kept looking for an '05-'06 car, currently under warranty.

 

Acutally, FYI - In a Consumer Reports guide I have from 2007, it rated the 2004's as being the better of all the R53's, even better than the 2005's....
I have an 03' with 61,000 trouble free miles with a lot of engine mods too.

 

Artoo was born in September 2002 the first build week of the 2003s. This week he passed 80,000 mostly trouble free miles. All the typical things that needed attention was attended to when it was covered under the warranty. Cooling tank, PS Fan and new wiring harness and fuse, squeaky dual-mass flywheel, one window motor and a bunch of squeaks and rattles. But I have never once been stranded and love driving it, even to work, every day. I wouldn't hesitate to get another and if yours was well maintained I'd say it is worth a chance.

Get a good set of non-runflat tires, a parcel shelf, AUX adapter or DICE for an iPod, change the brake fluid and coolant if it has not been done, and an oil change (I do one every 5000 miles) and enjoy the ride.

Rich

 

have my 02 s with just over 50k no problems at all

 

no major problems with my 04 other than the drivers door actuator went bad (still havent replaced it) and the starter went bad about 3 weeks ago (replaced myself)

and the battery. all is good now though.

i only have 31k miles though.

 

I have a 2003 MCS JCW July '03 build. Knock on wood, its run over 70K trouble free miles. Just brakes, oil and tires! I change the oil every 5K or so, and have had the two major MINI services done at 30K and 60K. The only thing that has broke so far was the HK amp, fixed under warranty. As everyone has said, if its been properly maintained the '03 should be fine. You will be a bit quicker off the line with the later years because of the gear ratio change in 1st (and maybe 2nd too?). Enjoy.

 

Which is why I never pay any attention to Consumer Reports.

I would say NAM is a far better source of information in this case.

 

I've got an '03 MC (late '02 build) with 86k miles. So far so good, minus a door lock issue that seems to plague all minis. The problem has since been fixed on its own

Goes without saying, but stay away from the troublesome automatic.

 

Take a look at the stickies at the top here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...isplay.php?f=9 and then decide for yourself. I wouldn't call these cars trouble-free reliable. But I wouldn't say they'll leave you stranded either.