I have subscribed to CR in the past, but have never ever receiveda survey in despite of my frequent new car purchases in the past. For the first MINI we bought, we never received a CR or JD Powers survey (I did receive one for my then new '01 Impala LS) but we did get some kind of follow up from MINIUSA. For the '04 MCS, a few days after picking up the car I did receive an E-mail from MINIUSA with a post sale satisfaction survey. Now today, I received this on the mail:

"Dear New MINI Owner,

Congratulations on the purchase of your new MINI. You are part of an elite group of owners who are experiencing the fun and excitment of this new vehicle.

Soon, we will be sending you a questionnaire to hear about these experiences as part of a study that we are conducting on behalf of MINIUSA. Your feedback is vital for the success of this study. Please take the time to document your experiences and opinions on our questionnaire. We would appreciate having the person who drives your MINI the most fill out the questionnaire.

Please understand that your name, responses and comments will remain strictly confidential, and that no one will try to sell you anything after you return the questionnaire. We understand how precious your time is and truly appreciate your cooperation.

Sincerely,

J.D. Power III
Chairman"

 

Hey Folks,

CR is doing us a favor by steering the meek and less informed away from our numbers. Just helps to keep the MINI exclusive to a rare breed of owner.

If CR hates it, there must be something good about it!

My two pence,



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Seems to me that CR is correct. Look at the Mini - newly designed car, new factory process and equipment, newly trained workers. And, need I mention the British reputation for good looking automobiles but lousy quality. Given all that, it is not surprising that the first year or two of production would have glitches IMHO.

 

Neither CR nor anyone are able to test for how long a car will last, because you first must wait until the car is dead and then you know how long it lasted. I believe that the MINI (since it has BMW engineering) will prove to be a very durable and long lasting car. We know it is built like a tank, solid, etc., and holds up extremenly well in accidents, as we have seen examples of this on our website here. Just listen to the door when you close it and hear that sound of solidity. Very impressive. As for the engine, it was built by Chrysler, but BMW also helped with that design, and I heard somewhere that Chrysler is known for building very good engines. I don't know about their history for building engines lately, but I did hear that somewhere. Also, remember they built the Hemi engine in the 60's that was totally awesome, as were many of their engines, small as well as big. They had a good reputation for engines years ago. I think they did a good job on the MINI engine. So, I think the MINI will hold up well over time.

 

Resale values generally don't favor the seller. There are a few exceptions like Honda Accord owners or some Mercedes products. The most important factor is supply and demand. Here, the Mini should do well with BMW limiting the supply to 25,000 units per year. Look at the resale value of PT Cruisers' or the SAAB 9-3 series which are both abysmal. It may be worth noting that the PT Cruiser received a very favorable rating in CR. Over the years I've owned only three cars that achieved a modicum of respectablity when sold. The first was a 1978 VW Beetle Convertible, the second a 1986 Honda CRX, and the third a 1992 BMW 325. I sold all three using want ads in local newspapers and sold all three for 15-25 % above wholesale. By the way I own a trouble free 2003 MCS.

 

Start-up problems for any new product (especially one as complex as an automobile) are to be expected.

Among my car-nut friends I count two first year owners: one owns an S2000 and one a Boxster S. Both cars are now several years old yet both have had their fair share of "sorting out". However, both owners have taken an accepting attitude toward their ownership experience because of the pleasure they derive from these cars. And now, several years later, they are happier than ever with their purchases.

I have owned a number of British sports cars. They have all had maddening quirks regarding build quality, design and materials. Thus, the "legacy" of British car ownership was created. This legacy was apparent in my Triumph, MG and in my Jaguar. A toolbox and spare parts in the boot were an absolute must. But you know what? I really enjoyed driving those cars!!! And, none of them were expected to be daily drivers. Legacy be damned!

Now, BMW have built/reburbished a $700 million dollar facility with state-of -the-art manufacturing/assembly equipment driven by sophisticated computer systems. The watchful eye of BMW is cast on MINI design, engineering and plant operations. This is a far cry from the Jaguar, MG and Triumph production era!

And yet, when MINI problems arise, people are so quick to dredge-up the "British car ownership legacy"! IMHO, these problems are more related to sorting things out on a new design rather than some systemic deficiency in the UK manufacturing sector.

Have those folks who are quick to denounce the MINI as suffering from "typical British quality problems" even owned a 60s/70s era British car? I suppose my friends could have easily complained about "typical Honda/Porsche quality problems" when they were having to sort out their cars.

Granted, my '04 MCS has only 2,600 miles but it has been trouble free. I am also amazed by the general build quality for what is basically a $17,000 car. I should note that my comparative frame of reference is the 3-series parked on the other side of the garage (at two times the purchase cost).

...oh yeah...I don't even carry tools in the boot anymore!

My two pence,

 

>>'76 Pinto? Oh, Brother!

I had a friend in high school who went through Pintos like laundry. His first was a 71 I believe, with a 2.0L OHC engine (the one used in SCCA S2000 and FC class.) After that one met its demise against a tree due to overenthusiastic cornering, he got out a torch, cut the engine mount brackets off the front rails, and put the engine in another Pinto. At the time, Pintos and Bobcats could be found lying fallow in peoples' yards, and bought for $50-200.

Joe went through 4 or 5 Pintos this way, and he always transplanted the 2.0 into each one, like a hermit crab switching shells. He wouldn't have anything to do with the 2.3's. I wonder if we'll end up feeling like that about whatever engine BMW chooses to use to replace the current 1.6?

 

Bring it on!

 

In Feb 2004 issue of CR, a reader takes CR to task for the MINI rating. An interesting statistic from CR's response: only 721 MINIs from 02 and 03 were rated ( a pool of 50 000?). Whats makes the data even less significant is that subsribers to CR only can rate their cars; so it's not a random sampling of MINI owners.

 

From my own personal experiences, my comments are that the discerning consumer should take any CR car recommendations/ratings with a grain of salt. Of the previous 3 vehicles I purchased prior to the the MCS, all were highly rated by CR at the time of purchase. However, issues have ranged from total and complete maintenance nightmares to horrid resale for each.

 

>>'76 Pinto? Oh, Brother!

Heh I also had a '76 Pinto that was almost new (20k miles). Its most infamous problem was shuddering and slowing down to about 20 mph if you ever dared to try going highway speed (stuck float valve), but it had many more. I've never bought another Ford.