I previously owned a 1st generation honda accord,1st gen rx-7, 1st gen mr2, a mustang gt,an 2 bmw 325's an 85 and a 92. I also have owned a dozen toyota 4x4 pickups and two fj40 landcruisers, and 2 4 runners.I recently was considering getting another car to replace my cooper s. As some of you know, I have one of the very first cooper s' in the US apparently and it's had some issues. Now they are all fixed but i was kind of put off by what I had dealt with on a "new" car. So I went and checked out a wrx, and a used e46 328i bmw.These were the only 2 cars i could actually afford that I was interested in. I didn't like either one nearly enough to part with my cooper S. Theres simply nothing out there that drives anything like a mini. It's just going to have to be a keeper.

 

Warning: enthuisiast's rant! I've not been fortunate enough to have owned many cars in my life, having been a fairly modest single income family provider most of my life. I ride my horses 'till they're worn out. The last new car I had was a Toyota Camry. It was everything a Toyota was supposed to be- dependable, comfortable, quiet- and very boring. I bought my PS/B MC a year ago for one reason- I fell in love w/ the MINI, and I could actually afford it. It isn't as comfortable, it's had some rattles, it will probably develop more. It's been dependable up to now, but the most important thing about it is this: I enjoy the car fresh every time I get behind the wheel. The approach to every tight turn is an opportunity to exploit its suspension. I feel alert and alive the whole time I'm behind the wheel. Each time I get out of the car, I walk away from it, look back, and then enjoy it all over again from a strictly visual perspective. No other car in this price range can create this experience, of that I'm certain. Neither can most in upper price ranges. I guess it comes down to how one feels about the car before looking at the service record. If you're disappointed w/ the MINI Cooper, then it hasn't appealed to you at this level. If you've been unfortunate regarding your MINI's problems, that's unfortunate, and it's understandable that you'd want something more dependable. The challenge then is to find something comparably priced which can ellicit the same feelings and responses. I wish you
luck. If you related to any of the above, it will not be easy

 

I have to disagree completely. My MCS is my one and only car, a daily driver. I've had her 11 months now, and just passed 20K miles. A few minor problems from build quality: brown coolant syndrome flushed under warranty, leaking coolant tank replaced at 10K service, bad hose to supercharger replaced under warranty, passenger side door speaker buzz fixed under warranty. A few minor rattles that don't really bother me. Hardly major issues...

Other things that've happened have been much worse: replaced a windshield after being hit by major road debris on the freeway - very large pieces of aluminum that I believe were once ladder treads. One chip and many small pits in second windshield, small pitting only in first windshield (until those mangle pieces of ladder hit me that is!) I've also had both front and rear bumpers repainted/replaced several times: the first one was my bad, all the others were due to other people's negligance one way or another.

She's still a great daily driver. Whenever I get her back after having had a rental for a few days (body work, vacation, etc.) that PermaGrin just gets bigger and bigger! I'm spoiled now - don't want to drive anything else!

Oh, and cargo space is plenty for a single person or even a couple. If you've got kids, though, you may need a bigger second vehicle...

_________________
My MINI makes me want to do the happy dance!

 

All the cars I've owned had their share of problems...they all had their good points, and bad ones..some just had more bad than good...

My first new car was a 1987 Dodge Omni "America". Got it when I turned 18...in 1987. I used to call it "a tin can on wheels," but I couldn't complain...it was transportation, and kinda reliable too. It was a great car as a teenager's first car...it was safe enough, and it didn't like to go very fast! Its reliability went downhill fast after 60K miles, everything about it started to break down...finally I traded it in in 1993 with about 90K miles on it for a 1993 Ford Probe (not the GT). That was a fun car, heck...compared to the Omni, any car is more fun. The reliability and workmanship on the Probe was decent, kind of "plasticy" though...the Mazda-made engine was rock solid, but the tranmission started behaving eratically at around 80K miles. Traded that in for a 1998 Olds Intrigue in 1998, which was a totally different animal than a 2-door Probe. The Intrigue had lots of little issues here and there, but the 3.8L V6 was flawless and bulletproof. The tranny, however, gave up the ghost at around 85K miles...slipping like crazy, needed a total rebuild/refurb...but I decided to trade it in, take the $3,500 cash and put it down on a 2003 MINI Cooper CVT.

Took delivery of the CVT in May 03, and just yesterday brought it back to the dealer for its first service -- complementary 10,000 mile oil change. My gripes are minimal...sure it has its share of rattles, but they don't detract from the absolutely fun driving experience you get in the MINI. The hum of the MINI engine and the vibrations/resonance at high revs that you can FEEL...it's all part of what makes a MINI...a MINI. It turns on a dime and you can even FEEL a dime if you run over one...unlike cushy cars, the MINI makes sure you feel connected with the road, not like you're driving on a cloud. If you want to drive on a cloud, get a Buick or Lexus or Toyota or virtually any other car that's not a "sports" car. The gas mileage with the MINI isn't as good as I thought it would be...for such a small (1.6L) engine, it sure guzzles...maybe because it's such a high-revving engine? I don't know. The 3.8 Liter V6 in my Olds Intrigue got comparable, if not slightly BETTER gas mileage! I do concur with others that the MINI paint is too soft...scratches way too easily compared to every other car I've owned. Also the windshield glass on the MINI is soft, it is absolutely littered with small (pin-head size) pock marks from stones and rocks and sand and whatever else hits it...it's a very STEEP windshield...so anything that hits it is like hitting it head-on... at only 9 months "old" and 10K miles, I can't say with confidence how well the MINI will hold up over time...I can say: so far, so good...very pleased with its performance. 2, 3, 4 or more years from now....who knows...time will tell.

Good luck...and definitely go buy yourself a MINI...you know you want one. :smile:

-Joe

 

Let's see if i can remember:
1. mazda rx2
2. mazda glc
3. bmw 318
4. jeep wrangler
5. jeep grand wagoneer
6. jeep cherokee sport
7. chevy s10 zr2
8. dodge dakota sport
9. mini cooper mcs

1.Mazda rx2, blew the engine drag racing it with airplane fuel.
2.mazda glc, a very durable car until 70,000 miles.
3.bmw 318, bulletproof sold it with 150,000 miles but ran great.
4.jeep wrangler, wouldn't start on heavy rain.
5.jeep grand wagoneer, good vehicle.
6.jeep cherokee sport, very good vehicle.
7.chevy s10 zr2, good but the brakes would only last 20,000 miles.
8.dodge dakota sport, great truck
9.mini cooper mcs, coolest car I ever had with more character than my ducati 748 or my 916 motorcycles. I'd buy a replacement tomorrow if my car was stolen.

Go test drive the car, you are going to make issues out of what you read here? You may want to take into account that some of the people that buy this cars have too much spare time in their hands and perhaps nothing better to complaint about.
Good luck.

 

Well lets see...had lots of cars over the years, but the only two that come to mind to compare with the MINI would be a 2000 M Roadster and 1973 Fiat 124 Spyder Convertable.(Wifes car)

Both cars were drop tops, the M was one of quickest cars I ever owned, the Fiat had classic good looks, but my 03 MCS is by far my most favorite of the three because of the way it handles.

The little MINI is just a blast to drive and I think even at MSRP the price of admission is well worth it.

 

I've been driving 30 years - this year ! and of all the cars I've owned or driven the only one close to my MINI Cooper S was my Black 1993 Toyota MR2 Turbo. It drove like a rocket down the road but it did not have the steering, handling in the corners or the solid feel that my MCS has.

This little car rocks! The chances of someone custom ordering it, waiting for it, taking delivery of it and then having buyers regrets is pretty slim...

:smile: I think the people who found they were disappointed in their MINI have already sold them on E-Bay and moved to some foreign land where they can find fault with everything, always to be disappointed and never satisfied :smile:

 

above earth, as an mcs owner with 15,000 miles I can tell you that the car has a sweet working transmision that I hear no complaints about. The windshield thing is not isolated to minis, there is a thriving glass business world out there. The interior cheap quality is a perception that needs to be put in perspective by the price point of this vehicles. My 03 mcs is tight and gives me much pride and satisfaction. Go buy yourself whatever car floats you boat, there are plenty of choices for you. You'll be missing out on a lot of fun driving and coolness factor. God bless our country.

 

Above Earth is talking about the Cooper tranny actually, which has had some known issues with failures.

There is always going to be a percentage that are dissapointed with a car, any car.

Personally, I feel the build quality on the MINI could be better. Lots of rattles, chipping of trim, quirky engine issues. I have almost 33k on mine now, will be 2 years in June. Where this car excels, is bang for the buck handling. It can be quite the little monster in that area.

 

I've had lots of cars in the past including a Corvette, Mustang, Z28 a whole slew of BMWs and Mercedes and 2 MINIs (MC and MCS). I currently have 5 BMWs (750il, Dinan 540i, 328ic, and 2 635csi track cars).

Without a doubt, I can say my mother's CVT has been the most problematic car our family has ever owned. In the past 18 months, it has spent 46 days out of service for various repairs. The primary repairs have been due to the DME programming and the CVT. I spoke to a BMW Rep yesterday and he said the jerky transmission is a normal operating condition. I have driven other MINIs with the CVT and they did not drive jerky, neither did the Honda and Audi CVTs. The DME was reprogrammed last Monday and the car did run smoother, despite the rep telling me the jerkiness is a characteristic of the transmission. I think it is still a programming issue, but MINI is unable to develop the correct software and must make continual "upgrades", just like Microsoft.

 

I had a Honda Prelude Vtec recently. I loved the car so much. I loved the acceleration, the appearance, and the overall feel of the car while driving. I wrecked it in November and now I'm looking for a replacement vehicle. I am mostly just commuting, but I have to have a car that is unique and fun to drive. It sounds like the Mini Cooper S is my car. I am concerned about the longevity of it though. Most of you don't even have 30000 miles on it and already you are having to bring it in to the dealer for maintainance. I haven't had to do anything on my Prelude since I bought it with over 118000 miles except replace the rotors. The vehicle is now at 143000+ miles after the accident and is still running the same as it was before aside from the extra rattles and the blown airbags and cracked windshield. I'm pondering it a lot and I think I'd benefit the most from people that had good experiences with Hondas and Toyotas and how they compare the mini to them. Thanks.

 

All right, A chance to list the cars I've owned.

1. 55 Chevy.
2. 57 Chevy
3. 58 Chevy Impala
4. 64 Corvair Spyder
5. 65 Chevy SS
6. 65 GTO
7. 65 Corvair
8. 67 Chevy Nova
9. 67 Corvette
10. 68 Z-28
11. 68 Mailbu
12. 69 Malibu
13. 70 El Camino
14. 71 Chevy Vega
15. 72 Chevy Caprice
15a.72 Chevy Pick-up
16 74 Fiat 128
17. 77 Pontiac LeMans
18. 80 AMC Spirit
19. 84 Pontiac
20. 86 Madza Pick-up
21. 89 Madza MPV
22. 90 Tpyoto Supra
22. 95 Dodge Inrepid
23. 96 Lincoln Continental
24. 98 Chevy Lumina
25. 03 MINI

I might have missed a couple but you get the idea. Some were great cars, Others were junk.

Some of my favorites were the 67 Vette, 57 Chevies, 65 GTO and 90 Supra. The most junky of the junk were the Vega and the AMC Spirit. The 64 Corvair Spyder was also great fun.....screw Ralph Nader.

How do they compare to the MINI? A few were more fun but most didn't come close.

For the price there is no new car available today that comes close to the fun factor of the MINI, at least in my opinion.

Oh, year, I had a bunch of motorcycles too.


R.E.

 

Quote from holdenontoit;

>Mini usa IS addressing my windshield issues with a promise of a new design >incorporating an increase in tensile strength in the glass.We'll see.I promise that I'll >keep everybody up to date with what progress Im making on this score.

Can this be true? MINIUSA confirms a windshield strength issue? WOW... a glimmer of hope? DOH, I just put in a PPG.