Although I don't have a Mini yet, probably not until the 2007 model year, I like to read the comments in Mini Talk. What bothers me is that there are a lot of negative comments, such as windshield cracks, it doesn't drive well in the snow, it won't start and various other maladies that have me questioning whether I should get a Mini. I would like to see more positive comments because I like a reasonable amount of reliability. I need convincing. Thanks.

 

Problems can crop up now and again with all cars, but MINIs are really fantastic and mostly rock solid....really, they just keep getting better year by year. What you have to also hear is that few (if any) cars have given owners such motoring pleasure.

You can/should search around here and on MINI2...folks fairly frequently ask similar questions when reading reports of problems or glitches. They get nervous. Find these threads, read the comments posted, and put all the info together. You'll find that overall MINIs are utterly fantastic and owners love them way beyond what could be considered rational!

 

You don't get a Mini, a Mini gets you I've had a small issue with my SES light, but still the car is awesome. No car is gonna be perfect. You'll find people who have problems with their Camry or Accord or any vehicle. But do they have passion for their car? I'd take a Mini with 100 problems over a Camry with 0 problems any day. Reliability doesn't make you grin from ear to ear, it doesn't make total strangers come up and ask to look at your car, it doesn't make children smile and point....go for it.

 

Well, how often do you post about the problems you don't have and don't need help with? "I just drove home and my car didn't break down!" It would be a repetative board if all we talked about is how our cars are not broken. One of the points of these message boards is to help people whose cars aren't quite so perfect. Although if you want assurance of quality and reliability read the ones about how people cross the 30,000 , 50,000, , and 100,000 marks. You'll see that the cars are usually quite reliable.

 

MINIs are a blast in the snow, with snow tires

 

I have owned 3 MINIs:


2002 Cooper CVT (Wife's): 31K troublefree miles, hard working daily driver.

2004 MCS (Mine): 17K troublefree miles, never any problems or unscheduled dealer warranty repairs, sold on February 2005 for $700 above of what I originally paid for it new in late 2003. Incredibly solid and tight car.

2005 MCS: Took delivery late March 2005, and after 4 months and nearly 3K miles absolutely ZERO, ZERO problems! Not once back to the dealer for anything and the car runs like a dream! No rattles, no problems, just a tight solid car that feels like it was carved out from one big solid piece of steel

Don't read too much into the complaints posted here. For every complainer, there are 100 happy MINI owners with troublefree cars that never post here.

In Internet message boards you are always bound to read about more negative than positive/praising posts.

 

I've had an '02 & '03 Cooper then a '04 S and now an '05 S. Each has been better than the last. I love my '05 and have NO problems. My wife has an '03 Cooper and has only been in for her 10K oil change.

Take comments here with a grain of salt. It is a concentrated group and by the time complaints get here owners are frustrated and llooking for help & sympathy. Happy owners are out driving and don't frequent the board. Remember there's over 100,000 on the road in the US. Most are not on this board. I highly recommend the MINI for the fun factor and reliability.

 

I totally agree. My MCS is a champ in the snow.

 

MINI's aren't just cars they a lifestyle, a relationship like no other. They get into your soul. If you never buy another car buy a MINI. You will fall in love and never look at driving the same way again. :smile:
Buy a MINI and MOTOR ON!

 

I don't know where the "doesn't handle well in the snow" came from, but I have certainly not found that to be the case. With snow tires on I think my MCS is an above average handler in the snow when compared with other small cars. I have never had issues getting around in the snow/ice or getting stuck or slipping around too much. The MINI has be impressive in the snow. With that said I would go taking it our in anything too deep.

 

This is my 5th Mini.....the first four were classics with one being a Cooper S. The 5th is by far the best mechanically, but all five all had the same "fun" factor. I used to take my '66 Chevelle to the cruise in's, now I take the Mini and get just as many folks looking at the Mini with it's supercharger as do the Cobras :smile:

 

Man, be honest. I live in Chicago.

This car is so light. If you just have your normal all seasons on, snow sucks.
Thank god there are no hills here. But then again, all light cars seem to suffer from this.

On that note, the people above all state with SNOW TIRES. So make sure you budget that (which I never had to do with my Audi A4 and previous cars).

Also I have been told that the colder it is the harder the rubber gets on the tires. It's cold here in Chicago. This could have an effect here at under 10 degrees.

 

I think people tend to forget the 80/20 or 90/10 rule or, in this case, maybe 99/1 rule which is like 99% of the complaints, comments, or whatever come from 1% of the people. Minimad is correct. The mainstream of owners do NOT frequent ANY Internet forum not could they care less what is said here. They probably don't even know it exists.

 

Here's just one aspect of (the many reasons) why I like my MINI. A friend invited me to dinner last night as thanks for sending a job his way. The restaurant was near his house so I picked him up en route. We commiserated that there is never any parking in the area. We went around twice and I decided to try a partial space left by a dumpster. We fit! It was directly across from the restaurant. He has a Miata and told me that parking in tight spaces is only one reason why he wants a MINI. I often park in spaces others must pass up. Every MINI owner experiences this. As Deuce Coupe Effect states above this is among the many positive things that, if posted, would bog down the website.

 

Sadly the MINI does have a problem that prevents it from handling as good as we would like it to in snow. You see the force of friction (we will refer to it as F for this example) is the product of the coefficent of friction having to do with the surface (in this case the road with snow or ice or what ever you want...this is is a constant so no one can really control this) and the Normal Force. F=coefficient of friction * normal force Now the normal force is the amout of force placed perpendicularly to the surface of the road...the weight of the car in other words. This is why when cars that normally handle very good in snow and such lose traction on hills because some of that weight force is no longer pointed perpendicular to the road. So while snow tires might help get around in snow, the MINI is naturally cursed with low controllablity to start with. That is ok, because I've grew up South of Chicago and anyone who has half a brain knows that you should treat any car carefully in the winter because you really don't know when all grip on the road is going to go. Don't worry about the MINI, be a careful driver and you should be fine.Then again, we have a lot of people with a lot of experience and from everything I've learned is that you can calculate a lot of things, but the best source of information is from someone who has actually done it and from the sounds of it the MINI just keeps getting better.

 

I've never been into cars. The way people go gaga over Porches, Mustangs, Corvettes, etc. I've never felt that.

Until MINI.

Six weeks ago I knew so little about cars, and didn't care. They were tools to get me from A to B. And really, pretty much all the autos out there are still that way to me, but for some reason, I just LOVE MINIs.

In the past six weeks I've learned more about cars than I have in my entire life. I've spent 200 bucks on top of the line care products to maintain and make my MINI look it's best. I washed it for the first time last night, and that was the first time I've hand-washed a car in about five years. I could go on and on like this.

MINI really is a lifestyle change, and one for the better.

 

Im not really here to convice anyone...

 

Since the first year of any model change most always contains the most problems, would you not expect the same if buying a 2007? Especially with a new engine whereas buying a 2006, most of the issues would have been sorted out by now.

 

This is just a guess of course, but, I'll bet there will be more 06 owners wishing they had waited and got an 07 than those who are happy they got an 06.

Only time will tell.

 

If you're concerned about reliability, I definitely wouldn't recommend buying a 2007. Aside from the uglification that the MINI is scheduled to get, it's going to be the first year of the completely new redesigned car, and there are bound to be bugs to work out. Try to get an '06 if you can!

 

All the other cars will be just an "Appliance" after you own a MINI. I just turned 3100 on my 05 MCS, no squeaks, rattles, wind noise, just the whine of the supercharger cruise'n down the highway.

 

no problems here - only had it a little over a year with almost 30,000 miles and no trouble.......except for all the looks i get in my mini .........not that that's a problem!

it's good that you've come here for advise/info though because no better place to find out if a car is good except from people who drive them......a dealer will tell you anything to get you to buy.

just test drive......you won't need convincing after that (i promise)

 

I've had my fair share of problems with my MC, worst was a needing a new tranny.

I post about the problems, and the good things all the time.

I love these cars, and even though mine has had some issues, I still think it has high reliability.
The fun factor, well after 2 years and 50+K miles, I get a big grin every time I motor I get a big grin just thinking of motoring

And I SOOOO, look forward to playing in the snow

 

You "need" more positive comments about the MINI?

[Turns and shouts to other Nammers] Hey guys!!! I just found MINIUSA's new username!!!

 

You wouldn't have known about these issues most likely if you hadn't surfed and found this site.

Think about all the people that WONT find this site. The dealership won't constantly tell them to drop the "me too syndrome." Gag. Atleast, that's what i've been told i have when i say "i know alot of people with this supposed problem, and they were able to get it fixed at THEIR dealer!" Sometimes knowing too much info doesn't get you anywhere.