No car is perfect. You'll hear about problem cars more thn you'll hear about those that have been trouble free. My '05 MCS w/ 18K has been problem free except for a buzzing out of the dash. The "dealer fix" did not work. The car has so many positive attributes that I'll live with a little buzzing.

My SO bought an '05 Honda Accord EX Coupe V6 6 speed in July. The car was "perfect" - it did everything right. It also had the personality of our coffee maker. We sold it last night.

 

I got my 05 MCS in mid-April. I'll turn over 20K miles over Christmas weekend. If you're looking for a car that is all about driving enjoyment, get the MINI. If you want a perfectly insulated, smooth, and quiet car, get a Lexus.

My MINI is the most entertaining car I've ever owned, and I've always had enthisiast cars. Life is far too short to be stuck riding around in an appliance.

My car had a few issues that really are the dealer's fault for not correcting prior to delivery. My windshield washer leaked, a wheel was curbed, a rocker panel extension was scuffed, and the dealer installed driving lights had a broken bolt. All of these problems were fixed with no hitches except for the minor detail that my dealer is well over 100 miles away. (I still think that these issues should have been caught before delivery, especially since I had ordered my car with the John Cooper Works kit installed. It spent plenty of time in their shop to notice this stuff.)

My car is a CR/W MCS/JCW with all 4 packages, HK, Cordoba Beige leather with alloy patina trim, chrome interior and exterior, LSD, rear foglight, Euro Parcel Shelf, and PDC. If my MINI was destroyed or stolen today, I'd order up another one identical to it. I wouldn't change a thing. Since delivery, I added a Cooperflags Union Jack rood decal, Cibie Tango Driving lights (the OEM ones are a sad joke), and Ian's auto-up window circuit.

BTW, I went to several Lexus dealers to look at the IS300, and couldn't find one with a manual transmission. They weren't very interested in ordering me one either, then I found out that I couldn't get the heated seats mentioned in the brochure because I live in Georgia. If I'm spending my hard earned money for a new car, I don't want my butt frozen when I get into my car when it's 14 degrees because someone else thinks it's warm here all the time.

Rawhyde

PS My buddy bought his wife a MCS, then bought some leather seats for it off eBay. The seats were heated and since MINI offers a "retro-fit kit". we ordered one up. Needless to say, most of the interior had to come out to do the conversion. I did the job in my workshop one night. Now that I've seen a MINI taken apart, I can tell you that the interior trim is better made and better designed than most cars. I did a heater core replacement on an '85 Corvette once, and I was astounded at how cheaply those overpriced things are made.

 

MX-5/Miatas have had their share of issues also. Thrust Bearings in 99-00 resulting in complete engine failure, coil Pack failures, clutch shudder, rain rail leakage, faulty roof designs, etc. No car is perfect. For the price of a new MX-5 you get a lot more car for the money with a MINI.

 

If all of us MINI owners had a dollar for everyone of the threads that started out "Im having second thoughts about the MINI" we would all have quite a nice nest egg by now

 

Yep, I'm second thinking my original decision to buy a Mini.........just ordered an '06 to replace my '02!

 

At 70K miles, my only thought is how wonderful this little car is

 

Nah... with a 911 I just throw the interloper in the back seat, toss 'em around a bit and they're so cramped up by the time they get out of there I never have any trouble with 'em. Not very pretty sight by the time I'm done either.

 

this isn't rocket science...whats the worst thing that could happen . If you like something, get it...issues on a car have never held me back from getting what I wanted.

 

MCS05...MINI is my daily drive. No problem for over one year of ownership. If you like what you see get one. There are other more crapy car companies to purchase a car from.

 

I say go for it. 6000 miles and have had one problem with the passenger side door lock. Wouldn't open from the inside, more inconvenience then serious problem. Was fixed under warranty and dealer assured me that there was a fix for it since it was a known problem.

My MCS is my daily driver and I am never worried about it dieing out on me and I have read all the posts on here too. It just feels like a rock and gets me from A to B with a smile on my face. Even with tons of snow on the ground right now I am still motoring happily every day.

 

Get it. I love my Mini despite its character issues! No regrets!!!!!

 

its not going to be corolla or civic reliable..but its loads much more fun to drive and actually is a class leader in holding its value.


don't look back.

 

For the most part I've heard that the 05/06's are pretty much perfect, but mine has been far from it.

For the first 8 months of ownership it was back at the dealer once a month. It's had leaks, rattles, creaks and squeaks. The boot wasn't aligned properly; the front grill kept popping out. It's still got problems but I put up with them because it's so much fun to drive and I can't be bothered to keep bring it back to the dealer on a monthly basis. Though I can say that there has been nothing mechanically wrong so reliability doesn't really concern me.

That said, I think I'm in the minority here. I would lemon it, but it's not really lemon-able because there's nothing mechanically wrong. It's been 22-odd days off the road so it's getting close to the 30 day limit.

I would say don't expect perfection. It's not a BMW so don't expect BMW quality. And you'll have a blast driving it.

 

buzzy: I'm sorry to hear about your MINI travails. If it helps, I got way too familiar with my MINI dealership in the first few months of MINI ownership -- I got to practically on a first-name basis with one of their shuttle drivers -- but that's all behind me now and at this point I almost miss seeing my service advisor!

MINIMegO6: I know that "forewarned is forearmed," but please don't go into your MINI experience with fingers crossed and expecting the worst! If you expect problems you will find them. Three of my co-workers (and/or their spouses) love their MINIs and never log in to NAM. Those of us who care/identify enough about our cars to be NAM regulars will find all of the car's flaws and them some, and post them. Give your MINI a fair chance when it arrives, and you'll soon be hooked on this go-cart like the rest of us....

 

I've been involved in the MINI community since early 2002, taking delivery of a Cooper in 2002, then realized I really wanted an MCS when I saw the first black ones for the 2003 Model Year.

I took delivery of Wicked Wanda in April 2003 and a week later drove her cross-country and back on a solo 10,000+-mile roadtrip. It was so much fun, that I have made it my springtime tradition to motor cross-country and home again, visiting MINI friends and attending my favorite event, MINIs On The Dragon, in the Smoky Mountains of TN/NC, the first full weekend every May.

On the practical level, the warranty and service maintenance make it a very attractive package. But the sheer enjoyment of motoring in a MINI, whether in daily traffic, on twisty mountain & canyon roads, or out on the open road is truly hard to beat. I'd love to get another one, and never plan to sell Wanda. We've had too many adventures together.

Don't let the little issues turn you off....the engine has been extremely tough and a few rattles are easily fixed. You also have a very nice group of MINI owners in Albuquerque.