I am in the process of getting a 'new' car. I currently drive a 1984 300ZX turbo, and love it, but I need somthing i can drive in the winter, and the cars getting old and reliability is becoming an issue. So i'm getting somthing else, i've narrowed it down to a Civic ex coupe, or a used mini cooper.

They are both nice cars, but i'm worried if i get the civic, I'll get bored with it. and I like my 300ZX because you don't see one at every intersection, while that's true now with the civic, that won't last for long. However, they have been proven to be a rock solid car that i don't have to worrie about, and that is very appealing.

The mini is a car i can get excited about, somthing that I'd be proud to have in my driveway, I took one for a test drive and had a blast, they are so much fun (if not a little down on power) but the reliability isses that i keep hearing about are a little worring. I want to get a new car so It's not always in the shop. How common are the problems?? if i have to take it in for small things everyonce in a while, I'd be okay with that, cuz I know i'd have a lot of fun in the car, but I don't want ot have to bring the car in for service every couple of months, and it would be my only car.

to sum it up, reliablitly and fun factors are my two top wants in a car, and with these two, i know i'll get one, but not sure about the other.

any thoughts or imput would be greatly apprecaited.

 

I much prefer the MINI Cooper over the current Civic Coupe for many, many reasons. However, the current Civic Coupe appears to be a good, solid car but the main complaint I have read over and over in mags is that the Civic has a very "Numb" steering feel and the steeply raked windshield can be bothersome to tall folks.

I have owned several Hondas in the past (Most of them Accords, 1 Integra and 1 TL) but after owning 3 MINIs (One MC CVT and 2 Cooper S') I haven't looked back at Honda and possibly never will.

I personally dislike the Civic Coupe because it doesn't have a hatchback like the MINI. The MINI is an incredible versatile car (Hardtop models) becuase you have the hatchback and 25 cubic feet of rear cargo with the rear seatbacks folded down.

The Civic is a coupe with a separate trunk. Forget about putting bulky objects in there.

The MINI has an incredible rear suspension setup called Multilink technology. The MINI has the suspension of a rear wheel BMW car and this gives it its hallmark super tight, sharp and responsive handling. You won't get that with the Honda.

I recommend purchasing a new MINI over an used one. Why? Because the used MINIs hold they resale value so well that the money difference between an used one and a new one could be just a few hundred or even a couple thousand more.

MINI has a much better warranty than the Honda. MINI gives you 4 years/50K miles bumper to bumper warranty, 3 years/36K miles scheduled maintenance (Oil changes, light bulbs, wiper inserts, brake pads, rotors, etc) and 24/7 roadside assistance that goes for 4 years/50K miles at no extra charge to you.

Honda only gives you a crappy 3 year/36K mile warranty and no scheduled services included and no roadside assistance. If you want roadside assistance on a Honda and a 4 year warranty, you have to buy an Acura (And still you don't get any included maintenance programs).

A "basic" MINI Cooper retails for around $17.8K and you get all this plus every safety device under the sun... ABS, EBD, CBC, 6 airbags, ultra safe cage construction, etc.

And after all, you are getting a MINI which really stands out!

 

You have a good base to go from:
Honda = reliability
MINI= fun.

However, my 2003 Cooper has 20,000 miles and has only been in the shop for the scheduled maintenance. MINI's with alot of major problems are the minority. But the majority do have their minor "quirks" (mine not withstanding). You get a good warranty with the MINI, and any major flaws should surface during that time. I say why "settle" for a Honda? It sounds like you want the MINI.

 

Getting a MC or Civic might be a letdown after owning the Turbo Z. Get the MCS. Go drive one. You'll see why. Jimbo

 

I have owned 3 MINIs and still have 2 of them: 2002 MC and 2005 MCS. Super reliable cars and I have had no problems or less issues than I ever did with all my Hondas of 12 years.

 

He is talking about a 1984 Z car. Even a "Basic" Cooper will blow it off in terms of handling and safety. After all he is upgrading to a car 22 years newer

 

that's honestly a tough decision. let me help you...


Just get the MCS.

seriously, if i was 20-23, i would get the CivicSI coupe.
then get the MCS when im older. the latest civics are
kickass cars. i have the sedan...

 

at least not enough if it has a sunroof. The Si's aren't available without sunroofs (that's what the dealer told me) so I didn't even bother to test drive one. I got a lightly modified MCS (Quicksilver pipe and Alta CAI) with low milage and have been very happy with it.

 

I wish this was a comparision between a MCS and a Si, but those are out of my price range. I'm looking at a used mini because then i can get a few more options that i want. and the free services sound really good too. I hope this car is still around when I'm ready to buy in a couple of weeks. My heart is saying Cooper, but my head is saying civic. we'll see how this one's service history looks.

Thanks for the info regarding warenty.

 

I'm actually upgrading from a Civic EX sedan to a new Cooper S. I should be picking up my MINI in the next 2 months and in making the decision to get a new one, I took into consideration the problems that some people were having with their earlier model MINIs. It really seems to have gotten significantly better since the introduction of the first model in 2001, which had quite a few problems. They've really improved things, since then, and it sounds like people are having hardly any problems with their 2006's. They've been out for almost a year now, too, which is plenty of time for people to start complaining about things going wrong.

2007 models, on the other hand, will have a turbo instead of a super charger and probably some other changes that might cause any number of little problems, which is why I went with a 2006.

Certainly, with a Civic you'll have almost no chance of anything going wrong, but it gets a little boring. And the interior construction quality is a bit shady. We have all kinds of little parts coming loose - a friend of mine actually ripped off the door handle in the backseat while trying to close the door recently! One of the bolts in the floor under the driver's seat that's supposed to keep the floor mat in place came out completely. And the grocery net thingy we had put in our trunk at the dealer has detatched now, rendering the $50 part completely useless.

And since the Civic is now out of waranty, of course the dealer wants lots of money to fix what's broken. MINIs have a good, long waranty as well, which is nice. I haven't heard about such problems in MINIs, so it seems like their manufacturing quality is much better.

Anyway, MINI=fun, but more expensive than a Civic. And people aren't having problems with them like they have in earlier years. Civic = boring, but certainly reliable. I guess it's up to you to decide what of those is most important!

 

specificly I'm looking at a 2004. How do those compare in terms of reliability. I'm totaly sold on the mini, the questionable relibility is the only thing keeping me back. The interior is a little 'busy' but at least it's not boring right...

 

Correction...

Honda = reliability
MINI = fun + reliability

 

Correction

Honda = Appliance

MINI Cooper S = Fun car!!!

 

Unless you get stuck with a lemon a 2004 should be reliable. You said you didn't mind taking it to the shop every now & then for small things so you should def get a Mini. You will be so much happier with it than you would be with a boring old Civic

 

47 thousand miles and one service trip to dealership for a blown HK amp which they promptly replaced under warranty...good thing for me I didn't mod the stereo

 

I had a 2004 MCS (September 2003 build) and the car was rock solid. I kept it for 17.7K miles without any troubles until I sold it last year to get a '05.

Unless you are getting a very good price on the '04 MCS I highly recommend you getting a new 2006 MCS because in '05 MINI made significant changes to the Cooper S, namely gear ratios, supercharger, exhaust, DME programming which gives you a much quicker car off the line right off the box.

When I had my '04 MCS I test drove a then new '05 MCS and the improvements in the new car where reason enough for me to sell the '04 and upgrade to the '05.

 

I wish I could get a '06 MCS, but unforntualty all thats in my budget is a Cooper, and if i went brand new it'd be a cooper classic.

 

Get the MCS!!!, I bought a used 2002 for the past year (got a great deal) I'm just now coming out of warranty....The car has had a few small quirks, but everything has been replaced under warranty..

 

those are out of your price range.. im talking about the 06 civic's. the previous ones are well, not as good as the latest ones.

 

an original Mini can only be purchased through the used market now; that same factory has been making MINIs for a few years now. Personally I say if you can get a MINI or a Mini go for it; a MINI is a relaible car; when they go in for service its generally minor things (understand many are brought to the boards in the first place to get knowledge about issues so there is a high poportion of message board users with issues) satistically there are 1.5 issues per car and that can be somethign as minor as a door rattle or sunroof squeak. By and large these cars are reliable fun and can even be quite economical.

 

I guess the Mini Cooper Classic is a canada only model, it's the base model, same drivetrain and suspention of the Cooper, but less options. I'm looking in te $23,000-$25,000CDN price range. that's as high as i can go. a new cooper Classic starts at $25, a Cooper is $27-$28, and as far as civics go, the EX is $24, and the Si is $27.

I could get a New Cooper Classic, but I'd like to have a few more options.

 

I'd have to say reports of unreliability among Coopers are overblown. For a practical daily driver it simply can't be beat. No one will question Honda reliability, but Coopers are very reliable as well, have that killer warranty and maintenance program, AND are a complete blast to drive!! I have never gotten more satisfaction out of a car than I have gotten w/ my Cooper (which has been absolutely rock solid). MINIs are utterly fantastic in that they make sense both to heart and head.

I am biased however...I truly do not like the new Civic at all.

 

OK.if you are in the market for a Cooper, let me give you another tid bit:

If possible avoid 2002-2004 MINI Cooper 5 speeds equipped with the Midland Gears Transmission also known as the R65.

Why?

Because it is of dubious reliability. Enough said.(Ask the '02-'04 Cooper owners that have had to deal with this gearbox here in NAM),

In 2005, MINI replaced the 5-speed R65 in the Cooper and put in its place a Getrag 252 (German) sourced 5-speed tranny with revised gear ratios for better acceleration. The result? A much more reliable gearbox and better pick up.

My suggestion is to get a '05 used Cooper 5-speed or a new '06 MC 5-speed with the Getrag transmission.

 

The Canadian market "Cooper Classic" is the lowest priced MINI there and it doesn't come with Xenons or ASC+T standard as the Canadian market Cooper.

If you go to Vancouver, you can rent Cooper Classic models with 5-speeds or CVTs.

 

What is the warranty like in Canada for MINIs?

All I know you guys get the same 4 year deal as in the US but not sure about the scheduled maintenance or roadside assistance.