Hi Everyone,
Great website you have here. I have a question that I hope someone can help me with.

I am just about to buy my first Mini. I am looking between a 2004 cooper with 8,900 miles or a 2005 copper with 18,000 miles. I know both have the warranty still in effect but I was wondering if there is a difference in the warranty from the 2004 model to the 2005 model?

Also any other opinions would be great. Other than the mile and year difference the cars look the same and have the same features and cost about the same.

Thanks for any help!

 

Hi, welcome to NAM.

Warranties are the same length for all Mini years. 36 month or 36K miles for maintenance work & 48 months or 48K miles for warranty. So depending on the purchase prices & dates of original purchase you will have to decide which Mini is best cause the 04 might have been originally purchased on say 12/04 & the 05 might have been purchased on 12/04 so there might not be a difference in how much more warranty they have.

 

Are the cars you looking at 5-speed manuals? If so I strongly suggest you going with the '05 Cooper over the '04 Cooper. Here is why:

Back in 2005, MINI upgraded the 5-speed transmission in the standard Cooper model with better "closer" gear ratios and an all new Getrag gearbox which is much more durable and reliable than the "Midlands gears" 5-speed manual transmission fitted in Coopers manufactured between 2002 and 2004.

If these cars have CVT automatics instead, then the transmissions are identical from '02 all the way to '06. But if these Coopers are manuals, then forget about the '04 and get the '05 instead.

 

Thanks for your help! They are both automatic.

 

One more thing...I'm not saying the 04's are know to be problematic but I do know that starting with the 05's, that is when Minis started getting the reputation of being more reliable

 

Especially the Cooper!

 

This would be my big reason to get the 05. Also in 05 MINI made several major changes to the cars.

 

Once again thank you for so much help guys/gals!