Well i am interested in possibly getting a Used mini ( clubman). I am looking at the clubman, the 08to current scion XB, and the honda fit. Now I know right of the bat the clubman is the sportiest one out of the group but I have heard of alot of issues with reliability. I currently drive a 2004 subaru forester xt ( manual trans) lowered with KYB shocks and swift springs its getting long in tooth and has some issues as well as gets crappy gas milage( on premium). My number one priority is MPG and reliability. I plan on looking at cars for no more than 12 grand( hopefully I can trade my FXT for at least 2 grand to drop it down to 10 grand). Should I even be looking at a CLubman? can a clubman be decent and reliable at 50 to 70 thousand miles on it? Are minis expensive to maintain?
Is it true that even the base model minis take premium fuel?

 

I totally understand why the Clubman appeals to you -- it's a very appealing car, and is great to drive (much more so when you get even a few mods done on suspension, etc.).

1. Sure! Just make sure you know what you're getting into.

2. No matter what some will say on this forum, the factual answer is that you can't depend on a MINI being as reliable as, say, a Toyota or Honda. Obviously all of those companies have issues sometimes as well (and some MINI owners do get by alright), but if you want reliability at the general level of those brands then I would personally look elsewhere, where you'll at least have a better chance. The major reliability reports out there have predominantly below-average to average (at very best) reliability for the MINI...and from the many, many MINI owners I know/have known and have met since I bought mine three years ago, that's the reality.

3. They can be expensive to maintain unless you have a great mechanic in your area who has great prices (I'm lucky that way, and usually take it to him for problems instead of the MINI dealer).

4. I believe that they all prefer premium fuel, yes.

There's no other real alternative out there that is as great to drive, looks as cool (in my opinion), and gets as great gas mileage...if you're willing to possibly deal with some reliability/build issues (and some people are) then I would highly recommend the car.

 

I was afraid you were gonna say that. All the research I have done is pointing in the same direction.I really love the looks and want the handling the mini offers ( as well as the cargo room for my dog) but it looks like I will have to wait awhile and get one as maybe a hobbie car in the future. This car purchase comes at a inconvient time I am just tired of shelling money out on the subaru I love my subie and it has been rock hard reliable sans the last 20,000 miles. I appreciate the honesty I will continue to stay on these forums I guess I have to go with my other 2 choices a used honda fit or a used scion xb.

 

I think Headlands has already covered most of it. I'll just add a little…

Scion is a Toyota brand; the Fit is made by Honda. Both of those companies are among the very best and most reliable. MINI is a BMW brand, and reliability is typical of modern BMW's: poor, especially the first few model years of each major revision.

For example, the original owner of my '09 Clubman S had several factory recalls done for issues which plague the R56 series ('07–current). If you look at the original R50 and R53 ('01–'06) models, there were lots of problems in the first few years, and by the 2006 model year they had corrected pretty much all the issues. The '05 and '06 models tend to be very reliable.

How this affects you: If you're looking to spend $12k, then you'll be looking at first or second model year — the ones with the most issues. In theory, they should all be taken care of under warranty. (That's why I was comfortable buying an '09—it had all the typical problems, all fixed.)

A Clubman can be reliable at 50-70k and beyond. Not all are. The occasional expensive repair is pretty much just something to plan and budget for.

They're not terribly expensive to maintain, though. Granted, MINI dealers like to sell you $300 oil changes, but there's no good reason for that. Change the oil, oil filter and air filters regularly (every 10k at least), and buy your brake pads and rotors on the aftermarket. Really, not much more needed. (The turbo models do tend to coke up and that needs dealing, but that's not in your planned purchase price range anyway.)

Lastly, the non-Turbo models run fine on regular gas.

Even though we've probably scared you off of buying a Clubman, I wish you luck in your next car, whatever it may be! Personally, I think the Fit is awesome

 

ill keep all that in mind Bratling if I were to test drive a clubman base model ( manual transmision) is there anything I need to pay attention to when looking over or test driving the car. Oh and bratling the Fit is a pretty fun car to toss around the scion not so much but I can already see potential with mods scion is more solid and obviously room.

 

I have an 09 regular clubbie and the wife has a 2010... im at 45k... just rear swaybar bushings.. nothing else... great cars!

 

My $0.02... I drove a Scion XBox a few years ago. That thing was one of the most dreadful experiences I've ever had. 0-60 would be best measured in hours... Handling would be best described as driving a shopping cart with a loose wheel. Quality.... um, no. Interior was complete crap and everything was in weird places (I know, I know, this is a Mini forum so we're used to the speedo, but I digress), there wasn't THAT much room in it for how boxy it is, and the driving position was absolutely terrible.

I understand your reservations about the Clubman at those miles. My question I pose to you, are you looking at an S or a justa? From what I have been reading lately, it seems that the turbocharged engines are the ones with the real timing chain/guide issues. I know, the base engine has no power and very vague responses in normal mode, but pushing the Sport button makes me happy... lol.

If that isn't going to work for you, then the Honda would be the logical choice in my humble opinion.

Edit: the manual should soak up all the vagueness in throttle response. So scratch that.

 

After owning 2 minis, a 02 cooper and now a 08 club s, I would not suggest buying a mini unless you have some mad DIY skills or deep pockets. Timing chain, fuel pump issues, alignment problems, timing chain tensioner failure which lead to a massive oil leak which cruising at 80 on the highway came close to ruining motor... It feels like one thing after another with both cars ive owned. Its a love-hate relationship, like your child who keeps writing on the walls with a sharpie...

 

Perhaps a usable rule of thumb would be that a Clubman that has been troublefree (like mine), will not be for sale until it is at least 7 years old. So unless the previous owner was forced by finances to sell his/her Clubman, I personally would steer clear of any used Clubman/Mini. Owners hold on to good ones, trouble-prone ones get sold/traded. I personally know 2 people that bought used Mini's and both have been budget busters with repairs. Last time I took my 2008 to the dealership for routine maintenance, they were all over it trying to trade me up to a new Mini, as my Clubman has had virtually zero problems since my purchase.

 

Well that's not true.. I bought my used 2008 Mini Clubman over a year ago now and haven't had one problem with it. As long as you do your due diligence and get a used car checked out first before buying you will be fine. Take your time and look for the right car, whether it be a Mini or another brand.

 

Do you know the circumstances of why the owner sold his car?

 

I bought my wife a pre-owned Clubman S from a MINI dealership. They get lease returns from people when the car is three years old. They showed me everything that was done to our car and our MINI had all the recalls done and the other issues were taken care of under warranty. We bought it with 32,000 miles on the clock and feel we have many years of life left in it. Not all used cars were let go because of problems.

 

Clubman turbo needs extra care. You need to check engine oil at least once a week but actually there is much of fun of driving it, great cargo space as well. If you pay more attention in it, it won't be problems.

In addition, I got 2011 turbo N18 engine. There is great improvement :-)

 

Our 2009 Clubman (non-S) has had no problems, except for the "chrome" coming off the key fobs, and they were replaced under warranty

 

I just purchased a 2011 clubman S (20K miles). I don't think it is an issue of staying clear of used vehicles. The issue is to learn about the car before purchasing. This holds, IMHO, for any car.

One of the lessons I learned is that unless you are talking with a MINI owner or dealer, the seller will not know very much about the car. In some ways this is good because the car will now know when the car is loaded with options. Therefore, they tend to undervalue the vehicle. (I spoke one salesman who had never been in a MINI and was wrong on a number of details.)

As for MINI dealerships, they know the vehicle and they tend to sell off the bad ones (wholesales) and retain the good ones. If it is a 2010 then it is probably coming off a lease. The best of the bunch the MINI dealership might certify and that means you get a partial warranty extension. Before I purchased mine, I got to look at the service history, carfax, and the work done so the car can qualify as certified.

One other issue related to MINI dealerships. MINI sales, other than the countryman, are down. People only get paid when the cars are moving off the lots. (Plus interest rates on even used cars are way down.)

Happy shopping!

 

On my lease return I still had six months left on the original warranty.

 

New guy here, waiting to take ownership of a low mileage sparkling silver '09 non-S Clubman. Hoping, with fingers crossed, not to take too many hits on reliability. I am leaving an '05 Scion xB with 242k+ miles and it has been bulletproof. Easily the most solid car I've ever owned. I don't expect my Clubman or any other car to match my experience with the xB. While it's not the most appealing drive ever it is nowhere's near as bad as 1985 makes it sound. Obviously I like the Mini driving experience quite a bit so I'm not getting a Yaris. I already own a Fit and while it is an excellent car it doesn't feel as solid as the Mini.

 

We replaced a 1992 Toyota Paseo with 187,XXX mainly trouble free miles with our 2008 Clubman S. The Toyota was a reliable car but no where near as fun as our Clubman S. Next month makes one year for our Clubman and we are very happy with it.