How many of ya have the MINI as your sole vehicle? I'm wondering about realiability issues with having only one car being the MINI. Space is not a real concern only transportation.

 

my MINI is the only car i have.. its perfect in roadtrips and short trips.. had it for 2 months so far..

 

I kept my old car, and I'm glad I did. The MINI tends to be in the shop awhile if you back into a BMW in a parking lot.

 

Only car, 2003 Cooper, about to roll over 70,000. No major problems so far. And that's in an area with around 100" annual snowfall.

 

100"! What kind of tires do you have on it, please?

 

Reliability issues? Make sure you take all the "problems" you read about on NAM with a grain of salt. The MINI is a very reliable car. It, like any other car on Earth, can have some quirks and problems that get blown out of proportion by a few, very vocal MINI owners who have experienced those quirks or problems.

Don't forget that the MINI has one of the absolute highest resale values of any car on the planet. People don't buy used cars that are known to be problematic, and the certainly don't pay close to what a new one costs for a 1 or 2 year old car that is known to be problematic.

Winston is my only car, and I couldn't be happier with him. I think if I had a "backup", I would feel like I was cheating on him or something.

 

Stock Continentals for 'summer', currently Dunlop M2s for snow tires, though they've been discontinued since I got them. Minis are great snow cars. The 4" of plowed in snow at the end of the driveway is pesky, but as long as I shovel, the Mini can handle a lot of fresh snow on the roads. It's the best snow car I've ever had.

 

my MINI is my only car also, i got it on august 3rd and have had zero problems so far.

 

I sold my old car a few days after taking my MINI home. I'm not forseeing any issues.

 

After reading the posts in the "Problems" area there's only one issue that's making me a bit nervous. It appears on several boards and it's the 3rd to 2nd shift with the clutch/flywheel/transmission issue. I hope I'm not jinxing myself but compared with the other minor potential issues (weaping, whistling windows, sunroof leaks) this potential issue could be a big one.

Granted in the scope of all the production numbers the listed complaints are a drop in the bucket. However, It's kinda scary to hear major parts being replaced only to have the noise return.

True, they all have their little quirks and such. I ordered mine back on 07/26. She's all built and waiting for shipping at the moment.

 

I've had my MINI as my only car since December. Hasn't been an issue. Occassionally if I need to move something bigger, I'll borrow a truck from a friend. I figure the gas savings from driving a small car would make up for renting a bigger truck the 1-3 times a year I need to move something sizable. And then there is the fun factor.

From my understanding, the flywheel issue has gone away later into the production year. You should be just fine.

 

I have an 06 MCC with over 50,000 miles on it and am a monogamous Mini driver. Only 1 minor problem- a bad smog sensor-. I'm very pleased with my car. I'd do a cross-country roadtrip today if I could. Top down of course.

 

The "3 - 2 Squeal" you speak of was only on early build R56s (I'm pretty sure). Newer builds haven't really had this problem.

 

I used my old car as a trade in. I have 3000 miles so I can't talk about reliability but when it comes to having more than one car, I don't think any one needs it. I have 2 friends with trucks and 1 with an El Cammino. The best kind of truck, is your friends truck.