Common practices of trolls:
1. Searching a forum for commonly reported faults and then claiming to have experienced all (or most) of them.
2. Framing the post in a manner designed more to arouse responses than to seek solutions.
3. Repeatedly posting links to promote an unrelated commercial website (dead giveaway).

 

Agreed, and sorry for the sensational thread title! I was so pissed when I got those "Stainless" pedals I just wanted to vent. Thanks for the feedback. Looks like the only way I'm gonna get to test drive is at the dealer. I'm pretty skeptical that they will be much help, they pretty much dismissed me the last time I brought this up.

 

Unfortunately, you run into a crappy dealer, service wise. I've run into one of my own. As with any business, there are good and bad. If the dealer you go to doesn't take your issues seriously, you need to find a new one.
As for some of the anger you have seen here, remember that the MINI is much loved. I and so many others own their dream car. My MINI is very much a part of who I am, and while I recognize that it isn't super car, it is the perfect car for me! Others feel the same way, and when you criticize MINI, some will take it personally. Too bad you've had a bad experience. I hope you are able to get everything straightened out!
Drive another one, and see if it is better! Good Luck!!

 

Exactly! Time to call it quits and go buy an appliance. I mean Honda...

 

Thanks for the kind words and my apologies to anyone I offended with this thread title. I wasn't thinking about bashing anyone just my MINI, I just needed to vent. I actually got some great advice and if I had to do over I should have spent the extra $ and got an S, that would have solved the power issue and I probably would have just dismissed the other issues as lame but minor. To the members that want to label me a "troll" and "flame me" all you had to do was check my past posts to see I already posted about 2 of my beefs long ago. And those damn Fake Stainless-steel pedals just royally pissed me off. Any way thanks for engaging in the discussion like an Adult, take it easy.

 

Had one already, long ago 91 Civic hatch, it was garbage and died on alligator alley on the way home from Tampa. $300 to tow it home and I was broke as a joke back then.

 

My brothers microcars collection is the largest in the world and the MINI is a micro car. He even owns a vintage Spanish MINI from long before BMW bought and remade the brand. I don't care if anyone vists the site or not, just thought members might enjoy some of the history.

 

I would love to visit Bruce's museum, I tried to one year but he was closed for the month!

Jeff Lane also has a great display of Micro cars at the Lane Museum, if any one finds themselves in Nashville

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread, already in progress.

BTW, I don't understand peoples need to vent against every MINI ever made along with every dealer, when they really only have a problem with one car, or one dealer.

 

I've got an '09 that I paid about 21k for, also. Mine basically just has the sport package (which doesn't actually have anything performance-related in it except DTC).

By the way, it's got 75k+ miles on it, and it's been very well maintained, but driven the way it's meant to be driven at Sebring, Road Atlanta, Roebling Road, etc... so it's not a garage queen.

Anyway, regarding your noted issues:

-No issues with visors.

-No Harmon Kardon... but yeah, the stock system is pretty weak. Then again, I knew that going in, and that's about 4 millionth on my list of worries, so maybe I'm not a good evaluator. That being said, the only car I've ever driven that didn't have a sufficient stereo was a Miata. Might as well have not had one if you had the top down.

-Chrome line interior: Didn't order it... wouldn't want it if the dealer paid ME $250 to take it. Why do I want more shiny surfaces in the interior? And yes, it's 'chromish' plastic... like almost every other car in the world.

-Rattles: Yep, mine has those, too, but I've had literally ZERO other problems, and I can't hear them over the crappy radio anyway

-Transmission: I come from mostly Mustangs, but I think it's a great transmission that's easy to drive. That said, there is a big difference between A/C on and no sport mode and Sport mode w/o A/C.


As far as being a premium car, it IS a 6 model-year old design at this point, so the NEW cars may catch it in terms of quality, but in general, it's better than most of the 15-25k cars I drive as rentals.

 

I count the 16" wheels and sports seats as performance related.

 

Seems like most folks love their MINI, I'm deffinately of the belief now that I must have a bad build and combined with a weak dealer, I'm SOL. I had high expectations for overal build and just quality. Im sure if any members had the issues I've experienced you'd be questioning MINIs too. Possibly the New Gen
3 levels of trim might address quality but I'm thinking they will probably price any value out of the highest trim.