Hoping to buy a new MINI soon and I keep going back and forth as to which one. I know it comes down to whatever makes me the happiest but I tend to keep my cars forever and don't even think about buying another until I get over 100k miles. Almost all my driving is commuting with an occasional road trip. Being close to Chicago most of the time will be spent slabbing it in traffic.

With that said, is it realistic to expect a MCS to last? After reading a few threads on here (including this one) I'm a little worried that the reliability of an S will become more of a headache than I want. I take care of my stuff but I've never owned a turbo so I'm not too sure what to expect, long range.

Opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

I have had my S for five years and 54000 miles--zero problems. My opinion with S problems has been Mini required loooong intervals between oil changes. After 15000 miles oil becomes like tar. I use Mobil 1 5w30 and a Mini brand oil filter and change it every 4000 miles. Some folks think this wasteful but then I have had no problems either.
Good luck

Dale

 

I've had my MCS for 4.5 years and 112k miles. Thus far I've spent $2,200 in repairs not covered by warranty. All of that occurred about 4,000 miles ago. I did have a couple repairs done under warranty. From a routine maintenance standpoint, I've done oil changes (12k - 20k mile intervals depending on oil being used), brakes one time, couple brake fluid flushes, transmission fluid flush one time, and spark plugs one time.

The MINI has been very reliable and has not left me stranded in all that time.

 

What do you expect from internet discussion boards about cars? You'll almost never see a discussion about how unbelievably reliable one's car is There is plenty of p1ssing and moaning around here, but what you don't see is how many thousands of members love their MINI MCS. I am one of them.

Pick the one you want and don't look back. You could be the Mini Cooper owner who says, "Gee I wonder what all that extra torque feels like in a MCS?" I wouldn't want to be that guy ever

 

The S's are reliable, agreed w/ all the above posts. Don't let a few bad experiences scare you away.

Go on the Toyota, Nissan, and Honda boards, ...you'll find all kinds of complaints as well. My wife's Camry was a total headache, ...after one year of ownership it needed new wheel bearings, it leaked condensation from the AC into the interior, had a timing chain issue, etc.... we sold it needless to say.

I'd rate my MINI S among the best cars I've owned.

 

Not to be pedantic, but first it is an oil change at 15K not after (and now 10 on some models). Also, it does not become "like tar" it simply loses its ability to suspend particles. You can change it at whatever interval you please, but at least get your facts straight and don't try to use scare tactics to make your point.

You could probably run 8 - 10K with no problems on good oil and still keep any sludge at bay. I run 15K on my 06 (SC) with Amsoil and have never had a single problem with it.

 

My 2003 MCS was great. I expect my 2012 JCW to be just as good. Did my first oil change at 1000 miles with the Mini recommended 0w40 if using mobil one. Will change it my self again at 6,000 then 11,000 and then the dealer free change after that.

 

Consumer Report's reliability reports have been Average for the MC, and Below Average for the MCS in recent years. JD Power reports don't look any better. Most MINI owners probably know all that, but tough it out because MINIs are so much fun to drive. But yes, they will last for as long as one's willing to keep them running.

 

You only live once!!! Buy the "S". Drive the hell outta it... break it... fix it... love it... if you want one, then get one.
My 2012 was out of my budget but at 26 years old my girl convinced me that in life, you don't always get a second chance, and that I could be 55 years old wondering what It would have been like to own one.
Some owners have driven 100K miles with no major issues.
I say dream big, don't look back, and good luck!!!

 

Funny you say that. I test drove an "S" manual and ended up buying a Cooper Auto. I never find myself wondering such a thing. 40+ MPG is a very nice bonus prize.

 

Even worse, you could be that Cooper S owner wondering, "Gee, I wonder what it's like to have all that torque in a Mustang GT"

 

I found that it all depends on the previous owner. I had some major repairs within 6 months of buying my MINI. After coming into contact with the first owner, I found out it was primarily a AutoX car. Lots of hard driving. I believe my MINI is in great shape, now, and she will run for a long time. I take care of her and do whatever I can to keep her tip top. Neglect is the biggest enemy. These are BMW products after all. They are know for first rate autos, but lots of maintanence as well.

 

Not really, they are just expensive to own and dip into our pockets. We just don't want to admit it. If you want reliability buy a Honda, but you will be bored to tears.

 

My 2010 has been the most reliable, trouble free car I have ever owned. I have had a Honda, Mazda, two Toyotas, a Jeep, and a Volvo. All of them had more issues than my "S".

 

Thanks for all the replies
I know this all too well. I've been an admin on a ZX-10R forum for over 8 years now as well as half a dozen other sport bike forums. It's like anything else, the more unhappy people are, the louder they get.

Love the looks of the MCS over the MC, but I don't need the added performance. That's why I raced/ride sportbikes

It's easy to turn a blind eye when the good out weighs the bad. We've had at least 1 Honda in the garage for the past 20+ years without any problems. Never regretted purchasing them but yes, very boring. Always looked at cars as transportation only and motorcycles as the fun stuff. Just trying to convince the car buying left side of my brain different

"first rate autos" and "lots of maintenance" seems like a contradiction in terms

 

I'm a motorcyclist too and often find myself wanting to take the MINI over my bike. It's that much fun. Get the turbo.

 

Glad to see you have perspective on ownership forums, as they can be scary if you're not used to them. As has been said, it's often a dumping grounds for people who have issues.

That said, the MINI isn't Honda reliable. Or Toyota. Or Mazda. It's just not. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule. There's sure to be a MINI out there that goes 150k with only routine maintenance, and there's sure to be a Honda Accord that fell apart at 25k miles. But I'd say if you look at the overall picture, MINI reliability is far below the Asian cars. Most German/European cars are. BMW, Mercedes and Audi build some frighteningly troublesome cars.

But if you want a MINI, just go into it expecting to have to spend more to keep it running. If you get lucky and it's very reliable, than fantastic. Otherwise, plan for it, and have fun with the car. Enjoy the drive!

 

With that counter-point, sounds like you haven't been a VW / Audi / BMW / Volvo / MB owner, or european vehicle.
And if you're concerned with the amount of involvement, then the MINI is probably not right for you.

Most first time MINI owners don't have a background or knowledge of how important a German / English car preventative maintenance program is.
Many see a "cute, fun" car to drive outside of their Japanese or American cross-over / SUV and they don't fully grasp the level of attentive ownership is needed for a MINI.
Same thing occurs in the VW / Audi world when many trade in their Acura, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, or other 'lower maintenance' vehicle...

To appreciate the ownership of any European vehicle, one needs to deal with some of quirks and nuances that come with the territory.
If you, or anyone else is not willing to put in that level of certain commitment, it'll be more of a bear of an ownership than a rewarding one.
That's the reason why I put that statement out there; some people haven't heard those words and have them reflect and be true to themselves.
Some are willing to take on the so-called 'challenge', others turn around and find a car far better suited for their wants.

- Erik

 

Many of us here with new MINI's fall in that naive category. Any suggestions on primers, where to go, etc to get up to speed on the differences? Is the MINI suggested maintenance (owner's manual) sufficient? Is it overkill?

 

Mainly it's the oil changes and keep a good tab of oil level.
Don't follow MINI's recommended oil change intervals; they are too long and infrequnent where is causes long time problems.
Make sure you're changing oil in the 4K-7K mile range with an approved MINI (LL-01) oil.

In some areas it's perfect, example would be brake fluid flushes every 2 years.
But the oil change intervals is absurb, especially with all the related failures / issues that low oil & gunked oil causes.

- Erik

 

Totally agree Bluefox280. I wasn't prepared when I bought my 2002 MCS. I just saw an awesome little car. Didn't take me long to appreciate what I had though. It's a 10 year old MINI with 10 year old problems. It was very well taken care of, but after a while, things break down. I had those moments where I regretted my purchase. I knew I had a great MINI though! I just had to decide if it was worth the cost. I didn't ever think of getting rid of my Bernie, cause I know that no other auto has the personality and performance.
I would have been equally happy with a Justa, since I had no prior experience. After the problems I had to get fixed, I was very worried about reliability. That was all in my head though. My MINI runs great, as long as I do my part. Regular maintanence is a top priority now.
I think the discussions about reliability usually start when someone runs into a problem. We tend to focus on the bad as humans. I've run into way more MINI owners who have had great luck. Those people are usually the ones who take great care of their MINI's as well. I've owned a lot of different cars. Run a bunch of them into the ground. This MINI has become more than a car to me. As have all MINI's. They're more like friends. Maybe because thru them I've met a lot of good people.

 

fud.

 

Like all German made cars if you change the oil fairly often and service it when it's needed you will be fine. I have a used R56 S that's over 4 years old and the only real issue I've had was to replace the chain tensioner and that was covered under warranty, plus the replacement part has a two-year warranty on that as well. I get my oil changed every 2-3,000 miles. I also put some octane booster everytime I fill up. That costs about $6-10 from Pep Boys and I get even better gas mileage and the engine runs superbly.

 

101,000+ miles currently

Looking thru the records it has had one High Pressure Fuel pump replaced under warranty and one Thermostat housing replaced at around 90K. Other than that oil is changed every 4-5K miles. Of course tires need changing once in a while but that is the same on all cars. So only $212 for the Thermostat housing and replaced it my self.

So it ends up more reliable than my 1967 VW Microbus, 1972 VW Square Back, 1976 VW 412, 1983 VW Rabbit, 1988 VW Fox, 1988 Nissan Pathfinder, 1992 Nissan Maxima, 1999 Dodge 1500 Pickup, 2003 BMW 525 IT Wagon, 2003 Chevy Aveo, 2002 Ford Windstar, and my 1948 Chevy Fleetmaster Sedan. Yes all of my cars have had more than 150K miles before I sold them. The Nissan Pathfinder had 331,000 miles on it when I sold it, but it also cost me $300 a month to keep on the road every month for the last 50K miles.

All of the above cars cost me more than $2k in repairs before they hit 100K miles, no tires, brakes or other wear items in that value. The BMW being the most expensive at $6800 when it was around 85K.

So at this point the MINI is the most reliable car I have ever owned. We will see what come of it over the next 100K miles. I have to keep it I still have a 13 more payments.

 

I wouldnt write off all Honda's, some are boring but some are great. Loved the numerous Civic Si's I had as well as my S2000. All fun cars.