Wait!? Wait!!

You have to Run to JD Powers and ***** about the speedometer, and window switches!! And then also give the sales staff a bad survey because the cup holders are too small. And the seats are too hard, and the car is too small!!

 

 

If they discontinue the R58S like rumors are saying...then absolutely!

More reason to keep it.

 

What's a trunk? My MC came with a boot.

I'll be keeping my MC until.... oh wait it's gone b/ c it was not reliable. I had countless parts replaced and got sick of waiting for something expensive to go. Maybe it was b/c I put on 1800 miles a month...

 

My Goodwood is a keeper. My JCW when the lease is finished its gone. I doubt there will be another new MINI.

 

Almost one month, 1,150 miles, and I am STILL thinking of excuses to drive somewhere I think it's a keeper.

 

Me and Romy will continue to motor on as long as she and I can. She will be the last Mini I own. I do not care for the path BMW is taking Mini down.

Romy has been rock solid for me. She rides and drives like she did when I picked her up. The clutch is probably going to need replacing in another 10 or 20 thousand miles and maybe the cam chain, but at 85,000 miles, I could not have asked for a better car.

All I have done is change oil and filter every 3,000 miles, put new brakes on as needed, replaced the thermostat housing, replace tires, and the original battery finally had to be replaced last month. What else can you ask for a car that is so fun to drive?

Oh, and she has been getting over 40MPG since I changed to Ecopia 422's for the tires. WOOHOO!

 

When I ordered him I knew what I wanted. I love driving him and love how he looks but with only 28,000 miles I've been in the shop too many times. He's on short notice. One more serious issue before 36,000 and he's getting traded for a BRZ...

 

That many problems in a little over a year? Were most of them specific to the "S" engine or were there other general R56 problems?

So far the only chronic issue I've had is the one touch window feature not always working first thing in the morning. Nothing huge, but annoying all the same.

 

Two of the problems were known R56 issues. Don't think they were turbo specific. Bad software and leaking solenoid (replacement part required new engine mounts too) were the known ones. Crazy windshield/wiper problems, cracked coolant pump and exterior bulb outages/interior bulb dimming are just my bad luck I think. Frustrating cause he is a lot of fun.

 

Was considering dumping the Mini when the warranty ran out, but if they become a rarity then perhaps I might just hang on to it and see what happens.

 

I agree that the R56 has its share of problems.. But I do really like the looks of it. I think ive been lucky all around. But I do want to point out that if anyone thinks the new F56 wont have problems they will be very mistaken..thats just the nature of the beast. My biggest gripe is two things with MINIs. One is I don't feel they update parts that are defective. So when one replaces it with a new one all you are doing is putting on a new part that will fail again. The second one which kinda reflects to number one is they need to take care of the customer better at replacing faulty parts even when they fall out of the warranty range. This good will thing doesn't always apply to everyone. It seems they get to pick and chose this.

 

I agree, alot of the parts seem more flimsy and "cheap" than what I was accustomed to on all the volkswagens I've owned (this is my very first non-vw)

 

Good point, but that's also part of the issue......they were VW's....fine transportation, but boring rides compared to R56's, especially the S and JCW versions, IMO....same with Hondas and Toyotas.

We bought our Minis with eyes wide open. We assume we are going to have problems with both of them. probably numerous problems. We just got hooked on these things. We just dig everything about them (except the reliability numbers, obviously).

We will have to make a decision before the 50k warranty runs out. spend a boat load of money for another 50k factory extended warranty or take our chances......

 

Yeah, I'll keep it forever, just like every other car I've had. I still have my first car, a '52 MGTD! I just keep them maintained and fix things as they break. My '82 GMC S15 has nearly 600K miles on it and is on it's third engine and second transmission it's been reupholstered and repainted and it looks new. Rust isn't a problem where I live, so it is all mechanical stuff to take care of.

My other high mileage car is a '98 Volvo V70 T5, it has 220K miles on it and uses a quart of oil between oil changes, it runs great and looks great. I have eight cars and they are all garaged. I will probably get another MINI eventually, but I'll keep my Clubman S forever, so far it's been trouble free, the only times it's been to the dealer is for oil changes.

Dave

 

Very nice Dave....600k....wow

 

took extra steps to coat all the bolts i removed while doing installs last night with antiseize just because i AM planning to keep it forever

 

I tend to keep my vehicles for 100k miles or more, the longest being a 1990 Ford Probe GT that I sold at 13 years/130,000 miles (and only because parts were becoming very expensive and nearly impossible to find).

So, I'm hoping that Rowan will be around for at least 10 more years, as long as he doesn't become a money pit and I can still get in & out without too much trouble (by then I'll be 70).

 

I know this doesnt reflect our Mini's build quality, but I cannot believe the screws my dealership used to attach my license plates are already showing rust after less than a year. I'm going to have to look for stainless steel substitutes.

As for factory bolts, if they are a white matt finish with a slight blue haze on them they're coated against corrosion. All the ones finished that way on my 2001 VW GTi were still clear of rust as of last year when I sold the car (after owning it over 12 years!).

 

one year later bump! still very happy with my mini. i was admittedly very swayed by the '15+ gti, and I still think it's a better overall car, but i'm sticking with the mini!

 

Funny you should mention GTI - I just had it as a rental last week, and thoroughly enjoyed it: great handling, great acceleration and braking, good ergonomics.

If only VW could fix the exterior and make it look less like an appliance, I would be trading into one.
Alternatively, if I had parking space for (or could only afford) one car, 4-door GTI would make the top of the list!

Yeah, sure, I will keep R56 forever, or until another car catches my eye.
Whichever comes first

a

 

i've actually always liked how the golf gti has looked.. the mk5's front end, the mk6's rear end, overall the mk7..

 

I don't think I will keep mine more than 6 months. I have dumped a fair bit o change into it as well. New wheels and tires (had gay chrome wheels), timing chain kit, plugs, new coils, fixed turbo oil feed and return lines, fixed oil filter housing gasket, speakers make crappy popping noises when plugged into an ipod, still has a hesitation to it, power seems low now after timing chain replacement. I am just waiting for a burnt valve or the HPFP to **** the bed any gay now. I think a Focus ST or Fiesta ST may be a better car for me.

 

I was in Europe a couple of years ago and drove a friends Scirocco GTI on the autobahn and through the alps. It was fun to drive, great handling and a really good looking car IMO. Personally I would have a "R" in our driveway if VW sold it in the U.S., and have no idea what the product planners at VW USA are thinking (or not) by not selling the Scirocco in North America.

On topic:
The reason I purchased our R58 is because I've enjoyed the R56's so much, and will likely keep it for quite a long time but nothing is forever.

 

My 2008 is still on board as is my 2012.