I just like my MINI too much, for me it is a great daily driver. Finally time for a set of summer tires, some more maintenance in the spring.

It is nice to have a car that you enjoy rather than just driving an appliance. Plus it is cool that you don't see your twin car every day.

Have fun,
Mike

 

I had a slight annoying rattle in the back of my 11 MCS when the seats were folded down. Wife/co-pilot figured it out. The latches rattled a bit when the seats were folded down. No rattles when the seats are in the "up" position. Still loving my MINI! N18 carbon buildup issues? None so far. N18 guys with carbon buildup, please chime in!

 

I love my '13 Justa hardtop but it will be traded for another car before the warranty runs out. Perhaps another Mini but I'm really intrigued by the new Miata coming out.

 

I wish I'd found this thread last year. For some reason I didn't find it until now. I started a similar one in reference to the Clubman, but the feeling is the same.
I think that those of us who are near retirement are more serious about the 'forever' part of the theme, since in such cases, certainly mine, a new Mini, or even a new affordable car, isn't really affordable. I spent about $31k on my Clubman back in '08 and that will never happen again, especially with all the uncertainty about our Michigan retirement program, not to mention Social Security... In other words, my long term money needs aren't going to cars.

I'm now glad not to have the S and all the turbo related equipment troubles, although we Cooper (Justa) folks need to be vigilant about our timing chains too. Mine has grown to over 69 mm of slack even with clean oil.

I had a new tensioner bolt put in but it worries me and I may yet replace the whole thing in order to have a better chance of my car outlasting me. There are other items under the bonnet that I wonder about such as vacuum pump, serpentine belt and maybe a third thermostat housing, but I find it difficult to assess the dangers lurking there.

My Clubman has only 70,000 miles, but it needs to go another 70 at least.
I have also concerned about the visible rust on the subframe, so I was very interested in Kyoo's postings on this. Maybe I need some good garage ramps since I can't find a garage to use for getting under it to treat it properly.

Below is the link to my parallel thread on this idea of being so happy with a car as to want it to be the last one. Yet, who knows- maybe I'll win the lottery and live to be 90 and manage to buy a new Mini someday with plug-in power around town!

Meanwhile I feel lucky to have a perfect Mini in my garage :-)



https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-forever.html

 

I would love to keep my mini S. So far I been dumping money fixing every thing the could or would go wrong with it. If I ever get a chance. I would take every mechanical crap they put in them. And flat out go crazy with it. And replace it with a LS2 rolling chassis modify to fit. Dreams are far beyond imagination."reality" but any thing is possible.

 

This is an interesting thread. It points out the dilemma that MIni has created for owners, especially the R56. I love my 2007 R56S, which I bought new. It is fun to drive, and looks great, and has been reliable for me, although I am **** about taking care of it, but I feel that it is a ticking bomb regarding all the mechanical issues that this version has experienced with many owners. Timing chain, vacuum pump, etc which can result in the destruction of the engine itself.

Mine is low mileage, only 35,000. That is because I have a second car as a daily driver. I do tend to keep my cars a very long time. I had a Saturn (yes, a Saturn), until last year for 18 years, with 223,000 miles on it. It was a very reliable car by any measure. But yes, it was an appliance.

So I thought when the Saturn died, what should I do? Just drive the Mini? I really didn't want to do that with all of the issues that they have had. And I also looked at possibly trading the R56S for the new F56S but absolutely hated the front end look, and it seems highly over-engineered and I just felt it has lost the charm of the R56.

I decided instead to get a replacement daily driver, but this time I did not want to spend the high price of a new car. So I found a 2004 BMW 325I that I got from a trusted friend for a great price. I put new brakes, tires, oil and filter, air filter, and a headliner, at a very reasonable cost with local independent mechanics. I have now had it for 8 months and put 5,000 miles on it without one hiccup. It drives beautifully with amazing handling, and smooth, and it even gets decent gas mileage, although it needs high test, just like the Mini. It has that great BMW straight 6 engine, with lots of torque. I enjoy driving it as much as the Mini. I never would have thought that I would have owned a BMW, but so far it has worked out for me. I also realize that these cars have their own issues like subframes failing, but hey for the price I paid, I have little to lose.

So, the bottom line is, although I still plan to keep the Mini as long as possible, and love driving it, I don't see myself ever getting another one. And if I had to use it as a daily driver I think I would have to sell it.

 

Speaking about many different rattling noises through-out my MCS, that all disappeared completely after installing my Ohlins coil-overs!

My right rear seat latch and hatchback used to rattle on certain rough surfaces and bumps, that's a thing of the past.

 

I was just checking out the Ohlins site and am curious, is the ride really more comfortable than stock or just as comfortable (which in itself would be a feat for coilovers)? Also, how does the weight compare to the stock setup? Is there any weight advantage or disadvantage to switching over?

 

Yes they are much more comfortable. I did not weigh them, but they may be a bit less weight.

 

Kellmark and All,
I too came from owning Saturns and found them reliable, although a friend of mine who hadn't replaced his belt (timing or serpentine...) had it break on a road trip and that was it for the poor SL2. I was glad that Mini used a chain for timing, although now we see the downside to that. Every time I start my MINI I am hearing the chain make the kazoo sound as it wears itself down a bit.
I will say that those of us with an N 12 or N 16 engine have a better chance of growing old with our cars than those with the turbo.

 

I probably won't keep it as long as my E36 M3. I bought that new in 1995...lol 73K miles in 20 years... And I'll probably be buried in it...lol


The MINI has 54K in 5.5 years. The BMW is much faster and comfortable, (supercharged, 325 rwhp), but the S is more fun to drive.


The BMW has been the most trouble free car I've ever owned. Yes, I've dumped a metric crap ton of money in it, but all of that was by choice, not because it was broken or worn out. (except tires...lol) I actually think only 3 small parts have failed in 20 years.


In about 4 years when I can collect social security, I see a nice Ferrari or Pcar monthly payment...

 

I own a 2007 MCS w/ 38,000 miles. Daily driver, with a short commute and an occasional 400-mile road trip.

As long as the body doesn't rust out or doesn't get wrecked, I will probably keep the car another 6-8 years, or maybe even longer. I've had the timing chain replaced under warranty and paid for a carbon blast at 30K. I will attempt to DIY carbon blasts at proactive 25K intervals and tackle Mini-typical problems like the turbo oil line, thermostat housing and water pump on my own as they arise. There have been some excellent How-To threads and writeups posted on this forum which should help a lot.

Every brand has chronic failure points. I kept my wonderful Saab 9-5 on the road with DIY projects like water pump, Euro coolant bypass, turbo and alternator replacements. The latter 2 were royal PIA efforts, and I figure if I did those I can handle the typical MINI failure points.

I never had the timing chain death rattle, BTW. I partly attribute that to my habit of gentle warmups and 5,000 mile 0W-40 oil changes which may have kept the chain from stretching early on. I did replace the tensioner with the improved version at around 20K.

 

I have a 2012 R59S with the N18 engine and despite all that I am reading on this forum I do expect my Gen2 to last for many years, at least as long as I have had my R53 (9yrs, 139k miles and counting).

I do tell prospective Mini owners to make sure they are aware of what they are getting into.

Like all highly strung machines it takes more maintenance and money to keep the Mini running. But that doesn't equate to unreliability.

Take care of your Gen2 beyond what Mini recommends and I see no reason why it won't last "forever."

 

#0 to #30 settings from #0 soft and #30 stiff, Ohlins are aluminum, not steel like stock. I have actually found stiffer settings #20 to have great dampening while excellent control of rebound! Stiffer settings make your Mini feel lower than than it actually is with crisp steering response.

 

We'll be keeping ours until we close the doors and the MINI falls apart... Possibly even then might consider repairing it! 😄

 

I purchased mine with full intention of selling it in 3-4 years (then buying another truck and a ND Miata). That said, in the short time i've owned it, it's impressed the hell out of me and I find myself looking at the 4 door or countryman.

 

Thanks, I would definitely consider these...I had SHINE Racing springs paired with Bilstein HDs on my previous ride (2001 GTi 1.8t) and even up until I sold it after 12 years and 180k of hard driving in the northeast, the car handled like a champ! My Cooper's factory "sport" suspension is ok, but lacks in the crisp steering department.

For those who had never heard of SHINE: http://www.kermatdi.com/mk4-shine-ra...et-spring-kit/

 

I think I'll keep my mini and my next second car will be a self driver! So it might be a while😀

 

my 2010 MC has 155k, the original clutch. I was thinking of going to an awd vehicle, but I really dont have any major issues, plus its paid off.

 

I'm very encouraged to hear that Sabini. I tend to go easy on my clutch, which enabled me to get over 170k on the original clutch in my 2001 GTi 1.8t. I had heard so many horror stories about short-lived clutches on R56's that I assumed it would need replacement by 100k or sooner. I have noticed an easier tendency to accelerate before it's fully engaged, probably because I find the clutch pedal travel a little awkward in relation to throttle response. I keep having to remind myself about that.

 

We got a '10 Justa with 39k miles. Right now its the wife's car, which I only drive occasionally but I love it and plan to keep it forever. My DD is a '90 Mitsubishi Montero when I don't drive my Ninja 650R.

When kids come in the picture in the next year or two I still want all these vehicles + a crossover or small SUV for wife and I will take Mini for commuting, Montero can become weekend/offroader (which it already offroads monthly)

 

 

 

Danraabe, the hardtops were made with N18 from 2011-2013 (JCW was N18 only in 2013). Coupes, roadsters, clubbies, and convertibles were made for a year or two later.

Have fun,
Mike