Currently looking for a cheap(ish)/fun car to commute with for the next year or 2 since my Acura is getting up there in miles and age. Always been a fan of Minis (blame the Italian Job) and started looking at them, now I seem to be set in that direction. From my research so far it seems that a 2011-2012 Mini S near the $10,000 mark is what I want for myself but figured I'd ask some actual owners for some feedback.

• Reliability seems to be hit or miss but more of an issue with the 07s and the original models - but that can be said about a lot of cars. I read the previous thread about known 2011 issues, but is the overall reliability and cost of ownership in terms of maintenance and such pretty on par with most cars? My Acura has been rock solid but I'm not expecting Honda reliability and build quality out of anything other than a Honda especially a ~2600lb Mini. Although the fit and finish on them do seem to be great.
• Also it seems they switched engines for the 2012 year - am I going to be better off with the 2012 vs a 2011?
• I'm probably going to end up with one in the 50-70k mile range based on what I've seen in my area for what I want to spend. Anything in particular I should look for maintenance wise at that mileage?
• Besides the usual stuff you look at when buying a used car is there anything in particular to Minis I should look for when purchasing?
• Any issues with the automatics in these? I've driven plenty of sticks, I currently have a 06 gsxr 750 as my toy, but kind of want an automatic for my everyday driving. Or am I better off going manual in this car though (fun/Driving factor aside)? I just figure I'd rather have something I can get in and go.
• And I'm sure you get this ignorant question a lot - but man do my friends find it funny that I want a Mini and I'm already taking some flak for it. Not that it's dissuading me in the least because I like the car, I'm secure enough in myself, I'm the one driving it, and I'm still planning on purchasing one regardless, but how do you guys usually handle that? Anyone ever have strangers give you **** for your car choice?

Thanks guys! Looking forward to my Mini ownership and any other advice/feedback is greatly welcomed and appreciated!

 

go to https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ms-issues-188/ and that will give you more info about the issues.

major items to look at/for:
1- high pressure fuel pump.
2- water pump
3- thermostat housing
4- turbo oil feed line.
5- oil housing gasket
6- if Automatic tranny - was ATF and filter replaced?
7- suspension (shock mounts)

where are you located?

i just got a 2009 clubman S manual to flip. has 53k miles.

 

Thanks for that - missed that section of the forum.

I'm in NJ (Jersey Shore) so about an hourish from Philly if that's where you're from. I'm not hard set on the 2011-2012s just seemed to be a good compromise between a newer car and cost plus the 2011s had that small power bump. I did however want to stick to the Cooper not the Clubman or Countryman, although I did find some nice Countrymans that I really liked. The Cooper just seemed to be more of the experience I want and have more of the enthusiast appeal to them.

 

philly it is lol... I see your point.

I myself owned almost most of gen 2 minis minus JCWs and Paceman. 2011+ seem to be more powerful. im currently working on a swap for my 08 clubman with a 2011 engine ... I biggest tip i can give you is use your ears and nose when test driving. when you make a decision, use your mind and wallet.
regular maintenance is the key in anything.

 

Absolutely! I still have to go test drive one actually to see if I really want one. But from what I've seen, driving one only makes it worse!

 

Things to consider,

+1 for the checklist above

go through a mini dealership instead of another dealer or used car lot.

Dont settle for one you like the first time you drive it. Check out several minis to get a feel for things that could be out of place.

Who cares what your friends think? You’ll be driving it, not them. I guarantee you the first time you let them go for a spin they’ll shut up especially if you get an s and they feel that boost kick in!

you have a 50/50 chance of catching mod fever. (Not a bad thing just expensive)

You will always have to buy premium gas

If you get an s expect to get closer to 22-25mpg especially if you drive hard.

 

Oh also they don’t have a spare tire so they come with run flats. If you plan to get the most out of it handling and ride wise I’d ditch the runflats and get AAA.

 

I have a 2011 cooper s with 53k, I'm super happy with it.
High pressure fuel pump, water pump and some electronic module were replaced under factory warranty.
Thermostat housing I replaced and one coil went bad, those are only things I paid for.
For a six year old car I don't think that's too bad.

 

Finally this is personal preference but try to find one optioned with the comfort access package. I’m not sure about the f56 which is the newer s but on the r56 07-13 This will let you open and start the car with the key in your pocket as well as a few other neat little features like rolling down the windows remotely and rolling up windows from outside the car. Trust me it makes a huge difference!

 

Interesting - never saw any mention of that but I'll keep an eye out.

Certainly already spec'ing out some first mods, I'm never one to leave good enough alone.

As far as model years go I mentioned 2011-12 seemed to be ideal for what I want but are there any years for these cars that, in general, are more sought after/preferred than others? Or with Minis is it just the newer the 'better'?

 

Newer the better isn’t always the case. Some prefer the earlier body or supercharged engines and you’d be surprised how well kept a lot of those cars are. I saw an 06 mcs on car gurus the other day with 45k on the odometer and it was immaculate. I personally like 07-13 body style Mcs but I couldn’t tell you a specific year to get. I have an 09 mcs with 80k on the odo.

 

You really have to be careful with used dealers selling minis though. In the words of my father. “You don’t want somebody else’s headache.”

 

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=187787410

theres one in fl

 

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/invent...ting=184498627

one in Massachusetts

 

Yeah hoping a solid test drive, inspection, and carfax will help. Obviously theres only so much you can find out until you own and drive the thing for a bit but that's life.

These all have piqued my interest:
https://cargur.us/jnd33
https://cargur.us/jJW2V
https://cargur.us/jjHXG
https://cargur.us/hGQXh

 

I Like the blue 2013 and the grey 2011 both very sharp looking!

You can can decode your vin here to see any factory options.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...vindecoder.php

 

ahhh would you look at that. Thanks for that, this will occupy another 20 hours of my life.

 

my mistake, that one only shows available options. This one will show you what options came on the car

http://myminivin.com/

 

haha yes i realized that after the 2nd or 3rd car and got quickly disappointed. Now were talkin!