I need some advise of what to buy. A late 2006 or the new 2007. I know it's early to decide as we don't know how it will be. I like the whole concept of the current line and one NAM member said it probably have better finishes than my 03 MCS.

As a note, I'm keeping the 03 and going for a convertible.

 

2006: Proven design, lots of aftermarket and factory (JCW) extras, most problems with first edition are ironed out, lots of performance mods available.

2007: Uncharted territory, desirable new model, no aftermarket goodies for a while, completely new drivetrain, no perf mods for a while.

 

I learned my lessons about buying a first year production vehicle. NEVER again.

 

The convertible model may not be initially be available when the all new 2007 model rolls out the door.

A late 2005/2006 MINI will be your best bet in terms of build quality and reliability as you will have a car proven and virtually bulletproof car that by then had already been produced for 5 years. Those are 5 years worth of improvements, bug fixes and quality improvements.

Often it is wiser to get the last car of an outgoing model/year than jumping right away into a brand new vehicle with unknown reliablity and problems.

You take the gamble.

In my experience, first year production vehicles will always have teething problems, because you are essentially doing the Beta-testing phase for the manufacturer. Witness some of the initial problems us 2002-03 early adopters had with our cars. We did the testing so the 2004, 2005 and 2006 MINs were to be of the absolute top notch quality.

Some people have to have the latest and be the "new kids on the block" and that's fine and dandy but this attitude usually backfires because when you have that 1a version of the car, that car is not 90% complete.

Our 2002 first production year MC CVT has been a rock solid reliable car, but having said that, I will not buy a first year MINI again. This time around I will let others be the "Guinea pigs" and when the frequency of problems diminishes to acceptable levels (Which is what happened with the current generation MINI at the beginning of the 2004 model year) then I will jump into the bandwagon, but not before then.

 

Do you like turbo's or blowers? I personally prefer a supercharger, and therefore the earlier models are more desirable to me. If you prefer a turbo, then you may want to wait until 2007.

From what we know:

20062007

 

Current model - its here now! , Supercharged vs turbo. Turbo will usually yield more power, but the SC will give you linear power starting from down low.
Proven current engine... forged crank, con rods, 5 bolt main, smooth.

Most important... they are doing away with the current multi-link rear end due to high cost. This is going to be a big loss on new models...
The 07 will have bugs for you to find and then wait for the fix

 

Ha ha ha! Very funny!

(Note to the humor-challenged and/or uninformed: I am not saying that killing a pedestrian is a laughing matter. The 07 Mini had to be designed to meet new European laws that say cars must be designed to minimize injury when they run into pedestrians. I'm sure this is a very serious problem there, but the post still cracks me up.)

 

According to the newest issue of Automobile magazine the 07 MINI will be about 2 inches longer than the current model. They also say it won't have the "clamshell" type hood anymore.

I doubt if the reliabilty will be significantly worse than an 06. Maybe I have too much faith?

In the artist conception of an 07 in Automobile mag the appearance changes look minor to me. They mention the S as having about 170hp. I have heard that there will also be a turbo option with less hp than the S available for the Cooper. I believe standard Cooper hp will be about 130.

If it was me I'd have to wait and check out the 07, even if I wound up buying an 06.

 

Is this true? MINI is doing away with the multi-link rear end? If so, I hope the handling doesn't suffer, since that's one of the best things about the MINI.

 

yes supposedly the mulit-link rear end is gone, however, they do claim that the handling of the car should not be affected.


I remember this being talked about as well, but as i remember, the clam shell is staying.



Overall, i think it's a matter if you are willing to deal with first year issues. There will most likely be problems, so if you are a patient person then go for it. Otherwise get the last of the superchargers. If you can go for factory JCW and it will definitely be something to keep for a lifetime.

 

MINI is likely to do away with a lot of the little extra touches that made this car unique, like the clamshell hood with headlights surrounded by sheet metal. If the taillights aren't on a seam as well, they soon will be. And they did so much crowing about the rear multi-link suspension ("they said it was overkill. that's exactly why we did it" or whatever they said in the catalog), and now all of a sudden that's expendable, too? MINI's vision is clearly to change the car from a unique brand into an unremarkable high-volume commodity. That would be more in the spirit of the classic Mini if the price, size, and weight weren't guaranteed to go up as well.

 

Thank you for all your posts . Definitely I'm going for a MCSc 06. With this solved, I hope my folks let me buy it when the 07 is almost released. If not, used will be the way.

 

I am glad someone caught that. Thought I would put some humor in (not about killing people, but the design of the car).

 

I am currently debating this issue myself...do I sell my 2003 Cooper with 16,600 miles and get a 2006 S, wait and see the 2007s or just keep my Cooper until the wheels fall off? I really like my Cooper, just thinking as to whether or not it might be "smart" to sell it while the value is still relatively high and depreciation is relatively low and move on to something new. Also, from what I have seen, I don't like some of the looks of the new 2007. The rear end on the prototypes I have seen, for example, is hideous! Right now, I am leaning towards going for a "last of the 2006s" MINI Cooper S.

 

IMO, the new model year of 2007 will definitely be new. What I mean is that in the US when we got the 2002 it was not a new car. It had been in Europe for 2 years - thus having 2 years of bugs to work out. My guess is when the 07 comes out, then the US market will have a taste of what its really like to have to work out new model bugs.

My plan is to buy an '06 as soon as I can.

 

Not exactly true. MINI released the Cooper/ONE models in Europe in July 2001 and the Cooper S not until April/May 2002.

MINI released the cars in the US in March 2002. So that means there was a 10 month lapse between the European and US/Canada releases, not 2 years as you say.

 

Are there THAT many people being hit by cars in Europe, or could the legislators not find anything better to occupy their time?
Wouldn't it make more sense to make the car stop more quickly?
Has anyone seen the proposed hood airbag (to protect the people you hit). Now THAT is a a bizarre concept...

Good summary on the pros and cons, dgsweda.

I'm definitely a fan of the SC, and non-1st model year cars. Also, what I've seen of the new interior hasn't impressed me (but I'm sure it will grow on me), and the 'ped friendly hood' looks like the compromise that it is.

 

Pre 07 for us all the way.

I'll have my 02 MCS paid off soon, then it'll be time for the wifey to get hers. We're going 05-06 model so I can ****** the LSD and they'll be easier/cheaper to maintain over time.

I can't wait to see what they are going to do to the looks of the MINI. Good news for the 07 is that BMW will be able to make 250,000 MINIs a year at Oxford instead of only 170,000. That should take care of some of waiting time for buyers.

James

 

Actually, the entire car is inflatable .

I hope you are kidding about the hood airbag.

 

Kidding? Nope.

http://www.sae.org/automag/techbriefs/12-2001/page2.htm

http://www.autoliv.com/Appl_ALV/alvw...rianprotection

http://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/pat...-20041207.html

 

I just purchased a 2002...
as far as reliablity and bugs on the early models Im crossing my fingers...
Ive had most of the bugs worked out, rattles, rear latch, leaky water rez...

What else do I have to look forward to???

if I was going for a new MINI it would have to be the 2006, cause it sounds like BMW is killing the MINI off changing too much to me, I guess its too costly to build in its current form ???
Have they heard of the TR-7???

_____
/__|__\__
(o)_|___(o)
A nice warm vibratey feeling all through your guttiwuts!
DOOMBUGGY

 

Hey those airbags are gonna realy help out! I can imagine hearing about them on the news...."Car stops just short of hitting a pedestrian", but air bag deploys from the front of the vehicle and launches poor guy out into busy intersection.

 

They have it backwards. Mount a huge lance wrapped in razor wire off the front of the car and pedestrians would stay clear. In 2007, I bet more pedestrians will be struck because both parties think the impact will be less damaging.

Euro fools! The idea MUST have come from the French.

 

Crossing a street in France is dangerous.

Conversely;
In Norway, the car is REQUIRED to stop if you are at a crosswalk.

 

Isn't this a worldwide law?