Hello!

It's been a while since I've been here. A long time ago I had a first gen Cooper. After a series of other cars and motorcycles I'm getting really excited to get back into a Mini.

Since I've been out of the loop for so long (and so much has happened in the Mini world) I was hoping to get some thoughts from all of you.

Here's what I'm looking at: https://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto...638611956.html

- What should I be looking for in this gen/model year when checking out the car?
- How have they been holding up as the mileage creeps up to the 100k mark?
- Any other advice?

Thanks in advance! I'll be checking out all the different ways I can blow my paycheck once I (hopefully) get another Mini.

EDIT: I hope I'm in the right place... 2009 is a 2nd gen... right?

 

Yes, a 2009 is 2nd gen.

The engine in 2007–2010 "S" models is an N14. Google it, and you'll find it was… troubled. The worst case can get pretty bad (you should click this link). Many are fine. Many are not. You will definitely way to stay on top of preventative maintenance.

The ultimate conclusion to my N14 ownership period was having to replace the entire transmission because it lost first gear. (It seems Getrag does not believe in serviceable transmissions. If it breaks, buy a new one. You can't just replace the busted gears and re-assemble.) I had it replaced, made sure all other maintenance was up to date, replaced the timing chain tensioner with the latest part as a precaution, and sold the car — with full disclaimers to the new owner.

The revised N18 engine seems to be less susceptible to spontaneous and catastrophic failure. However, the metal levels in the oil of my spouse's Countryman S are worryingly high. I'm not sure I trust it to last over 100,000mi.

For the money the seller is asking for the car you linked, you could buy a nice 2006 or 2005 R53 Cooper S. Those engines were freaking bulletproof and seem to be aging well. Shop around, see what's in your area. If you do go for an R53, be sure to get a manual transmission; the first gen automatics transmission were a CVT design that tends to die a very expensive death. There is a reason MINI engineers haven't used a CVT since.

Sorry to be a wet blanket. If you find a great R56 with that N14 engine, with complete service records and that passes a german auto mechanic's pre-purchase inspection, it can be a really fun car to own. But -- no records = No buy!