Hey folks, I have a '11 Cooper Clubman S. Its been a good car, currently needs water pump installed. Daughter bought her first car, an 07 Cooper S. She had nothing but issues with it. Now sits with a non shifting auto trans. I am looking at a '13 Cooper S with 38k miles on it. Is the N18 engine much better than the N14? Are all the issues resolved with the newer engine/trans. She is Air Force and will be based in San Fran, I am in Phoenix, Az. I will not be able to repair any of her problems. Its either another Cooper or a Honda Civic. uhhggg. Please comment. Thanks all

 

There are some nicely-souped up Civics out there. Most likely would be an oil change, tires, & brake pad maintenance car. Your MINI can be the draw to get her to visit often . . .

 

Dont need a draw.....she is my youngest. She a daddy girl. I just want to give the best option. She a car nut, nothing stays stock with her. lol

 

The '13 model engine is much better since it also has the bosch high pressure fuel pump. The other parts however are similar to some degree, like the water pump and piping.

My specialty is pre 2011 due to the issues they have (which made my hobby even interesting lol)...Often times, they are straight forward fixes. In your case, there is a chance the previous owner did not take care of the car or it was abused. Depending on the mileage, the transmission issue could be for a number of things, like fluid level is too low, the shifter cable came loose or a bad valve body.

 

I have a 2014 N18 JCW Coupe (bought it new) and the only thing I've done so far is have the original battery replaced (under warranty) due to not holding a complete charge.

 

The N18 is definitely much more refined. A Lot less of the COMMONPLACE issues like the N14s. My N18 Countryman has 146k on it, and only "major" issues I've had to fix were the Thermostat Housing, and the valve cover. Both very inexpensive since I did the repairs myself.

The N18 isn't perfect by any means, but its a much better and more reliable option compared to the N14.