I still say if u want a fun car that boogeys and stands out with personality kinda like herbie on crack then this car is for u. I f u want a fancy car like a lex or a reliable car like a toyota or a car that last forever like a honda this is not the car for u. Im planning on extensive repair bills after warranty so im prepared mentally therfor i wont have to drive it through the bmw corporate headquarters for pissing me off. This is my poor mans porsche and im enjoying it.

 

In today's world there's no excuse for a Mini not to be reliable. If Hyundia can go from the bottom and now up there with Cadilac and Honda, why can't Mini? No excuse, especially for the prices they charge...

 

lol

 

I second and third that motion!

 

How many people have never owned a British car before?

I have.

I knew what I was buying.

I agree, there are no excuses for them to not be more trouble-free.
But that's never stopped the Brits. Who, in this case, will blame the Germans. And the French.

 

While I understand your position, I'll give you 6 Million Dollars... wait... make that 6 BILLION Dollars , if you find one make and model automobile that is trouble-free.

Do MINIs have more problems that some makes/models ? Sure. But don't make it sound like they're one of the worst cars out there, quality-wise.

And hey... never, ever buy a car when it's in its first year or two of a major makeover.

 

Well.... JD Power says they are...

Wife and I have owned two Accords and two Civics - and had ZERO issues with all four cars... hard to beat that....

But I love my MINI more. Much more...

 

Oh yeah, that initial quality survey on the R-56.

Like I said, never buy a car in it's first two years of production or in the first two years of production after a major make-over like the R-56.

 

JD Powers is survey (read "opinion") based. Other studies are based on data and facts (like Consumer Reports). I'll go with the fact-based studies when comparing all automakers. When comparing facts, MINI is average to better than average.

After that I'll go by my own experience which is that my MINI hasn't given me a single problem. Of course, it's just under a year old and an 08, not the first model after a redesign.

 

I believe the JD Power survey because I had initial quality issues. My 08 had brake pads that were clanking, window dipper that wasn't dipping, and hood that was misaligned. Last time I bought another car (American or Japanese) I didn't have that many problems within the first month. Granted after those issues were fixed it's been solid. It's just having those little issues in the begining kinda deflates your fun balloon...

 

You folks obviously haven't read last week's NYTimes article about Mini quality:

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...quality&st=cse

Per the article, J.D. Powers considers owners' opinions about the car's design to constitute "initial quality defects". I'll take Consumer Reports quality data any day...

 

Yeah I like this part: “Mini has some idiosyncrasies that we engineer into our cars”, so that's what they call it when you have make 3 or 4 visits to your service dept to fix quality issues within the first month of ownership. Interesting...

 

Do you think he was referring to mechanical problems, or to things like the placement of the radio volume ****? I think you are deliberately mischaracterizing the point of the article.

 

I think this sums it up nicely:

David Sargent, vice president of automotive research at J.D. Power, confirmed Mr. McDowell’s claims. “A number of Mini’s problems are related to the intuitiveness of the car’s interior dash controls,” he said. The Initial Quality Survey covers the first 90 days of ownership. And during that time, owners are still getting used to the controls of their cars.
One of the quirks of the J.D. Power survey, when it comes to the interior features category, is that it gives equal weight to items that are broken (and need to be fixed by the dealer) and items that are difficult to understand or use, or designed in a way that’s not so intuitive, Mr. Sargent said.

 

Didn't actually own it, but I drove a 74 MG Midget for a year, and the trunk (what there was) was always full of tools and spare bits and pieces so I could get it going again. I once drove it 15 miles to a parts store, at night, for an alternator belt by using a pair of panty hose as a temporary replacement. The MG always broke when you were in the middle of nowhere, but you could fix it with a rubber band and a paper clip. compared to that thing, the Mini is bullet-proof

 

I think he's deliberatly trying to cover up poor initial quality with Mini quirkiness.

 

VW with Electrical Issues are worst.

 

Quirks are one thing but a company like BMW has no excuse for poor quality at any level (manufacture, durability or customer service - corporate or dealer level).

 

Yeah but my 2002 Jaguar was much worse than my MINI in many respects...AND you can find more honest independant mechanic(s) to work on a MINI, more so than my Jag any day of the week.

And don't forget Brazilians in that line up of contributors.

 

Compared to the quality of the vehicles dumped on the paying public by the British motoring industry in the 1950-1980's, today's MINI is a marvel of technological reliability. Anyone remember the Triumph TR7, Austin America, any pre-Ford Jaguar, and the Rover Sterling? That last one was a re-badged Honda Accord Legacy sedan assembled in GB, and they thoroughly botched it. And the blokes are still building wood-bodied Morgans with a 1913 vintage front suspension design.

At least, my MINI doesn't leak oil ... so far ...

 

So far so good with my MINI's. Zero complaints. Over 7K on my wife's car and over 5K on mine with zero complaints. Both cars are tight and run well.

All cars cost a lot to maintain. A friend of mine just took his new Pontiac in for an oil change and it cost him $80.00. It cost's $95.00 for my MINI. $15.00 difference does not seem unreasonable to me.

My wife's car is her daily driver while I drive mine 2 to 3 days per week and all MINI events. I was aware of the cost of maintaining the cars but am willing and able to pay for the upkeep. (I'm hoping like everyone to have no major repairs but that can happen to any care brand and model.)

Pat

 

all cars ahev problems and depend on what reported and what is imporatnt ot you.

 

Amen. But my TR7 was 9 years old when I owned it... not any new MINIs are that old yet for comparison.

 

I'm under the impression JD Power thinks MINI is the worst car out there. Whatever methodology they use for defining "worst"... I have to agree with JD Power.

I traded my Honda because I was bored with it. Zero charisma. Dull as a wooden machete.

Some days, I wake up, see my Mini, remember how many rattles it has (and it's barely cracking 300 miles) and wonder if I did right trading my Si for it... I had an 2005 auto S, and it left me stranded three times. Really, I don't know why I bothered again with Mini. I could have bought a MazdaSpeed and forget about dealer visits. Or a Focus ST, and pass every Mini out there in fifth gear.

Nah. There really is nothing out there like the Mini. Damn, I love this car, even if it was assembled by drunken Brits and Germans. :D

 

So...is there a ban on punctuation and spelling that I missed somewhere? Hmmm... Apparently effective communication has morphed into something unrecognizable over the past few years.

And this really sounds like a post that belongs in one of the random thoughts threads, since it came rather out of nowhere. Oh, well. Enjoy that repair bill. The funniest thing about these types of posts is that we still continue to buy these cars, despite knowing of so many horror stories of the seats falling out or the engine running away or the doors opening and closing like they are possessed by random poltergeists. So...who's at fault for not demanding a higher quality vehicle? Hmmmm...?

I like it. I had a very good idea of what I was getting myself into before I purchased it, and I don't think I would say that I'm disappointed. Sure, some things could be better, but I'm not disappointed with what I have.