Hello guys I'm looking at buying a 2004 mini cooper s with 93,000 miles on it. My dad dug up this article and questions whether or not I should get this car.
http://www.quora.com/Mini-Cooper/How...e-Mini-Coopers Here is the link to the article. Since you guys are all Mini owners, I would like to know if this article is accurate or is it just the opinions of one man. Thank you.

 

and my username refers to stancenation. I am not affiliated with them, I just think it's cool

 

If you ask this in the 1st Gen Subforum, you'll get more answers.
Also, have a look at the sticky threads referring to similar topics of "First Time R50 / R53 Buyer Guide & Owner Details".

- Erik

 

MINIs are reliable. For an English car.

If it matters, I've been putting over 350 miles per week on mine for the last year. I've gotten my hands dirty with the typical 100,000 mile stuff, but the car has never let me down.

 

Most of that article is true...

I have an 06 MCS JCW just hit 97,000 miles on it and don't get me wrong I love the car and i dont want to get rid of it but having a high mileage MINI is like dating Megan Fox (High Maintenance) unless your a DIY kind of guy just be prepared.

The following is all stuff I had to replace this year... 1.)WATER PUMP, 2.)ENGINE OIL COOLER SEALS, 3.) POWER STEERING PRESSURE LINE, 4.)CRANK SENSOR O-RING, 5.) BOTH UPPER STRUT MOUNTS, 6.)FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT(Only checked), AND 7.) REAR BRAKES

Not a lot of stuff but the cost of it all ... $2,400 dollars

Now the alignment i said only checked because my tie rods are seized both of the and the only thing I can do to adjust the toe on the front is get new tie rods to replace that just over $600.00 dollars for parts and labor.

Today I took my mini to the dealer and asked them to check my car since i had a bunch of other work done by them why is it still leaking so they did some digging and found the source my timing chain gasket needs to be replaced and since there down there they said it would be a good idea to replace the oil pan gasket as well... just over $800.00 dollars to do that.

regular maintenance stuff can add up I probably could save a lot of money doing the work myself but im clueless as a blond with a grenade when it comes to working on the MINI plus i dont have any tools where im currently living and all my friends live like 500 miles from me at this time so i had to pay...

BUT i love the MINI and i will not get rid of it and eventually I will take it apart and replace every piece on the car with performance parts and i do plan on wrenching on it in the near future 5 more months and ill be home then ill have access to all the tools and ill begin to play.

=)

If you want a MINI i encourage you to purchase one just make sure you take it to a MINI dealer and ask them to do a full inspection i failed to do this and it cost me some money but im still happy and love driving it every day its the most fun you will have in a car on the street unless you have a budget of about 60-80k to spend on a car.

Just my thought. hope this helps.

 

ive been a mechanic for 25years and most definately NOT compaired to a japanese makes BUT you buy a Mini for what it is, a cult car and something different to the everyday norm. id rather have my JCW than any japanese hatchback

 

AMEN PREACH ON BROTHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

I love my MINI I think I'm gonna be berried with it lol

 

My dad and I are taking it to a foreign car guy in our area to have it inspected. I know the major things to look out for so hopefully we'll be able to see if is experiencing any of these issues. If I still want it, I'll just use those problems to my advantage when haggling for the mini, wheeler dealer style.

 

Yup thats what you have to do just remember water pump, upper strut mounts, and if your guy can have him die the oil and run it in the shop and check for oil leaks... My car sat for a couple of years in the garage so my problems stemmed from that.

You will be happy with a MINI that I promise you...

Keep us updated...show us pics if you get it...

 

This will be useful for you: http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

 

With a used mini, condition, and how it was driven by prior owners is VERY IMPORTANT.
Many cars that a sporty, and youth oritented, like the mini, are driven hard, often to the point of abuse....so look closely...
Imo 2005+ gen1 are the best of the gen1 cars, but 2004 should be fine. If the car was a commuter, or maybe a unmodfied weekend car, it should be fine...modded cars are a mixed bag...
i have a modded car..
drive it sanely, and just sometimes push it...but some folks push their cars ALL THE TIME, and when this is done to ANY CAR, MODDED OR NOT, it will break. Often folks don't matain mini's right, and some well meaning mechanics do more harm than good...so get the car checked out by either a dealer, or a mini centric/specialist shop. Having a mini is great, but it does take a bit more care and reserch on how to care for it than say a Honda.....but the retuns on the fun vs time are great...
it is a fun car to drive, and not just a appliance.

 

The guy who owns it currently is a army guy, I asked about him street racing and pushing it and he said no. He said the fastest he's ever gone is 75mph and he got a ticket for doing that haha. It's a daily driver, he bought it from a mini dealer in South carolina I think. And it's not modded at all

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the repairs listed are wear and tear items.

 

I bought my 2002 MCS a year ago this week. I pretty much decided to buy it when I saw the dealer picture on the Internet. Took her for one test drive, and threw cash at the guy.
I did not have it inspected, and I way overpaid! Since I bought my MINI, I've replaced clutch, flywheel, throw out bearing, transmission, throttle assembly, power steering hoses(twice), wheels, front axles, brakes, and I'm getting ready to replace the control arms, cv boots, and engine mounts. Some things are just common maintenance, and others are hard driving. I have since found out the car was only used for AutoX. So I bought a friggin' race car. I should have done research, and had it looked at before I bought it.
Having said all that, I LOVE MY MINI!!!
I wouldn't give up this car for any reason, partly because I'm so far in!
Anyone looking to purchase a MINI, needs to be well educated on what it means to own one first. They are a performance auto, with performance auto problems. It costs money to maintain. They are not unreliable though. You just have to take care of your MINI a little more than a Rice-Burner.
But, BEWARE!!!
Once you have a MINI, you will never want to drive anything else!!!

 

How reliable is any 8 year old car with a 100K on it?

Depends entirely on how it's been cared for and what's been done to it.....

Have it checked by the local MINI dealer, not some foreign car guy and you'll get a much more accurate picture of what shape it's in and what expenses you face.

 

There is no local mini dealer, I'm just keep my fingers crossed after looking at it myself haha

 

With a MINI, local is a realitive term.....
When i got my car, "local" was an hours drive away........for many folks local can br 2 or 3 hours, and simple fact of life, for some things, like keys, or some computer issues, you must work with the dealer......
hsving an uncommon car sometimes means having to do uncommon things, like driving an hour to have a minor item fixed, or several hours to have someting else fixed right....one tip, an active owner can save big $$ on ownership as opposed to a person who just owns a mini....
If you just want a car, for basic transportation, there are others, but owning a mini gets you much more, but more but there is a price...
For some it is $$, for others it is a healty obsession.
Most any mini S can need s few $ in parts here and there, and just for a basic comparison, most of the "just-a-coopers" are in most cases, (with the exception of the cvt ones and some pre2004 midlands 5 speeds) is a very solid car...better mpg, same handling, and a bit less power. The S is more high strung, a bit like having a model for a girlfriend....sometimes temperamental depending on history and prior mx.
Just be prepared for some $$....a clutch job on a mini can be $1500 to 2000....due to packaging (location of engine and tranny)....but most of the other item can be diy'd to save a few $$. I love my mini, but be prepared, and keep a few extra $$ for the unexpected.

 

If everything checks out okay, I'll be coming home with a 2004 mini cooper s tomorrow! And I want a sporty car that I can work on, so this sounds like a nice one for me. And my neighbor is a great mechanic

 

No, compared to to many other cars, MINIs are not known to be as reliable. Like someone said here: They're reliable -- for an English car.

I've had many problems with mine -- all problems you see echoed a lot on every message board I've been on, as well as the large majority of other owners I personally know or have met and talked to who own/owned one.

It's a great car in many ways, but MINI hasn't been able to get their act together with reliability yet. Some do get lucky and never have problems, though. I'm not being negative: honesty and reality are sometimes not pretty.

The MINI is much cooler than a Japanese hatchback, indeed; but as many others have noted here: there is often a price, and you just have to be willing to accept that.

 

I would say yes, very reliable. Mine is doing better than any other car I've owned. When I had a honda, I spent more repairs on it than I have for my Mini. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean I never do anything to it. Usual maintenance, and replace things as they break. It has never left me stranded (can't say that for Honda, Toyota, Ford, or GMC). As stated above, most things are just parts that wear out, or are designed to be replaced.

I've likely spent more on mods than I have repairs...

Nik