Hi everyone. I'm new here. I've been reading some of the threads in this forum and it seems like there are a lot of knowledgeable folks out there. I am doing research on the MINI Cooper S. I am interested in purchasing one and would like to find out as much as possible about the reliability of the 2004 model year. I realize this question is a bit general but I am thinking of trading in my current car for a MINI. This would make the MINI my only vehicle. I live about an hour's drive from the nearest MINI dealer and have begun searching out shops in my area that repair MINI's. I guess my concern is that I may end up with a vehicle that is not reliable with lots of trips to the dealer and/or shop. Has BMW worked out problems from the first MINI's sold in the USA in 2002? Is it unrealistic to think the MINI could be a reliable replacement for my only vehicle?

I actually have not even test-driven one yet (very soon). I wanted to have an idea of what kind of car I may be purchaseing before I sit across from a salesperson and start negotiating a price.

Any information/advice/encouragement etc anyone could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

~Paulie

 

ok, i currently only owns the mini as my car.. of coze i got my ma's a4 always to carry big items but overall the mini's a real nice everyday car... a nice blend of sports and almost everyday practicality

but most people would probably tell you the mini's not for everyone... it's a smile car.. practicality is there (hatchback always practical) but if you are constantly hauling 4 ppl in a car then the mini is probably not so well for the job as a wrx

you will find the mini very bumpy over rough roads.. part of the tradeoff for excellent handling.... while for me (still nice and young) it's no problem but i still find myself darting to avoid potholes... some people hate that and would go for another car just cuze it rides so hard... if you can bear it then the mini will serve you well

finally... the mini's got some problems by people.. namely engine software being poorly written... of coze... there also a great chance you won't get those problems with a new mini... the more mini being built.. the less chance yours will wound up of poor quality

hope you buy one! mini is got an aura that no other seems to have... eveyrone respects a mini... beit street racers or old people... everyone looks at the mini!

 

I have a MINI and a Wrangler, and the MINI has more room, by far. Kind of scary when you use the MINI as your cargo hauler

 

I can't see myself with just my MCS. I use this car to play in.

 

My MINI is my daily driver,but I still have my 94 dodge dakota to hual big stuff with.I have a 100 Mile return trip commute to work,and the MINI is great:smile:
Comfy,good gas mileage,warm in the winter,get heated seats if you live where it is cold.2 days ago,5 days after 1 year of ownership turned over 40000 kms(24400 miles)Looking forward to the next 40k

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the reliability issue. I subscribe to the theory that the reason you read a lot about reliability problems on these boards is that (1) IMHO the set of car owners that have reliability problems will be more vocal than the silent majority that is perfectly happy. After all, who want to read a thread that just says, "No problems here." ...and (2) IMHO, NAM members are more detail-oriented than MINI owners who don't frequent NAM...i.e., we NAM-ers are just more "into" the MINI than the average buyer.

I'd also point out the incredible re-sale values on used MINIs as partial evidence that it's a reliable car (although the value could also be attributable to other MINI attributes as well).

Just my 2 cents. :smile:

 

Hi Paulie,

I've got a 2004 S as my only car. My drive to work is about 25 miles each way and the Cooper makes a decent commuter. I've also taken longer trips without problems. In fact, I use the Cooper to shop at Costco - never a problem. The car certainly has its quirks, but I never worry that my MINI is going to leave me stranded.

As my 5 year old says: "Daddy's car is bumpy and fast". That about sums it up.

 

Your not going to spend much time "sitting down and negotiating a price". You may find a shorter wait list and/or less mark up from one dealership to the next but there isn't much negotiating when you buy a Cooper and even less when you buy the 'S'.

 

Not only is my '04 MCS my daily driver, it's also my Dragon Slaying, Auto-X, and Track-time workhorse. To date, my '04 MCS has endured 17,5xx miles of very harsh duty. I have the utmost confidence that it will maintain its' reliability for many more miles both on and off the track.

Enjoy, and Motor-On!
Ryan

 

First of all, thank you for all the replies. I certainly appreciate it.

I guess edlfrey is right, I've been checking around and "true market value" as listed by edmunds.com indicates that there isn't any negotiating room. Thanks for the reality check .

Hey, johnnycircuit--your son says what all the reviews I've read have said. Your post cracked me up. Thanks . And I too have a 25 mi one-way trip to work.

ChiliCooperMark, I can see your point. But how do you explain ConsumerReport's poor reliability rating? Do you think that the people replying to their annual auto survey tend to be more vocal when things go wrong as well? And then MSN Auto has a reliability report issued by AIS (Automotive Information Services) that says that the MINI has few reliability issues--so I guess I'm just trying to use some logic to get a clear idea of what is going on.

Oh, and one last question: Do you think it would be better to make the 1 hour trip (during the warranty period) periodically to have the oil changed etc to avoid the hassle of the dealer saying that I will void the warranty? I guess I won't mind driving, especially in my MINI :smile: .

Thank you all again for your replies.

Happy Trails,

~Paulie

 

I've got a pile of questions. I hope you all don't mind :smile:.

Is it detrimental to use Regular gasoline in the Cooper S? I'm assuming that a higher octane fuel will yield better performance but will regular cause any damage?

Thanks.

~Paulie

 

First off ConsumerReport's isn't always the most respected when it comes to reports and secondly the coopers use premium gas. Check out the other thread premium VS. regular and it will give you the reasons why. Mini says to use premium only though.

 

Paulie, I'm anxiously awaiting my MC and the nearest dealer to me is 2+ hours. I'm not too worried about the trip for maintenance and possible warantee work. Now an accident... that would suck, but it would suck for any car.

If it happens, it happens. I've also read that MINI will tow you back to the dealership, but I'm not 100% sure on that one.

 

MINIs make fantastic daily drivers.....and there's roadside assist just in case. The car is so amazing and entertaining...I really would consider driving anything else a waste of time. I know, I am spoiled.

A lot of MCS owners had big trouble with software issues last summer and I hear lots of raves this year. My Cooper's always been rock solid.

 

Because of the Magnusson-Moss act, they cannot void the warranty because of that.

 

If you are getting an MCS then get premium gas since it is needed due to the supercharger. Don't cut back on the octane. See the other tread on using unleaded regular gas.

Reliability for a new MINI? Should be good. I have a 2003 with 14,500 miles and doing very well. One hour trip to your dealer? In rush hour I am close to that but only 25 miles away. I'd go to the dealer for the scheduled maintenance oil change at about 10,000-12,000 miles and do an extra oil/filter change and replace the synthetic oil (Mobil one 5W-30) at either 1000 mile or at 5000 miles depending on your preference.

Prices? Try for MSRP when you can and it is still a good value. Only thing to hold the prices down is be careful and selective on the options. For the MCS you don't really need the Premium package and the sport package, you don't need NAV and the leather either. You can get a pretty plain MCS and do very well. The stock 17" wheels are quite heavy, 16" wheels are lighter and a no cost option.

More questions? Let us know.

 

Hey Everyone.

I recently read online that run-flat tires are expensive to replace. Approximately $400 each? Is this true--it sounds kind of high but I've never had a car with run flats before.

Any thoughts and/or experience in this area? Other threads I could read?

Thanks :smile:

~Paulie

 

Run Flats are expensive to replace, however i don't think they are 400, i think they are like 180-200 a peice.

and to comment on the daily driver.

We daily drive the mini, go on road trips, and this that and the other thing with it, and it performs great!

 

I think the DSST SP9000's were $200 range for a piece at tirerack.

Usually i don't use my run-flats (performance related) and use my
non-runflat GS-D3's which are much more affordable ($130 range) and
has great grip wet or dry. :smile:

 

2003 Cooper CVT (May 2003 build)... 15,000 miles and counting. History of problems: 1. Got a big ole roofing nail in the rear left runflat (my problem of course...not a fault of the MINI!). Ditched the runflats and bought a brand new set of four (with about 10 miles on the tires) 15" holies for $250 off E-bay...can't beat that with a stick. They are lighter and more "cushy" then the runflats, plus the car seems faster with the 15"...don't know if it's just my imagination though.

Other minor problemo: H/K amplifier stopped working after 1 year, so I had no radio/CD for about a week... dealer replaced it free of charge.

Other minor minor problemo: slight tendency to rough idle at stops in hot weather with A/C on...never did stall out completely though. Solution: Dealer uploaded latest version of sofware...problem went away. And I will not ever upgrade to subsequent versions because, hey my motto is: "Don't fix what ain't broke."

All these glitches, sans the nail in the tire, were repaired by the dealer no charge.

MINI is my only car. My 5 mile "commute" to work is so short, I often find myself driving the long way to work just so I can have fun driving the MINI. But I've also taken it on 600 mile interstate trips with 2 suitcases, a cooler, and full-size spare in the boot (both back seats down). Handles well in virtually all environments...except a little iffy in snow over 4 or 5 inchses because the low front fascia can push the snow in front of the car like a plow to the point where it builds up and yes, you can get stuck. But in a typical NJ snow "storm" I've had great success driving the MINI...just take it slow and be smart and safe...carry a shovel just in case...and you'll be ok.

Rock On,

-Boognish

 

Paulie,

I recently sold my "toy" car, and traded my daily driver, to purchase a Cooper (2 cars = 1). I live in RI, and drove almost 3 hours to a CT dealer to buy it. When it's due for service, I have no problem driving there as I grew up nearby, and can visit family/friends. If you have any questions about my buying experience, just ask via PM.

 

First off let me say hi and welcome.

My 02 MCS is my only car and a daily driver. Though you do hear many people speak of problems, many of us have had trouble free MINIs. I’ve been driving it just short of two years now and I’m totally problem free not one that was not self inflicted. I also play very hard with it doing auto-x and making three trips to the Dragon so far and one more in just a couple months. I feel very safe saying having a MINI as an only car is better than any other car I could think of.

And BTW I have a 600 mile drive to visit my local MINI dealer, so an hour is nothing.

 

Welcome Paulie!

I've got an '03 IB/W MC with just under 22,000 miles. It's a daily driver for me, and really my only car. My wife has a car, but it guzzles too much gas so we only drive it when SHE wants to drive which is almost never.

For the past 3 months, I've been driving to my in-laws house every day which is a 65 mile round trip, not to mention 30 miles for my work, and lots of miles just for play---I added 260 miles last weekend.

I should mention that we have 3 adults and 1 infant on this 65 mile drive and everything is fine. The car has been very reliable, and here is a list of all its problems since ownership.

1.) Replaced windshield 10 days after purchase due to a rock
2.) Leather MFSW (steering wheel) is peeling
3.) I have V35 software and I have the Stumble under hard acceleration
4.) Boot latch rattles (well used to, until I used the electrical tape trick)

And that's it. #2-4 will be fixed at the next servicing. I'm 900 miles away from Service #2, but 1-1/2 months before the next available appointment!!!

The MINI is a fantastic car, esp. if you've been bitten by the MINI bug. It's almost 11 months, and I'm still wiping my baby every day, and cleaning the white wheels after every drive, and I still have that big grin everytime I go out. In fact, I installed an intake last weekend, and now my fun has been boosted even more--cause now my MINI sounds like it has a V8.

Richard

 

Hey Paulie - no offense to CR but they have reccomended cars I would never want. Data is only as good as the people interpreting it.

I think what you see in a forum like this is people who are extraordinarily interested in their cars. As such, every little thing will be discussed and hashed out over and over. How many forums have you seen for a chevy malibu?

I've got 13000 miles on my MC. Best car I've owned by far. Daily driver and I drive the hell out of it. I NEVER get tired of driving it.

Good luck dude.

 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to post a reply to my questions. I really appreciate it.

Monday (8/2), I am FINALLY going to test drive a MINI. I can't wait. I am undecided yet as to the Base model or the S. Of course I would like the extra power the MCS could offer but I'm not sure I want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h my budget for it. Any thoughts on the MC vs. the MCS (manual tranny)? They both sound like great cars. I guess it all depends on how I like the base model. Funny thing is, all my thoughts are based on what I've read. I may drive it and not even like it . I doubt it, though.

Thanks again,

~Paulie