So I have been thinking about adding another car to fleet. I have my heart set a 2007 mini cooper s model or newer. I think this year they replaced the supercharger for a turbo. In my area there are some really low mileage cars at a really good price. What to you guys think of these cars and what are your experiences with them. I think this will be a fun little car to zip around town in and go to work.
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Mini Cooper S
- Thread starter DreamerGT
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I've browsed some for my girlfriend.
They seem like nice little "fun" cars. I'd also be interested to hear problem years, areas, etc. from others as well though.
They seem like nice little "fun" cars. I'd also be interested to hear problem years, areas, etc. from others as well though.
A guy I worked with had a Mini S and had to have the engine rebuilt at 45k miles in addition to a host of little issues with the car. Based on his tellings of the car and Consumer Report's reliability ratings, I would steer clear of a mini S.(Not sure what year his was though)
Originally Posted By: synthetic_crazy
A guy I worked with had a Mini S and had to have the engine rebuilt at 45k miles in addition to a host of little issues with the car. Based on his tellings of the car and Consumer Report's reliability ratings, I would steer clear of a mini S.(Not sure what year his was though)
The engines are what bother me about the MINI.
Older models have an obscure Chrysler/Rover engine built in Brazil. The newer models have a Peugeot motor.
I could live with the Chrysler part of it if it was turbocharged. After all, Chrysler has built more turbocharged engines than any other company. But it's supercharged.
I've never been a particularly impressed with the overall reliability of French gasoline engines.
A guy I worked with had a Mini S and had to have the engine rebuilt at 45k miles in addition to a host of little issues with the car. Based on his tellings of the car and Consumer Report's reliability ratings, I would steer clear of a mini S.(Not sure what year his was though)
The engines are what bother me about the MINI.
Older models have an obscure Chrysler/Rover engine built in Brazil. The newer models have a Peugeot motor.
I could live with the Chrysler part of it if it was turbocharged. After all, Chrysler has built more turbocharged engines than any other company. But it's supercharged.
I've never been a particularly impressed with the overall reliability of French gasoline engines.
I interned at a BMW/Mini/Jag/Land Rover dealer over the summer and in the relatively short time I was there I saw quite a few second generation Cooper S' come in with problems with the timing chain tensioner creating all sorts of expensive problems. I believe there was a technical service bulletin about it and Mini released an updated tensioner to fix the problem.
If the car was out of warranty, but still somewhat close to the cutoff, the dealer seemed pretty good about covering the cost of the fix. I remember one particular case where the vehicle had a little over 70,000 miles and it was still covered. On the other hand there were many high-mileage Minis that had pretty clean service records.
If the car is outside of warranty I'd look to see if the tensioner has been replaced. Other than some reliability issues I've heard great things about the cars and I personally like them quite a bit.
If the car was out of warranty, but still somewhat close to the cutoff, the dealer seemed pretty good about covering the cost of the fix. I remember one particular case where the vehicle had a little over 70,000 miles and it was still covered. On the other hand there were many high-mileage Minis that had pretty clean service records.
If the car is outside of warranty I'd look to see if the tensioner has been replaced. Other than some reliability issues I've heard great things about the cars and I personally like them quite a bit.
I have always admired the Mini even though I am a "Mustang Guy". I know 2 people that have had them. One is still delighted with it (manual trans). The other sold hers because it had the original CVT transmission which was phased out later. It was troublesome. The dealer kep't reprogramming it but it still had problems.
My girlfriend has a 2009 Mini S with an automatic she got last fall. She loves it.
It's a great car to bomb around in and hers has been trouble free. However it only has 8000 miles on it, so who knows what the future holds for it.
Overall, I like the car too, the fit + finish is better than my new Impreza. Mechanically...not so sure. (just my opinion) These cars are kinda quirky and take some getting use to.
It's not the best for long boring drives, I found myself getting squirmy while on a turnpike drive at steady 70-75 mph for an hour, but if the road is tight + twisty, it's a blast.
Getting it repaired at a Mini dealer can get expensive. But there is a huge Mini following with many small shops that specialize in Minis along with a great selection of after market part suppliers to choose from.
I'd suggest heading over to the big north American mini forum, and see what is what with the minis. They have the good along with the bad and the various issues the minis are having.
Hope this helps.
It's a great car to bomb around in and hers has been trouble free. However it only has 8000 miles on it, so who knows what the future holds for it.
Overall, I like the car too, the fit + finish is better than my new Impreza. Mechanically...not so sure. (just my opinion) These cars are kinda quirky and take some getting use to.
It's not the best for long boring drives, I found myself getting squirmy while on a turnpike drive at steady 70-75 mph for an hour, but if the road is tight + twisty, it's a blast.
Getting it repaired at a Mini dealer can get expensive. But there is a huge Mini following with many small shops that specialize in Minis along with a great selection of after market part suppliers to choose from.
I'd suggest heading over to the big north American mini forum, and see what is what with the minis. They have the good along with the bad and the various issues the minis are having.
Hope this helps.
I love small cars but I find the mini claustrophobic. I've driven the S a little and the regular one for a few hours so definitely a short term test. I love how the S was willing to spin the tires. Both the S and regular mini handle like they are on rails.
I would suggest renting one or getting one from zip car and spend a couple hours in one. I love the concept and love how they handle but they are not for me due to how I feel like I really want to get out of them after a while. But I can understand how some people really like them.
I would suggest renting one or getting one from zip car and spend a couple hours in one. I love the concept and love how they handle but they are not for me due to how I feel like I really want to get out of them after a while. But I can understand how some people really like them.
Originally Posted By: saaber1
I would suggest renting one or getting one from zip car and spend a couple hours in one.
That is always the best way to test a car you really want.
I would suggest renting one or getting one from zip car and spend a couple hours in one.
That is always the best way to test a car you really want.
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