Opinions on The Mini?

"CodyVella" (codyvella) 08/24/2016 at 01:14 • Filed to: None

0

25

My best friend is in the market for a used car and she’s dead set on a Mini. She’s not picky between which of the first two gens she gets. She equally likes the ‘00-’06 & the ‘06-’13 models. I have ZERO experience with these cars, so I’m looking for some info on them. Hows reliability? What are common problem areas? And most importantly, since I’ll be fixing & maintaining it, how hard are they to work on, and how expensive are parts. It has to be easier to maintain than a 944 or a Supercharged Xterra, right?

Dusty Ventures > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 01:22

0

Turbo Squirrel has one, you might want to talk to him

Supercharged-V8-Jag > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 01:22

0

Its a really good car; love mine

tromoly > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 01:53

0

My brother’s 05 is pretty nice, it drives well and in general just feels nice to drive.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 02:19

3

They’re super fun. But reliability? lolz

R50/53: power steering fan, power steering pump, water pump, supercharger, head gaskets, AC fans, engine mounts, strut tower mushrooming, control arm bushings, window regulators, door latches, transmissions (mostly autos and 5 speeds in my experience, but over hard guys say the 6 is the bad one). I haven’t worked on one in over 5 years, but used to work on them frequently, when they were much newer and had fewer miles than most will today.

R56: thermostats fail catastrophically sometimes killing engines, every timing chain related component is seemingly made of recycled paper and dried grass clippings and these are interference motors. Honestly haven’t worked on more than a handful of these but I know a few guys who have. There are probably more, but like I said, I don’t have much experience with them.

Lots of jobs on both require front end disassembly. Really not hard, but can be daunting. Some jobs can definitely be a PITA if you’re not at least mediocre with a wrench and have more than a basic set of craftsman tools.

Remember, they’re essentially cheap BMW’s, often with a weird mish mash of parts from other brands as well.

CodyVella > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/24/2016 at 02:26

0

This is exactly the kind of input I was looking for. As far as wrenching skills, I’m pretty good. I can’t see it being much more complicated to wrench on than my 944, which even after 5 years of ownership still makes me go “Why Porsche?” half the time. Front end disassembly I’m pretty used to. I remove basically the entire front end of my Xterra in order to access the front of the engine. Unless you’re referring to the front suspension/drive assembly, which I’m assuming is the same as any other transverse car. I also feel as though it’ll be way easier to work on then my sisters ‘99 Beetle. Either that or similar.

I did tell her to stay away from the ‘04 and older autos. Thanks for the advice!

My bird IS the word > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 02:40

0

Own a 2010 Cooper S R56. love to drive it. Fuck that n14 engine. After I got all the timing shit and the water pump taken care of (at no charge) two years ago, I blew a valve cover gasket this summer. most say that the (Plastic!!!!) valve cover needs replaced as well every couple of years (300$) I look forward to my clutch going at about 80 k as well as god knows what else. plastic trim shit snapping all over the place. BMW parts and repair costs. needed new rotors already at 35k miles. Car as it sits now has 42,000 miles. the R56's have active service bulletins on too-short timing chain tensioners and recalls on auxilliary water pumps that like to burst into flame. Aside from that garbage, it is extremely comfortable, sporty (definetly use the sport button) and sounds really nice with a new intake, intercooler muffler delete and an alta downpipe-back exhaust.

My advice? avoid german, unless porsche. even then, new porsche.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 02:58

0

Sounds like you should be fine. FWIW my choice would be an 06 S. Lots of issues already sorted because it’s later in production, way more fun than newer gen. Hopefully someone with more R56 experience chimes in.

PyramidHat > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 04:41

0

A friend had an S convertible. I don’t recall any reliability issues of note. It rode like a go kart, but on the upside, it also handled like one...also, if you had a box of Kleenex wedged between the seats and had the top down, the wind would pull the Kleenex out of the box, leaving a trail behind you on the freeway. Ask me how I know...

random001 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/24/2016 at 06:48

0

I’ve been in the same boat, came to post nearly exactly this. Thanks!

Stapleface > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 08:08

0

From what I understand, reliability is not a strong suit with Mini. I remember reading a couple months back the long term test wrap-up in Car and Driver. They didn’t have too many good experiences.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-m…

GTiceman > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 08:09

1

My girlfriend loves her ‘11 Mini which she has had for almost two years and around 25,000 miles, we are approaching the 60k mark. I personally would stick to the R56 which is the ‘06-’13 models. They are built by BMW so expect some pricey parts. Super fun cars. You just need to be good about service. Changing oil at least every 10k. Spark plugs no more than 40k. The thermostat issue that AMGtech mentioned I have heard from some people but if it fails you just need to shiut the car off and tow it, people continue to drive when it goes and the engine goes boom. We used to live in PA and put snow tires on hers in the winter and it handled like a dream. I do most of the service on her car. Oil is super easy and takes like 4Qt. Rear brakes need a special tool that is like $25. Front brakes are easy. Doing spark plugs next and a brake fluid flush and new filters. Belts I think we will have a shop do because it is hard to access through the passenger wheel well and on jack stands I imagine it will be a PITA.

If she opts for an S you do need to worry about the turbo in the R56, not that it fails but it is another set of items that you will need to be able to monitor and work on.

I know plenty of people that have over 200k miles on their Minis both R50/R53 as they are good about servicing them. Also the community is huge and people are always around to help or answer questions. Tires are stupid cheap due to size. Also, if you buy private party, get a PPI done!

Happy Motoring!

Dru > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 08:28

0

My dad has had an ‘02 since ‘02. Ordered it new from the dealer. It looks cool and drives like a go kart. His is an S with a 6 speed. All of the things that make it go have been fine. Weird things have broken, such as the catches for the glove box. The interior looks great without being particularly great, but the seats are top notch to me. I would just avoid the automatics and have a good indie mechanic in mind.

Tripper > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 08:29

0

My wife has an R53 s. We love it. its got 122k on the clock now but we’ve had it since 24k. It’s been really good to us for the most part. We’ve replaced the starter, and the water pump. Other than that its just been wear/maintenance items. My mother has an R56 s and it’s nicer but super soft compared to the R53, I like driving the R53 much better.

There are a lot of “common” problems associated with coopers but just like VANOS issues with BMW’s, they are talked about more than they actually happen. A pre-purchase inspection from someone you trust is your best bet.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 08:38

1

The non-S model is more reliable apparently. Cow-orker has one. Wanted an S but got the normal one with a 5MT because it's so much easier to maintain.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 09:13

0

Have heard plenty of stories about maintenance woes with these but I don’t know enough to talk to that. I did spend a week driving one in California once though so I will talk about driving it. I was driving mostly canyon roads in SoCal and then PCH up to San Francisco. The car handled extremely well, especially given the monumentally bad run flat tires on it. It reminded me of my Miata in the tight stuff but then it had a TON of power in addition to that. I was driving a '12 Cooper S. I just really enjoyed how well composed the car was around hard turns, visibility and space inside was great, and it got over 450 miles per gas tank on the highway (nearly made it all the way home to LA from SF on one tank!). The only thing I really had a problem with was the lack of a center armrest for the driver!! That was a major pain in the ass that would have been completely solved with a simple armrest. Either way, a very fun and practical car. Manual shifter was perfect although the clutch was just different. I had stalled the car 3 or 4 times throughout the trip which was strange to me since I never stall my Miata.

carzcarzcarz > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 09:47

0

Ditto for what a lot of others have already said about working on them. 1st gens had problems with the lights too since they were part of the hood.

Fun cars, but lots of little quirks, and be prepared for a very stiff suspension (which usually brings out a lot of little rattles and noises). First mod would be to get rid of the run flats. I had an 08 S, and the turbo was a lot of fun. Did have to change out the thermostat at only 30k miles though. Got mine used still under warranty and had a lot of little things taken care of before it ran out.

Get a catch can, as the valves will clog up with carbon, and the only way to get that off is to remove the intake and have the valves walnut blasted. Check out forums for list of TSB’s and recalls.

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/

Reece-Current Stinger GT owner > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 10:00

0

Stay ‘10 and up and you’ll be fine. Anything earlier than that and the reliability is laughable at best. Super fun cars though and great gas mileage. Spend a little extra for the S you won’t regret it.

Source: I sell them.

Reece-Current Stinger GT owner > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 08/24/2016 at 10:01

1

Staring for “Cow-orker”

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > CodyVella 08/24/2016 at 11:56

0

I have had my R50 Cooper for about 3.5 months at this point. The important thing is to remember is that they are British built BMWs. They are not Toyotas and you have to properly maintain them. I was actually surprised by the parts costs. The parts which are unique to the Mini are actually not bad, its the parts that are pulled from the BMW parts bin that are going to cost you ($150-200 for an AC compressor which is a Mini part but $250 for a door lock which comes from an E46). So far all I have had do so far is replace the idler pulley (which was known bad when I bought it but was replaced for free when the part became available) and a battery because the negative terminal wasn’t square resulting in a connector which would slip and not make proper contact. I should also note that I bought mine from my mechanic who runs a shop which specializes in Minis.

I didn’t look at the second generations when I was buying mine so I don’t know what the particulars of them are but here are the common problems with the R50 and R53. First thing first: DO NOT BUY AN AUTOMATIC! The automatics are hilariously weak and they will fail (even with the R50s 115hp and 110ft lbs). Save yourself the trouble and buy a manual. They are way more fun with a manual anyway. If you really must have an auto go second gen and avoid the CVTs.

Another thing to look out for is mushrooming strut towers in the front. The Minis have a stiff chassis and the weakest point in the suspension is the front strut mounts. This means in the event of large impacts the strut tower can become warped, which costs thousands to fix. This can be prevented with reinforcement plates which sit on top of the strut and get sandwiched inside the strut tower.

Next thing is the power steering pump fan. It hangs out of the bottom of the car just waiting for something to come along for it to eat. At that point the blades get destroyed resulting in your power steering pump overheating. This can be prevented with a little shield you can buy, or by not running over things. Also if you plan on lowering the car or rallycrossing it I would highly recommend a skid plate as the cast aluminum oil pan is easy to crack. Stock ride height you are probably fine.

Now we come on to the british part of the Mini. The electrics. They aren’t likely to fail in such a way that it will leave you stranded but they may have little issues that could annoy you. For example the body control module likes to fail so that the key fobs no longer work. This just means you have to lock and unlock the doors the old fashioned way. In cars with the upgraded Harmon Kardon stereo it is not uncommon for the amp to fail.

As for choosing a car I would avoid the 2002s. The Mini had issues at launch (particularly the 2001s in Europe) but theses were mostly all sorted by 2003. If you are looking at R53 Cooper S’s I would recommend you get the newest car you can. Not for reliability or anything but because Mini was constantly fiddling with them meaning that you actually get more power the newer you go (160HP for a 2002 vs 168HP for a 2005 or 2006). Look for a car which is well maintained and then make sure you get a good pre purchase inspection to catch any potential problems. Find one you like, buy it, and hoon the crap out of it. These little cars are so much fun. I have a huge grin on my face when driving mine.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 08/24/2016 at 16:16

0

The reliability is really about the same between the 2 different versions. The S just adds complexity and more things to potentially go wrong with the supercharger system (or turbocharger in later cars) put is not really more prone to issues compared to a non S. It also lacks a spare tire meaning that you either have to use runflats or risk being stranded by a flat.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > carzcarzcarz 08/24/2016 at 16:24

0

I don’t know what issues you are speaking of with the headlights being mounted in the hood. The reason they have not been mounted in the hood since the R50/R52/R53 is because there is a law stating that the headlights must be fixed in relation to the vehicle. This means that you can’t attach them to a movable panel such as the hood and why they now poke though the hood instead.

carzcarzcarz > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 08/24/2016 at 16:27

0

Didn’t know about the law, but knew my friend was always having trouble with her lights, and heard about others on forums.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > carzcarzcarz 08/24/2016 at 16:35

0

I know there were issues with the standard halogens and their connectors, though mine was upgraded to the xenon’s by the PO.

RyanFrew > CodyVella 09/10/2016 at 01:28

0

Hey! ‘89 944 NA and ‘05 Mini Cooper S owner here!

Did you get all the info you needed? Tread carefully with that assumption that the 944 is harder to work on than the Mini. I have had varying experiences. Replacing the timing belt on the 944 doesn’t require lifting the entire engine off of its mounts, for example...

CodyVella > RyanFrew 09/10/2016 at 01:35

0

Haha, I was mostly alluding to the nightmarish electrical system on the early 944s. My ‘84 has tried to burn itself to the ground on several occasions. Most recently, the headlight motor melted the relay into a blob. The fire extinguisher on the passenger floor isn’t just for looks (It’s been used). Also, ceramic fuses are a pain.

Ultimately, she decided on a red 2007 Honda Fit 5spd.