I am looking into buying a new car and was loking at the Mini.
I have read a few reviews online and was impressed at what people had to say. They seem to be very reliable, which is what i want, and the gas mileage is good.
Now, I was wondering if any of you, or anybody in your family has ever had a Mini, and if you could tell me what sort of things to be looking for/what to expect.
Thanks,
Cal
i know they are roomier than a S13… which surprised me.
Alot of people that I have spoken to, including my coach, say that the Mini Cooper is a really fun driver. And he is more of a performance enthusiast then anything else when it comes to cars, so I tend to trust him.
Plus they look super-sickwickedcool!
girls love the mini cooper
that is all i know
if your going to get it at least get the cooper s so u can hear that charger wine. its so fun idrive them all the time at my work. love em. the only one thing i dont like is the radio controls
the new mini Cooper S has a tiny little turbo instead of the super charger
A guys at work has a mini and he loves it. His only complaint is the centre mounted Speedo but other then that he has had 0 issues with it in the last 2 years.
Guess the new ones have gotten a lot better.
My old boss had one of the first run Cooper S. He HATED it. It was constantly in the shop for a serious fuel mix problem. His back bumper was always soot covered, bad gas mileage, fuel smell, etc. It was a constant battle. BMW was unable to figure it out for him, and this went on for almost 2 years.He also said it wouldn’t stand a chance out accelerating ANYTHING. He used to complain all the time about not being able to pass “kids with gutter piped Hondas”. Then again, it is a Neon engine.
He bought an Elise and has been happy as a clam ever since.
He used to road race REAL Coopers in the UK, and did for years before moving to open wheel cars. That was why he bought the new one. Honestly he had nothing but bad things to say about it, especially when comparing it to the old Austins.
the pre 04 cars were hit and miss when it came to durrability and longevity.
after 04 they sorted everything out and its rather rare to hear of problems with them.
my family has had 4 of them now
02 cooper
03 cooper s
04 cooper
06 cooper
02 was a bit of a pain right at the start but after sticking with them and now owning an 06 its like night and day.
the 06 is amazing. Well ballanced, easy to drive, excellent on gas. The 06 comes with the getrag gearbox, which is sooo much better than all previous versions of it.
Also with the sport tuned suspension ( which nearly all coopers came with ) its surprisingly entertaining to drive.
The downside to it is that without a few mods… its slow as FUCK.
so far ive installed the kn intake on my 06 and it improved the throttle responce and gave me about 30km extra per tank. I still have to install the catback and am debating the headers as well as the ecu retune.
those all combined should make for a far more peppy version of the car.
they arent CHEAP… thats the only downside. 460 a month on a lease, but the insurance is peanuts. i pay 171 a month ful coverage.
GT
You went from a 240sx to a Subaru to a Mini?
Switching teams already :greddy:
Yeah, I had a feeling Cal was not as straight as his exhaust was.
I had a Cooper S with the John Cooper Works performance package… it was fast as fuck but I would never touch one again.
Care to elaborate as to why you would not touch one again?
Also, I would never consider a Mini fast.
And I don’t want an S.
With the John Cooper package, I guarantee it would beat your SR.
Personally I though I had a lemon, but 3 of my other friends with Mini’s (1 with an S, the others with just a Mini) experienced similar issues, this all happened in a 9 month span where after I became fed up and got rid of the car.
Power steering failed, gearbox failed, clutch broke twice, Airbag light permanently on due to faulty seat connector, fuel pump pressure low, gear selection cable failed, Stutters on pull off in first/intermittent stalling from the beginning, both front seats replaced twice due first to them collapsing and then to hopeless attempts to re-fit new ones, steering column replaced twice, new battery box and fuse box covers, drivers door trim replaced, scratched centre console on delivery, rattling dash, broken heater - not connected on delivery, windsheild replaced 3 times due to poor fitment, drivers seat leaning to the left, head lamp washers stopped working. This was all before the car hit 18000 KM.
I hated wasting time at BMW dealerships, and the ridiculous cost of labour! The technicians at Porsche don’t charge as much as the BMW guys!
that’s it… so when you get the car, enjoy it, lol…
Haha… aww Lith! It’s not that bad.
you musta got a lemon… those problems are brutal… and most were fixed for the 05 and up ones… ie the PS, gearbox etc…
too bad… even on the mini boards ive never heard a person run into that many problems.
GT
you friend… are an idiot.
fad… i think not. look at sales figures and such… and the continuous improvment made to the cars because of LOVING feedback made by owners who wish to purchase a second one.
large car… my 6 foot 7 250 lb father fits NO problem into our cars.
im a guy, who likes girls, whos had gf’s, and would gladly shoot a hippie.
yes wrong wheel drive… but its still a non understeering, snappy little car thats an absolute blast to drive around a track.
overpriced i agree with… but thats cus its a bmw at heart.
i wouldnt say ugly… im hoping my car will change your mind… i personally dont think its ugly? i think its… darth vader.
woot?
yes woot.
GT
Cal,
I have a Zipcar membership which lets me drive Mini’s that are located all over town.
If you ever want to take one for a real “beat-the-piss-out-of-it” test-drive let me know.
Hehehehe … well, you HAD a Zipcar membership until now
I’ve seen new Minis doing quite well in Touring classes. Some owners swear by them.
Then again, there’s still more old Coopers being flogged.
It’s a BMW. But thankfully the motor was sourced from a cheap North American source, so it won’t be nearly as german-overengineered.
If they have indeed fixed the earlier generations problems, all the better. but really, if you’re not buying an S, why bother? A Rabbit is also a small slow car, it just doesn’t cost as much.
If you’re planning to buy something new, it really doesn’t matter. It will have a warranty.
You’re right, with the S I can be faster than the mini next to me in traffic on the 401.
I am not buying new, my pockets aren’t that deep. I am looking to spend in the 15-16000 range before taxes. I am looking at an 02 Launch Edition from The Collection which has 99093 km and is going for 14900. I talked to the dealer there, Brian Luong, and he seems like a cool guy, but I don’t know about the dealership itself…for one they share a building, or are next door to a Maaco…
Anybody know if the dealership is legit?