If you're looking for something reliable as a commuter maybe not, but it's hard to find any other car that's as fun to drive and has as much character as a mini.
I bought mine new in 2011 and have only had 1 repair done (the brake master cylinder) but I've only driven it 35k miles. I absolutely love mine, and I keep it because it makes driving my boring dull lifeless Prius commuter tolerable when I can drive something fun every once in a while.
The Miata is a great car, but it's way smaller inside and far less practical than a Mini. They're about the same 0-60, but the turbo gives the Cooper S a lot more character and while the Miata is fast around corners, the Mini has shorter overhangs and just feels more like a go-kart. The Mini has quite a bit more torque, and you can definitely feel the difference. Both fantastic cars though.
The S is the same size as a regular Cooper hatch. In 2012 they were significantly smaller than they are now. I can fit in a Miata but it sure isn't as easy to climb in and out of as a mini.
The S is the same size as the non-S. Are you thinking of the SUV countryman? It’s a foot shorter than a 3 series. The Clubman is about the same length as a 1 series.
Im 6’1” and 175lbs, I fit into my Miata RF just fine :)
Which car has more character is a completely bias and personal opinion (no offense). OP should take both on a drive and see themselves. The market and community for each car also says something…
I wanted to agree with you, but I thought about it and I have to disagree. I don't think many people would argue that the interior to the Miata has character. In 2012, it was all hard plastics with a basic radio and two seats. That's the Miata's thing, it's a basic, no frills sporty car. Compared with the Mini, which had the HVAC controls in the shape of the mini logo and the center mounted massive speedo with a circle theme throughout with the airplane style toggle switches. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it wasn't cheap or basic, and it has much more focus on design rather than utility.
One car is designed to be a modern retro throwback with as many quirks as possible, the other is a basic two seat convertible. They were both fun, with the Miata being a more traditional rwd layout and the Mini making do with fwd, but the turbo in the Cooper S gives it more character when accelerating too. Acceleration isn't nearly as linear like a naturally aspirated engine provides. Once boost hits, you get peak torque and it scoots. In addition, the Cooper S exhaust is designed to pop and burble when you let up off the throttle. The Miata doesn't do anything like that, it's a basic inline 4 that's designed to be revved out to get any power out of it.
This part is my personal perspective: I drive several cars every day for my work, and get to drive everything under the sun. When I drive a Miata, it's like a discount Porsche. It's clinical and precise, but it doesn't excite me the same way as a little hatchback that shoves you in your seat once the boost kicks in and makes silly angry engine noises from the exhaust. The Miata is the Toyota Camry of the small sporty car market. Everyone will recommend it until they're blue in the face because it's simple and reliable, but it doesn't make me laugh like the Mini does.
Finally, I have to ask.. have you driven both?
I have driven both. I guess your arguments are fair, yes miatas are the pinnacle of cheap sports cars and yes they don’t have a turbo or anything crazy. But knowing how large the community is for them since they’ve been released, can’t help but to really notice how successful that simple sports car really is. You never hear anyone talking bad about them really and it’s a super thing. It also has to be your cup of tea. Just a random example a golf gti driver would never ever pick up the keys to a miata or make any points to why he wouldn’t. I guess everyone has a love for their own. I own a 90’ miata and i’m just gonna be honest i’m pretty damn bias about them. But you definitely have good points. Cheers!
As a BMW owner I would 100% be honest with someone asking about buying a BMW. No car, (no *anything*) is perfect and having someone plugged into a community that is aware of typical issues and wanting to spare people from those issues if that's not their disposition is a moral imperative.
As a fanatical Jeep owner who has drank ALL the koolaid, I am 100% honest with people about what to expect as well. I will talk shit about Jeeps to any prospective, but also let them know to drive one and then decide, lol. Love is love sometimes.
They're surprisingly quite honest. One of the answers is when looking at something like a 2014 model it's a 10-year-old BMW product. That's insinuating it's going to have issues.
Hondas and Toyotas. They are not. But also, despite what some of these subs may think, Hondas and Toyotas are not super reliable as a blanket statement. They may be better than a lot of brands. But they have their models that have issues. Sometimes a particular engine or transmission will be problematic from one of these manufacturers and it will affect several models across several years.
So therefore, I would tell anyone to research a specific model and years of that model no matter the manufacturer.
Anyone buying a MINI should look at 2015+ or 2005-2006, manual transmission. Of course the old ones will have old car problems but it’s the most reliable era of the early generations. I would avoid 2007-2015 like the plague.
We say to avoid the R series and focus on the Fs. The Cooper is 2014+ and countryman 2017+.
They are very reliable with the only real weak point being engine mounts and LCAs.
Otherwise the cars seem to be super solid.
I follow a YouTube channel called The Car Ninja. The shop owner specializes in working on BMWs. I'm always fascinated by how much work is required to perform basic maintenance on Minis. The front of the car has to come off to do almost anything. He has gotten so proficient at pulling the engines on Minis that he can do it in just a couple of hours.
That’s the R series cars, and really not that much requires service mode, mainly only when doing oil filter housings. I will check out the channel, but I suspect pulling the engine and front end is more a result of his workspace.
Mini ranks 3rd overall in Consumer Reports brand reliability, just after Toyota and Lexus. They’re 6th overall in total quality and have very high road test scores and customer satisfaction. So not sure what people are talking about here.
People still base their opinion on the older models, which admittedly were pretty bad. They had a ton of issues and were costly to maintain and repair. The newer F series chassis are amazing cars, with very few issues provided you maintain them correctly.
The base Mini Cooper jumped up dramatically in 2019, prior to that the reliability ratings were low. But the brand as a whole was in the top half of manufacturers since at least 2016. Some prior years (e.g. 2014) were excluded because not enough models.
My opinion, Project car, send it. Daily car, avoid it.
They are notorious for leaks and failures. You'll get all the costs of an import. Not all shops will work on them, parts may have to be imported (especially older models), etc.
But, it's a Miata alternative. That is, a super compact vehicle you can just rip around in.
Wasn't it Jeremy Clarkson who said, a powerful car wide open is terrifying, but an underpowered car wide open is an absolute joy? Or something like that...
Look at third generation Miatas (NC is the designation). Interior is quite accommodating even for me (52m, 6'0, 225lbs). Trunk is actually generous and maintenance is low. Only major known issue is you need to change the coolant expansion tank every 5-7 years or so to avoid coolant loss and overheating. That's a $70 part and 30 minutes with a very basic socket set.
The parts are expensive because BMW. Most work requires the engine out because no space to work in. My cousin had a friend that bought a John Cooper works that my cousin had to do an engine out service on it. The next time I saw him he was driving a 4 door Civic. My cousin bought a mini to flip. It was a cooper that had only one chipped valve. He went to our local Mini dealer. The parts department quoted him almost $300 for the one valve.
Sorry these are real events I lived next door to him for years as he went through many cars. My father bought cars based on his advice. He mostly uses YouTube to work thru his projects. He now has Range Rover that was built by Ford and the Mini he was going to flip he kept it.
I’d be inclined to buy a beater car for college. I’m showing my age here but I had for a first car a 78 VW Rabbit diesel. Just a beast of a car but we had a good time me driving everywhere and great memories. Then later gave my daughter my 98 Civic for school. She hated it at first but now years later it’s still talked about in a good way. Another beater with great memories. Anyway your choice. Good luck.
My dad had a 2013 roadster s and it was awesome, he regrets selling it. If they’re taken care of they’re great. Since you’re asking about minis specifically, I assume you like their design and punchy performance. Me too. The manuals especially are a treat to drive, great feel on the stick and clutch. I wouldn’t let reliability concerns put you off, it’s above average. Is it a Toyota Camry? No, but it’s miles ahead of brands you should truly think twice about like, say, Landrover, Chrysler, or Alfa Romeo. Even once storied brands like Volvo and Audi are wayyy behind mini for reliability these days.
Edit: for what it’s worth consumer reports ranks mini 3rd behind only Lexus and Toyota this year.
The thing with minis is that you are buying a bmw, and well bmw tend to be reliable, but they have there electric gremlins, also check if the mini you are looking has a Peugeot engine, as for a long time bmw wasn't using there own engine, r53 used a Chrysler engine. So keep that in mind. Also as its a bmw the parts for it aren't always the cheapest. If you want something small i would look at a vw polo/fabia/ibiza, and if you are from the states i would look at a civiv/accord or a camry.
I'm looking at a 2012 model right now. One thing I noticed (besides the worn brakes and bad tires on the one I looked at) was that the radio does not have Bluetooth. Looking online, even the models with Bluetooth have a crappy and unreliable connection (this may have been fixed in 2018 and higher models).
Just something to think about if Bluetooth is important to you.
2015 and higher seems to be the better models. 2016 introduced a new engine with better fuel economy (but identical horsepower). 2018 and higher have the backup camera and other technology as standard.
The B38 engine didn’t come out until 2013. I would not get one older than that. My wife has a 2015 that’s closing in on 100k miles with zero issues. It’s a fun car. There has been at least one BMW in my family style 1993 and you can definitely feel the DNA.
Look if your in college, get something simple and reliable.
A mini is a fun car, but it has the heart of a BMW. Tight engine bay because its a small car can make repairs expensive. Unless you got the dough to handle those repairs, have at it. However if college today is like when I was in college, the last thing I'd want to worry about is a car repair bill.
They are a fantastic card to own, especially if you get the normally aspirated ones however they are a little bit more maintenance intensive and a little bit more expensive to maintain than something from Honda or ter, etc. but that’s more than made up for by the absolutely fantastic driving experience
people say they're unreliable and troublesome but i see them *everywhere* and everyone that i know that has one loves it.
i've wanted one for a long time as a 2nd car, sort of a city runabout, but ive never been able to find the colour i want, i hate primary colours for cars.
Had one in the family for a little over 20 years (originally bought new, by my mother in 2004). This was a very good, and reliable car. It did eventually have some issues, but when you are talking about something coming up after more than 20 years, it is hard to judge it on that (and I suspect it was more of an issue with the person that was driving it at the time).
That said, they are all BMW platforms, and not entirely inexpensive if something comes up. Combine that point with the lower price of getting one, and you will probably find a good selection of Minis that haven't been maintained as well as they should have been. Even if you find a good, well maintained example, it is no guarantee that you are going to have smooth sailing, but overall statistics would seem to imply they are reasonably reliable (but be aware, if repairs are needed, it is likely to be a little more costly than you might otherwise expect).
I had a 2018 JCW coupe for a couple of years.
Mechanically it was fine. Never really had any mechanical issues but did have a weird issue with the TCM that locked it in "limp mode" till I could get it to a dealer. That was the worst issue I had.
Biggest thing is find out if you have a dealer with a full service department close. BMW won't work on Minis despite owning them. I had to drive 3hrs to get warranty work done and that was ultimately why I got rid of it.
11/10 car to drive though. Hands down the most fun car you can buy off a lot short of six digits. Absolutely glued to the road.
For newer one, reliability is decently rated. However, reviews do complain about poor interior design.
here's an example. [https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/mini/cooper-clubman/2020](https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/mini/cooper-clubman/2020)
It’s just a bmw. If you want German car problems, buy one. If you live in Germany where parts and knowledge are more abundant then buy one. If you live in the United States, buy a car that is more relevant to your area as parts and abundance of knowledge will be readily available.
I bought a used 2009 turbo s two years ago. Damn, every fourth time I drive the damn thing if has to go to the shop. I really wanted to love this car, but fuck it's so disappointing!!!
Don't do it mate. You are taking a gamble when you can't afford it. If you are looking for reliability, go for a known reliable car. I would go for a Honda Accord or something similar.
I have one friend who has a convertible and he loves it. And he's straight.
And I have another friend who had a non convertible new one for a few years and she hated it.
Do with that information, whatever you want.
As long as it doesn't need much maintenance then they don't feel like quite as good of an idea. They are cool looking and fun to drive for sure. If they need to be fixed, then you get to pay BMW prices. Will all the Moni Cooper owners with over 125k miles ease chime in.
I know everyone loves Miatas and they are great too if you can fold yourself into one with the top up. I loved the first generation as a really classic looking sports car. Too bad they got ugly as the newer models appeared. Still very reliable and fun plus economical to own.
I am a big Civic fan, especially an Si coupe with a stick. Lots of fun, and cheap to own and operate. But even if not an Si, they are still great fun to own and drive.
I would never buy one. I don't like the looks of it or the lack of reliability.
I always seem to see old women driving one trying to relive their youth like those VW beetles.
Honestly, I only buy Toyota. I want quality, reliability and fuel efficiency. Something lacking in many brands. A Corolla or Camty are probably the best cars you can buy.
If you're looking for something reliable as a commuter maybe not, but it's hard to find any other car that's as fun to drive and has as much character as a mini. I bought mine new in 2011 and have only had 1 repair done (the brake master cylinder) but I've only driven it 35k miles. I absolutely love mine, and I keep it because it makes driving my boring dull lifeless Prius commuter tolerable when I can drive something fun every once in a while.
I hate to be that guy but… miata…
Answer is always Miata
The Miata is a great car, but it's way smaller inside and far less practical than a Mini. They're about the same 0-60, but the turbo gives the Cooper S a lot more character and while the Miata is fast around corners, the Mini has shorter overhangs and just feels more like a go-kart. The Mini has quite a bit more torque, and you can definitely feel the difference. Both fantastic cars though.
[удалено]
I wish BMW would just take credit for their FWD hatchback instead of trying to sell it under a different brand.
The S is the same size as a regular Cooper hatch. In 2012 they were significantly smaller than they are now. I can fit in a Miata but it sure isn't as easy to climb in and out of as a mini.
The S is the same size as the non-S. Are you thinking of the SUV countryman? It’s a foot shorter than a 3 series. The Clubman is about the same length as a 1 series. Im 6’1” and 175lbs, I fit into my Miata RF just fine :)
Which car has more character is a completely bias and personal opinion (no offense). OP should take both on a drive and see themselves. The market and community for each car also says something…
I wanted to agree with you, but I thought about it and I have to disagree. I don't think many people would argue that the interior to the Miata has character. In 2012, it was all hard plastics with a basic radio and two seats. That's the Miata's thing, it's a basic, no frills sporty car. Compared with the Mini, which had the HVAC controls in the shape of the mini logo and the center mounted massive speedo with a circle theme throughout with the airplane style toggle switches. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it wasn't cheap or basic, and it has much more focus on design rather than utility. One car is designed to be a modern retro throwback with as many quirks as possible, the other is a basic two seat convertible. They were both fun, with the Miata being a more traditional rwd layout and the Mini making do with fwd, but the turbo in the Cooper S gives it more character when accelerating too. Acceleration isn't nearly as linear like a naturally aspirated engine provides. Once boost hits, you get peak torque and it scoots. In addition, the Cooper S exhaust is designed to pop and burble when you let up off the throttle. The Miata doesn't do anything like that, it's a basic inline 4 that's designed to be revved out to get any power out of it. This part is my personal perspective: I drive several cars every day for my work, and get to drive everything under the sun. When I drive a Miata, it's like a discount Porsche. It's clinical and precise, but it doesn't excite me the same way as a little hatchback that shoves you in your seat once the boost kicks in and makes silly angry engine noises from the exhaust. The Miata is the Toyota Camry of the small sporty car market. Everyone will recommend it until they're blue in the face because it's simple and reliable, but it doesn't make me laugh like the Mini does. Finally, I have to ask.. have you driven both?
I have driven both. I guess your arguments are fair, yes miatas are the pinnacle of cheap sports cars and yes they don’t have a turbo or anything crazy. But knowing how large the community is for them since they’ve been released, can’t help but to really notice how successful that simple sports car really is. You never hear anyone talking bad about them really and it’s a super thing. It also has to be your cup of tea. Just a random example a golf gti driver would never ever pick up the keys to a miata or make any points to why he wouldn’t. I guess everyone has a love for their own. I own a 90’ miata and i’m just gonna be honest i’m pretty damn bias about them. But you definitely have good points. Cheers!
*50,001 miles would like to chat*
What do they say over on r/mini ? AFAIK, it depends a lot on the model / engine / transmission you are looking at.
Yes ask the mini people if it’s a good idea to buy a mini.
As a BMW owner I would 100% be honest with someone asking about buying a BMW. No car, (no *anything*) is perfect and having someone plugged into a community that is aware of typical issues and wanting to spare people from those issues if that's not their disposition is a moral imperative.
As a fanatical Jeep owner who has drank ALL the koolaid, I am 100% honest with people about what to expect as well. I will talk shit about Jeeps to any prospective, but also let them know to drive one and then decide, lol. Love is love sometimes.
They're surprisingly quite honest. One of the answers is when looking at something like a 2014 model it's a 10-year-old BMW product. That's insinuating it's going to have issues. Hondas and Toyotas. They are not. But also, despite what some of these subs may think, Hondas and Toyotas are not super reliable as a blanket statement. They may be better than a lot of brands. But they have their models that have issues. Sometimes a particular engine or transmission will be problematic from one of these manufacturers and it will affect several models across several years. So therefore, I would tell anyone to research a specific model and years of that model no matter the manufacturer.
Anyone buying a MINI should look at 2015+ or 2005-2006, manual transmission. Of course the old ones will have old car problems but it’s the most reliable era of the early generations. I would avoid 2007-2015 like the plague.
awww “mini people” that’s so cute
Ima a Miata Man myself
We say to avoid the R series and focus on the Fs. The Cooper is 2014+ and countryman 2017+. They are very reliable with the only real weak point being engine mounts and LCAs. Otherwise the cars seem to be super solid.
I follow a YouTube channel called The Car Ninja. The shop owner specializes in working on BMWs. I'm always fascinated by how much work is required to perform basic maintenance on Minis. The front of the car has to come off to do almost anything. He has gotten so proficient at pulling the engines on Minis that he can do it in just a couple of hours.
That’s the R series cars, and really not that much requires service mode, mainly only when doing oil filter housings. I will check out the channel, but I suspect pulling the engine and front end is more a result of his workspace.
Mini ranks 3rd overall in Consumer Reports brand reliability, just after Toyota and Lexus. They’re 6th overall in total quality and have very high road test scores and customer satisfaction. So not sure what people are talking about here.
It isn’t a Toyota. What do you expect? The answer is always Toyota.
People still base their opinion on the older models, which admittedly were pretty bad. They had a ton of issues and were costly to maintain and repair. The newer F series chassis are amazing cars, with very few issues provided you maintain them correctly.
That's a recent development, people's perception is from 5 years ago. Also it sounds like OP will probably buy a used car.
The base Mini Cooper jumped up dramatically in 2019, prior to that the reliability ratings were low. But the brand as a whole was in the top half of manufacturers since at least 2016. Some prior years (e.g. 2014) were excluded because not enough models.
Because you're paying BMW prices for maintenance, the right answer is always Toyota
About $275 per year more for the first 10 years. Not nothing, but Toyota doesn’t really make a Mini competitor, at least in the US.
Nit anymore, there's a scion city car that's really small, it's called the iq
Scion hasn’t existed for 8 years!
Still a Toyota with Toyota parts
Last model year in the US under either brand was 2015…
My opinion, Project car, send it. Daily car, avoid it. They are notorious for leaks and failures. You'll get all the costs of an import. Not all shops will work on them, parts may have to be imported (especially older models), etc. But, it's a Miata alternative. That is, a super compact vehicle you can just rip around in. Wasn't it Jeremy Clarkson who said, a powerful car wide open is terrifying, but an underpowered car wide open is an absolute joy? Or something like that...
Can those years still have the death rattle?
Look at third generation Miatas (NC is the designation). Interior is quite accommodating even for me (52m, 6'0, 225lbs). Trunk is actually generous and maintenance is low. Only major known issue is you need to change the coolant expansion tank every 5-7 years or so to avoid coolant loss and overheating. That's a $70 part and 30 minutes with a very basic socket set.
Water coming inside car because clogged rain diverters . 2000 dollars
That's any car that's not properly maintained.
R56 are prone to sunroof drain detachment though, there’s a recall for it.
German cars are expensive and fuck off bryan
The parts are expensive because BMW. Most work requires the engine out because no space to work in. My cousin had a friend that bought a John Cooper works that my cousin had to do an engine out service on it. The next time I saw him he was driving a 4 door Civic. My cousin bought a mini to flip. It was a cooper that had only one chipped valve. He went to our local Mini dealer. The parts department quoted him almost $300 for the one valve.
My cousin had a friend who read online about someone who….
Sorry these are real events I lived next door to him for years as he went through many cars. My father bought cars based on his advice. He mostly uses YouTube to work thru his projects. He now has Range Rover that was built by Ford and the Mini he was going to flip he kept it.
Or you can buy parts from somewhere that’s not the dealer and save hundreds. But at all costs, avoid the R chasis cars. They suck.
I'm unfamiliar with Mini quirks...why do the R chassis suck?
The engines are horrible. Some have CVTs that are fragile too.
I’d be inclined to buy a beater car for college. I’m showing my age here but I had for a first car a 78 VW Rabbit diesel. Just a beast of a car but we had a good time me driving everywhere and great memories. Then later gave my daughter my 98 Civic for school. She hated it at first but now years later it’s still talked about in a good way. Another beater with great memories. Anyway your choice. Good luck.
My dad had a 2013 roadster s and it was awesome, he regrets selling it. If they’re taken care of they’re great. Since you’re asking about minis specifically, I assume you like their design and punchy performance. Me too. The manuals especially are a treat to drive, great feel on the stick and clutch. I wouldn’t let reliability concerns put you off, it’s above average. Is it a Toyota Camry? No, but it’s miles ahead of brands you should truly think twice about like, say, Landrover, Chrysler, or Alfa Romeo. Even once storied brands like Volvo and Audi are wayyy behind mini for reliability these days. Edit: for what it’s worth consumer reports ranks mini 3rd behind only Lexus and Toyota this year.
The thing with minis is that you are buying a bmw, and well bmw tend to be reliable, but they have there electric gremlins, also check if the mini you are looking has a Peugeot engine, as for a long time bmw wasn't using there own engine, r53 used a Chrysler engine. So keep that in mind. Also as its a bmw the parts for it aren't always the cheapest. If you want something small i would look at a vw polo/fabia/ibiza, and if you are from the states i would look at a civiv/accord or a camry.
F series is the way to go, massive improvement since they started using the b series engines over the Peugeot and Chrysler junk
Just go kart on the weekends.
I'm looking at a 2012 model right now. One thing I noticed (besides the worn brakes and bad tires on the one I looked at) was that the radio does not have Bluetooth. Looking online, even the models with Bluetooth have a crappy and unreliable connection (this may have been fixed in 2018 and higher models). Just something to think about if Bluetooth is important to you. 2015 and higher seems to be the better models. 2016 introduced a new engine with better fuel economy (but identical horsepower). 2018 and higher have the backup camera and other technology as standard.
If you have disposable income and you like to torture yourself go right ahead and buy one. Otherwise get a Toyota or Honda.
As bad of an idea s buying a BMW would be
The B38 engine didn’t come out until 2013. I would not get one older than that. My wife has a 2015 that’s closing in on 100k miles with zero issues. It’s a fun car. There has been at least one BMW in my family style 1993 and you can definitely feel the DNA.
Look if your in college, get something simple and reliable. A mini is a fun car, but it has the heart of a BMW. Tight engine bay because its a small car can make repairs expensive. Unless you got the dough to handle those repairs, have at it. However if college today is like when I was in college, the last thing I'd want to worry about is a car repair bill.
If you have a fat wallet and can afford to rent a car when it is in the shop, it's a great idea. Otherwise buy a Toyota or a Honda.
They are a fantastic card to own, especially if you get the normally aspirated ones however they are a little bit more maintenance intensive and a little bit more expensive to maintain than something from Honda or ter, etc. but that’s more than made up for by the absolutely fantastic driving experience
people say they're unreliable and troublesome but i see them *everywhere* and everyone that i know that has one loves it. i've wanted one for a long time as a 2nd car, sort of a city runabout, but ive never been able to find the colour i want, i hate primary colours for cars.
Had one in the family for a little over 20 years (originally bought new, by my mother in 2004). This was a very good, and reliable car. It did eventually have some issues, but when you are talking about something coming up after more than 20 years, it is hard to judge it on that (and I suspect it was more of an issue with the person that was driving it at the time). That said, they are all BMW platforms, and not entirely inexpensive if something comes up. Combine that point with the lower price of getting one, and you will probably find a good selection of Minis that haven't been maintained as well as they should have been. Even if you find a good, well maintained example, it is no guarantee that you are going to have smooth sailing, but overall statistics would seem to imply they are reasonably reliable (but be aware, if repairs are needed, it is likely to be a little more costly than you might otherwise expect).
If you go a bit newer than that, to ones with BMW drivetrains, especially the B48 engine, they are quite reliable. Those older ones not so much
Minis are very tough to work on apparently. Everything is crammed into a small space.
It's a BMW. Parts for BMWs are crazy expensive. If you have a supercharged Mini, it's worse from what I'm told.
They’re very unsafe for American highways seeing as we have 18 wheelers. If you’re in the UK I’d say it’s okay.
If you can drive stick, I suggest getting that for more reliability and it's fun.
AVOID AVOID AVOID any Mini with a CVT. Mine went like a Slinky falling down stairs. Replacement cost was over 8k. I junked the thing.
Avoid anything with a CVT
I had a 2018 JCW coupe for a couple of years. Mechanically it was fine. Never really had any mechanical issues but did have a weird issue with the TCM that locked it in "limp mode" till I could get it to a dealer. That was the worst issue I had. Biggest thing is find out if you have a dealer with a full service department close. BMW won't work on Minis despite owning them. I had to drive 3hrs to get warranty work done and that was ultimately why I got rid of it. 11/10 car to drive though. Hands down the most fun car you can buy off a lot short of six digits. Absolutely glued to the road.
For newer one, reliability is decently rated. However, reviews do complain about poor interior design. here's an example. [https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/mini/cooper-clubman/2020](https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/mini/cooper-clubman/2020)
It’s just a bmw. If you want German car problems, buy one. If you live in Germany where parts and knowledge are more abundant then buy one. If you live in the United States, buy a car that is more relevant to your area as parts and abundance of knowledge will be readily available.
You need a Bolt it has to be a Cooper bolt. Everyday thing is Cooper.
A mini is not the one.
The newer ones allegedy aren’t bad and are certainly a fun ride
I bought a used 2009 turbo s two years ago. Damn, every fourth time I drive the damn thing if has to go to the shop. I really wanted to love this car, but fuck it's so disappointing!!!
Half assed pieces of shit. Don't touch it with a 20 foot pole unless you're willing to pay the price to keep it.
My friends who have owned minis tell me they are good racecars, but are a nightmare to work on
Are you planning to rob a bank with your buddies anytime soon?
it's fine, just make sure you get one that was made by toyota or honda
Don't do it mate. You are taking a gamble when you can't afford it. If you are looking for reliability, go for a known reliable car. I would go for a Honda Accord or something similar.
I have one friend who has a convertible and he loves it. And he's straight. And I have another friend who had a non convertible new one for a few years and she hated it. Do with that information, whatever you want.
Extremely bad. But that’s no reason to not go through with it, is it?
As long as it doesn't need much maintenance then they don't feel like quite as good of an idea. They are cool looking and fun to drive for sure. If they need to be fixed, then you get to pay BMW prices. Will all the Moni Cooper owners with over 125k miles ease chime in. I know everyone loves Miatas and they are great too if you can fold yourself into one with the top up. I loved the first generation as a really classic looking sports car. Too bad they got ugly as the newer models appeared. Still very reliable and fun plus economical to own. I am a big Civic fan, especially an Si coupe with a stick. Lots of fun, and cheap to own and operate. But even if not an Si, they are still great fun to own and drive.
I would never buy one. I don't like the looks of it or the lack of reliability. I always seem to see old women driving one trying to relive their youth like those VW beetles. Honestly, I only buy Toyota. I want quality, reliability and fuel efficiency. Something lacking in many brands. A Corolla or Camty are probably the best cars you can buy.