Hello everyone,

I am nineteen years old and I currently drive an old beat up Ford Explorer and I am now looking to buy a car and I really want a Mini! Problem is, my dad is very adamant that they are "hard to work on" I'm not even really sure what he means by this, but can anyone give me some feedback on this. Are mini's hard to repair (not that a mini would need near as much repair as my crappy explorer!!!) and does my dad need "special tools" to work on it? Or are parts harder to find/ more expensive? Help me convince him!

Thank you!

 

Standard maintenance items are pretty easy to do on the MINI. Like any small front wheel drive car, some major service parts can be a bear to get to (like the water pump). Fortunately, most water pumps last over 100K without a problem. There are a number of special tools for servicing parts that require replacement, but maintenance items are pretty straight forward. There are a couple of good service manuals for the MINI too, and I know of a number of drivers (many right here on NAM) who perform their own maintenance to save cost, because some parts can be quite expensive and BMW labor rates are even higher.

As a general rule of thumb, any Euro car is going to have a higher cost of ownership than a domestic or Asian brand. MINI's are pretty reliable cars for the most part, but like any Euro car, they are not as bulletproof as let's say a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. On the other hand, it is an extremely rewarding and fun car to own. If you and your dad are handy with tools, you should not be afraid to service a MINI.

I would be more concerned with buying a high-mileage MINI that has not been properly maintained. Do yourself a favor and educate yourself about things to be aware of here: http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

In general, the standard Cooper has less maintenance and service issues than the S model. I would recommend the standard Cooper for this reason alone, especially if you are on a tight budget. You only lose a little speed, but the non-S Cooper is still big on fun, handling, decent performance and cost of ownership.

By the way, there's a number of MINIs for sell right here on NAM's marketplace. Check it out: https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/marketplace/

The best way to convince your dad is to let him drive one. A single drive has changed many people's negative perception of such a small car. MINI's like to be driven hard. It has an extremely solid road feel even at high speed with nimble handling, making it seem much bigger than it is when driving.