I've always admired Minis. Had 5 kids so never even considered owning one then, but now they're all on their own and I'm on the verge of retirement. So I've recently been thinking about it.
I've been lurking around here for the last couple weeks and reading what I can about Minis. I don't know anyone who has one, but reading about them is kind of scaring me a little because it seems to me (from reading this forum) you need to be a backyard mechanic (which I'm not). Also the added expense compared to other cars such as premium gas, higher insurance, & maintenance costs.
On the website of a local Mini dealer they advertise a managers special oil change for just $69.95. I've never paid more than $30 for an oil change!
If I would get a Mini I would like to get a '07 or later S with manual trans. and low mileage of course.
So if you all could convince me go right ahead. I'd really love to have one.
Besides our 2010 Honda Accord, I drive a 95 Camry with 178K miles to work only 10 miles away. If I had a Mini, I'm sure I'd drive a lot more miles playing than driving to work. We've got some awesome winding mountain roads close by.

 

Nope, they will not be as reliable as your Honda, or Toyota. Yep, they do sometimes require more maintenance. But your last two sentences capture the reason for driving one. They are fun cars to drive, especially along winding mountain roads. Plus the oil changes ARE more expensive, but with synthetic oil you can easily change the oil once in the same time period that you will change the oil twice in a regular car. You can also minimize costs by finding a good, local independent mechanic. Before you let too many people talk you into or out of owning a MINI I would recommend that you find one locally and take it for a drive. It doesn't matter what others will say good or bad about the car if you don't like the way it drives then you will not want to buy one.

 

All cars have their inherent issues, and at the end of the day, they are machines and machines sometimes have problems. Are you saying you have never had a problem with the Camry? I would certainly HOPE you haven't with a '10 Honda. The same can be said for any car, really. One thing I can offer as far as the engine, the bock is rock solid(imo), with standard maintenance, it should last along time and treat you very well. Issues with external parts, well, those are just things at sometimes need to get fixed, but once again, that can be said about ANY car/make/model. Being a shade tree mechanic is not a prerequisite to owning a MINI, and to imply so seems a little laughable.

I can guarantee you will get more smiles per gallon in a MINI than you would ever get in an Accord, or Camry. Gas prices are coming down, ever so slightly, but the cost between regular and high octane is still pennies.

I am not sure about the high insurance as I pay $91 a month, and that, to me, is really good. Sure, you can get higher costing/less costing plans and coverage, but that ball is all in your court.

You have had 5 kids, raised them, and they are leaving the nest. . .why the hell NOT treat your self to something YOU want? It's not like you are going out and getting a Ferrari or something. MINIS are super fun. . .no, GREAT FUN! Just go drive one. We can tell you a million and six reasons get one, just as I am sure there are people/places that can tell you a million and six reasons not to get one. Build your own opinion, but I can say, I fell in love at first drive. There is a MINI out there to fit any budget, give it a go, what do you have to loose?

Not to mention, the great MINI community and awesome sub-culture. There is a great sense of camaraderie. There is PLENTY of online support if issues were to pop up, and if you were to go buy one, I am SURE that it would have a warranty, right? SO you would be covered for "X" amount of time/miles, right? What do you have to loose?

I am sure there are TONS of threads to read up on, but here is a recent one to check out:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...your-mini.html

 

Congratulations on your approaching retirement and your family. I am retired and my kids (all two of them) have left the nest as well. Unlike you, however, I did not wait until recently to buy a MINI.

I always loved the idea of the original MINI but I never took the leap, probably because of its lack of availability and practicality. When it was announce that BMW had purchased MINI and would be bringing out a new, somewhat larger and more practical version, I jumped at the chance to own one. I put down a deposit in 2001 and picked up my MCS in 2002. I loved it.

Three months ago, I sold it and ordered a new MC Clubman S. Boy do I love it. It's better in virtually every conceivable way than my original. Better handling, more power, safer, and on and on. And the fun!

So, it's not an extremely reliable Japanese car. That's simply a trade-off. You give up a little reliability and get an incredible driving machine in the process. Yes, it's somewhat more costly to service, but that comes with the territory. When I go to the dealer, I always feel like they treat me as if I were a BMW owner, not the owner of it's little brother/sister.

So, take the leap and don't look back. No regrets. Great fun!! Enjoy.

 

Get a brandy new one! MINI is always running some promotion. That would be the most effective way to minimize reliability issues. And you could youify it.

 

Btw, I've had virturally no issues with mine. And I have a cabrio...

 

Welcome to NAM, Geebob.

I think I understand the feeling, and there's only one way to get it out of your system. Fortunately for you, there are two MINI dealers nearby, so you should have plenty of new or used choices to scratch that itch with. MINIs certainly don't have the attractive reliability records that Hondas and Toyotas do, but then those won't scratch the MINI itch either.

My wife and I are both retired, and it was she that got the MINI itch (again) a few years ago (we had a '64 Austin Mini Cooper S back in the early '70s). She bought a used CPO '06 MC with eyes wide open regarding reliability, and has no regrets. She's off to a dog show this weekend, so I'll be out motoring the MINI today.

 

I got mine in May 2010, the only time it was in the dealer's service bay was for it's free annual oil change. it has been a very reliable car.

Dave

 

good point. free oil changes on new ones.

 

My family has had at least 6 Jaguars....If you want to see unreliable, look no further than our UK partners. I've never heard of anyone I personally know have problems with their MINI's. Always seems to be people who just feel the need to complain about something who are saying MINI's are unreliable. Then again, Toyota, with their stunning reliability, had that little problem where their accelerators got stuck and caused a bunch of accidents. No car is perfect. All cars have problems.

And if you are really worried, MINI has a 3 year 36,000 no cost warrenty for most of the problem areas you would think of (at least that's what I believe is listed on the website). So buying a new one might be the best option for your piece of mind.

MINI's are by far the most fun car I have ever driven, and everyone I know who has driven one, walks away smiling. Especially if you are looking to retire soon, there is nothing better than to have a MINI at your disposal to have fun with since the kids are now gone. So I say, absolutely go for it.

 

There are how many thousands of MINIs running loose that you never hear about and how many tens of complainers that you always hear about? Making a buying decision based on what is read in any forum is basically an uninformed decision. If there was an anvil forum you'd only hear about the handful of complaints.

Get a MINI, take super good care of it, keep it bright and shiney inside and out at all times and enjoy the heck out of it for what it is.

Some handy resources besides woe is me forums: soopercooperinfo.com and motorcycleroads.us/index.html

So many curves, so little time...

 

I just got mine and I'm loving it! Totally worth it!

 

To be fair to Toyota, much of their acceleration problem was driver error.

 

So are you saying Mini's all use synthetic oil and that's the reason for the higher price?

 

Yes, MINIs use synthetic oil, which is generally more expensive than regular oil (I say generally b/c as soon as I say it is always more expensive, someone will pipe in with a deal they found that was cheaper than regular oil). On top of that, MINI specifies use of synthetic oils that meet certain standards above and beyond standard synthetic. So that is going to drive up the cost a bit as well.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that, that explains the pricey oil change. How many miles do they recommend for a change?

 

of course people find better deals but does it make sense to use inferior products that can potentially damage the engine? I think not. To do the oil change myself would cost me (4 quarts @ 7 ea have to use a synthetic oil designed for european engines) then there is the filter @ 12) So it's $40 for just parts. I will not go 15K miles between oil changes. so I will have the dealer change it every 15k but I will have it changed every 7500 miles. I might change it myself or ?????? As far as the MINI not being reliable. It's all a matter of opinion. compared to what? a VW? a Jaguar, or??? Japanese cars are of a different genre, none of them drive like a MINI. Reliability also depends on how you take care of it. Youl also need to break it in properly.

 

To be honest, I would just spend the little extra on a new MINI. The piece of mind of the warranty is worth it alone. Also, the 4 year/50,000 miles you get under warranty is plenty enough to figure out if you car is worth holding on to. My insurance went down, but i did go from a Jeep Rubicon to the MINI. Maintenance will be taken care of for the for 3 years/36k miles and then its on you. Yes, I might be a little more than a toyota but the car is on a whole different level than ANY toyotas. You will have to use high grade fuel but then again, its just part of the ownership experience. It does have a turbo and basically ALL turbo's benefit from the higher octane. if your interested, I say do it. You have worked long and hard so now is the time to do something for yourself.....

 

For the 2nd gen MINIs, the onboard computer (OBC) will calculate the oil change interval. I believe it starts out at a base of 15,000 miles and will then adjust accordingly based on driving/usage. It can go up to 20,000+. That is for normal usage. For severe/heavy duty driving (which would include lots of short trips), that should probably be adjusted down.

This is why one of the specs for the oil is the LL-01 for long life if you are going to follow the extended interval.

 

Jcauseyfd,

. Good point(s). My driving will probably let me go 10k if I can get it through my thick skull. I have been driving Saturns for the past 4 years and have changed my oil when the OBC told me. usually 7k miles.

 

The first generation MINI's will count down the mileage for your oil change also. I usually go about 5K miles before changing mine but I am lucky if I drive the car 10K miles a year. For me the oil is changed as much for age as it is for mileage. I also have a local factory trained BMW mechanic who changes my oil for about $40. He does not check any fluids, or fill the wiper fluid, etc., but he does do a quick reasonable job at a fair price. Sometimes you have to search for those mechanics but they are out there.

 

This isn't a jab at anyone...but everyone should know how to change their own oil. It's very easy, and knowing how to do it can save you a good amount of money and hassle. It's one of those things like changing a tire that everyone who owns a car should know how to do. It doesn't take long to do, you'd have piece of mind knowing it was done right, and you don't have to work around a shops schedule.

but hey, that's just me.

 

It is difficult to get the real idea of realiability from a forum because many people on the forum are looking for answers to problems. Most of the people on the forum love their Mini and want to take the best care of it and understand all the options for a repair. In general we are not normal people. Normal people just take their car to a mechanic and it is fixed without them posting on a forum. The reason you see many problems is because so many people are on the forum, due to loving their Mini.

Yes, the Mini can be expensive to repair but so are most new cars. A friend just spent $1000 to have a timing belt replaced on a Honda (at a local reapir shop).

As already suggested, find a good local (non-dealer) mechanic that works on Minis. Use the forum to research problems so you do not get taken for an expensive ride by a dealership or mechanic performing unnecessary repairs.

Just like most cars that are a little different or more fun, there will be extra expenses. The Mini will have more issues than your Accord or Camry but you will want to drive it just for fun. Joining a local Mini club will even make Mini ownership more fun.

 

...And me. Actually, I feel everyone needs to be able to do the basic tire change to get out of a tricky situation (R53 owners excepted :-P) Maintnance maybe not so much, but a true enthusiast with an enthusiast car should want to be as hands on as possible. Basic maintnance is really a rite of passage with these cars. The more familiar the driver is with the car, the better the experiance, I think. It's not about the money. It's about the experiance.

 

soopercooperinfo.com has a growing list of independent MINI shops across the country.