Alright guys and gals, I am heading to MINI of St Louis this weekend and am looking at getting 2 MINIs, one this weekend and one next weekend to replace our Minivan and my truck. Got some questions....That is this R56 thing I keep hearing about, what are the good and bad of this different models, etc. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

R50: "Mk I" Mini One & Cooper (2001–2006)
R52: "Mk I" Mini Convertible (2004–2008)
R53: "Mk I" Mini Cooper S (2001–2006)
R55: "Mk II" Mini Clubman (2007–present)
R56: "Mk II" Mini Hatch/Hardtop range (2006–present)
R57: "Mk II" Mini Convertible (2009–present)
R58: Coupé (2011–present)
R59: Roadster (2012-present)
R60: Countryman (2010–present)
R61: Paceman or Country Coupe (not yet launched)

one bit of advice: Get a convertible (R57, R59)

 

I am really looking at one clubman and one standard MINI since I own two Saint Bernards, of course, we could get two convertables and have one in each passenger seat.

 

If you were a little more specific.... This is like, "What's life all about?"

What do you want your MINIs to do? Is reliability a key issue? Is power important? How many people do you want to carry? Do you need to carry cargo? Price range? Off-road ability? Etc.

For starters, you can go to Motoringfile, and see the "MINI Model Cheat Sheet" section with articles about the various models. Then maybe come back to the forum with questions.

http://www.motoringfile.com/

(You might want to take your dogs along, to check for fit.)

 

What does Mk mean, stand for? Didn't the Clubman originate in 2008? ...sooo many questions...

 

I don't know much about the 1st gen's. (pre 2007) but the 2nd gen's. (2007-up) hardtops I know a little.
I can really only go by what my experience has been and others with the
within the same range.
*timing chain tensioner - some had problems early on in mileage but some like mine were ok until 60K. Some never a problem. The fix is suppose to work.
*thermostat leaking - not real common but does happen.
*the S models can burn a little oil due to the high temps so checking oil
is essential.

My 07 now has 65K and I still love it. No warranty so I kinda keep my fingers crossed but so far so good.
I really feel if you keep them maintained and don't run them too hard they are fine, and fun.

Are you buying new or used?

 

Sorry for the vagueness of the questions but like I said, I am new to the MINI world. We will be leasing new ones at first and going from there. What I an concerned about it maintenance cost, what is some trends in maintenance issues to look for in the near future. We live in central Missouri which is full of hills and windy roads but will mostly be driving to and from work (50 miles round trip) and occasionall road trips. I am 6,3" and about 270 and she is 5'9" and like a good hubby, I don't know her weight . Just any advice in general would be good. Thanks

 

I don't think you will have any trouble fitting into the MINI front seats. I am 65 years old, 6' 1", 280 pounds, with spinal stenosis that makes me very stiff. There is a "pump" lever that lets you raise and lower the seats. I keep mine at the bottom, and my wife keeps hers at the top. Of course, there is seat back tilt, as well, and forward/backward. With any leather selection, they also have adjustable lumbar support.

My wife has a 2009 Clubman that she uses like a little truck and grand-baby hauler. It has the non-turbocharged engine and manual transmission. It has been excellent, with zero problems in about 33,000 miles. The non-S (non-turbo) engines have been quite reliable in all of the MINI models.

I have the 2011 Cooper S hardtop with manual transmission. It has gone about 7500 miles. Its only glitch has been in temperatures around 35 degrees; on startup the tach fluctuates and the engine sounds rough for about 30 seconds. The dealership in Des Moines has not been able to figure out why. In every other way, this car has been excellent, and a blast to drive. I will probably be in your neighborhood this summer, borrowing your hills and twisty roads just for the fun of it.

Neither car has a huge cargo area, but the Clubman's is better, with adequate legroom in back, which my hardtop does not have. On the other hand, with rear seats folded down we have carried lots of luggage, building supplies, a new lawnmower, pet kennels, etc.

Maintenance is minimal. Basically, you change oil and keep the tires inflated. I changed oil after break-in at 1200 miles, and then every 5000 to 7500 miles thereafter. I use only MINI-brand oil filters and MINI-brand full-synthetic oil bought online for better prices, and have the change done by a local shop, since dealer oil changes are quite expensive and far away from us. The dealer would pick up and deliver, but I'd rather save the miles.

Officially, you only need to change oil and filter when the car's onboard computer tells you it's time to do so. Officially, the dealership pays for this service up to 36,000 miles. However, the computer may let you go 20,000 miles before it says service is needed. Most of us agree that is crazy, even with BMW engineering and the best oil anywhere. It's also crazy to change it every 3000 miles, unless you make lots of short trips, and the engine never gets fully warmed-up, or do constant stop-and-start driving.

For me, MINI and the dealerships have been very stand-up about warranty issues. I don't know about your dealership's reputation. I had a 2007 MINI Cooper S. This was the first year for the totally redesigned MINI. Most of the time, my MCSm was excellent. However, in below-zero weather, the turbo intake froze up. MINI paid to have my car transported on a flatbed truck to Chicago for repair, and provided a rental car for me at no charge. However, they did not solve the problem. The next winter the problem recurred, and they flatbed-trucked my MINI to St. Louis, again providing a rental car at no charge. Along with this problem, some second-generation (2000-2010) turbocharged engines got bad timing chain parts, causing what came to be called the "death rattle." I wrote to MINI in New Jersey. They bought-back my MCS. I used the money to buy the 2009 Clubman without the turbo's problems. When the 2011 "lifecycle impulse" models came out, I ordered my MCS, with a revised engine design.

If the hills are especially steep, or if you need that turbo kick-in-the-pants, you may want the S. However, the non-S (often called "Justa") engine is smooth and reliable. If fuel economy is important to you, you can pretty much rely on the EPA estimates. I have been getting 34 mpg overall with my MCS, with conservative driving -- most of the time. I would stick with the premium fuel. MINI recommends Top-Tier gas. For me, it's Phillips 93 octane, which is running more than $4.00 around here, but Molly thrives on it.

I bought both of our MINIs with traction control. It is standard with the Cooper S, but not on the "Justa."

I will stop for now. If you have unanswered questions, don't hesitate to ask. I am crazy about MINIs , and I like to write.

 

Thanks for all the great info, I was not so worried about fitting inside as I was the long drives but good to know. Thanks for all the maint answers. I live 2.5 hours from STL so good info on oil changes.

 

Having had two major surgeries for spinal stenosis, it's hard for me to find chairs or couches that don't hurt me in a very short time. But the MINI seats (I ordered the cloth/leather for the MCSm) keep me comfy for long drives.

A base 2012 MCm that MINI of Des Moines loaned me for a couple of weeks was very good to my back and legs, with just the base (not "sport") seats. The only problem for me was the leatherette, which me got pretty sweaty. Cloth would have been better, but I wasn't complaining. I got to break-in the brand-new loaner and it was a ton of fun, even without the turbo I would have preferred it without the sunroof because it uses up a lot of headroom, but, again, I wasn't complaining.

 

Heading to Mini of St Louis this morning to get the Minis. Looking to get a R56 and either a R55 or an R60. Will let you guys know what I get and post pics. Wish me luck.

 

Good luck!

 

Yes, good luck to you, the sales process we experienced with MINI STL was just great. I made 4 visits (with 2 test drives) before ordering...very patient folks!

 

Well, that went over like a fart in church. We spent all day up there, test driving 4 different vehicles, wife met me up there after work and we left with no minis. Lets just say that unless you owe a lot less than KBB for your vehicle you might get a deal, if you owe what KBB and NADA says, then forget about it. They offered me $9000 less than NADA for my truck and $5000 less for my van. Dealt with Karen who is a great lady, just hated that I spend 8 hours up there plus 6 hours driving just to be cut at the knees. Needless to say, we are taking our business elsewhere that will give us what our vehicles are worth. I am not upset at them at all, just a little disappointed. Maybe something will come around but needless to say, have a feeling it won't be a mini.

 

^^^Bummer but I have a feeling most dealerships are going to undercut you big time. Might have better luck selling them yourself.

 

Yes, it is tough to take the dealer markup AND the low ball trade. I bought my MINI pre-enjoyed at a non-MINI dealer and didn't have a trade-in. The dealers rarely give a decent trade value. Selling privately is your best option. Good luck in your MINI quest! Hope if works out.

 

Looks like the wife is going to get her R56 today. We found a used 2008 with 41K miles on it for $15700 and they are giving us a decent amount for our trade. Told her that it is for her to have until she gets her first two tickets and then it is mine.

 

Well, it is official. We got our first Mini.