You're probably right, because after further scrutiny of the color ...it does resemble an Electric blue. A light blue. <---- Similar to the color of the emitcon

 

u want some pros:

-best gas mileage in-class 3 years running (32mpg hwy)
-best owner satisfaction in-class 3 years running
-best handling 4-seater u can buy
-6th best handling car u can buy (behind enzo, s7, viper comp coupe, boxster s, lotus elise)
-4 star safety ratings...VERY safe...first crash was reporter who hit a tree after swerving to miss deer at 60mph...tree broke and fell on car...reporter broke a nail
-best resale value for any car close to it
-made by bmw...quality
-all scheduled maintenance (including oil) free for first 50k miles
-most unique car that also looks good
-can customize
-underpriced for what u get
-mini owners rule


cons
-i ordered new in September...mini is just now on boat in ocean...expect to get first 2 weeks of November...so 2 month wait for new is HORRIBLE!!!
-u will wanna drive 24hrs a day once u get it, even tho u can't
-people will think ur selfish cause u wont wanna let anybody else drive it

 

Yep, that's Electric Blue all right! I have an EB/W without stripes. (see my sig below) I love it! I always get compliments on the color; it's fun and classic at the same time. It changes color as the lighting conditions change. Go to the galleries here on NAM to see more pics of cars that color and you will see the variations due to lighting conditions. It's always beautiful! As someone mentioned earlier, it's only available on the 'S' in the states. It's available on the MC in some other countries, tho.

A bit of clarification about the spare tire, or lack thereof, on the 'S': the lack of one has nothing to do with the exhaust, it has to do with the supercharger. On the MC the battery is up front under the bonnet ('hood' in American), as it is on most cars. On the MCS, the supercharger takes up a lot of space under the bonnet, so they moved the battery to a spot under the boot ('trunk' in American). You can access it by removing the liner in the boot. There are terminals under the bonnet in case you need a jump-start. It's because of the battery taking up space under the boot that the MCS doesn't have a spare.

I have the stock runflats on my MCS. I haven't had any problems with them, but they don't last as long as some types of tires and they do give a bit of a harsh ride. They are also expensive to replace. (I'm on my second set - got a good deal on them though.) My next set of rubber will probably be a set of Yokohamas once the runflats wear out. The Yoko's will be much grippier and smoother, but I'll have to carry some fix-a-flat and keep my AAA card handy!

 

Songbird,
You really need to do some research before laying out money for a MINI. They are great cars, mine has been practically trouble free for 18,000 miles. Others have had a great deal of trouble with their cars. Some of it may be the fault of the car, some may be a poor match between the driver and the car. In other words they may have bought the wrong car for them. I have a standard Cooper (no supercharger) with all of the bells and whistles. The car seems to be put together pretty well. It also seems that MINI is getting better at putting them together, each year there are fewer problems. You should also spend some time researching the dealer where you intend to buy your car. There is a great deal of difference between dealers. Some people have had wonderful service and others have had a miserable experience. Again some of that may be due to the dealer and some due to unrealistic expectations by some owners. Look at some of the older posts on this site, you could literally spend days reading about different owner's experiences with their MINIs. Also spend some time on the factory website. That is a wonderful resource for finding the difference between models and the options that are available to have your MINI built the way you want it. Doing the research is half the fun. Keep in mind what you want and expect out of a car may be quite diferent than someone else. Purchasing a car is a personal choice, don't let other people talk you into buying a car that they like.

 

O.k. So i've decided that I want a mini coop But, now, i have to figure out where to test drive one so that I can further make-up my mind. The nearest dealership i could find that had Mini coop's was like 100 and something miles away from me. Does that mean if i were to buy one I'd have to go all the way back there to have it serviced?

 

Uh... Yep.

 

Songbird, what part of CA are you in? I'm sure you can hook up with one of the CA MINI clubs to get a good eyefull and you may even find an owner or two who'll let you test drive their baby.

 

I got my S september 02, 2003, and after a year and about a month, would i recommend it to another person, absolutely

it's true about dealerships, i've had the luxury of having a good dealership, good service guys to deal with my car so overall i rate mini service and dealerships top notch!

as for the experience.... well... this is where i start to complain

a year after, and mind you since the S came out, i've not had single time i drive the car without the car bucking, whether is my 'reverse' yoyo, stumble, or just crappy shifter buzzing at high rpm!

so many noise coming from all the panels its amazing that the car is still together... driving in a straight line even with the pulley and ecu i've done you can't help but remind yourself of these faults

yet everytime i start the car, everything just disappears, you forget this stuff, everytime u turn a corner you forget the crappy yoyoing you get when u step on it, or when people point and smile, or say they love my car... i forget the crappy build quality.. everytime a curve comes up, you grin, and turn at an unbelieveable speed, and just smile....

a new buyer would probably avoid most of the problems the early guys have to suffer... but i know there are still lemons

my biggest complaint is that why bmw still hasn't found a way to cure the dreadful problems they have with the mini... i know even the bmw guys are suffering cuze of this (a neighbour of mine has his crashed x5 in the shop for a good couple of months due to electronic problems that has still not been fixed)

out of a rating of 5, i'd give
buying experience: 4/5
service experience: 5/5
driving excitement: 5/5
everyday practicality: 3/5
quality: 3/5
factory support: 1/5
overall: 70% not good!

i have had several times where i just want to give up and sell the dam car.... i mean i've been so angry at the dreadful yoyoing when i suddenly step on it i punched my steering wheel on several ocassions due to the lack of quality of the engine.... but then when i do that turn at just a little higher speed..... i forget the problem

is it for u? well that's for you to decide... mini's are still very unique, but it can have problems, and enthusiastic owners like me will complain!

 

Songbird99,

Aloha from Hawaii and welcome to NAM.

Hmm, 100 miles away and not many other MINIs nearby?
Sounds like a great MINI road trip headed your way. Hey a 100 mile plus drive would be a great thing to do in a MINI. Just need an excuse to roll out of the driveway!

For the average driver, the MINI cooper in 5 speed or CVT is a very solid performing and versatile two door hatchback. It is well designed, safe, has great resale value, and is solid. The base model with 115 HP is enough for most driving but it is not excessive. This allows for good hwy mpg (38) and still great fun to drive. There are many options to choose from both inside and out. You'll need a MINI option book to have a look at all the choices. If you don't have one maybe you can get your closest dealership or even Classic Auto Campus/Classic MINI in Ohio to mail you one(the older ones are different than the new 2005 model).

For the driver that enjoys driving fast then the MCS (cooper S) is a good place to look. It's really the same car as the MC but with a much more powerful engine and 6 speed manual transmission only. While weight of the car increases so does the HP to 163 (more on the 2005 model). There are very many modifications available for the MINI both inside and out. Most of power upgrades are geared for the Cooper S.

From a safety standpoint the MINI is quite good with a very stiff chassis, front, side and curtain airbags, electronic ABS (anti lock brakes) and DSC (to help traction).

Reliability has improved steadily from the 2002 model year with a few more problems and rattles in the first ones to fairly few problems by the 2004 model. I have a 2003 MCS that had a few problems all fixed under warranty.

If you want smooth ride quality then avoid the sports suspension plus option (stiffer suspension) for the MINI cooper (MC) and stick with the stock non runflat 15" tires. The runflat 16" wheels are stiff and harsher riding but do offer some safety being runflat. For the MCS the 17" runflats are even rougher riding on anything but smooth roads and many of us replace the runflats with non runflat performance tires- this helps handling, performance and ride smoothness but we can get flat tires and the MCS has no spare tire like the MC does.

Common options for the MC-
-Exterior- chrome accents (cosmetic)
-Interior- leather(expensive but looks good, not as durable) vs cloth seats (OK) vs leatherette (most durable-looks like leather). Dash finish is usually silver or anthracite (dark metallic)
-Premium package- sunroof, Cruise control, Multi-function steering wheel (MFSW) controls, trip computer, auto-air conditioner (lots of gagets- the MFSW is useful)
-Sports package- Adds DSC, sports seats (more side/lumbar padding), 16" runflats, Xenon lights (brighter than stock), fog lights (small lights on front lower bumper)
-Heated seats- good if you live in a cold area
- Harmon Kardon audio upgrade- more power, more bass, more things to control, a premium sound system for $550 more. Most people do well with the stock audio system but some really like their music louder and the HK option is not bad for the price.

Colors to look for- now discontinued, the silk green and velvet red are rare and very nice.
MINIs can come with a black or white roof and mirrors or body color. Some have aero body kits added to the side skirts, front or rear bumpers. Pepper white is a relatively new color as is gold. Indi blue (now discontinued), Chili Red, and british racing green are all classic colors. Lemon Yellow is bright and Dark silver (MCS only) and pure silver are very popular colors.

There are many more things- too many to mention. If you have more questions then try to hook up with a MINI club and you can always send me a Personal Mail on NAM.

Have fun shopping.

 

On the positive side, the farther away you are from a MINI dealer, the more "unique" your car seems to your area. You'll get a LOT of questions and smiles!

I live in a city with a dealer. And even though there still aren't too many MINIs in the area - its not like some places where you might go for weeks without seeing one

 

At any rpm I can hit the throttle a little,somewhat hard,or WOT,and my MC does not stumble,yo-yo,or fumble about.
I'm a VERY happy motorer

 

No, you can get service at any Mini dealership. So if they open another one closer you can go there. Buy for now yes!

I drove past two dealerships to go to where I bought my MCS and I go back there for service by choice.

My closest dealer is 32 miles, second is 92 miles, and mine is 99 miles.

I felt the best buying experience and I get good service there -- a loaner car even when one repair was not under warranty (I had a rubber boot get ripped by a sharp object ).

Earl

 

Hopefully if you buy used there is enough time or mileage put on the car to work out all the small problems and have them fixed which will save you a trip to the dealership for warranty work. The servicing which is covered is not much, only an oil/filter change at about 10,000 to 12,000 miles and another service check with oil/filter change about 25,000 miles.

If you buy new then the current MINIs are quite good and hopefully there are few if any problems. All warranty work needs to be done by an authorized MINI dealership service center not any BMW service center.

Sorry to hear that you are not exactly close to a dealership.

The other aspect about MINIs is that dealerships really vary alot on how good an experience you might have either in sales or in service. Some are really good in one or the other, or in both. It's not as consistent as we would like it to be.

 

I live 50 miles from my dealer,the next closest is over 300 miles away,so they are not an option.
I have had no problems with my dealer.I wait around if it will take less than a hour,with my dog,sheading all over the show room cars.If it takes longer,they send me on my way in a beamer loaner,dog in the back seat,and I come back the next day.
And while I'm there I go into the service area,watch what they do to my car,chat with the tech. and service folks,and have a good time.
Be nice,and they will probable be nice with you.

 

Like I've said before, I've only noticed one other mini coop in my town. It's a dark blue and white. So, no matter what color i get in a mini coop, I'll still be unique...and I must admit...looking forward to the points and stares...

 

Do mini coop's keep their warrenty even after being sold by a private owner? Is the warranty mileage, or years, and is it transferrable.
I only ask because financially, I think I'd be better off with a used mini coop, than a new one.

I mean what since does it make to buy a NEW mini coop and have it sit in your driveway because you don't have any money to pay for the gas???

 

For the record, I think that the car you're refering to is this one It's on sale by a NAM member who purchased it, lost his job, and now needs to sell his car after only a couple of hundred miles. This is a 2005 S. Electric Blue. Probably a good deal...even if you add in shipping from CT (not Illinois, but Connecticut) to CA.

But I agree, do your research first. The responses to this thread are a good start in that direction...but you need to see a car in-person. 100 miles away is not really all that far for a MINI dealer (as you'll find), and it sounds as if there are several NAM members in your area who are willing to share info.

Oh, and the convention for naming/refering to a MINI is "MINI" for the brand. "Cooper" for the non-supercharged car. "S" or "MCS" for the supercharged MINI. "mini coop" is a bit non standard. For what it's worth.

 

SB99--

Do let us know where in CA you're located. My guess is that someone would love to motor up to your neck of the woods -- or meet you halfway -- so you can have a proper test drive!

 

If you are concerned about the cost, but decide to buy new anyway, then I highly recommend (regardless of MINI model you are looking for) that you buy OUT of California. Most California dealers charge you a hefty premium, or don't...but require you to go through a pretty long wait, if you are making a factory order (the BEST way to go). 100 miles is not that far to go for a test drive, just be sure you make an appointment before you go...for every model you are interested in. Just because you test drive there (wherever THERE is), doesn't mean that you have to buy there...regardless of sales pressure.

If you can find a used MINI that you love, and the EXTENDED test drive goes well (a short test drive is NOT enough, be sure to work all optional components during the drive, including bringing a CD to play, etc.), then that might turn out to be a good bet for you. There are plenty of MINI's in California to choose from, and prices aren't quite so high now. Regardless of deciding to buy used, if you DO so decide, go get a test drive at a dealership, so you know how the car is supposed to drive. Make sense?

 

SO i don't know if anyone still comes to this thread but here it goes. Haven't been on in awhile. Sorry. much to do, no time to post. *blush*
Good news is that I found a mini coop to test drive in SLO. WHOO HOOO. I should be test driving it this friday hopefully.
Talked to a few dealers and it's really cracking me up over the price market of these cars. I don't have "thousands to spend" lol I'm looking for just a plain used MINI. But talking to the dealers, they're saying, 23,000, and that's a good price. Which brings confusion to my mind. New, a mini coop runs about 26,000 correct? So they have good resale value to be sold at only 3,000 less when the car is only 2-3 years old??? Things that make you go hmmm.....
Anywho, since choosing the MINI as my next potential car, I've noticed more and more of them in my town. I drove behind a dark green MCS, and then later that week was at a stoplight and noticed a yellos MC/w black roof at the gas station. {*sigh *"} it sent my heart all a flutter. lol
But seriously, I appreciate all the info that people gave over the pro's and con's of the car. I'll keep you posted on how the test drive goes. I can hardly wait!!!!

 

The good news for us that already own MINIs is that they hold their value very well. That is bad news for someone hoping to save some money by buying used. Not much difference between new and used unless the used car has a ton of miles on it.
Good luck with your search....

 

One more day until my test drive.....

well two if you want to get technical and count today....sheesh....

 

It probably shouldn't bother me so much, but when you refer to the car as "MINI Coop" I cringe. Does anyone else feel this way. Maybe it's just me



retroom

 

It's not a "coupe," it's a hatch! LMAO! I hear ya, retroom! We'll have to tease songbird mercilessly about this!

Clover

 

You aren't alone--there are atleast 2 people here (you and me) that cringe when we hear our beloved name chopped up like that! I just let it slide though, since it's mostly an innocent newbie mistake.