I certainly can understand being fed up w/ the whole MINI thing if it's been nothing but a long string of frustrations. It'd be hard to see past that at this point, I'm sure. Have fun w/ your new car.

 

Sometimes we cuss at the distribution centers here in the U.S. (I did, mine was there for a month). But I really think the reason we're having such good luck with our R56s here in the states is that the distribution centers really work hard to make the cars right before releasing them. I know my car's problem (assuming there was a problem) was not damage, they told me that. But it may very well have been one of those having gear box issues of someting of that sort. I don't know and I don't care right now. Heck, the car has been perfect (~3,000 miles so far).

 

Have fun with your new car!

I wish my Mini had a high-revving Honda engine...

 

You lack ambition, my friend. I think you need to take a few test drives.

 

the us version of type r is close to 200hp as well. same engine probably.

 

I'm in my mid-40's. I've owned a 300ZX and driven it on the German Autobahns. I've driven 7-series BMW's, Porsche 944s, and an Acura NSX on said Autobahns.

I think I've done my share of "test drives". But thanks for the advice anyway.

 

Very sorry to hear of all your troubles with the MINI.

Glad everything worked out returning the car.

Hope things go better with the Honda.

 

Ohhhh, I like this one. Nicely played. Bravo! Could not have said it better.

 

Yeah, there are some among us for whom another car will do...but others will only motor in a MINI. I'm afraid I, too, am one of those for whom only a MINI will do. To me, the Honda is . But to others it is

 

Man, some of you guys are ruthless! Guy buys an 07MCS, has numerous problems, we don't know all of the details, he decides the R56's reliability is too questionable for him at this point, so he moves on into another hot-hatch. Let him have his Honda and enjoy it, don't make him feel like the black sheep of the MINI crowd, I think MINI has already given him a hard enough time.

Drew

 

Thanks, Drew. This thread needed that post.

dean.

 

You're either with the Mini, or with the terrorists.

 

Yeah all the parting shots and snide comments are pretty chickensh**.

The guy had issues with his car. That's not his fault. He's moved on to another marque. Sack up and show some class - wish him luck and keep the catty comments to yourselves.

 

Meh, don't be so sensitive. The 80's are long gone.

 

Don't terrorists buy MINIs?

 

Cut him some slack? Lay Off? ... why? My original post still stands.

In case some of you haven't read his complainst, I'll put them here for your convenience.

1st time was when it sounded like a Mack big rig diesel engine, they told me it was a chartictoristic of the engine - This is NOT an issue, this is the Direct Injection system. The OP simply has no clue, perhaps he should do some research before buying a vehicle OR atleast test drive one?

2nd time the speakers were buzzing like a swarm of horny African bees, they told me i was playing it too loud well i paid for the upgrade what do they except. - OP is basically admitting to playing the music too loud... what do you expect?

3rd time was the auto rain / headlight sensor - sufficient information

4 th time the footwell module went the dealer had it for 4 days leaving me with no car. - Again, insufficient information. I'm going to error on the side of the OP being a tad clumsy and knocking it himself.

5th & ths straw that breaks the camels back my gearbox is fecked , & the dealer will have it 14 days before the BMW Tec comes to Scotland to fix it. - Here is the first real issue, and he's upset because a tech is tracking to scotland to fix it for him?! If he lives in a location where they a) don't have it in house or b) cannot fix it in house, how/why is it MINI or the R56 Platform in general's fault? And does not mention whether or not they fixed the issue after 14 days.

Flame me all you'd like, but this is how and why cars begin to get a bad name. It's usually the end user that is the cause of the majority of the issues. If MINI had told him they were not going to fix the Gear box issue or had failed on three consecutive tries to fix it, then perhaps there is cause to be upset. I'd like to point out the obvious... he basically traded in his R56 because the car has direct fuel injection and he felt the need to bump his music a tad louder than common sense would prevent. gg.

 

Yep his choice to buy & drive what ever he wants. It's my opinion that it's a very ugly girl & me hopes she has a sweet personality.

 

i saw the illegal part and i was like wtf, im not leaving MINI...but it wasnt me..close call

 

Well, as someone who has had several BMWs and a couple of Minis I just have to say they've had plenty of inherent issues that had nothing to do with us or our usage (but some resulting from dealer mishandling though) and were not alone with these issues, so I do not agree with that statement.

 

I saw illegal reply, and thought I was gonna get chewed out! Close call

 

eval, I said the majority of the issues. I owned 3 E46 M3s.. you know why i had 3? Rod-bearing recall and then bremi ignition coil recall.. so trust me I know about inherent problems.

 

Oh, by the way... I did the same. My R56 MC/A was "sent to a better place". And nope - your asumption that it is "usually" the "user issue" does not stand. Four times to have the CEL light and engine sputtering fixed - and they failed to do so. Don't get me wrong - the dealer is more than competent and/or helpful - simply the car was a "lemon".

It happens.

It happened to me - it happened to illegalhunter - it happened to other people too. Now - how we define a lemon or what we expect from that car - allow us - it is our own definition, and not something that you or whoever else dictates.

Illegalhunter was unhappy with his car. The law (yes - the law) allowed him - after some time - to get rid of the car. Same here. He perceived it as a lemon, I did that too, and in the framework dictated by the car sales law - he could return the car.

That - by all means - does not mean to give the car a bad name. Or that it is an user error.

(Now - we can go in a more detailed discussion of how MINI dealt with the car - and that really will mean that I give MINI the company and not MINI the car a bad name).

Hope that helps (whatever has to be helped),

MMM

 

minimaximini, well said. I agree with your comments. I did said usually, usually is far from always and if there are 100,000,000 major car issues and 1,000,000 of the are catastrophic failure due to poor assembly or engineering that is still only 1% of the combined issues, however to those 1,000,000 people it's absolutely extreme and justifies their actions.

I'm trying to suggest that the problems that have plaged illegalhunter may not all be entirely catastrophic failures, but perhaps a minor lack of knowledge in regards to automobiles. complaining about the mack diesel sound (direct injection) and speakers being blown after playing the music too loud, I seriously laugh everytime I read that part. Honestly, what would you expect when blasting the music?

I apologize for everything I have written, even in this post... cannot exactly explain why I am even continuing to type.

 

...and again it is a matter of perception.

People ask me why I returned my car - just for a damn CEL light that popped up and that affected - in a more or less minor way - the drivability of the car.

It is a matter of perception. I depend on that car to - probably - a different degree than most of the other MINI users (only car in the household and a job that requires to be able to be at work in 15 minutes at any moment of the day or night).

So - yes - CEL MOST PROBABLY does not affect drivability - and in 99.95% of cases it might be so - but I cannot live with the 0.05% of doubt. It might exist anyhow - but I have an indicator (the CEL) that points me toward that doubt. If they would disable the CEL - I would probably sleep better. Seriously. And "my car didn't start or died on my way to work" does not stand, professionally or legally.

Same with any customer. We expect different things from our cars - and our perception of what a car has to do or has to behave varies.

So - maybe for him (illegalhunter) the car just was not a fit for what he expected from the MINI car and MINI services. Simp-le as that. It wasn't for me either.

Ah - by the way - I obviously keept the best for the last. I retured my car... for another MINI. Different engine and transmission.

It's purely statistics. The russian roulette (hopefully) has only one bullet...

:-)

Drive on!

MMM

 

I feel that, the SO had an E46 M3 engine blow up (and ug, the dealer did not handle it well) and my M Coupe had the same engine, but its not just the major things like that and the tranny issues, but things like repeatedly failing window regulators, door seals, sunroof bits, software problems and speaker rattles that they rarely seem to redesign and service issues that can justifiably drive people away, so I guess your comment "It's usually the end user" kind of reminded me of the lots of issues we've had and I felt the compulsion to reply