Hey Guys,
I am just about to jump into getting my first mini cooper. I want a new one so I can order it the way I want. But I do have one question. I drive 60 miles (120 round trip) to work a day. I put on about 28k miles a year. I would like to keep my mini cooper about 5 years which would put it nearing 150k miles on it.

My question is will a mini cooper last 150k miles? What about the mini cooper S? I know there are no guarantees but if they typically begin falling apart at 100k, I may need to look at something else :( I really can't find much about reliability at high mileage but maybe thats because most people don't have them that long yet. I know the 2007 engine is different too so this is mainly an opinion question I guess.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

Someone else needs to chime in, but I think the turbo has a limited life of 90 - 100k. That doesn't mean the engine dies, but the turbo needs replacement. I don't drive the miles you do so it doesn't matter to me as much. At 100k you should expect to have some sort of expensive item fail or need replacement on most cars. I suppose if you want bullet proof to 200k miles you should buy a Honda or Toyota. Probably a Civic, Accord, Corolla, or Camry. Something like the S2000 probably is not going to last quite as long.

Greg

 

Most modern drive trains will easily go 100k. Automatic transmissions are the weak point, and can be unpredictable in regard to longevity.

What's going to cost you is routine maintenance (ball joints, shocks, clutch, brakes, etc...) and non-routine failures (alternator, water pump... who knows what...). It's a BMW product, so parts will be available; but they'll be expensive.

Biggest problem is that there are numerous electronic systems that you can only analyze or correct via BMW's interface... so it's not easy for the backyard mechanic to work on.

More complexity means more risk of failure, so a MC with limited and/or simpler mechanical options would be less likely to fail. No DSC, LSD, auto xmsn, etc...

 

Mine doesn't have that much on it yet but I've seen several posts from folks on here that have over 100k. Do a search and you should find at least a couple of threads on the subject. That said, mine has been trouble free in the 2 years I've owned it.

 

Typically the mc does better in consumer reports reliablity than the mcs. dneal is right, complexity equals failure potential. I bought my mc manual without many gimmicks, but dsc and mfsw were a must. I expect it to last a long time. I may have to replace a clutch, but I've heard of clutches lasting a long time as well, it just depends how you drive it. (Which, I suspect is why the MC does better in reliability than the MCS) I don't see any reason that a bmw won't last the distance you desire, and then some. A friend of mine had a 318i that he put about 270,000 miles on before he ditched it. But if you are that worried about it, then maybe an accord, civic, corrolla etc. is in your future.

 

can anyone confirm that the turbo only lasts 100k miles? I find that really hard to believe.

 

that does not sound right to me either. there are plenty of turbo audis and VWs that have 150k-200k+ miles on the original turbo. why would ours be any different, in fact its a newer design so it might last even longer.

 

Turbos have been around for ages. They have been routinely employed in cars with very small engines, which are often used in car-unfriendly places, where people don't have much money for repairs (or anything else). They are reliable and last a very very long time. In fact, a turbo is a fairly simple device.

 

My '88 saab SPG has 340K on the original turbo!

Ben

 

And even if the turbo went, it's not a big deal money or work wise to replace it. After 5 years and 100 or 200k of miles, spending a few beans for repairs/maintenance is just part of the game.

Those saying "Toyota's or Honda's will last better....". Tell that to my Toyota on it's 3rd motor(1 complete replacement, the other was major blown heads, blown off the motor, not just leaking...), and 2nd tranny. I always hear that roumor about them lasting forever, and wonder.... i think it comes from the fact alot of folks buy older used Toy's and Honda's cheap, then FIX them up (read: put money into them...), and then keep driving them another 50, or 100k miles. Then they say, "my honda" has 200k on it". They forget to mention, they basically rebuilt the car at 90k miles when they bought it.

And just for the record, my Ford F-150, blew it's tranny ($3,500 repair) at 37k miles. Yep, warranty ended at 35k, suprise!! Follow that with a blown head (another $3,200 repair) at 65k miles. Now my F-150 8 cylandar 5.4liter motor, gas guzzling (12 MPG) , has the simplest motor on the planet, jsut BIG and thirsty, nothing high tech about it. Wanna explain why it has failed?

It now has 95k on it, and has been doing ok lateley(knock knock knock on wood).

But I'll say this, it's going to be an absolute PLEASURE to get in a mini, get 3 times the gas mileage, get a better ride (the truck drives like a boat!), and have fun driving a go-kart! ;-)

 

My '95 toyota Celica has 116K miles and other than routine maintenance have only replaced a blinker bulb. It has a manual transmission.

 

If I were you, I'd find a piece of wood, and knock on it.

 

Here's a couple long mileage threads
http://www.mini2.com/forum/general-d...completed.html
http://www.mini2.com/forum/general-d...plus-club.html

 

I am a soon-to-be F-150 convert. I can't wait. Although my truck has only needed an alternator in 97k miles.

 

I say buy an MCS and don't look back. Doing the miles you do, that's time in your life, too. The extra money you may or may not spend does not mean much if you're looking for a commute that will be much more FUN and ENJOYABLE. If you just want to commute, plain and simple, go buy a Toyota Yaris hatchback. The lady of the house commutes in one, and it's bulletproof. You can get one for around 12 grand out the door as a bare bones car. It will get fabulous gas mileage, and be absolutely BORING to drive. But the difference in driving is like night and day compared to the MCS. The Yaris will get you there fine, and it will probably run up to 250k with regular oil/filter changes and not much else. But your life is going by on those daily commutes. You're going to arrive at work (if you can make yourself STOP DRIVING when you get to work ) happier, and you're going to arrive at home (IF you can make yourself STOP at home) much happier driving an MCS. IMO, you can't put a price tag on that. That's my 2 cents worth.
"Hey, I'm good at spending other people's money". That's what my friend Larry told me when he gave me the push that got me to go order the 07 MCS. I have thanked him continually ever since for giving me that push. And he doesn't even own a Mini, he has a Ferrari! But he's driven my MCS now, and he's SURE THINKING ON IT HARD.

 

Nah, much as I hate to say it, that Toyota will probably go 250k miles if you're doing reasonable oil/filter maintenance. A friend just ran a 93 Camry up to 255k and it hasn't need nuthin but very basic maintenance. But they're BORING, and he even admits it. Of course, he also has multiple Ferraris. I call that a blessing AND a curse...multiple Ferraris.

 

My Civic just rolled over 200k (it's a 99) without ANYTHING other than oil, tires, and a timing belt change. Oh, and brakes once, and wiper blades.