I'm thinking about purchasing a new Mini clubman as my next vehicle.

Can you folks that have owned one or more of these vehicles provide me with some reliability info on the vehicle.

Are there any known or common problems with the cars and or potential major mechanical failures I should be aware of?

I've read alot on here already and most state the cars of quite well made. But, I've also heard from folks that repair them and they have warned of the potential for major problems.

I'm hoping you folks can provide some real world experience.

 

All cars have the potential for major problems, even the toyota's and honda's. The problem with looking here is you hear about every single little problem someone has with their Mini.

The Clubman was released a few months ago so there isn't much experience with them yet. If you love the car then get it, if it's anything close to the cooper, you'll really enjoy it. It's got a great factory warranty for peace of mind so take the plunge and enjoy.

 

I appreciate the advice.

My concern would not be whether or not I like the car. Rather it would be needing to take it back to the dealer for constant repair since the closest MINI dealer is 100 miles from my home.

I also realize the Clubman is a relatively new model and I was looking for more general reliability data on the Cooper line since mechanically they are very similar in design and the components used.

Thanks again

Any other input would be greatly appreciated.

 

One year ago, we bought our first MINI as a used vehicle. It is an 04 with the CVT. Immediately after we bought it, we began reading horror stories about this car's transmission on a variety of MINI enthusiasts' sites. We thought about spending $3K on an after-market warranty, trading it, but instead, fell in love with this car, and did nothing. 14 months and 25K miles later we have enjoyed nothing but admiring looks, and an incredible amount of fun behind the wheel. Routine maintenance and fuel is all we've purchased on this car. If you buy a new one, you won't even pay for the routine maintenance for the first 50K (or whatever.)

My point is, you'll find people who post highly critical comments about every car, regardless of the manufacturer.

Pull the trigger and get yourself a MINI.

Jeff