Anytime!

 

Yeah !!! on a serious note, how are the 2nd gen autos? The first gens failed to impress me.

 

So does the 2009 JCW have a better clutch then the others? I also say you should replace your clutch before it breaks. Preventive maintenance is the key to any car lasting... heck assuming i buy one of these and its not a lease I would replace the clutch after 60,000 just because. It just makes sense...

 

less than 2000 miles on my 09 and I am on my 2nd failed trany possibly working on getting the 3rd put in. Either I have a "Monday Morning" car or these cars are crap. This car makes my Alfa Romeo look reliable!!! SAD!

 

Sounds like you got a lemon and should consider the possibility lemon law'ing the car.

 

50k on the car and it has been in the shop now for 2+ months with over 4k of repairs.
The dealers drop you like a rock when your warranty runs out - so get it extended....

Don't do any mods, they (MINI) will use it against you and not sure if testing has been done enough on them - I am stripping mods now that have been on the car for years as they now are causing me issues?????

Love the MINI culture, but mine was built like crap to be failing this much for the price of admission. For the price of a new 2009 JCW you can buy a 270Z totally decked out... Which one will last longer?

 

My biggest hurdle to buying Mini Cooper S was selling my wife on the fact that the closest dealer is 300 miles away. The 03 Cooper S had quite a few problems but the fun value far offset the inconvience of service. The 05 Coopers S was practically perfect even though I ran it a track days twice
a month for 2 years. No clutch problems, stock clutch, the worst problem
was a seeping elbow for radiator, repaired under warranty. Waited the first year out to see how new engine would turn out as Iv'e never be a peugot
or any French engine fan before ordering 08 Clubman S. !6,000 mile on 08
and nothing except a squeaking clutch pedal. If you are an adventuror go for the Mini. If you're a worrier stay with the boring.

 

The power train on my Clubman has been flawless for 8k miles (I run the non-S with the Aisin AT). I did have a small issue with the AT shift linkage; it was replaced and has been flawless since then. I am now experiencing the same issue as many others are on the power window dipper issues. I do believe once my car is reprogrammed, and judging by the build date has the power window motors replaced it will be "defect" free. I give the car a 9 on reliability, a 10 on the "fun" factor, a 7 on electrical reliability, and a 10 on manufacturer warranty support. Order it....you'll like it.

 

I'm with you there. It is MUCH better, because the Prince engine has more usable torque across the spectrum, thus the tranny/engine seem to work well together. even the 2nd gen justacoopers with autos are a HUGE improvement. The first gen S's with the auto are very "doggy" to quote a friend of mine who has one. I let her drive mine, and a couple days later she went to our dealer to order an 09.

And with the JCW tune kit the car is beastly fast now.

because it is a slushbox, you can sometimes feel the torque converter in the lower three gears, but in the top three with Sport mode engaged it is not an issue. On the highway, it is an absolute blast; 4-5-6-5-4 shifts are near instant and smooth, and in the twisties it is sooooo nice to be able to shift gears and keep both hands on the wheel.

So until MINI offers a DSG-style double clutch system, the Aisin will do nicely.

 

I think it's because Getrag's QC has fallen off here as of of late; y're not the only one who's had trouble. the company is faciing huge financial problems, and these issues are probably reflecting the turmoil.

this sounds like a possible lemon law case. I would research yr state's LL's.

 

If I dont experience window issues with my 09 in it's first year/10K, I will be shocked. Window issues are endemic to BMW products, have been for decades.

 

If the dipper problem is just programming, you can reprogram yourself. While the engine is stopped and the ignition on and the door open, roll up the window keeping you finger on the button for at least 3 seconds after it hits the top. Repeat the process once or twice for good measure. Then try opening and closing the door. The dipper function should be working again.

 

For what its worth, I bought my '07 Cooper S manual the first week they came out. I found NAM about a month later and immediately started second guessing my purchase. 50,000 miles later and my car has only been in the shop for scheduled maintenance. Not one single problem (Yes, I am knocking on wood). Remember, folks seem all too eager to jump on the forum and vent when they experience any problems, but go ask any MINI owner on the street and you will have to listen to them brag about their MPG, high resale value, or how they can take any corner at twice the posted caution speed. I personally have never met an unhappy MINI owner. My two cents!

 

I agree with sequence on this. I am impressed with the 6 speed auto and the gear spacing they have. Add the JCW kit to it and it just makes such a complete package.

 

The gearing on an automatic must be substantially different than on a manual. I find 4th and 5th gears to be extraneous. Plenty of torque (with the JCW kit) in 6th to do quick accelleration at highway speeds, and for lightning launches from 60-90 mph, 3rd gear is the one to use. 4th and 5th aren't that useful under 90 mph. I need to get a test drive in a 2nd gen automatic.. It sounds like the transmissions have dramatically improved since gen 1.

 

I took a test drive of a manual Clubman (both S and justa) and agree that some of the upper gears seemed extraneous. We were in steady 60 mph freeway traffic and I could go up or down 2 gears about anytime with no consequence and little change in rpms either. Clearly your torque and acceleration ability change.

 

Yeah, y'll dig it huge-- it's the same bullet-proof dependable smooth Aisin that was offered in the first gen, it's just that it seems the tranny and the torquey Prince engine are a MUCH better marriage than the Aisin and the lumpy Tritec mill. Oh and ALL the gears have worth; part of the JCW tune kit is remapping the auto's shift points, and lemme tell ya.....

 

Reliability is my biggest concern too. You definitely do hear about the problems more on the internet because there is no point in coming here everyday to post that your car didn't break down but there seem to be some ridiculous issues with Mini's. I don't understand how after all this time many of the problems haven't been fixed (sunroof, hood scoop, etc.). I have been scared away from considering a sunroof at this point because what good is it if it only works in cold weather. Many people are quick to say that it's worth the trouble and it's understandable because Mini's are more fun and driven harder than Honda's and Toyota's. I can't buy this as being valid. Even though a Civic may be boring and rarely driven hard, I regularly take my s2000 to 9,000 rpms without worrying about anything going wrong and IMO it's a very fun car to drive. I'm still interested in the Mini, I'm just more skeptical than when I originally started looking at them. I have a dealer within 15 miles so that does help lessen my concerns slightly.

 

Driving a MINI hard is rarely the issue. I've driven mine hard 100% of the time for the past 70,000 miles, and always take it to redline every time I drive it. The drivetrain has been trouble free. It's everything else that goes wrong. Those who have had drivetrain problems have experienced them soon after purchase, and typically without driving them aggressively. It seems to be luck of the draw and rather than driving style. But for me , the fun factor still far outweighs the reliability issues.

 

I just placed my order for my MINI, and I had been going back and forth based on what I've been reading on the internet.

Although' I've driven hundreds of cars, I've only owned 3 cars in my entire life. A 1963 Chevy Truck, a 1991 Honda Accord, a 2001 Honda Accord, and a fiberglass VW Dune buggy. The truck stills sits at my folks house in Arkansas. The Dune buggy was purchased for 500 bucks and sold when I moved and ran out of room. The 91 Honda sold for $2000 and had 275,000 miles on it and was running strong after being a relatively trouble-free car. Outside of routine maintenece and having to change the clutch at 174000 miles and having a starter go out at 153000, I had no problems with the car. my 2001 Accord has 134000 miles and has had no problems either.

I would have gotten another Accord, but I am so in love with the MINI that I couldn't justify buying something else based on what everyone else said or didn't say.

If you base your decision on what you read on the internet, you won't by ANY car. You have to remember that for every 20 people having a great time with ANY brand of car, there is someone else that is highly ticked off. Some complain about the smallest things as though they are the end of the world.

I've read threads in forums where people are complaining that they bought a 2002 Cooper with 84000 miles from some pimply-faced kid with a lead foot and no way to make the payments, and had the cigarette lighter go out at 90000 miles. Now they're claiming it's a lemon and are writing letters to congress and trying to pass laws and take BMW/MINI to court... etc... and they don't even smoke.

On the other hand, I see people that are so overly-enamored with the car, that they could order the car, pay 39,000 dollars for it with no discounts, have the order lost and delayed for 6 months, have the dealer forget that it was a special order and let people test drive it, have $2000 added on at time of the delivery that wasn't indicated when the order was placed, deliver the car with 1600 miles, covered in bird-poop with door dings and scratches, drive it off the lot, have it catch fire and explode, spend 3 months in the burn unit, and just consider it one of the "quirky" things about this cute little car. They'll be back in with no complaints and no eyebrows.

Do what I did,... Get what you want.

I worried about alot of things going wrong so I left alot of potential problems out by limiting what I put on the car. More options, gadgets, and doohickey's means more potential trips to the dealer and more frustration. Turns out, I got less and I feel pretty good about it. I still got the Premium package, bonnet stripes, and rear fog-lamps. Even standard it comes with alot more options than my old car. My car payment will be much smaller and I'm still gonna have a fun ride.


I drive like a sensible person. I maintain my car. I put quality oil and gas in regularly, pay attention to lights/guages, hear small noises, etc.. I can pick up on things that are potential warnings. I wonder how many of these people with complaints drive like they are shooting a scene from Starsky and Hutch... I wonder if they pay attention to guages and lights and do the recommended maintainence.. I wonder if they over-modify their cars because they wanna pretend they are Tokyo Drifters... Of course they would never admit to that.

The internet is as much hurt as it is help if not more.

 

As with any product, you will typically see more bad comments then good thats a fact. I have 24k miles on my 07 MC AT, the only problem i had was a bad catalytic converter at 18k, but this seemed to have been a design flaw with the cat itself.. in other words a supplier issue. Other than that my car has been rock solid, and i drive my MC the way it was built to be driven, we all know what that is

 

Mr Bueno,
I have to take offense to some of your comments. I did have issues with my 07' MCS and yes I did drive it like many others feel it's supposed to be driven. With that said it was my daily driver and you still have to drive responsibly on the street or risk pricey tickets or even a ride down to the pokey courtesy of Officer Feelgood. I only modified my MCS with an Alta CAI, and Catback exhaust. I had a plug n play but used it only for about 4 drives (had to have it sent back to be reprogrammed and then didn't put it back on). I have posted on this site about the problems that I had with my car and I can tell you that they weren't because I beat the crap out of my car (which I definitely did not do), but because I wanted others to know about some of the issues I had with my car. I really enjoyed driving my MCS but got tired of some of the well documented issues that the 2nd gens have. I didn't have any problems with the customer service that I received from my dealer. They were always fair and honest with me. A lot of people have reservations about new cars and obviously every brand is going to have it's issues. Too many issues in my opinion arose on my car so I traded it in (by the way I'm very happy about how well they hold their value). Reading your entry you make it sound like if we share our experiences then we were either beating the crap out of our cars like young teenagers, or holding a grudge due to one bad car out of a 1000, or we're complete idiots and we don't maintain our vehicles. I'm glad your car is treating you so well and I really hope that all the other Mini owners have great experiences with their cars. I will always like the Mini's even though I choose at this time not to own one. My Mom and a good friend of mine each bought a MCS due to some input that I gave them about how much fun that car is to drive. They still have theirs and to my knowledge they haven't had as many issues that I had with mine. As a matter of fact my Mom hasn't had any issues at all that I'm aware of. Earlier in this thread a longer warrantee was mentioned; I would recommend that to others if they want some piece of mind for longterm ownership. I still post on this website because I am still a fan of the cars performance and of the great people that I met at various Mini events. I enjoy reading about some of the driving experiences and performance mods that other owners share. Personally I'm glad that these issues come to light on the internet as well as the positive feedback. If anything it will help current and future owners to be aware of issues that could become a problem on their cars and how other's have dealt with these conditions. I don't believe everything on the internet nor should others but enough previous and current owners of the 2nd gen MCS's have all chimed in on some of their problems and that can't just be ignored or dismissed. JMO and like I said I still like the cars just not the one that I used to own even though I still have some great memories from that car.

 

+1

Many people who show up on forums such as this, do so because they are looking for a solution to a problem, so read them with that in mind.

 

I'm waiting for my first MINI. I have had Hondas and Acuras for as long as I can remember and they have been great regarding reliability. I expect the MINI will not be quite as reliable but I wanted to get a replacement for my '98 Prelude (Auto w/selectric shift) and I became tired of waiting for Honda to offer an upscale car (compared to the Civic) and that was not any longer than my Prelude and with decent horsepower for getting on th highway commuting to work each day. I ruled out the HOnda Accord and Acuras because they are longer and I like small cars. The Honda 2000 is onlt offered in manual and I gave up trying to teach my wife how to drive a manual many years ago. When my MINI comes in and it will be at the end of March (loaded on the Topeka today), I plan on getting the extended warranty.

As far as experience with MINIs, I have none yet. But a guy at work has had his for past ~ 3 years and he has 42K on it and no issues.

 

Don't take offense... You may have had legitimate problems with your car that you bought. My post was more about the internet in general and how far skewed the opinions are for and against the car.... and so many other things as well.