Hi there!

I've been lurking this forum for awhile; what a great community!

I've been a fan of Mini's for the longest time, and I'm now in a position to buy one (my old Jetta has FINALLY kicked the bucket, and I will never buy another Vdub ). I found an '06 5speed with 65k miles on it. Not turbo'd or supercharged. Haven't gone to look at it yet; the dealership is 2 hours away.

About me: I'm 22, in the last stages of my college career. I've always been a huge car enthusiast (owned a 6speed Trans Am and a 04 WRX), but bought my stupid Jetta as a more "practical" choice while in college. Now, I DO still want something not necessairily practical, but at least reliable and not outrageously expensive to maintain (like a Jetta). I'm hoping you all can be straight with me on how reliable and expensive/inexpensive these cars are. My dad and I have so far done any and all work needed on all of my cars, and both of us have a pretty good grasp on what we're doing.

Basically I want to know what exactly should I look for in this far, what I might get into with this mileage, what do I have to look forward to, what is the general cost of maitenance/upkeep...blah blah blah. I realize a Honda or Toyota would be the most practical, reliable, cheap...but I'm ready for a FUN car again. I guess I just want the most reliable fun car I can get, and I'm hoping that is a mini! :D Thank you all in advance!!

-Jackie

 

If your looking at a Cooper non S, don't get the Automatic CVT trans, they fail and are uber expensive.

Otherwise common things to check are control arm bushings, thermostat for leaking, pass motor mount will fail. At 65k it should have had the inspection 2 service check that it did, that is an expensive service. Can be done cheaper but would show if someone took care of the car before.

 

Welcome to the community!

First thing you should do is go over to motoringfile for the buyers guide those guys have put together, its an excellent resource to start with!
http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

IMO the MINI is above average in reliability, you will find some minor well known issues that if you are proactive about will never be a big deal.

stay away from pre 05 MC's with the midlands tranny or CVT...Other than that, there has been some issues with the older cars consistently having thermostat and oil pan leaks. There is a handfull of other stuff that is well documented here...

call the dealer and get its service history

and feel free to ask any questions you have here....its the best automotive community around!

 

Thanks for the tips!

Ad says it's a 5 speed manual. I've read enough to know to stay as far away as possible from the CVT Auto trans!

 

That is a GREAT site--thank you!

 

This is really the biggest issue with the standard Coopers. The 5sp Midlands is not a problem typically. By the way, avoid the CVT in any car!

Definitely DO NOT buy a MINI that has not been maintained properly and needs a lot of work. Give the car a good test drive and have an MINI mechanic look at it if at all possible. It's $100 well spent. When you drive it, race the engine and drive at highway speeds. It should feel like a little race car --solid as a rock. If it doesn't, there is something wrong with that MINI. No ECU lights should come on the dash, usually red or yellow. If they do, it points to a lack of proper maintenance and service issues that could be expensive or not.

There are too many good MINIs on the market to waste your money on someone else’s problems. The NAM Marketplace might be a great place to find a well-maintained MINI as well.

MINIs are far from the worst car in the world, and in many ways, they are one of the best.

 

MiniJackie,

MINI Coopers are extremely fun cars. It is, by far, my favorite auto that I have ever owned. However, it is also the most expensive to up keep. The MINI that you are looking at should be fairly easy to maintain if it was taken care of. Communicate with Way at, "Way Motor Works", for specific things to look for. He owns his own shop and seems to have a lot of experience working on MINI's.

Parts are expensive and the MINI Dealers work on some kind of a commission service plan. Anything done at a dealer will cost you 2 to 3 times what it would cost you at an Independent Shop. I am sure you and your father can do most of the basic repairs, however, find a good independent shop that you trust for any extensive work.

In addition, my 06 MCS, tends to go through tires rather quickly.

Goodluck on your decision and Happy Motoring!!

 

The NHSTA is investigating power steering in '04's and '05's after receiving many complaints. This was out in the news recently. BMW is aware of the complaints and investigation so its another thing for you to look out for. Oil changes with synthetic happen less frequently than standard cars and the car counts this down for you. Brake fluid and cooling system is to be changed every two years according to MINI Service as is the cabin filter. When Iasked about additional scheduled maintenance and costs...they said there is none. Bring it in when a light goes on or you may think you are having difficulties. I live two hours way from the dealer so I use a garage that my local Mini club uses. This can keep costs down too. Find a MINI where MINI provided free scheduled maintenance up to 36,000 miles and the car has history of it being done. Otherwise brake cost is comparable, oil changes are comparable, tires are easy, and every day driving should be enjoyable. I agree with staying away from a CVT transmission. Good luck!

 

Good choice on the MINI. Like everyone else said, there are a few things that will eventually fail, as with every car. Passenger motor mount on my '05 S failed a week after buying it. I bought an extended warranty with the car and it was all taken car of.

The only other thing that I didn't see mentioned above is oil leaking. I'd check the valve cover gasket (also failed on my car after a week- most likely was already leaking and I didn't notice), and the oil pan. I'm pretty sure my oil pan is leaking too.

The fact that it's not an 'S' may mean that it hasn't been driven as hard, but still check the tops of the strut towers. They have a tendency to mushroom upwards a bit from hard impacts. It's a simple fix, but would be worth knowing before the purchase.

Finally, I'd like to say that I bought my MINI because I wanted a reliable car that I could keep stock and not mod at all. Turns out I picked the worst possible car for that. These cars are extremely fun to drive, and there are lots of things to do to/with them. So, if you're thinking you may want to change a few things here and there- be prepared.

 

welcome. I am in my second week of owning my '06 MCSa. I love it and I am sure you will too.

 

Welcome and good luck! I've been driving my '06 MC 5spd for six months or so, so I can't comment on ownership cost, but it's a zippy little car, lots of fun.