I loved the styling, the performance, and the stuff-ability of my 2010 clubman (non s), but will never buy another mini again.  i followed the on board diagnostics for maintainence until I darn near ran the car out of oil about 8k miles short of its next oil change.  The giveaway was the load clattering/knocking sound from the valves and/or timing chain.  What no one really tells you at the dealer is that these cars burn oil increasingly as the mileage stacks up.  By the end of 40,000 miles I was putting a quart in every 1000 miles.

After running the engine down to the low line of oil on the dipstick, the car now makes a lot of clatter when the oil is under 2/3.  At 100k miles my exhaust manifold cover broke on the bottom and started rattling, at 100k miles the water pump started leaking and needed replacement, at 105k I had to replace the alternator, timing chain tensioner assembly, and serpentine belt.  There have also been intermittent issues with the electrical, like a license plate light that keeps loosing ground, and the drivers window that likes to roll down if I tell both front windows to roll up.

 

In contrast my old Toyota Matrix had $112k miles and only required brakes and oil changes its entire life (And didn't eat oil midway though a oil change cycle)

 

I also dislike the dealerships a lot.  The sales people were rude and stand offish, and the prices of maintainence were outrageous even by dealer standards ($186 oil change???).  lus, consider where you have to get parts from.  I had the alternator break down in central California a few hundered miles from any mini dealerships.  I had a choice of waiting a few days for the weekend to end, for shipping, then installation of the alternator...or get towed 200 miles home so I didn't miss out on work for 2 Days.

Sam, congrat's on your new MINI! 

My only recommendation is to change the oil more frequently than recommended by the factory.  Your turbo will thank you...

Cheers,
Ken

There seems to be as many opinions as there are Mini owners.  Oh well, I am now committed.  I bought a 2012 MCS convertible with 7,086 mi.  That is correct.  The only explaination I got was that it was owned by a little old lady who drove it to church on Sunday. Clean carfax and service record.  Will see.  So far so good.

The only problem so far is that I let my wife drive it.  She would not drive the El Camino.  That was one of the reasons for getting another car.  Just in case a backup was needed.  She explained that she liked her Cad. SRX SUV and did not really want to get down into a little car except in an emergency.  And then she and her girl friend went out with the top down for a quick drive to the store.  Got back 1 1/2 hrs. later.  Took the long way back.  Maybe I will be checking on that early supercharged version.

I do most of my routine mx. and have a good shop for anything heavy.  I tried to buy a car through 2 local Mini dealers.  They were interested in selling me a new car, but even when they had used one, did not seem to want to sell a used Mini.  I did not want to beg them to sell to me.  Got this one from a M.B. dealer who could not have been nicer had I bee buying a Maybach.  Maybe next time.  Doubt I will be getting much service from the local Mini dealers.

Four years and this one goes to a grandaughter.  Maybe  a new design by then.  I hope I still love it.  I hope my wife lets me drive it some.......

We have a 2009 clubman S which is definately "not" one of the best cars we've ever owned.

We have the timing chain rattle which will get fixed once my real mini is fixed. Even doing yourself, is $300 in parts and a $200 timing kit.

The moonroof goes screwy if you open it more than a few inches

The dash rattles on the passenger side

The drivers door grab handle groans and squeaks when pulling the door closed

The coolant reservoir tank split at 104K miles (aftermarket replacement for $50)

The HP fuel pump started getting weak at 103K (Amazon replacement for $300 ish, fitted myself)

Oil consumption is 1qt every 2500-3000 miles (no, that's not a typo)

The hood is rusting under the "scoop"

 

On the plus side, it's fun to drive, is quick, economical, and has never "let us down".
But I'll never own another that's for sure...

Sounds like MINIs need a lot of care and feeding for a modern car. My 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata which I bought new, has about 75k miles now and other than oil changes it needed a new fuel pump. I also replaced the timing belt, water pump, thermostat and other while your in there stuff when I did the timing belt. Reading sone of these posts would make me think twice of buying a used MINI. 

2004 MINI is one of the best cars we have owned, 150,000 miles so far and one set of brakes, alternator, battery, and I replaced a transmission stepper sol. as preventive maint. and of course oil changes and other normal maint. items like air filter and belt. Don't buy into the BMW sealed for life transmission BS keep it serviced. I also change the engine oil twice as often as recommended.

Oh I did replace a front wheel bearing hub assy recently. But it was cheap and easy compared to my chevy truck that has failed twice in the same miles. And I also just put the 3rd set of tires on the car since new they last a long time. The car will have 200k before needing tires again.

That said the BMW MINI is not a honda accord you can't beat it into the ground for 300k with little or no care.

My daily driver for almost five years was a 2010 Mini Clubman S. I “designed” the car on the Mini USA website, ordered it from the new dealership in town and followed its progress from build to ship to delivery. I had my Classic painted to match the Clubman. I read all of the horror stories of problems with the cars, but convinced myself “It wouldn’t happen to me”. I was religious about oil changes, tune-ups, scheduled maintenance. But, it DID happen.

I took the Clubman in for a clutch replacement at 70k miles, not unreasonable since I’m not gentle on a clutch. BUT, that $1,600 job turned into $3,600 when parts disintegrated in the mechanic’s hands on his way to/from the clutch. I know and trust the mechanic, he’s a friend and enthusiast, active in the local Mini club. Two weeks after I got it back, the oil filter mount cracked open, leaking engine oil, another $800. And the mechanic mentioned the vacuum pump, $800, would need to be replaced soon and the brakes needed a complete job, rotors and pads, $800+ of oem parts.

On top of that, the ’07-’10 cars have a known defect with the timing belt tensioner which I had not experienced, yet. Not every car has the problem, but I decided I was clearly not lucky. If the tensioner goes, it’s either a $1,500 job or a complete engine replacement, depending on how quick you turn it off.

I loved my Clubman, it was just unbelievably fun to drive, but I traded it for something NOT manufactured by BMW.

I had a friend on the mainland that bought a nice used 2005 MINI COOPER 'S' Convertible. He absolutely loved that car! The only reason he sold it was because he ended up having three kids. I own a 2004 MCS Hardtop from new. It's been a pretty awesome ride. The Factory covered the power steering pump and fan when it went out, (but that was a problem known to develop) I would suggest buying a beautiful example 2006 MCS Convertible with low miles. You will get the most 'bang for the buck' without breaking the bank, and you'll have as much fun as a kid in a candy store. If the MINI does end up needing any repairs, you will probably be pretty close to owning it anyway, (plus you'll have a supercharger instead of a turbocharger) My two cents.                      Mini Estate

Too funny Steve ;-)

Wait another year and a 4X8 sheet will fit. Steve (CTR)

4' X 8' sheets fit in a MINI easily.

Just have to cut it into small enough pieces.

Not sure about replacing an El Camino with a MINI. You might have trouble getting a sheet of plywood in the back.

Sam, the new MINI does not rank very high with consumer reports, but I've had a 05 Cooper convertible for about 10 years (84K mi) and have had very few issues.  Had the convertible top replaced under warranty (mis-aligned in manufacturing causing excessive wear marks - a problem with the initial 2005 production run), engine mount replaced under warranty, replaced the power steering pump fan about 5 years ago... Cup holder broke, E-brake chrome handle broke, replaced some trim.

Other than that, it's been routine maintenance.

ken

I will be looking for a new Mini (11-14). As I stated in an earlier post,  I tried a Classic while living in Berlin in 1988.  Found I did not fit. Not a problem with the newer ones.  I think 100, 000 mi. is not bad for major servicing.  Think I could live with that.  Hopefully all parts don't have to come from BMW. Host sponsor of this site looks like a good source.

 In addition to my 67s I also have an 03 JCW BMW mini purchased new. It has 109k miles and has been for the most part trouble free. At a 100k miles I had all the hoses, vacuum and water replaced. This was done for insurance against future issues. This proved to be a good move as several were cracked. At 109k the knock sensor and front and rear wheel sensors were replaced.  Cracked motor mounts can be a problem, this is an easy fix with the cure available from aur site host. I replaced the top engine stablizer with one also supplied by our site host, owing to the improvement in shifting, this should have been done long ago. Three sets of front brake pads and two for the rear has been the extent of my issues with the car. Timing chain tensioner problems can be an issue on cars that have not had regular oil changes which should be a lot shorter than the factory spec. Just rember you will be driving  a BMW, so prepair for BMW service and parts pricing.

Are you talking about a BMW MINI or a classic mini? I put 87000 miles on my classic and never needed a tow home. Two wheel bearings a coil, tires and brakes. Can't help you with the new car know nothing about them. I do have a 1980 998 blue Cabro that came in yesterday. It is LHD and owned by a little old lady who took it for a new state inspection before bringing it too me. She is retiring the second time and moving from the area. She has driven and maintained it the five years since her husband passed. Always garaged. Steve (CTR)

 

Located coastal VA.  

I am making plans to purchase a replacement for my '84 El Camino.  Need a good driver that will eventually (in 5 years )pass to my grandaughter.  A late model Mini S Convertible is the leading contender, but whenever I mention a Mini, I get a chorus of, "Not the most reliable car" and "You know they spend a lot of time in the shop" from many of my 'car' buddies.  None own a Mini, but all seem to have known someone who has.

 Since Forums are a good source, thought I would throw the question out for disussion.  How reliable is your Mini compared to other cars you have owned?  

 

SamtheSham