How good the Mini

[Solo Man]

Have never really looked at the Mini as i am more into BMW's. Which are the one's to be wary of? Are there problem cars/engines out there or are all the Mini's ok? My daughter in law wants to replace her 2005 120d and was thinking of a Polo but i was wondering if a Mini isn't a better/more fun buy? Please help me out here. Which year models and/or engines should i preferably not buy? Price range about R100 - R120k

 

[Danny2]

Rather keep the 120d

 

[Solo Man]

Would really like to hear from some one that has experience of Minis. Did they not start off with Chrysler engines and now have Peugeot motors? Are they reliable cars? What are the weak points? Are they economical? Are they difficult to service, ie changing the plugs and filters, etc.

 

[Beemerbro]

Can I refrer you to the HonestJohn.co.uk website for more reliable information. There you will find evidence based reviews on virtually any car and a lot more. It's the first go-to resource for anyone needing advice on car buying etc. I'm sure you'll find it useful.

Of course it's always good to hear the personal experiences of other users here and their advice:thumbs:

 

[NtandoN]

My wife had a 2009 R56 Cooper S and it was fun to drive when it worked.
The car was bought with about 55 000km and the engine had issues with timing chain, overheating, turbo, etc. In the 3 years she owned it, she never drove it more than 6 months continuously. The timing chain is well-known issue.

A friend still has his 2005 R53 Cooper JCW which he doesn't drive anymore because its always in limp mode.

Apparently, issues were sorted out from 2011 R56 models and with the intro of the F56.

My bosses daughter has a 2010 R56 1.6 Cooper and not a days problem.
A friends father had a 2011 R56 Cooper S and no issues.

Verdict is the pre-2011 S and JCW cars seem to be a problem and I wouldn't recommend them. What's worse is any repairs are extremely expensive because the whole front end needs to be dismantled before any work is done.

 

[Solo Man]

Thanks for the response! Spoke to a car salesman yesterday about a Cooper S they have on the showroom floor and he says it just breaks whilst standing there. He won't trade another one again.

 

[Mamboza]

From the research i did it appears that you need to buy 2011 and newer. These will have N18 engine. We had a 2013 cooper s coupe for past 3 years which we recently sold. Not a single issue just did normal service. We took it to SMW swartz motor works for services.
Just bought another 2012 cooper s convertible and so far so good.


Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

Former colleague had the Cooper S, she constantly complained about it, it always had some kind of issue to resolve.. I also do not see many around on the roads anymore to be honest, might say something.. Maybe the much newer ones are solid, but also do not see all that many on the road.

 

[Beemerbro]

i worked with two colleagues around 2013 who had minis around 2 -3 years old and they told me mini in the uk at the time was experiencing a lot of problems with its wiring loom, electrics and ECU...i don't know how widespread this problem was as I've never had a mini cos im too big for it:smilebounce:

 

[Kamiel]

The Mini i think in non Cooper s model was not troublesome, had 1(2010 R56 1.6) sold recently drove much better than say a polo (had go cart feeling), serviced it with no real headaches. we sold at mileage being 105k. Good car, did it job plus was fun.

 

[dvst8]

Have owned "New" Mini's and loved them

Mk1 - I had the Cooper S Hatch and only issue I had was the Fan Switch. Other than that pretty solid

Mk2 - never owned one, but these are known to have issues.

Mk3 - Had the JCW Hatch - Powered by BMW's B48. I had no issues during ownership

Currently have the Countryman JCW, has been a beaut in the 3 months so far.

I think if you stick with the Mk1 or Mk3, you would be fine.

:thumbs:

 

[individj]

friend had early Cooper S and she drove it hard everyday...car was pretty decent on maintenance...only real issue she has was the expansion tank cracking like E46 BMW

 

[Beemerbro]

just get one that's 100% BMW free:roflol:

 

[Dewald Basson]

Ross Duncan stated that he can services 4 BMWs in the time it takes to service a mini. So he refuses to service them.


Having very limited time in my sister Mk1 1.6 non a, it does drive well and all that, but it the interior rattles, alot. My old mx5 has less rattling.

 

[Solo Man]

I am now really put off the Mini. Thanks for all the responses and advice.

 

[kingr]

What a great baseline for us to write a "buyers guide" article on the Mini. They've always looked like a hit and miss to me as an outsider. Funky car to own though and wouldn't mind reviewing a JWC that "works".

Expect a mini Buyers Guide from Wheel Index soon.

The challenge with reading buyers guide's from overseas websites are that their dealer networks don't respond the same to reported or common issues. As an example, BMW US recalled the N54 engine for the high-pressure fuel pumping failing and BMW SA never did. So with our buyers guide we aim to give a local SA standpoint as opposed to general advice found online.

Here's our blog for anyone keen reading some of our past guides https://www.wheelindex.co.za/blog.

 

[SanM]

My wife owns a Mini Cooper hatch, 5dr. It has the 1.5t engine. My thoughts: really fun vehicle to drive. Surprised with the performance of the vehicle; can easily outrun many other larger-engine vehicles whenever the need arise. The ride is comfortable, and it handles like a go-cart. I can easily chuck it into corners with ease. Fuel consumption is also very good - get around 6.5l/100km under normal driving.