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Any Mini Cooper Owners?

S

supercooled

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 6, 2007
737
1
Hey, anyone here also on NAM? (NorthAmericanMotoring)

I'm thinking of getting a 1st generation [new] MINI Cooper non-S. Up until about 2 weeks ago I had settled on the 2011 Fiesta SES with the employee discount going on right now it's a pretty smart package. Anyway, there's no denying as Mac users that we all love form and function and this is the case with the MINI. It looks like a fun car to drive while the Fiesta looks like a utility. Looked around locally and the non-s with about 60k on the odometer goes for around $10k. I'm just worried it's expensive to maintain and replace parts since it's Bavarian.

Anyone else would be go for the MINI or play it safe and go with the Ford Fiesta?
 
supercooled said:
Hey, anyone here also on NAM? (NorthAmericanMotoring)

I'm thinking of getting a 1st generation [new] MINI Cooper non-S. Up until about 2 weeks ago I had settled on the 2011 Fiesta SES with the employee discount going on right now it's a pretty smart package. Anyway, there's no denying as Mac users that we all love form and function and this is the case with the MINI. It looks like a fun car to drive while the Fiesta looks like a utility. Looked around locally and the non-s with about 60k on the odometer goes for around $10k. I'm just worried it's expensive to maintain and replace parts since it's Bavarian.

Anyone else would be go for the MINI or play it safe and go with the Ford Fiesta?
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I have news for you the Mini is not Bavarian it is English. The car is made in Oxford England. The car was first made in 1959 by BMC "British Motor corporation" and subsequently by Rover UK. The brand was bought by BMW in about 2000 but is still made in England.
 
nebo1ss said:
I have news for you the Mini is not Bavarian it is English. The car is made in Oxford England. The car was first made in 1959 by BMC "British Motor corporation" and subsequently by Rover UK. The brand was bought by BMW in about 2000 but is still made in England.
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Thanks for the clarification. Since BMW is the controlling company now, aren't they the ones who produce the spare parts and repairs? I don't want to pay $1000 for a oil pan or what ever it is that BMW charges. I'm just trying to gauge the true cost of ownership of this car before going in head first.
 
I've got an 03 Cooper S with about 46k miles. Awesome car. I also used to be pretty active on NAM. I just go troll around every now and then though.
 
I had an '04 Cooper S, then I had an '06 Cooper S, now I have a '10 John Cooper Works. I'm a Mini nut.

Yes, I am a member of NAM. It is an awesome site for Mini owners/prospective owners. There are lots of treads on there about common maintenance issues with the older models.
 
toxictrix said:
I've got an 03 Cooper S with about 46k miles. Awesome car. I also used to be pretty active on NAM. I just go troll around every now and then though.
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swiftaw said:
I had an '04 Cooper S, then I had an '06 Cooper S, now I have a '10 John Cooper Works. I'm a Mini nut.

Yes, I am a member of NAM. It is an awesome site for Mini owners/prospective owners. There are lots of treads on there about common maintenance issues with the older models.
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How was maintenance? I don't plan on doing much of it myself outside of oil changes and stuff like that. Are parts exuberantly expensive? Can you use generic parts or do they all come from BMW? I know it sounds dumb but I'm not very car savvy.
 
I just do the oil changes and stuff like that. Filters I do buy from the BMW dealer I think they are about 10 bucks. I have never actually had any real problems with the car. Never had to take it in.

Once you get into modding the car, then you start spending money =). My car has at least $10k worth of performance and convenience upgrades.

As I said though, I have never had a problem with it other than National Tire and Battery stripping all my studs on the wheels but that is in no part Mini/BMW's fault.
 
supercooled said:
Thanks for the clarification. Since BMW is the controlling company now, aren't they the ones who produce the spare parts and repairs? I don't want to pay $1000 for a oil pan or what ever it is that BMW charges. I'm just trying to gauge the true cost of ownership of this car before going in head first.
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I guess as long as it doesn't say "BMW" on the oil pan, you'll probably be ok. I'm not a Mini owner but own a 2001 330i--and the good news is the car has been very reliable--and a joy to drive--but when something does need repair--I need to bring my best credit card. ;)
 
Best bet is to find a good local mechanic who knows his way around a Mini (if you post on NAM local mini owners will certainly recommend you mechanics in your area, if your area happens to be near central MA I can certainly recommend an excellent one) then get any needed parts from 3rd-party vendors rather than BMW directly.
 
I have a 2009 MINI Cooper. It's a lease so I don't have to worry about maintenance on the car, "free" maintenance for the first 3 years. The residual value is the only reason why I'm leasing this car, it has one of the highest if not the highest residual value out there.

My friend had a 1st generation MINI S, 1st year. Her car had to be in the shop every month. One of the biggest problem was the fan, it won't stop, it actually caught on fire one time. My gf had a 2006 and hers was fine.

If my wife (now fiancee) gets a sedan or SUV when her lease is up on her current car, I'm definitely getting a MINI Cooper S or MINI coupe S when my lease is up. I love this car, but the non-S version is on the slow side.
 
I've always liked Mini's. I was looking at some JC Mini's but I don't know if I want to stay with a compact or a sports coupe like a Nissan 370Z. Decisions, decisions. How do the JC mini's perform? I've never driven a Mini turbo before. I had an old Volvo 240 Turbo and now have gone back to NA. I miss having a turbo haha.
 
swiftaw said:
Hey, another Omaha resident. Yes, they are, but definitely worth it.
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Haha yep! Thought I might join the Mac forums since I recently acquired two Mac laptops this past summer. Haven't been able to enjoy them since I have had summer classes at UNO the entire time! but anyways well I might have to go test drive a JCW to see how it compares up to a 370Z. :D
 
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