I always see them ¨parked or sitting on the side of the road. For the last twenty years. So small and compact it looks like anything you hit will cause major damage.
What is the reliability of Mini Coopers?
- Thread starter Vern_in_IL
- Start date
Not sure how reliable they are but they look like a really fun car to drive and own.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
Ask @vavavroom
A buddy of mine that is a european car specialist refers to mini coopers as ATMs on wheels. They paid for his new house.
If you have to ask, it’s not likely that you’ll want to afford it. They are under the BMW banner, known for their “Bring My Wallet” training for new owners on their first trip to the service department…
My neighbor has a 2021 and around here it’s hard to get basic maintenance parts such as air/oil filters and brakes. Local parts stores don’t stock the items and have to be ordered unless he goes to dealer. Ends up ordering internet ahead of time to do the job. A lot cheaper.
Hysterical! Did you think of that yourself?
An 06 corolla with only 30k miles? What's the story on that one.
Early Mini had a problem with the oil pickup screen becoming clogged bc the owners didn't change the oil+filter every 5000 miles. That's been rectified.
Now, I've owned bimmers since 1974 when I gave up riding 2 wheelers and after I spend a ton of $ on a used 1969 AH Sprite. I bought a nicely used 1971 BMW 2002. I knew zip about cars. It need rotors, naturally. Had to sell it when the girl I married couldn't for the life of me learn how drive a stick. We bought an Olds Cutlass. She got it in the divorce and bought another used bimmer. Never look at other brands since. I've driven many other brands from Yugo (I think I burned the engine up!!) to MB. I've driven them on all sorts of roads-Autobahn and Autostrada to the back roads of Ireland. Yes, bimmers cost money to maintain. My belief is that BMW tunes the crap out the cars and uses quality parts, but these parts wear out more frequently. Luckily, I'm handy with tools, and as retired MIL, I can work on our car at the bases' auto skills shops.
Now, I've owned bimmers since 1974 when I gave up riding 2 wheelers and after I spend a ton of $ on a used 1969 AH Sprite. I bought a nicely used 1971 BMW 2002. I knew zip about cars. It need rotors, naturally. Had to sell it when the girl I married couldn't for the life of me learn how drive a stick. We bought an Olds Cutlass. She got it in the divorce and bought another used bimmer. Never look at other brands since. I've driven many other brands from Yugo (I think I burned the engine up!!) to MB. I've driven them on all sorts of roads-Autobahn and Autostrada to the back roads of Ireland. Yes, bimmers cost money to maintain. My belief is that BMW tunes the crap out the cars and uses quality parts, but these parts wear out more frequently. Luckily, I'm handy with tools, and as retired MIL, I can work on our car at the bases' auto skills shops.
Oh no buddy. As a Mini owner I'm automatically biased and disqualified from mythbusting. I have put only 50k miles on my Mini in two years. People who don't own a Mini and who go by hearsay are much more qualified and can determine Mini reliability and repair cost in an unpartial manner based on the number of parked Minis they see and on what so-and-so says.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
Yup.. makes perfect sense on this here internetOh no buddy. As a Mini owner I'm automatically biased and disqualified from mythbusting. I have put only 50k miles on my Mini in two years. People who don't own a Mini and who go by hearsay are much more qualified and can determine Mini reliability and repair cost in an unpartial manner based on the number of parked Minis they see and on hearsay.
I had an 850 Mini in the mid 1960s. Looked like this but mine was a nice copper color. It was fairly reliable, fashionably leaked oil like all British cars should, until it got creamed by a Pontiac Bonneville on a snowy midwest day.
My son bought a used n/a Mini about 10yrs ago. Last yr, he bought a new Mini estate? Run flats, meh, AWD and a turbo or 2. The original Mini has over 150K miles on it, mostly highway with a little 'round town driving. He knows how to change the oil. He lives in western MA in the Berkshires, so I guess AWD is a plus. As for crash worthiness, they have all the airbags. I saw a Mini-Cooper parked beside a MINI. The new car was at least a foot larger in every dimension. ANyway, he never complains about the Break My Wallet problem which has been a BMW fault forever 
Well the wife had a 2018 for 2 years in fact that is why neighbor bought one for his wife. I had the same issues for the maintenance parts.
You quoted me too quickly. I edited my post because I had repeated the word hearsay and I didn't want to be accused of being repetitive. This goes to further show I'm an unreliable source altogether. By the way, Miss Moneypenny is currently parked. How do I know she's still in good health? Well, I don't know and that's why she's parked inside so I can hide her likely embarrasing state of demise from the prying eyes of the community.Yup.. makes perfect sense on this here internet
