Mini Cooper

[Laura Zone 5]

My daughters Miata is dead.
She needs a new car and she's got her eye on a Mini Cooper.

I would love feedback on what ya'all think!!

[TacticalTrout]

Does she commute to work or school? What types of roads? Does she take long trips on a regular basis?

[ninny]

Car reviews on the mini aren't good. Lots of mechanical problems.

.

[clovis]

A relative of mine just bought a Mini from another relative of mine.

A nice little car, albeit small.

I am told that Mini parts are EXPENSIVE.

[idigbeets]

I'd go with something a little less exotic.. Honda, Toyota, Subaru... parts (especially used/junk yard) are easier to come by.

[GreenMother]

I love my Mini. That being said, it does cost a fortune to repair - especially if you take it to the dealership. The parts are all BMW parts, so they are pricey. I had a local mechanic in Annapolis who did a great job with mine. Need to find someone here in southern Virginia. But they are oh so much fun to drive!

[sniper69]

I know people who had/have mini coopers and they seemed to like them.
With that said, if I were in the market for a new vehicle, and looking at cars, I would spend a few thousand more and get a Subaru BRZ. (unfortunately for me (because of my family size), I get the fun of driving a minivan, or if buying a new vehicle - something that has room for 7 and luggage, lol).

Then there are the Subaru outbacks too. A lot of subaru's have lifetime powertrain warranties on new and some used (at least that is what they are offering at the local subaru dealer).

A volkswagen jetta is a nice vehicle too, and not to badly priced.

Also a new dodge dart would be economically priced (and probably more affordable than some) (the Chevy Cruze is priced around the same price point as the dart).

If not needing a brand new vehicle, but instead looking at used vehicles - I think a lot would depend on what one wants to spend, what one likes, etc. There are some good vehicle deals out there.

The best advice I can offer is to test drive a variety and then narrow the selections down, and then test drive the narrowed down selections some more.

[jamesdaclark]

Don't do it! I've been a Mini/BMW tech since the new Mini came out. They are cute and fun to drive, that's unfortunately where the pros end. There is not any model of mini that isn't loaded with problems. Keep in mind the Mini is owned by BMW, which means BMW prices to repair and maintain. My wife drives a Honda, I have a Dodge Ram and a Ford Focus. The Honda is the most reliable. The Dodge is my favorite. The Ford is the least expensive, AKA boring.

[GoldenCityMuse]

Is the daughter paying for it?

I personally like the Mazda line. Tell her to get a Mazda3.

[Micheal]

Person down the road has one...
Said it's a "ball to drive" specially in the winter. In turn you can easily see the skid marks of where he's been on and nearly off the road.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by Laura Zone 5

My daughters Miata is dead.
She needs a new car and she's got her eye on a Mini Cooper.

I would love feedback on what ya'all think!!

..............Checkout the lawsuit settlement for Mini's in the post from Ninny , in the General Chat section ! New engine cost $10,000 ! , fordy

[358156hp]

Do some price comparison on normal service work on the Mini. Oil changes are like $100.00, IIRC. Anything with the three magic letters "BMW" on it anywhere is expensive to own. Parts are terrible!

[doppler8000]

tell her to get another miata. the 2002 -2005 are the best and if you change the oil are dang near bullet proof

[wkndwrnch]

I am on my second Miata. The first one, a 1999, green ,had 160,000 miles and needed some body work.I found this one a 1999,blue,with 62,000 miles and original condition, Now I can modify it to make it more fun to drive. I like to have the top down as often as possible. Hard to do with a mini,but I have heard they are like go-carts to drive,lots of fun,and have a back seat. I still prefer the low maintenance of my miata,plus the top down whenever I want.