Subject: [Spridgets] New Mini Cooper

From: Kirk Hargreaves <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 19:24:44 -0700

I have always admired this car and as we are approaching the need for a new
or newer car I have had this car in mind . . the turbo I hear
is the way to go for the added performance.

However I recently came across Consumer Reports 10 worst cars where they
put the Mini towards the top of their list for reliability problems.

Built by BMW (right?) I was surprise to read things like:

*Bought my Mini Cooper S, std shift, new in 2007. It was a fun & happy ride
for a very short time. Since owning this money-sucking imp, I have spent
approx $5K in repairs (not maintenance) . .  less than 50k miles and a
litany of repairs. *

Is this common or sour grapes or what?  Or limited to certain models to
avoid or years to avoid?

I believe that there are some on our list that own this car . . .

Please advise . . .

Kirk
1959 1275
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From: Tncarnut1 <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 08:21:37 -0500

My ex-wife has a 05 non-S mini. She has probably put $7k in it in repairs (not maintenance) over the past 3 or 4 years. Just last week was $1900 for exhaust. She has had quite a few various sensors die, cooling system issues, suspension components fail, plus regular wear items like timing components, belts, water pump, brakes, etc. Because I no longer maintain the car, (refer back to the 'ex' part of my description of her) these have all been costly repairs. She still loves the car because it is a blast to drive. B Each time she spends money on it, the repair shop tells her there is nothing left to fail on the car - she's repaired it all. Till the next new thing dies. It's am addicting car. Even the non turbo/supercharged versions are very peppy & fun to drive.B 
A year or so ago, she asked Kyle if he wanted to buy it for his first car. I advised him to pass...

- David

>From my Android phone on T-Mobile. The first nationwide 4G network.

Kirk Hargreaves <[email-masked]> wrote:

*Bought my Mini Cooper S, std shift, new in 2007. It was a fun & happy ride
for a very short time. Since owning this money-sucking imp, I have spent
approx $5K in repairs (not maintenance) . .B  less than 50k miles and a
litany of repairs. *

Is this common or sour grapes or what?B  Or limited to certain models to
avoid or years to avoid?

Please advise . . .

Kirk
1959 1275
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From: David Ambrose <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 10:04:11 -0700

I realize this is only one data point, but the owner of the repair shop 
I use said that the BMW built Minis needed a lot of repairs and advised 
me not to get one. He's been honest for the last 20 years, and I'm 
confident that what he's telling me is true.

On 6/23/2014 7:24 PM, Kirk Hargreaves wrote:
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From: Bill L <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 05:45:45 -0700

Hello Kirk,

     Before you purchase one, be absolutely sure, without doubt to
     drive the new Ford Fiesta ST. .. multiple car of the year awards,
     out handles the MINI, and you don't have to pay the added cost
     associated with "foreign car parts"...

     Full disclosure,... I have one and LOVE IT. 

-- 
Best regards,
 Bill L.                           mailto:[email-masked]
 
 '66 Sprite MKIII HAN8L49403   "the red thing"
 
      * "Do salmon wear sweaters?" asked Tom wolfishly.
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From: "Dean Swanson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 14:44:30 -0400

The New MINI Cooper is indeed a product of BMW and is therefore a "premium
performance" small car (NOT an economy car) so the price of parts and
repairs reflect it. It has leading technologies (for better or worse) that
other premium performance cars have and increased maintenance cost like
tires and brakes every 30,000 miles or less depending on how sporty you
drive. They have direct fuel injection, so the fuel (with cleaning
additives) are injected directly into the cylinders, so it does NOT clean
the deposits out of the intake/off the back of the valves - leading to the
need to have the intake/head ports de-carbonized (other car manufactures'
with direct injection engines will have the same issue. I think some MINIs
have a dual-mass flywheel which leads to increased expenses when a clutch
replacement is necessary. There is a single computer controlling EVERYTHING
making for faster communication, but that means any problem and the car has
to go back to the dealer to be re-programmed - even adding factory fog
lights requires dealer programming (because of the "soft switches" used. If
I was looking to buy one (and wasn't set on wanted a new one) I would try to
find a "certified pre-owned" example with the extended warranty.

That being said, I purchased my 2010 MINI Cooper Clubman new in Feb, 2010 -
It has had some issues covered under warranty:

The brakes did not properly seat-in, so at 1500 miles it received all new
disks and pads under warranty.

Also around 25,000 miles the windows started to have a rubber squeak what
raised/lowered so it received new driver's and passenger side lifting
mechanisms free under warranty.

It now has 37,000 miles and is out of warranty (more than four years old),
so I'll see how it goes.

You can go here to find out all sorts of stuff:
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/
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From: Kirk Hargreaves <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 17:46:53 -0700

First time I noticed a Scion FRS from a distance, I thought it was an
exotic of some kind.  Very cool looking car . . . and yet priced in Scion
territory.

I have not done any research on reliability . . but I would guess that the
car is well made?  I have not heard negatives on the other Scion's.

Any experiences with the Scion FRS?

On Sun, Jun 29, 2014 at 11:44 AM, Dean Swanson <[email-masked]>
wrote:

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From: "Dean Swanson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 20:53:48 -0400

FYI - sister car to the Subaru BRZ

  _____  

From: Kirk Hargreaves
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 8:47 PM
To: Dean Swanson
Cc: Spridgets
Subject: Re: [Spridgets] New Mini Cooper

First time I noticed a Scion FRS from a distance, I thought it was an exotic
of some kind.  Very cool looking car . . . and yet priced in Scion
territory. 

[email-masked]

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From: Billy Zoom <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 19:17:01 -0700

> injected directly into the cylinders, so it does NOT clean
> with direct injection engines will have the same issue.
Does this mean my CRX has a problem and I don't know it?
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From: Mike MacLean <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 09:39:15 -0700

When the Mini first came out I went to look at them to possibly buy one.B  When I told the salesman I was going to use it to commute to work he told me that people were buying them and showing up with flatbed trucks to haul them home. He said they did not want to put any miles on them.B  He was actually horrified by the idea I was going to use my car every day and refused to sell one to me.B  What the heck?B  It's just a retro version of a Mini, isn't it?B  After that I never wanted one.B  Friends that own them tell me of the frequent expensive repairs.B  I'll stick with my Honda.
Mike MacLean
60 Sprite
56 BN2

On Jun 30, 2014 9:15 AM, Jay <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
> I bought two new MINI's, both S models. One was a 2003 and my current car is a 
> 2010. 
> The dealer experience is something rather unique, something akin to 
> being allowed to own one of their cars. 
>
>
> jay 
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From: "Dean Swanson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2014 19:48:46 -0400

I could be wrong, but I don't think your CRX is new enough to have direct
injection - below is a write-up about direct injection carbon build-up:

http://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2011/06/direct-injection-fouls-s
ome-early-adopters.html

-----Original Message-----
From: Billy Zoom  
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 10:17 PM

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