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TCL, how terrible of an idea is this? (Mini S content)

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#1 · (Edited)
Now that I got your attention, I'm currently shopping Fiesta STs (vast majority have the poor base seats), Focus STs (priced badly in my area right now, oddly) and now, MK7 GTIs as well. I like the Si but it's out of my price range. But I've also just became aware of a fourth option that I've sworn off before, from the darling of depreciation that is MINI, the Cooper S. I've sworn off Minis before due to their notorious reliability reputation, but that's when I was looking at sub-8K used cars. I'm not a MINI expert, but I do know they were all-new in 2014 for it's 3rd generation, and seem to be holding up better than the previous ones. I don't need 2 unreliable cars;)

My major concern with these (and to a lesser extent the GTI) is serviceability and long-term reliability. The nearest BMW dealer is an hour away, and my independent mechanic, now 60 years old is hesitant to work on VWs or my old S40, much less a Mini. And since this is BMW we are talking about here, there is the possibility of stupid things like the lack of an oil dipstick on the 3 series:rolleyes:, and BMW's own record in the past 10 years is nothing to brag about. On the plus side, Minis are generally owned by a wealthier clientele so there is less of a chance of abuse and deferred maintenance, but I don't have an overabundance of confidence in something manufactured by BMW. The other options are far less niche so I'm not as worried as far as servicing.


Here is a good example, 2014 certified with just 27K miles. $16,900

 
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#4 · (Edited)
F56's are more reliable then the past gen's....but, you're still gonna be paying BMW prices for when stuff goes wrong/needs replacing....

I personally love my MINI, its just a fun car to drive.

I'm sure others who actually own one of the current gen will chime in, i know theres a few on here...
 
#15 ·
F56's are more reliable then the past gen's....but, you're still gonna be paying BMW prices for when stuff goes wrong/needs replacing....
This. Just get a MK7 GTI its faster, more practical and believe it or not handles just as good if not better around a track than the Mini (Got higher skid pad score and faster lap times around track)
 
#6 ·
It's the same B48 that's in a ton of other models, haven't heard of any major issues with them. Just make sure it's had it's normal service done and if it's still under warranty you should be able to extend it if you're that concerned. JCW Tune is worth the price if you do intend on keeping it under warranty.
 
#7 ·
I’d only do it I had the kind of support like our Audi dealership provides for our 02 Allroad 6 MT purchased CPO in 05.

Their commitment to providing excellence is unheard of, most importantly, for me. That would be Audi of Mission Viejo in SoCal. I would likely sell the car if they didn’t treat my family like part of the dealer/principal’s family.

If you can get that kind of support on a Mini, the experience is worth it. The punch in the face, kick to the curb, put you over the barrel service that our GMC/Caddie Dlr provides is at the opposite end of the spectrum. If our Denali wasn’t so easily serviceable reliable and brute tough, I’d choose a similar GM product from a dealer further away.

The day of servicing all my vehicles 100% of the time is over with a teen and two tweens.


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#9 · (Edited)
loved driving my F56S... but.... (copy paste from an older post of mine):

I had come really close to pulling the trigger on a R55 Clubman S back in 2011. The dealership wouldn't give me anything on a trade so I didn't do it.

2014 I decided a F56 Cooper S would be my next ride after the boredom of driving a TDI for years. While we were at the dealership the wife decides she really liked one too. We started talking and they offered her a bunch for her beat up Focus. So we ended up ordering two 2015 F56 Coopers (hers auto and non S, mine manual S)

Hers:
-fading black plastic trim
-white discoloration on painted black front bumper
-squealing in steering when cold
-clunking suspension
-loud rattle on startup once that led wife to believe it would blow up. never found anything
-loose/squeaking passenger seatback
-rearview mirror leaking rain sensor fluid goop
-trim falling off shifter knob
-key cover falling off door handle
-defective brake pad warning switch

Mine:
-defective control arm bushings
-defective steering column
-defective rear shocks
-door weatherstripping wearing away paint

so yeah the new ones are just as bad as ever.

other notes:
-very torquey motor, tons of fun for zipping around the city. ran out of steam at higher RPM like all new turbo motors do.
-sport seats are awesome, very comfy
-40mpg, even with the S!
-rev-matching works nicely
-i found the quirky interior fun, but digital gas gauge is weird.
 
#10 ·
Its the first year of that model. Take that as you wish. Our local dealer is 10 minutes away (and the are excellent) the best indy in the area is a half hour. So for ME, it would be worth it.

That being said, my 2013 R55S is a riot. Zips in and out of traffic, great on gas and I fit. Very little has gone wrong, though I'm fanatical about maintenance.
 
#11 ·
Personally I'd avoid the Mini due to the distance to the nearest dealer. That said why are you limiting yourself to Fords/VWs only for sale in your immediate area? For the cost of a plane ticket, you could save yourself thousands and probably find a better overall car elsewhere then have it serviced locally.
 
#20 ·
Wasn't expecting such a solid consensus. Thought the 3rd gen was a big improvement, but at least there is a consistent verdict.



I'm not looking in just my immediate area (I'm giving myself a radius of a few hours from me), but I don't like the logistics of flying across the country to buy a used car. And despite being a s--thole, my last job at least let me take personal time on a whim, I can't do that at my new job. Still, 3rd shift does make this a little easier now.
 
#12 ·
Would much rather have a mk7 GTI over any of those other options (personally). I'd also take a mk7 GTI over an equivalent Golf R. GTI will only need basic servicing over the next 5-8 years. Once you get near the 100k mark is when repairs/maint. will start to get pricey.
 
#16 ·
 
#18 ·
This is good advice.

Being an hour away from the dealer is a CON for sure... but I don't think its a deal killer.
My reasoning behind that is there is a LOT of isht that is an hour away from my house that I still end up doing/going/etc... hell, just going into the office, 3-4 days a week, is an hour each direction on a great day.

And its not too likely you will need to be at the dealer once a month, much less multiple times per week. hopefully :laugh:
 
#19 ·
I have a 2010 MINI Clubman S. I have't had any problems with it since I bought it new. The last time it saw the inside of the dealership was seven years ago, when the free maintenance ended. All I've done to it is change the oil every 5000 miles, new brakes and rotors and new tires and wheels.

My MINI has been the most reliable car I've owned.
 
#22 ·
They do drive great, though.

Between my wife and I, we've had 4 over the years in this order:
- 2010 R56 Cooper (hers, bought 8/13 & traded 4/16)
- 2013 R56 JCW GP (mine, bought 7/14 & traded 12/15)
- 2006 R53 S (mine, bought 12/15 & sold 3/18)
- 2015 F56 Cooper (hers, bought 4/16 & still in the household)

They were all great for us. My MINIs were my fun cars. Her MINIs are her daily drivers. I buy CPO and with low mileage and when she hits 85-95k miles, I hit the launch button and find another.

Also, I shouldn't have sold my R53. I regret selling that one. :(
 
#24 ·
Jumping on the "don't go Mini" bandwagon...

I've been asking myself the question, if my cousin decided to give us the '10 Clubman that we've been fostering, would I go for it?

On one hand, it's only got 87k miles on it, it has essentially been in the family since new (cousin bought it new, then it went to some close friends of theirs for the last few years, and now us), it's fun to drive, it's a manual (natch) and it's got tons of charisma.

But it also has stupid problems - had some issues surrounding the valve cover gasket replacement, the hood latch keeps breaking, and the tires are slowly leaking air (I should go and clean the bead on those). Nothing show-stopping, but kinda par for the course when you take into account that it's a Mini. And it hasn't been that big of a deal since we always have the Mazda to back it up.

Since I would have to get rid of another car - we're only fostering it as a favor to my cousin, and I don't like how high the insurance payment is on it - the only option to get rid of it would be to replace our '13 Mazda3. The Mazda has higher mileage, but it has been SUBSTANTIALLY more reliable. As in, no unscheduled stops at all in 112k+ miles.

Now, I won't say that I'm familiar with an F56, but I will say that my hesitation to get another Mini to replace the Mazda would be based more on the reliability of the replacement vehicle, rather than simply not wanting to get back into bed with a payment - as would be the case with a Mk7 GTI or Focus ST. Any increase in running cost would be attributed to the fact that I'm replacing an economy car with a performance variant of an economy car - but my unavailability isn't likely to change THAT much - maybe one or two unscheduled stops, but on the whole, as long as you keep up with basic maintenance and don't play around too much with mods, your chances of a happy ownership are that much higher. And you have service capabilities that much closer to you - that is key.

You have to REALLY love the Mini to put up with its BS. I like our Clubbie - haven't had it long enough to truly love it - but I couldn't jump in it and drive to California RIGHT NOW like I can with the Mazda. That's how much I trust it.
 
#26 ·
I do love the R55 Clubbie, though.

At one point I was so deep in the MINI Koolaid that I was looking at picking up one as a commuter/daily.
 
#33 ·
Although this is getting off on a tangent, I don't want to bump my previous thread while this one is fresh. I mentioned before that Focus STs currently aren't priced great here, and I have reason to believe I found a better alternative:

2015 (yes, first year) GTI with 40K miles for the same price as that mini, and priced better than most FoSTs (virtually all are base too). But here's the kicker, it's an autobahn version with the fender stereo. I think it's a good deal and if I didn't have plans today I'd look at it to make an offer, but I could wait for one with lower miles. Opinion?

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/750719128/overview/


Of the issues I had with my Fiesta ST, the quality of the seats was not among them. I thought they were just fine - and possibly more comfortable than the optional Recaros, at least how I was using the car (daily).
The non-recaro FiST seats have a few issues- they offer no thigh support due to a combination of a too-short and spongy/soft bottom cushion. Compounding the problem, the seats feel like they are tilted forward. Either the front of it is too low or the back too high, which gives the sensation of almost sliding out. The Recaros (on a Focus) made ingress/egress a bit of a pain, but once I was in there I was comfortable, tons of support.

Why not lease so you don't have to worry about out of pocket expenses as it will always be under warranty.

They are probably dealing this time of year to get them out the door.

From their site: "$289/MO - Hardtop 2 Door Cooper S
Lease a 2019 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door. $289/month for 36 months. $2,999 cash due at signing."
Huh. Didn't know a Cooper S was that cheap to lease (not much more than the Si) but in any case, I'm not interested in leasing. Otherwise I would have leased an Si.


Based on what I have read about Minis and the fact that your job frowns on personal time, then I would stay away from the Mini, and stretch your budget a little more and get a new or slightly used Civic Si. If you can't afford the Si, then look at the Civic Sport trim. I have owned or known people who have owned previous versions of the Civic and never had any major issues, unless they're heavily modified or really old.
Although an awesome car, the Si is more than I'm comfortable spending. What few used ones are virtually the same price. The regular 1.5t Civic has a similar problem-it's very close in price to an Si, and it's missing most of the goodies it has. Not worth it IMO.
 
#30 ·
Why not lease so you don't have to worry about out of pocket expenses as it will always be under warranty.

They are probably dealing this time of year to get them out the door.

From their site: "$289/MO - Hardtop 2 Door Cooper S
Lease a 2019 MINI Cooper S Hardtop 2 Door. $289/month for 36 months. $2,999 cash due at signing."
 
#35 ·
Plus taxes and fees, bro.

That $289/mo deal just became a $339/mo deal.

Why are people so ignorant to that small detail? Always "OMG, great deal... wait, you bait and switched me!"

No, you just didn't read the damn fine print. National lease ads can't predict for where a lessee registers a vehicle.

I wish lease ads were required to be printed with $0 down, plus taxes and fees. Level out the playing field and stop the confusion.
 
#31 ·
Mini Fever

I had my eye on Minis years ago but could never square the price and reliability concerns. I would still like to drive one for kicks but not to own one. If you're on a tight budget I would look at other options.

It's terrible to get something just below your max budget only to get hammered later with repair bills and have repairs that may leave you without a car for a bit too.

Keep looking until something meets your cost/reliability delta.
 
#45 ·
So, I had the intention to make an offer on that MK7 today, but it didn't happen.


The car happened to be an off-lease from New York bought wholesale. It had a few issues, mainly the clutch-it felt awful, being very slow to return to it's original position, and the bite point was almost all the way out which is usually a sign of the clutch being at the end of it's lifespan. I suppose the feeling could be down to the cold weather affecting the hydraulics, which my Volvo was notorious for. It also had a tremendously strong stink of fruity chemicals (we get it, you vape), possibly to cover up the smell from a smokers car which would explain the dusty vents. In addition to the flaky start button, one of the cruise buttons was missing. It shifted fine but it had a little more slop than I expected with just 40K miles. Plus, the salesman admitted it had the turbo recently replaced, which gave me pause. At least the Fender Audio sounded good.

I still would have made an offer, but the salesman informed me that the company policy is a "non negotiable price". It would have been a little over 18K OTD and, to be fair that's pretty competitive for a 6 speed Autobahn edition, but not with all those issues. Maybe I'm just picky (or cheap) but I wasn't expecting those issues for 18 stacks.
 
#48 ·
But then I have to buy one from a dubber :laugh:. I'm not looking specifically for a GTI, but if I find a good one for a decent price, I might end up with one. I'm primarily looking for a 15+ FoST, but the GTIs seem to be priced better, which seems unusual:confused:

I also have a lead right now on a much cheaper FiST (base seats), but I got cold feet during the last one I drove.

This. I am honestly surprised that after all of that bad news you were still even entertaining putting in an offer. This is your FIRST financed car right? Don't be hasty, find the right car. Once you sign you are making payments. Nothing sucks more than making payments on a car your aren't 100% happy with.
I mean, the only real dealbreaker was the fact the turbo was replaced already. I might have dismissed the clutch as it's a well known weak point on the MK7 GTI. That's why I was going to offer less than asking, but the fixed pricing policy (seemed odd for a dealer) was also a dealbreaker.
 
#53 ·
I mean, the only real dealbreaker was the fact the turbo was replaced already. I might have dismissed the clutch as it's a well known weak point on the MK7 GTI. That's why I was going to offer less than asking, but the fixed pricing policy (seemed odd for a dealer) was also a dealbreaker.
Stop it. That kind of line of thinking is what landed you in the situations with the Volvo and the Accord.

If you're shopping in this price bracket and given your situation, your money goes to the car that has full records and passes a PPI with flying colors no matter what it is.

Also, quit being a wuss and make the time to travel. I just picked up my 3rd Abarth 500 from State College, PA and drove it back home in one weekend. Why? Because they are rare to find in the first place (like the Focus ST or Fiesta ST with the Recaros that you want), it was priced thousands less than it should've been, it only had 16K miles despite being 5 years old and it passed inspection with flying colors. :thumbup:

Your first step should be to PM Brandon (Smoooremin) and ask him if he can tag any leads for you. He is how I found my Abarth and Chicago is a hell of a lot closer to you than it is to me. :p
 
#50 ·
I know the current gen Si is out but no interest in the previous gen?

No. Also, your pic is broken.


Nice Futurama quote though:thumbup: Great episode.
 
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