Hey there! So I am planning on buying a mini, used is what fits my budget. I have a 40 mile daily commute and run up the miles, all interstate on whatever I drive. How do minis handle high road miles? What would the maintenance be for it? We are talking about at least 20 thousand miles per year and I would want to keep the car as long as possible. Could it run for 200,000 miles? Thanks for all thoughts and any personal anecdotes are welcome!
I drove my MINI on a 30 mile commute (one way) for two years, changed jobs and drove on a 70 mile (one way) run to work for a year. After three years, I bought a POS Honda to wear out and keep the MINI for fun. I had a radiator, power steering pump, and control arm bushings replaced under warranty. Living in a mountainous area, and enjoying the handling as I did tends to eat through tires fast. I was getting about 18K miles on front tires. I'd put new ones on the back and rotate the rears to the front. I preferred not to rotate them and put myself in the position of having to buy 4 at a time. (At the time, I had a bed ridden MS patient I was caring for, so ditching the run flats wasn't an option back then.) Control Arm bushings are going to last about 40K miles for stock ones. Power Flex bushings solve that problem. They are cheap, but if you have to pay for mechanic work, the installation is pricey. Supposedly, the supercharger on a Cooper S lasts ~100K miles. A replacement will cost ~$1500 (parts only). Brakes, belts, and other maintenance items aren't any more expensive than a typical car. If you're planning on buying a justa Cooper, the Midlands 5 speed manual is prone to failure in the 02-04 models, and the automatic (CVT) tends to die at 40-60K miles. If you have a CVT, it's about $8K. The Cooper S with the Getrag 6 speed manual is fine. (There is an automatic available '06 and later in the Cooper S, but I don't know how they hold up. I'd bet real money you won't get 200K from it.) Get an '05-'06 Cooper or Cooper S manual, take good care of it, and it'll take good care of you. If you can't turn wrenches, or can't shift gears, bring LOTS of money. I love my MINI, and I plan to keep it for the rest of my life. NOTHING that a working man can afford drives like one. I'm not trying to scare you off, but I want you to have a clear picture of what you're getting into. Read some articles in the excellent Library, and enjoy yourself here on the best MINI forum on the net. Tell us a little more about your needs and how you drive, and maybe we can be more helpful.
Welcome to M/A! I have an '06 MCS [R53] with the automatic. I bought it in May, 2006, right after being eaten alive by my R53 friends as I drove my slightly modded Cooper [R50] at the Dragon. The R53 is modded quite a bit more and has been to the Dragon various times [about 450 miles from my house...one way], as well as to the track for BMWCCA hpdes more times that I care to admit. That said, I'm about to turn 100k miles in October. Besides doing the twisties, the car has logged a lot of interstate, as well as local, miles. I have had NO problems with the supercharger OR with the automatic. The automatic has been great and I aim to keep it for many, MANY more miles. Proper care is the key...keep the fluids fresh and the car should last a looooong time. My R50 [the Cooper] has the CVT. It is an early 2003. Yeah, I have heard about all the problems they have, but it gets its tranny fluid changed regularly and doesn't seem any worse for wear. It has also been to the Dragon several times, and I had it on the track until I learned of the problems I might face down the road. I mostly take it to shows now, as its color [inside and out] is rare. It has around 55k miles and runs well.
Welcome! I have an 08 MCS that I drive on a 40ish mile round trip daily commute, all highway. It's been fine for most of the time that I've owned it, but I have had some pretty expensive repairs in the last year or so (major oil leaks, blown turbo). Other than that, maintenance has been fairly normal, brakes, tyres, etc. Most of the other driving I do with it is also highway, much to my eternal annoyance. Drat living in a flat part of the country! I've got over 100,000 miles on it so far, and am hoping to keep it around a bit longer.
Fresh fluids in the auto will only get you so far. There's a known defect with the Aisin TF-60SN, an internal sleeve way down in the bowels can spin on its mount and block a fluid port. Doesn't matter how fresh your fluid is, or how much you baby it. Some fail at less than 60k miles, some last "forever". If it fails, you'll end up burning up the K2 clutch and only fix is a rebuild or replacement, both of which require pulling the engine. Does it happen to every one? No. Did it happen to me? Yes. Mine failed at about 150k miles, after being one of the pioneers of the "fresh fluid is good" regimen since about 60k miles. Happens to all cars with this transmission (including Volkswagons and Audis), in sufficient quantity that there is a special aftermarket part available to do the rebuild. And that part is recommend for ALL rebuilds as a preventative. The valve bodies also fail pretty frequently at 60k-150k miles, the OEM solenoids were problematic, but rebuilt units have improved solenoids. The valve body can be swapped with the engine in the car, can be DIY'd by most folks with mechanical skills.
I have an '06 Cooper, manual trans, that I drive on a 115 mile round trip every day.. No problems as yet, not even thru the last crappy winter. Usual things have been changed (motor mount, control arm bushings, etc.). I could of bought a later model Justa, or an "S" for what I paid for my Coop. But the condition of the car is so good that it was worth it. By looking at the overall condition (bodywork, interior, engine compartment), it was obvious that the previous owner took great care of the MINI.
Just drive them & do your due diligence with the maintenance. Something breaks, you fix it & drive on. These cars are so much fun, they kind of hook you & you'll never be able to drive an appliance type of car again. Welcome to M/A
I just posted my two cents worth of advice to someone looking for a low mileage MINI...it's all about the how it's been maintained. I own a 97 Jag XJR(110K) and a 99 Range Rover(166K) that both had fairly high miles when purchased. Neither one of these are known for there reliability, but i did my due diligence and eneded up with two really good cars that I'm still enjoying today. My MINI was super low mileage and I still had it checked out. Sure, it's a crap shoot, but I'd rather drive a classic/enthusiast car with more mileage and ultimately a little higher up keep cost, than a boring commuter car any day of the week!
Thanks everyone for your thoughts! At this point I know that I want a manual transmission but not sure if I will be purchasing an S or a regular mini. All depends upon what my pocketbook can afford. I will poke around the website and read some more. Thanks again!
I have an 04 r50 with over 100k miles on it. Well maintained, driven pretty funly and it seems to be in great shape. I did give it to my daughter who never got the hang of the clutch and after a thousand miles of San Francisco hill driving mixed in burned out the clutch. This was with over 100k miles on the clock. Other than the fact that changing a clutch is an expensive job on a Mini, nothing else has really gone wrong. Even spending a few years on the east coast didn't dampen it's spirits. problems include rear windshield wiper sprayer broke, hmm I guess that's about it.