1st Gen R50 Cooper Reliability of '06 Mini Cooper.

The 05-06 are the best of the R53's as far as build and reliability. I have an 06 JCW from new and still have the original battery in it! I have never had any major trouble at all, hell if I hadn't done any mods the only thing would be oil changes, brake pads n rotors and a leaky thermostat gasket.

 

Once you get a few little things sorted out you will fine. Also you should know you have the last and best modern MINI's ever made. They are not an appliance car like a Toyota or Honda take care of you MINI and it will take care of you.

I have an 05 and have not had any power steering issues at all. All O2 's go bad sooner or later and MINI extended the warranty on them.

As for the CVT I have no idea since I drive a stick. The main point is don't let other people problems influence your feeling for your MINI's because how you care for your car may not be how you maintain your car. I hear some people only change their every 12 to 15 K.

 

Cool, FYI you wife is just like mine and she is right.

 

The 06's didn't have many power steering fan issues as compared with earlier years.

The CVT, well that could be "interesting". If you don't know the full story of the MINI you have, get the fluid changed in the CVT. It is not lifetime, that's just MINI marketing speaking. Each time a marketer type says Lifetime Fill an engineer's pen leaks in to his pocket protector a little.

Enjoy the car, enjoy the fun people you'll meet.

 

You have some coverage on the CVT for a few more months: http://www.motoringalliance.com/forums/cooper/19122-mini-settles-cvt-class-action-suit.html

 

Treat the MINI like you want it to treat you, and all is good. I treat mine like a particularly valuable Fabrege Egg. I've had more than a few cars in my time, but never anything I liked as much.

 

Anecdotal horror stories on this and other forums had me looking over my shoulder for the first few months of motoring but as the years have gone by, with regular care and feeding, our li'l guy has given us near 60K miles of amazing adventures. Yes there was the thermostat housing, O sensor, leaky steering pump hose issues but that is all part of motor ownership. Regular oil/filter changes, tire rotation and a trusted indy's 'turn you head and cough' appointment makes sure he's ready to go any time any where.

Here are a few URLs that you may find useful.
Mini Cooper Info. 1st gen. Minis, Mini Parts, Mini performance, Mini specs
LightInSight - Windshield Mounted Traffic Light Lens
MotorcycleRoads.US - Great Motorcycle Roads in the US
RealOEM.com * Online BMW Parts Catalog
Top Tier Gasoline

 

I have 3 MINIs.

One is an '03 R50 cvt that has had no tranny problems in the last 50k or so. I did have a small leak when I bought the car in early '04 with about 2500 miles on it, but nothing since then. It is somewhat modded. I usually drive it to shows since its color and interior are very rare, but it has seen track days as well as MOTD.

My daily driver is an '06 MCSa that I bought new. It is also my HPDE and MOTD car and it is modded. It has just under 94k and the battery is original. It, too, has never had any tranny problems.

I just bought a used, bone stock [except for the STRPs I installed on it] '06 MCSa for my wife about a year ago with around 27k on it. It now has about 10k more and has been trouble free. She loves the car and cannot get over why it took her so long to want one.

Problems surface with older cars. That is a fact of life. I intend to keep all 3 of my MINIs. They are fun to drive, get lots of looks and have proven to be the most reliable cars I have ever owned.