scoots Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I was looking to get a daily driver to reduce the miles I'm racking up on the mustang. I am thinking a Mini Cooper S (thinking 2006 supercharged version) would be fun to drive and get great gas mileage. Maybe do some autox with it. Anyone have some first hand experience with these? Any reliability issues? Oh, and flame away if you must. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drewhop Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 When you buy a mini cooper your man card is revoked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverMaker Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) I can't say I have ever heard of someone caring about putting miles on their mustang. Is it some sort of show car? Edited January 24, 2009 by ForeverMaker typo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoots Posted January 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I can't say I have ever heard of someone caring about putting miles on their mustang. Is is some sort of show car? No, but I already got 80k on it and at the rate I'm going it will have 140k by the time I pay it off. I am not planning on selling it right now, but if I do I don't want it to be worth crap due to mileage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGGU Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 as far as the coopers go at auto crossing they do great but the main thing ive been hearing is heat soak and over heating, even with aftermarket radiators fans and intercoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sol740 Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I'd rock one as a daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crossle Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 We have several customers with Cooper S's and they seem to do really well on the reliability note. Super fun to drive on the street, and on track. Like I said though as long as you keep up with maintenance it will treat you well, we service 7-10 Mini's regularly and no major service has been necessary yet. Find a low mile one, or one with service records and you will be fine. Nothing wrong with owning a mini, I don't see many women driving them....mostly guys here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillbot Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 No, but I already got 80k on it and at the rate I'm going it will have 140k by the time I pay it off. I am not planning on selling it right now, but if I do I don't want it to be worth crap due to mileage. It's a domestic, it's already worth crap. Mileage won't make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boostedgtp Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 We have a couple customers with mini's but not the S. Im not sure how different the S and the standard version are but I have replaced 3 or 4 crank pulleys (we borrowed the puller for sean). Also those cars have electric power steering pumps and a fan that cools the pump. I have seen 4 or 5 cases where the fan will take a shit and cause the pump to burn up. I have replaced a couple of the electric fan assemblies behind the radiator, you have to remove the nose to do so. Once again this is on the non S version so take it for what its worth. I agree with sean they are a fun to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc1647545523 Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 (edited) It's an interesting thought -- buying a Mini S to save miles on the Mustang -- but these car decisions are more a matter of the heart than a matter of the intellect to most of us. I had the SL600 out today on brine-covered streets because I didn't want to get the '97 Buick sloppy. Anyways, I agree with most of what the other posters have said about reliability. Two friends have the S model and both drive them hard; nothing broken yet. Huge difference in the performance between the S and the regular Cooper, but for some people the suspension on the S is a bit harsh to be a DD. The minis have held their value quite well, so it won't be easy to pick one up cheaply. The MAG ad in the car section of today's Dispatch will give you an idea of what the dealer thinks a used Mini is worth. My two cents' worth. Hope it helps. Edited January 24, 2009 by Doc edit in wrong place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31rx7 Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/index.php Decent owners site on Mini's. You have to sort through all the "I love my Mini" and "The Mini is the best car ever" kind of posts, but there are more objective posts on the weak points of the car as well as what to look for in a used one. The '05 and earlier seem to be more troublesome. As Doc notes, they do hold their value. I've yet to see a really cheap one even on eBay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 If you have any specific questions about the Mini Cooper S, I had one for quite awhile that I used for autox and drove it daily, even in the winter. When you buy a mini cooper your man card is revoked You may hate me for what I ordered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 From what I hear, minis are hard to come by. Might want to start shopping now so you have one by summer if that's what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotCarl Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I like them I'd definitly rock them as a daily or any other kind. I dont get why they're considered a "girly" car? is it because they're small? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 Drive the mustang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draco-REX Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I like them I'd definitly rock them as a daily or any other kind. I dont get why they're considered a "girly" car? is it because they're small? Neon New Beetle Mini I think the reason is because its big selling point is that it's "cute." I still remember the original Neon ad whenever I see a SRT-4: "Hi" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkas Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I test drove a Mini S and was not impressed with it as far as power.. but it did handle like a dream, more-so a driver's car and not something to really look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoots Posted January 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I test drove a Mini S and was not impressed with it as far as power.. but it did handle like a dream, more-so a driver's car and not something to really look at. I know the power is not awesome, but thats why I have the mustang. I just want something thats gets decent mpg and is fun to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farkas Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I know the power is not awesome, but thats why I have the mustang. I just want something thats gets decent mpg and is fun to drive. Sounds like it might be a good consideration then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin R. Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 My brother has an 09 S. They are fun as fuck to drive that is true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoots Posted January 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 It's an interesting thought -- buying a Mini S to save miles on the Mustang -- but these car decisions are more a matter of the heart than a matter of the intellect to most of us. I had the SL600 out today on brine-covered streets because I didn't want to get the '97 Buick sloppy. Anyways, I agree with most of what the other posters have said about reliability. Two friends have the S model and both drive them hard; nothing broken yet. Huge difference in the performance between the S and the regular Cooper, but for some people the suspension on the S is a bit harsh to be a DD. The minis have held their value quite well, so it won't be easy to pick one up cheaply. The MAG ad in the car section of today's Dispatch will give you an idea of what the dealer thinks a used Mini is worth. My two cents' worth. Hope it helps. I was looking around online today and the cheapest '06 I could find with decent mileage was about $16k. They definitely not a lot of bargains out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I was looking around online today and the cheapest '06 I could find with decent mileage was about $16k. They definitely not a lot of bargains out there. They hold their value extremely well and not a whole lot of people want to get rid of theirs. If you don't care about the power, then just get a standard Cooper. They are still fun and handle the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHaze Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I test drove a Mini S and was not impressed with it as far as power.. but it did handle like a dream, more-so a driver's car and not something to really look at. You must not be impressed by your GTI, either. It may not be a "fast" car by the standards of this forum, but you will be hard-pressed to find a fun, quick, balanced and superb-handling factory car in the same price range. I think Mini really shows BMW's quality as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Advocate Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 So you're going to buy a ~$20,000 car to save miles on a mustang? How are you the first person to say this? Was wondering reading through the whole page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverMaker Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 How are you the first person to say this? Was wondering reading through the whole page. It was said by more than one person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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