Mini Cons??

[MINIJesse]

I am currently talking to a dealer about buying an 03 Cooper S. I am excited about it and know the list of many positives regarding the MINI. Are there any negatives that I should be aweare of? I thought it would be best to ask some experienced MINI drivers. Does the small size of the front end make it hard to access some enging components? Is there REALLY no room in the back seat? Anything else you guys can think of? (I can't think of many possible negative things!)

[MrBlah]

back seat is really small, my kids complain if they have to ride in it, pretty much complain non stop

[Koopah]

Only you can decide whether the size and design will fit your criteria. However, I would not worry about the engine compartment. Oil changes can be just a tad dicey when changing the oil filter, but that's about it.

You should watch-out for a couple of things in an '03:

1) The PS cooling fan was put on the same fuseable circuit as the radiator cooling fan. Some folks have had debris kick up into the power steering fan, jamming the blades. This will blow the fuse and your radiator fan will not work, thus presenting a possible overheating situation in stop-and-go traffic. There is a TSB issued by BMW for this.

2) The original coolant tank was prone to leaking. In '04 it was replaced with a new model. The original tank was white, the new is beige/tan. There is a TSB issued by BMW for this.

People generally regard the best years of the R50/R53 to be '04,'05 and '06. In '05, a modest increase in engine output was given, as well as new (shorter) gear ratios in 1st & 2nd (and perhaps 3rd).

Hope this helps,

Theo

[NCMINIGUY]

back seat is really small, my kids complain if they have to ride in it, pretty much complain non stop

My kids love riding in our MINIs, but they are 6 1/2 and 20 months. We've had four adults in ours many times, I take 3 guys about my size (5'8"-6') to lunch once or twice a week in mine. I do have to slide my seat a little more forward than it normally is. If it is a commuter car primarily, don't worry about space. with the seats folded you can haul quite a bit, and there are roof rack and hitch options out there.

03s do have a few little issues, lift up the rubber seals on bottom of the door sill and look for rust. There is a tsb to repair it. Window regulators tend to go as well.

Overall, though, anything except a CVT is pretty solid. the early coopers with the midlands transmission are a little weak, though. The later getrag transmissions are solid.

You can add a 15% reduction pulley to the supercharger for a couple hundred bucks, and get about 10 hp. Add an intake and exhaust, and you can total close to 20 over stock. Not bad.

[MINIJesse]

This information is very helpful- I am printing it out for future use. Also where can I get a look at these Technical Service Bulletins?

[NCMINIGUY]

This information is very helpful- I am printing it out for future use. Also where can I get a look at these Technical Service Bulletins?


that is a good question. usually you can find things out at motoringfile.com or northamericanmotoring.com

motoringfile tends to have new 'news' every day or two, so the tsbs might be in the archives. I know they are also working on a buyer's guide to the r50/r53.

[condor27596]

i test drove the 2003 with CVT.
i was not impressed at all.

i ended up buying the 2007 w/auto.

"night and day"

i'm glad it worked out that i had to wait.

[peteymedic]

bump

[condor27596]

With 4 ppl in it on a long trip
everyone's legs are cramped.

That's the biggest issue so far.

Long trip = 200 miles one way.

[e28forlife]

its tiny




thats it...

[NoSoup4U]

when did it go from the CVT transmission to the getrag? Was it '04 or '05 for the automatics? (what build date and after should I look for) ...

TY

[NCMINIGUY]

All of the cooper automatics from 02 to 06 are the CVT. The manual went from the Midlands to a Getrag in 05.

[gjhsu]

when did it go from the CVT transmission to the getrag? Was it '04 or '05 for the automatics? (what build date and after should I look for) ...

TY

The new automatics are Aisins, just to clear that up. The manuals are Getrag.

[putyoursoxon]

Hi,
I just traded in my 06 convertible and just thought you might want to know that you should try to go with a newer year if you can, the reliability is much improved over the first year, my dealer even will admit that the you should stay away from 03's

[Hathaway]

Fwd

[mbcoops]

The negatives as I've experienced them:

- FWD took a while to get used to coming from an e30
- Build quality LOOKS BMW but it isn't - creaks/rattles/whatnot
- Princeton Mini service dept. is terrible (Morristown is much better)
- 100,000 mile supercharger - may last longer, may not

mb

[xhealey]

I have an '03 with the CVT tranny. Great gas mileage and fun to drive. I do have this slight surging at low speeds and a popping in the windshield....otherwise it is a great little car. Not as much fun as the 2000 M-coupe but great grocery-getter!I went with the British Racing Green with a black top. A fun car anyway you cut it.

[ding]

I went from a e36 that was pretty built to the mini with a 15% pulley, lightweight wheels and tires, and air intake, so here are my cons.

1. fwd is an odd thing
2. Rear brake calipers both went out on mine, right before I bought it and one after i bought it
3. some parts might as well be on the moon if you want to replace them yourself
4. the quirky english stuff gets odd, like the hood latch on the pasenger side
5. run flats are worthless

As for the hard to change the oil comment, I have heard this all over and always have no problem at all, always get the oil filter cap on first try.

And I have test driven many many cars, much better than any other fwd car in its class, and with the pulley way faster than stock, and I like the feel of it better than the 07s, the 07 I drove broke when I drove it as well.

[obnoxious2]

Too much plastic on the interior.

[pbraun]

Reasonably fast, and fun to drive, but not fast enough! :)

[mbanks21]

How bout a mini ex-con?
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5650/mulletsandmidgets1kf5.jpg

[bigmansM]

I have heard that the maintenace is very expensive on the mini. I heard the maintenance is expensive because parts are expensive.

any thoughts? I want one myself, but everyone is discouraging me.

[FtL Don]

I leased one of the very first Mini S convertibles; the three years ended in December. Much was wonderful about the car and much was frustrating to me:

The Good

--incredibly fun to drive, the "go-cart-with-a stereo" feeling. You keep wondering why everyone else seems like such a lumbering beast on the road.

--great 6-speed manual and very powerful at almost any speed, the supercharger was pretty seamless but for a mild whine. The surprise factor of a car with a slightly toylike facade accelerating and handling like that never ceased to be fun.

--great burbling exhaust note and trailing throttle "brap,brap".

--the ability to custom-order so many things about the car was a lot of fun and very satisfying as an owner. You rarely saw yourself coming down the street. While your Mini is being built in Oxford, you can track its progress on the website all the way to arrival at the dealer.

--plenty of legroom for front passengers but pretty much anyone in the back sits sideways. I thought of it as a 2 passenger car with room for groceries and was not disappointed. I'm 5'11/225# and didn't feel cramped as the driver.

--Mechanically it was very reliable for the three years I owned it, and the dedicated Mini staff at Lauderdale BMW were among the best I've ever experienced at a dealer. I did have a piece of the top mechanism break, and after about 30 months in the Florida sun the dark blue top started to fade--replaced under warranty, which blew me away. Various pieces of the interior (door handle trim and armrest fell off repeatedly, chrome bits on the cupholder and emergency brake kept coming off) were annoying but I'd rather have problems there than the engine.

My beefs:

--optional Harmon-Kardon stereo was only marginal...not enough clean volume for highway top-down motoring, with awkward controls and limited display (no time remaining or time elapsed for CDs, for instance and forget about song or album title or RDS for broadcast radio). A Ford Focus has a better stereo; I was just ashamed of BMW for not caring more.

--the optional automatic climate control was designed in the shape of the Mini flying crest--clever, but that forced compromises that made it really clumsy to use. In retrospect, I'd have much rather have had the standard climate controls. This may be a personal beef, but it also took about 10 seconds for the engine management system to decide to turn the A/C on, resulting in a feeling that the car was controlling me rather than the other way around....I really want every control, no matter how trivial, to be really linear and user-oriented. The A/C was only JUST able to keep up with summer in Florida, in a cooler place that likely will not be an issue for you.

--The LEDs on the instruments for trip computer, clock, odometer. They are both tiny and dim. Just forget about ever reading them with the top down in sunlight.

--The optional dynamic stability control is way more aggressive than it should be, and only has two settings: "conservative grandmother" or "off". If you want to chirp the tires into second or use a little trailing throttle oversteer, make sure you turn the thing off when you start the car--which you then have to do EVERY time you get in, it does not have an off-by-default setting.

--This is convertible-only, but between the size of the top and the rear head restraints/rollbar, it's REALLY claustrophobic with the top up, and rear visibility is so limited the convertible comes with the bumper-mounted sonar backup sensors standard...shades of a Lincoln Town Car in what otherwise is one of the most pleasureable cars to park you will ever find.

Should you buy one? I decided early on this would be a one-time-only experience for me, but I don't regret the time I had with the car. Maybe the redesign that's out now has addressed a few of the things I didn't care for, and what mattered to me might be inconsequential to you. Just go in with your eyes open and choose it because the things it's good at are the things you want to live with.

For the best experience, I'd order it with the standard climate control system, delete the DSC, get the standard stereo and buy an aftermarket upgrade, and plan for the Mini to be a fun supplement to your daily driver. When it's right, it's perfect--but when it's wrong, it's just annoying. When BMW and Mini can offer me the handling and performance they already have along with ergonomics, climate control, and audio that match what I can get from an American or Japanese manufacturer, I'll be back in a heartbeat.

Word of advice, if you should lease and not decide to get another BMW product at the lease end, they will hit you with a $350 "termination fee" that is waived if you stay in the family.

By the way, not being able to function without a convertible, I've bought a '90 325I convertible to restore. So I'm still "family" but from 18 years earlier.

Don

[cky751]

I sat in the back of my friends mini s and there was hardly any leg room(and I thought my car was bad) so I would not suggest it for family outings. As for the car besides the space issue, it really is nice inside out, my only other problem is not enough power:devillook just my two cents.

[condor27596]

No issues so far with 8500 miles.

Maybe I got one built on a wednesday :)

I hope they are still making them the next
time I want a new car. I can't imagine getting
anything else at this point.

[acfarmer]

back seat is too small

[catseye]

back seat is too small
It's bigger than the back seat of a Miata....

Seriously, if you were expecting anything more than a back seat that will do in a pinch (literally), you bought the wrong car.

[condor27596]

we fit 4 fine on the torso and legs OK.
feet a little cramped.
not much more cramped than the E36 I had though.
except the feet.

[catseye]

we fit 4 fine on the torso and legs OK.
feet a little cramped.
not much more cramped than the E36 I had though.
except the feet.
Yeah, I had 2 full grown teens in the back of mine today, and except for getting in and out, and the feet, it wasn't bad when us front seaters pulled ours forward as much as comfortable........wouldn't want to do a long trip like that, but for short hops, it ain't bad.....

As of toay, I have owned my MINI for 1 week, and put 400 miles on it. It's cool....REALLY cool. Going to play at VIR in 2 weeks, should be a lot of fun......... :thumbup: