I've been looking heavily at the Mini Cooper Clubman S as of late. But the more I look around the forum, the more I'm starting to rethink my decision. That said, I know that you can find every odd problem known to man on the forum, so I wanted to get some real comments from people who know best: you guys!

I'm looking at a '09 or '10 Clubman S (can't afford anything newer). Some of the problems I've been hearing about are:
1. I'll have to add oil at least once a week
2. The timing chain will come off and blow the engine (is that "death rattle"?)
3. The valves/springs in the head will clog and blow the engine
4. It will lose boost/the turbo will break
5. Transmission trouble (this seems to only be the auto though, right? I'm getting a manual.)
6. They aren't at all reliable, I will spend countless amounts of money fixing it every week
7. The back doors will get stuck and not open

I think that summed most of it up, and those are just the common problems. My current car is an '08 Volvo C30. The C30 forum is full of the same problematic posts, but my car has been a dream! It's getting up there in miles, and I'm also kind of getting bored with having the same car for the last few years. That's the only reason I'm selling it!

I'm the kind of person who makes sure that all maintenance is done on time, every time, according the manual. I never go over for oil changes, always use full synthetic, and always use premium gas (either 91 or 93 octane depending on where I am).

I also drive a lot. I put around 15,000 miles on my car every year. My commute to work is a mix of highway and in-town driving. The Mini seems like a fun car, I really enjoyed the one I took out for a test drive, and I think it has a pretty unique styling.

That said, would you recommend this car to me?
How likely is it that I would run into these plagues of problems?
How much of it can be avoided through regular maintenance?
Is there any maintenance not listed in the owners manual that you would recommend?
Anything else I need to know before pulling the trigger?

Note: I plan to modify this car with simple bolt-ons. Exhaust, intake, intercooler/piping, ECU tune, that type of thing. But I'll ask about all of that stuff later.

 

Have you test drove the older models like the 06 or 07? You might like those also.

 

I bought a 2008 Clubman S with 62000 on it. I waited to find one that had the engine replaced via warranty. ( engine had 5000 on it). Biggest problem I know of is the timing chain tensioner issue. It is a recall item and you'll want to have your dealership check to see if its been tended to. Its commonly referred to as the death rattle. if it hasn't been fixed your whistling through the graveyard.

 

Hi,
As you maintain your cars well you should be ok.timing chain tensioner is a weak point,reasonable cheap to replace and would recommend,thermostat and gasket another weak point change as preventative maintenance,oil and filter change every 10000 miles,good 5w 30 fully synthetic oil.manual box is strong and great fun,no issues with the turbo or rear doors.rotors and pads would recommend an upgrade when they need changing,originals are a little soft and need a better stopping power again reasonable price.they only break down if you fail to maintain.will use oil but not every week,a engine that doesn't use oil is wearing parts due to lack of adequate lubrication.simple as with a lady,treat it to some love and care and you will be a happy bunny.buy a mini,takes years off your life with all the fun and smiles pet miles.
I have a 2010 r56 cooper s and love the car.look at Google reviews some bad but many more rave about the car.final point it is not a BMW engine.check out prince engine.