Hi, I'm new to the forums and I don't currently own a mini. I used to own a '78 mini that I restored and I regret selling, but I digress...

I'm in the market for a new (used) car and I'm considering a 2006 Mini Cooper S. I don't know a whole lot about the newer minis other than that they are built by BMW. My main concern is reliability, which as far as I can tell from what I have been reading, should not be a big concern. I've driven Acuras for about 15 years so I'm used to a reliable car. Do you all find minis to be reliable? What year(s) of the new generation of minis should be avoided, if any? I read somewhere that the '06 is a good year to have. Are there specific items I should watch out for?

Also, what can I expect for MPG? I was originally going to opt for a Prius, but they don't have any personality. I know the Cooper S isn't going to get similar mileage to something like a hybrid, but are they generally pretty good on gas?

Thanks for your input while I make this decision.

 

I just bought an 07 cooperS It seems like a solid an fun car. Sticker suggests MPG in the city in the mid to upper 20s and Hwy in the high 30s. depends how you drive.

A Prius is a nice car but is a dog on the road + whats ya gonna do when that battery fails and your 5K value car requires a 7K new battery??

a regular cooper will give you better performance then a prius and better milage then an S. Moreover the FI side of things makes you dependent of premium fuel. The NA version also but the ECU (from what I was told) will tolerate 87 pretty well with little to know knock.

hope that helps

 

Thanks for the response, I made an offer on the '06 and am waiting to see what they say. I think I'll enjoy the Cooper S... It does have seemingly every single option on it though, which I don't necessarily like because that's just more things that can break and need to be fixed... but we'll see.

 

I think you will like it. I have a sidewalk flavor of the convertible and it is really awesome.

It has the comfort that you would expect from a 3-series the fun you would expect from a 2 seater, gas milage of a grocery getter and cost of one too.

If you are buying private get the car looked at by a mechanic make sure nothing is leaking or looks abused. also look for aftermarket stuff. folks that mod their cars generally drive them harder then those who don't

check mine out in the new members threads and good luck with your potential purchase

 

I'm running 32 MPG average with mixed driving

 

So I ended up getting the Mini, I'm happy to say. It's fast! I need to put a couple of new tires on it, I'm leaning towards the Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires and ditching the run flats (it only has run flats in the front anyway). I've read good things about them -- anyone have experience with them on a mini?