Mini Coopers

Chernobyl Ant · #1 07-16-2014, 04:43 PM

Hey all,

Thinking of purchasing a 2003 Mini cooper but have little knowledge about these cars. Anybody here own one? Whats the gas mileage like on them and is it practical to drive one in the winter?

Wild&Free · #2 07-16-2014, 05:22 PM

I don't know about it being practicable in the winter but it sure could be fun.

schmedlap · #3 07-16-2014, 05:24 PM

First off they have been consistently rated as one of the 10 "worst" in terms of reliability and repair costs by Consumer Reports and some other car-rating agencies for a number of years now (google these). Now, relative to the general "reliability" of the class over such years, that may not be very significant (?). I know a couple of people who have had them, though, and their general verdict was "fun, but...". They sold them and did not buy another one.
If your winter driving is just "city", and staying home when there is major snow build up, they are fine. If not, they are pretty bad in that context - very low clearance - not at all really an Alberta winter or gravel road car (?).
Having said that, it is like anything else. If you get it cheap enough, and with relatively low mileage, and you do not expect it to be of much use off the main drags, summer or winter, ...?

Scott N · #4 07-16-2014, 05:53 PM

Most of the comments on them that I have heard have also been negative.

Flatlandliver · #5 07-16-2014, 06:46 PM

Wife has a 06 S convert. Not a winter car but great mileage and fun in the summer. No maintenance issues so far. Book says the S does a 14 sec 1/4 mile, thats quick.

bison · #6 07-16-2014, 07:51 PM

Good cars for midgets and people with short legs

.
You're almost sitting at ground level in these contraptions, getting in and out is a PITA.
I used to have one back in Europe....for about a week,...POS

rugatika · #7 07-16-2014, 09:28 PM

msn autos rates it number 1.

http://autos.ca.msn.com/editors-pick...401893&page=10

http://www.graspingforobjectivity.co...hick-cars.html

I-Love-Eyes · #8 07-16-2014, 11:03 PM

Daughters friend had one---it was costing her a fortune in repairs. Almost monthly to be specific. She finally sold it because it was far too expensive to repair and maintain.

roughneckin · #9 07-17-2014, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Love-Eyes

Daughters friend had one---it was costing her a fortune in repairs. Almost monthly to be specific. She finally sold it because it was far too expensive to repair and maintain.

X2. Friend had a John Cooper Special and it was a POS. Always busted for some reason. Most of it was little things but they added up. Could have just been his single one though. He did mention that it was a hoot to drive and great mileage when it ran.

josey · #10 07-17-2014, 07:33 AM

I don't think the clearance is good for winters here. In the city it might be ok though.
I drove one in Europe. The gas milage isn't great for European standards but here you are laughing!
It's a very heavy vehicle for it's size and therefore great on the road.
And it's FAST. Well, at least the sport edition I was driving was crazy fast in acceleration and overall speed.
TONS of fun to drive one, especially the convertable.

I would buy one if they bring out a 4x4 with higher clearance. Or when I move into a senior's home in the city at some point.

elkoholik · #11 07-17-2014, 08:34 AM

Got to remember these are built for/by BMW as an entry to get younger less financially able people to the BMW line up. While I am not sure of the break down issues I do know that repairs and parts tend to be more costly than other domestic and imports. I have only driven one as I have also thought of buying one for a run around and was looking at a SS model and man was it fast and fun. Initial cost and insurance kept me away as I can put a lot of fuel in my truck for what it was going to try and offset.

Cheers, Elk.

PGH · #12 07-17-2014, 11:01 AM

2003 is not a great year for them. The car is also 12 years old soon, so keep that in mind - especially if nothing has been replaced! You could be the next owner of a lot of repairs. The interior fabrics don't hold up well in the earlier models as well. Also, are you getting a turbo or non-turbo? They both have pros and cons. Don't be fooled by the cutesy looks of the mini. As for winter driving, its fine if you've got the right tires. Depends on how you drive it as well...ground clearance would only be an issue on rare occasions where the roads aren't getting plowed in time (but in this case, most other cars aren't going anywhere anyways...)

Other suggestions for imports from 2003: subaru wrx or audi a4. They both have awd and would be better IMO if serviced properly.

wasteland.soldier · #13 07-17-2014, 03:11 PM

I never understood why a man would want to drive something that looked like a bumper car, but that's just my opinion, and we all know what those are like.

Hevishot · #14 07-17-2014, 03:35 PM

Parts for these things rival the prices of the BMWs. Fit and finish of the coopers is also suspect. Working on a mini makes you want to tear your hair out. BMWs are not as terrible to work on which is a shock to most people. Things like doorhandles can be a one time use part and they are over 100 bucks. We have a no mini cooper/crap rover policy at my work to keep everybody happy.