MINI cooper as a first car...yay or nay?

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Vegetable-Mall-2329@reddit

If you want to spend tens of thousands of dollars to maintain a $5000 car then a mini is a great choice.....

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Signal-Confusion-976@reddit

Do yourself a favor and get a Toyota or Honda. Or maybe a Mazda. Stay away from any European car especially for your first car.

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MFish333@reddit

I drove a mini Cooper as my first car. The exhaust manifold broke pretty quickly. This was an 07 in 2016 though.

Very fun car to get around in though, I loved being low to the ground like that. And it is surprisingly spacious on the inside, I am 6'0 and didn't feel cramped or anything.

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We got our sons Subaru Forester. I like the MINI Cooper overall, but maintenance will be high and it has a cool college vibe. I'm tall so the Mini Cooper was out for us. You need to budget for maintenance, so if you need to take out student loans I would not get a Mini Cooper.

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sporkmanhands@reddit

They’re expensive maintenance when out of warranty. Even when they’re older they’re not cheaper to have work done and that’s what gives the reputation. “The most expensive car in the world is an out of warranty BMW” is a thing I read on here not too long ago.

I’d much rather go for a simple Golf if you’re looking for German hatchback and want it to be fun to drive.

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LazyLancer@reddit

Right, because a pair of an old EA111 and early DSG-7 revision is such a good choice from perspective of reliability :D

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sporkmanhands@reddit

If he has new Mini money he has new Golf money

I'd still rather the old Golf (within reason)

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LazyLancer@reddit

Having money for new MINI and a new Golf, i'd go MINI

It's more fun to drive.

Also slightly cheaper, but that might depend per location.

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Sufficient_Ebb_5020@reddit

As the others have said. Funky looking, fun to drive but pretty noisy, uncomfortable bumpy ride, pretty unreliable with many issues (especially older) and expensive for parts and repairs.

I'd avoid. Especially for a first car.

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slammed430@reddit

Every new mini generation the fans like a saying they’re much more reliable than the previous but it never seems to pan out that way. More hopeful with the newer bmw drivetrains but idk I still wouldn’t

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FanLevel4115@reddit

Minis don't age well. Do not.

A used (preferably manual transmission) Honda fit may not be as pretty but it will last you through college and your first serious relationship and career option that never really worked out. Then you sell it to a single mom you know who needs a cheap car. And it's still going.

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timwtingle@reddit

Yeah, avoid British made cars. All of them.

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LazyLancer@reddit

Thank god it’s German :D

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Interesting-Dingo994@reddit

This is my $0.02. I’ve owned 3 MINI products.

Don’t buy anything made before 2014. The Prince engine is a nightmare as are auto transmissions.

Purchase only a vehicle that hasn’t been in an accident and has its full service history.

The F55/F56 are reliable, but I would avoid the “S” and JCW models. They have various turbo, electrical and cooling issues.

Find yourself, a local independent German car specialist, who knows these cars. It will cut down on your maintenance and repair expenses. Dealers get expensive very fast. You won’t be able to escape a Mini/BMW dealer with bills under $1000-$1500 per trip.

Some things in this car, like headlight bulbs, rear bulbs, cabin air filter and engine air filter are ridiculously easy to do with some basic tools. There are lots of YouTube videos.

Stay on top of maintenance. Follow the service intervals, always put the right fuel in the car.

These cars are an incredible amount of fun to drive and surprisingly comfortable and spacious inside. Even on long road trips.

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LazyLancer@reddit

Good comment. Except the S and JCW don’t have some special cooling, turbo and electrical issues. They’re on par with the 3-pot more or less.

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RallyVincentCZ75@reddit

I wouldn't buy one older than 2016 as a main car. As a second car or a toy an older Mini can be a useful autocross weapon. Or just something to tinker with. Pre-'16 cars had notorious issues with water pump failures, which caused other engine issues. 2016 brought in a new generation of BMW engines, which reportedly hold up much better. '20+ even more so. A handful of pre-16 cars had BMW's weaker line of budget engines. Before that, I think really faulty Peugeot engines, plus bad electronics. Though the supercharged ones were fun.

Since you're talking a first car, I'm gonna assume a '16+ car is out of budget, and you don't want a first or second gen Mini for the aforementioned reasons, at least not as a primary car. They're a fun enthusiast car, especially for those who enjoy doing their own work on their cars or custom tuning, etc... but they're finicky.

If you want more detailed information, find a forum or a group with Mini enthusiasts. They have a strong fanbase. Even if they still talk down modern Minis as just being BMWs.

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LazyLancer@reddit

Cooper got the B-series engines in 2014. Clubman and Countryman - a year or two later.

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PiffWiffler@reddit

Finally an answer based in reality. Older Mini (R56) are generally no bueno. F56 (2016-2023) are much, much better. Properly maintaining it is absolutely paramount. They do not like going overdue for stuff like oil changes unlike a Toyota Corolla. However, you’ll have a much more fun vehicle that will put a smile on your face when you drive it.

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LazyLancer@reddit

Post-2014 are reliable. Pre-2014 are wallet trouble. If you can get the new model, it’s a sweet car.

Not high maintenance for sure. Unless you compare it to a Dacia.

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2WheelTinker-@reddit

If you have to ask Reddit, the mini ain’t for you. Any “premium” brand is gonna cost ya. If you want a fun hatchback, look for a slightly used VW golf. Maybe even a golf GTI. Higher spec, higher cost.

Really though as your first car you should be getting ANYTHING that is a 4 cylinder economy car at the best price you can find in the best shape you can find. Camry, Corolla, civic, accord, etc…

Get what you need now. Get what you want when you are ready.

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Gunk_Olgidar@reddit

Really Bad.

Bad, really.

Real bad.

Bad, for real.

Neice had one. My sis paid more in repairs in 2 years than they did on the mini. Paid for a few months college for the mechanic's kid.

And now, you can too!

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Steffiluren@reddit

You should probably add what model year it was, how old it was at the time and what broke. Quite significant information to determine how reliable a newer mini will be. There is a massive difference from the first generation new mini to the newer generations. Generalizing like this is not going to be good advice

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Steffiluren@reddit

The first generation BMW mini (2001) had a 1.6 petrol that was quite problematic. They gradually got better though, and after 2015-2016 or so they’re quite solid. I personally don’t like the look and interior of the brand new one, but something like a 2-3 year old car is still fairly new and (in my opinion) has a nicer interior than the brand new tablet on wheels.

For questions about reliability and running costs you should ask the mini subreddit, not these general car subreddits. They’re full of people who just pass on what they’ve heard, and don’t really do research before answering your question. Anything european that isn’t a 340i will be branded as unreliable, which is simply not the case. Ask the mini owners and you’ll probably get a good impression of what the running costs are like, what issues to be aware of and what you can do to prevent them. For an almost new car there probably aren’t many.

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mysteriouslypuzzled@reddit

You want a fun little car? Get yourself a Toyota echo. Or a yaris Or a mitsubishi mirage. Nissan cube, nissan versa. Or even a ford fiesta. Mini coopers were unreliable when they were new. Pretty much every person I've known that's owned one had to invest in a new engine at some point. And they are a pain in ass to fix. And expensive to fix.b

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HippieJed@reddit

If this is your first car get something that would be safe in a collision. This may sound crazy but I remember listening to an interview with a famous rock guitarist who said his kids’ first car was always something older and something safe knowing that the odds say young drivers have the highest probability of getting into a wreck.

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dammit-smalls@reddit

Old ≠ safe though. Some of these newer cars are survivable after pretty wicked collisions.

I saw a 325i get t-boned at ~50mph, and neither occupant was seriously injured. I wouldn't want to try that in a Chevy S10.

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SailingSpark@reddit

You can pick up a cheap 5 year old car that will be just as safe as a new one, It doesn't need to be from the 90s.

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HippieJed@reddit

Trust me when I say I have seen plenty of accidents as a claims person for a transportation company

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secondrat@reddit

Don’t buy a new car when you’re in college with no income.

Minis aren’t the most reliable. But it really varies year to year and engine to engine.

If my kid needed a hatchback I would look at the Mazda3.

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Pomksy@reddit

They are the 5th most reliable brand in America. Behind Toyota/lexus and Honda/acura

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Pomksy@reddit

Fucking loved my mini. 12 years and not a single shop visit outside of regular maintenance. That 2013 base model was a CHAMP

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Sweaty_Win1832@reddit

A Miata would be more practical

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Whiskeypants17@reddit

Been driving a 2011 for 2 years and it's fine. They are bmws so they have all the funky bmw quirks, so if you are ready for that then you will be ok.

The supercharged engines pre 2007 had issues. They switched to turbos and direct injection then and they had issues till 2011 or so. By the time the 1.6 liter n18 came out most of the issues were ironed out. Timing chains, clutches, turbos, high pressure fuel pumps, thermostats. Still issues but much less so on the later model. Make sure to clean the roof drains or the control module in the footwell can flood.

After 2017 they switched to the same bmw engine that is in the supra and everything else. Well, the 4 cyl b48 is the baby version of the b58 6 cyl. I have a feeling the newer models will become legendary.

If money is not an issue, I would get a 2017+ model with the bmw engine 2.0 and a manual transmission.

If money is an issue then 20 year old bmws are cheap if you can do the work yourself.

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theryno86@reddit

No… just no..

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Marine5484@reddit

Find any other hatchback. Mk7 or 7.5 GTI would be my suggestion.

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GOOSEBOY78@reddit

Hell no.

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Manderthal13@reddit

There's a guy who lives a few streets over from me who has three of them. None of them run.

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_no_usernames_avail@reddit

Volvo C30 coupe R design Manual

Hatchback

More reliable than most Euro cars, especially BMWs “economy” brand

Shares parts with Mazda3 and Ford Focus of same years

Better rustproofing and sound deadening than similar Japanese models?

2 doors.

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dumpster_kitty@reddit

One positive thing I will say about mini coopers: the tires are inexpensive

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dumpster_kitty@reddit

I bought an 06 used for my second car. 5 speed. So much fun. Such a money pit though. I loved that car, but it broke down A LOT.

That said, as much of a pain in the ass as it was my love for mini Coopers will never die and I honestly hope to own another one someday even though my husband will try and talk me out of it

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Fine_Negotiation4254@reddit

You want a reliable/practical/much cheaper than new vehicle… get a Toyota Matrix with the 1.8 litre engine preferably with manual transmission. They get 35 mpg hwy and if you maintain them ….500k miles + is not unheard of without major problems.

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False_Mushroom_8962@reddit

This. If it needs to be as small as a mini then yaris or Honda fit (either manual trans or pre 2015 for the Honda because... cvt ).

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False_Mushroom_8962@reddit

Hard nay

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Old_Confidence3290@reddit

My wife owns one and it's great fun to drive. We bought it knowing it needed engine work at 89000 miles. I did all the work myself. I'm a retired master technician so it was easy for me, it would have been difficult for most other people. The car has been reasonably reliable since. The down side is, it feels cheap and the sound system sounds crappy. There's a lot of tire noise. The ride is pretty harsh. It's lots of fun on short drives but is tiring on longer drives. If you can afford to buy or lease the latest model it can be fun. I'll suggest a lease. If you are not happy, turn it in at the end. If you are very capable with auto repair, there's a lot of older ones that are dirt cheap.

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Maddad_666@reddit

No

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Glad-Lawyer6128@reddit

If you mean a clean 07-12 cooper s with low mileage and service records…get ready to have fun! Otherwise F No and definitely not the clubman (nausea)

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Pure-Guarantee392@reddit

Don't do it. So hard to work on a mini 😭 Also avoid hyundai and kia. Trash vehicles. Get a GMC, Toyota, or a Chevy. Also, get something used, cars oose value as soon as they leave the lot. Also avoid delar fees if possible, it is all extra bs that doesn't really help. Don't tell them how much you want to pay a month, tell them how much you are willing to pay for the car. Be a bully, because they will try and fuck you every chance they can. If they are pushy, won't give you the price, ect.. just leave and go somewhere else. Also be careful of interest rates.

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