[DaFlake]

After reading a lot of new complaints, I decided that this needed to be written. There are several things that have been bothering me that we are seeing posted here lately so this rant could be a bit long.

BUYING

First I want to talk about taking ownership of your new car. Everyone is always excited about getting your new car and that is why this point is so important to remember. INSPECT IT THROUGHLY! This is your hard earned money that you are putting on the line. Look over the car thoroughly and note any discrepancies with it right away. DO NOT SIGN FOR IT if you find major problems that you can not live with for the time being and put it all in writing. If the dealer is not willing to sign a document acknowledging the issues, then you should seriously think about leaving with your money. In some areas you have the right to reject the car and if you need to do so, DO IT! There is an old saying “A fool and his money are easily parted”. Do not be that fool. Remember that as soon as you drive it off the lot, it is yours and you no longer are urgency to the dealer. This means that if you have problems and take it in, you will be in line with everyone else and could be days without transportation. The stress is really not worth it, so let the excitement ensue AFTER you check it thoroughly.

MAINTENANCE

I have also been seeing a lot of posts about blown engines do to lack of oil and the liking. Bottom line on this is that you have to check it regularly. There are some new terms floating about like “maintenance free” and “no maintenance”. These terms do have some significant meaning to us “older” car folks. Back in the day, there used to be fittings that had to be greased regularly as well as very low mileage oil changes. This meant that we had to take our cars in on a regular basis to keep them running smoothly. However, with technology advances we have been able to really extend that time line. We lost the grease points and have bumped the oil changes up to a very large number. The engine can handle this, but because we are not changing the oil as frequently, we tend to forget that it could need some. Engines, by nature, burn oil and this level will drop over time. It is up to you, the owner, to check it and top when needed. If you fail to do this and the engine fails, it is not the dealers fault, it is yours. The same goes with coolant and any other liquid that you are required to keep an eye on. The nice thing is that the car companies have started to color code the items that you need to check under the hood. This helps you figure out what is what and, of course, you can post here and ask!

MODDING

Well, where do I begin on this one? The bottom line is that if you do this, you take the responsibility of what will or can happen. Many of us have the same engine, but not all engines are equals. What I do to my car may have bigger gains than what you see in yours. Strapping on parts for quick BHP could cost you in the near future with a trashed engine. If you are under warranty and you mod your car, be prepared to pay more money if the car fails. Why? Because you changed the original configuration of the vehicle thus releasing the car company of any responsibility for that vehicle. Such is life folks! When I made changes to my MINI I took the responsibility that if the engines fails, I would replace it taking responsibility for my actions. If you go to a professional tuner, they might carry a warranty or be able to help you out, but you are still the overall responsible party in this.

A FEW TID BITS…

My last point that I want to cover is about the new R56. Even though it has the Cooper S on the back, it is still a first generation vehicle as it is a complete makeover from the original MCS (different engine, different interior and many exterior changes as well). This means that all you lucky people that bought one are going to have to deal with every production error that came out of the factory. This was the reason that I actually bought my 06 when I did as I did not want to have to deal with that headache. EVERY car goes through this and I am honestly tired of hearing that some Japanese cars do not have these problems. Why? Because they haven’t really changed the car in many years or they make small changes over time. I truly feel for you folks, but you really need to give the dealers and MINI a chance to fix the issues. Nothing is perfect the first time around which is why I do not ever buy first model products. Look at Apple’s new IPhone; I will not buy one of those until the 3rd revision at best. Let someone else deal with the headaches and kinks that are bound to be there. Never forget that the car is made by humans so by nature it is going to be flawed as we are far from perfect.

OK, I am off my soap box for now. If I can think of anything else that needs to be said, I will update this thread.