Hi (Sequence and Kyriian)
Thanks for the welcoming remarks... As well, thanks for the good input. Paying attention to oil changes is most likely the best strategy as you point out in order to keep the engine in good shape. I have had several cars with engines at 200+k miles that were still running strong. It is impossible to really know, however, I did see someone who had reached the 100k mark in a previous thread.
If I did not have to wait so long, I would most likely wait it out and get the newer engine. I guess that provides no guarantees either. I am quite surprised after looking at this for a while now that BMW did not decide to build thier own engine based on the unique design characteristics of the mini. If you look at Audi or VW, the engines have been designed for the cars, or at minimum, are being used within other platforms. This engine seems to be the major weak point. Don't get me wrong, I am not slamming this engine since I have test driven the car and it seems really good, it is just a sense of discomfort knowing that BMW picked this engine based on what was convenient, not what was the best engine for the car. If this was the best engine, they would have figured this out in the beginning. Now that they are talking about using another engine from another car manufacturer seems like they have not learned their lesson. The Nissan Maxima has been using variations on the VQ 6 cylinder engine for over 10 years with incredible success.
So, in the end, I have to decide if I want to buy the car based on the engine issue. Usually, when I buy a car, I keep it for 10 or more years. Knowing that the engine is going to be completly replaced makes this much harder. I will keep you posted on my final decision...
DC |