Noob melbournian needs some buying tips!

[minimanda]

Hi there,

This is my very first post on mini2!! As a girl petrol head, I've long admired the mini but always dismissed it as being too expensive! Well, I've actually done some research and have decided that I do want and will get a MINI!

I'm a little confused tho. This forum has so much information to research. I've found answers to some of my questions ie like servicing costs etc but now would like some info from fellow Aussies!

Yesterday I called into the mini garage on kings way and was offered a dynamite deal on a new mini cooper demo and trading in my current car. Earlier in the day I also test drove a 2002 Cooper S with 84,000km on the clock, nice tidy car.. and seemed like fun to drive. When I mentioned this to the salesguy at Mini Garage he said instantly 'forget the 02 its a piece of Rover junk' hmmmm ok thanks dude.

Obviously he wants to sell cars, I get that but it did make me wonder how these older mini2s are holding up. It also made me realise that I better do some research before buying ANYTHING cos I dont fully understand all the model variants.

I only drive on weekends, it'll be a second car, I dont use it to commute. So really I dont need a brand new MINI for over 30grand BUT I do want to make sure that if I buy a older MCS that I understand what I'm getting myself into. I want a bullet proof reliable and fun to drive car.

How many Aussies have Mini's with over 100,000km on the clock and if you have that many km, what major things have you had to do it and what sort of money did it cost?

I'd be grateful for any advice you gals/guys can give me... thanks heaps!

Oh what am I trading? A MX-5... I'm finding the car hard to deal with on account of it being so low to the ground, old back injuries are playing up and I just dont have the spirit for my 5'er anymore. Sure it's fun to drive, but I just want a bit more luxury and car around me. I think I'm finally done.

[VANS]

Quote: Originally Posted by minimanda (original)

Hi there,

This is my very first post on mini2!! As a girl petrol head, I've long admired the mini but always dismissed it as being too expensive! Well, I've actually done some research and have decided that I do want and will get a MINI!

I'm a little confused tho. This forum has so much information to research. I've found answers to some of my questions ie like servicing costs etc but now would like some info from fellow Aussies!

Yesterday I called into the mini garage on kings way and was offered a dynamite deal on a new mini cooper demo and trading in my current car. Earlier in the day I also test drove a 2002 Cooper S with 84,000km on the clock, nice tidy car.. and seemed like fun to drive. When I mentioned this to the salesguy at Mini Garage he said instantly 'forget the 02 its a piece of Rover junk' hmmmm ok thanks dude.

Obviously he wants to sell cars, I get that but it did make me wonder how these older mini2s are holding up. It also made me realise that I better do some research before buying ANYTHING cos I dont fully understand all the model variants.

I only drive on weekends, it'll be a second car, I dont use it to commute. So really I dont need a brand new MINI for over 30grand BUT I do want to make sure that if I buy a older MCS that I understand what I'm getting myself into. I want a bullet proof reliable and fun to drive car.

How many Aussies have Mini's with over 100,000km on the clock and if you have that many km, what major things have you had to do it and what sort of money did it cost?

I'd be grateful for any advice you gals/guys can give me... thanks heaps!

Oh what am I trading? A MX-5... I'm finding the car hard to deal with on account of it being so low to the ground, old back injuries are playing up and I just dont have the spirit for my 5'er anymore. Sure it's fun to drive, but I just want a bit more luxury and car around me. I think I'm finally done.

Hi

The guy at Kingsway is pretty good, he gave a ripper deal on my car. The thing with MINI's they have really good re-sale value. That's probably they still a bit expensive even 2nd hand.

I just got my MINI for bout 4 months, so I don't know if it is bullet proof. But the fun part is absolutely guaranteed

Good Luck

Cheers

Vans

[minimanda]

Thanks for the reply Vans... they car seems super fun fullstop, it looks fun, drives fun and its just FUN!

I agree the guy at Kingsway is good, no nonsense attitude. Nice not having a car salesman attempt to ram a deal down your throat.

I just need to work out what year I'm going for and what sort of issues they suffer from.

[pw4]

Hi MiniManda
Mine is the second series (late 2007) but it's coming up for 50000km and no problems so far except for the odd rattle (sunroof mainly). The big differences with the second series were a BMW-designed engine and higher safety rating - and the "S" is a turbo whereas the first series "S" had a supercharger (depends if you like your power at high or low revs).
From bits I've happened across on forums, if you get a Cooper rather than "S", check out the gearbox used. I haven't followed it closely, but there were two versions of the Cooper in the Series 1 and the older one (R50) had a different gearbox which wasn't so good. The Cooper S is a different model again with a 6-speed box so it's probably OK?
The top of the strut towers tend to bulge up on the series 1 if the car has had heavy use. Probably something to check.
Also, if you have back problems, depending on what type, the MINI isn't a soft-riding car. There is a sports suspension option for both Cooper and S and it's harder still. I have a bad back and the sport suspension and I get by fine, but it's something to consider. There is a sports seat option on the Cooper (I think it's standard on the "S") which is more supportive in cornering.
If you have particular questions, I can ask some of the clubMINI guys or girls with Series 1 MINIs.

[COOL MINI CAB]

i found when shopping around for mine back in 2005(went to all mini garages) and found bmw brighton gave me the best deal ...

i have done about 80,000k now and have had the following replaced(not including normal wear and tear) engine mounts, glove box, leather seat, front wheel bearing, rad , power steering fan ,manual trans oil

[07BPB]

Quote: Originally Posted by pw4 (original)

From bits I've happened across on forums, if you get a Cooper rather than "S", check out the gearbox used. I haven't followed it closely, but there were two versions of the Cooper in the Series 1 and the older one (R50) had a different gearbox which wasn't so good. The Cooper S is a different model again with a 6-speed box so it's probably OK?
The top of the strut towers tend to bulge up on the series 1 if the car has had heavy use. Probably something to check.
Also, if you have back problems, depending on what type, the MINI isn't a soft-riding car. There is a sports suspension option for both Cooper and S and it's harder still. I have a bad back and the sport suspension and I get by fine, but it's something to consider. There is a sports seat option on the Cooper (I think it's standard on the "S") which is more supportive in cornering.

I have a gen 1 R50 (just-a-cooper) built in 2006. The later model R50s built from 05 to 06 have the better 5 speed gear box, but its not as good as the stronger 6 speed gear box in the cooper S. A few of the R50 guys have swapped out to a 6 speed but this is not cheap or easy.

The front struts on the gen 1 minis do "mushroom" which is caused by the front shocks bending the top of the strut mount from hitting pot holes. This can be quickly checked by laying a ruler (or some other flat object) on top of one of the tower and seeing if it lays flat. If it isn't flat it has mushroomed, however it can be fixed with a plank of wood and a mallet.

The sport seats are a nice option in the minis as pw4 said, they are more supportive in cornering. They curl around your back and thighs a bit more than the stock Cooper ones. But I do believe these came standard in the Cooper S models.

All in all, if your going for a Gen 1 mini go for one built in 05 or 06. They are generally just better designed and won't have as many issues.