* * 1 Year with the MINI Cooper S (Long Term Report) * *

[DaveInDenver]

2002 MINI Cooper S Dark Silver / White (pre-spec)
Options: Premium, Sport, Lapis Blue Leather
Delivery Date: 06.07.2002

Purchased @ Westchester MINI in Elmsford, New York
- Many thanks to Lori Abrams aka miniqueen for a very smooth and professional buying experience. I hope BMWUSA/MINIUSA recognize just how good she is.

Serviced @ Ralph Schomp MINI in Denver, Colorado


One year and nearly 29000 miles have passed since I took delivery of my MINI Cooper S from Westchester MINI in Elmsford, New York and drove it back to Colorado. During that time my experience with the MINI has been mixed, but on balance I consider it to have been a positive.

The Good

My MINI has covered a lot of ground in the first year, including road trips to the Canadian Rockies and Southern California. It has actually turned out to be a surprisingly good car for long hauls, as long as only the front seats were occupied.

States & Provinces visited: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Alberta, and British Columbia.

I was introduced to autocross and have now competed in 3 different events.

Through owning a MINI, I have gotten to know a lot of new people, some of whom I now consider to be good friends.

The Bad

During the year, my MINI made a total of 10 trips to the dealership for service. At two of those visits, in addition to doing warranty repairs, scheduled maintenance was also performed (10k and 25k). My MINI suffered three repeated problems during this first year. Two of which have been fixed.

A significant number of early build Cooper S's had difficulty starting in the morning on the first try. The cold start problem on my MINI grew to the point where it sometimes took up to 4 times before the engine would finally turn over in the morning. This problem got progressively worse over the course of the few months it took MINI to develop a software fix.

Another problem common to the Cooper S, but not the Cooper, was a coolant leak from a seam between the two halves of the expansion tank. My Cooper S had 3 tanks replaced before MINI finally improved tank design. The new expansion tanks are made from beige plastic to distinguish them from the original problematic tanks, which were white.
Coolant Expansion Tanks Replaced (3): 10/2002, 1/2003, and 5/2003

The issue I find most discouraging as I consider my future with the MINI is windshield replacement. Thus far, my MINI has had five windshields installed - three replaced due to stress cracks. The windshield surface is very upright on the MINI, so it's also prone to picking up rock chips in the winter. While MINIUSA has replaced some of these windshields under warranty, I am concerned about how many times I may need to replace the windshield on my own, especially after the warranty is up.
Windshields Replaced (4): 7/2002, 9/2002, 11/2002, 5/2003

ATTN MINI U.K. and MINIUSA
You Have A Windshield Problem ! ! !

I now have a zero deductible on my MINI specifically because of the glass coverage. While I'm not paying out of pocket directly for windshields, my premiums have gone up because of the change in my deductible. Also, the most recent windshield installed in my car is from PPG. I'm hoping that this aftermarket windshield will hold up better than the ones MINI has sourced.

2002 MINI Cooper S: Year In Review
NOTE: click on any picture below for the high res version

June 2002


06.07.2002 Westchester MINI: Delivery of 2002 MINI Cooper S - Mileage: 8
- Wait-listed since July of 2001 in Denver and February 2002 in New York.
- I flew out to New York on a one way ticket, met Lori Abrams @ Westchester MINI for the first time in person, collected the keys and headed west.
- 2 days and 1778 miles later there was a MINI Cooper S in the garage.





06.08.2002 Somewhere in Iowa - Mileage: 1200


July 2002

07.13.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #1 - Mileage: 4566
- Rear seat will not release. Broken Handle Replaced
- Replacement Windshield #1 Installed - Stress Crack in the original windshield



August 2002

08.02.2002 clearbra installed
08.06.2002 MINI Madness Air Intake (invoice #00000067)
08.15.2002 CD Changer purchased from Classic Auto
08.19.2002 one (1) Dunlop SP Sport 9000 Run-Flat purchased from The Tire Rack
08.24.2002 to 09.05.2002 3600 mile road trip from Denver to Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada.






September 2002

09.05.2002 MINI R84 white v-spokes purchased from Classic Auto
09.05.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #2 - Mileage: 10865
- Oil Service - Warranty Maintenance
- Service Engine Soon Light: Thermostat Replaced
- Replacement Windshield #2 Installed - Stress Crack in Replacement Windshield #1


October 2002

10.02.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #3 - Mileage: 12751
- Software upgrade - Cold Start fixed after 4 months

10.08.2002 H&R Lowering Springs

10.15.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #4 - Mileage: 13148
- Coolant Expansion Tank #1 Installed
- Honda Civic Loaner

10.20.2002 BMWCCA Autocross
- My first autocross
- 2nd out of 12 in the morning practice
- 10th out of 12 in the afternoon timed runs (the only ones that count).
- I have some minor consistency issues there.
- Official Results (MINIs are in "CS" class)




November 2002

11.07.2002 Windshield #4 Installed - Windshield #3 multiple cracks from gravel

11.08.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #5 - Mileage: 14810
- Supplemental Oil Change
- Headlight Adjustment

11.13.2002 mini5280: the Motoring Society for the Rocky Mountain Region selects officers. I'm voted in as president.

11.18.2002 Borla Exhaust Installed



December 2002

12.12.2002 Schomp MINI Service Visit #6 - Mileage: 16410
- Seat Lever Recall

12.13.2002 mini5280.org goes live and starts accepting members.
- leading up to the launch, mini5280 got an Employer Identification Number or EIN (aka Federal Tax I.D.), opened a bank account, printed stickers, and created the club website - mini5280.org

January 2003

01.31.2003 Schomp MINI Service Visit #7 - Mileage: 19567
- Coolant Expansion Tank #2 Installed

February 2003

02.19.2003 after just two months mini5280 hits 50 members.

Somehow, maybe due to the short month, my MINI manages to stay out of the Schomp MINI service department during February.

March 2003

03.04.2003 Schomp MINI Service Visit #8 - Mileage: 21181
- Driver's side windshield washer nozzle clogged -- replaced under warranty
- Passenger side door handle paint is coming off -- replaced under warranty
- Honda Loaner

April 2003

04.12.2003 BMWCCA Autocross - Winter Warm-up
- My 2nd Autocross. There are 16 cars in the field and MINIs Swept the Top 7 Spots. I place 7th. =)
- Official Results (MINIs are in "CS" class)

04.16.2003 Schomp MINI Service Visit #9 - Mileage: 27632
- Transmission Shift Cable Replaced - Plastic Housing Cracked

04.18.2003 to 04.27.2003 3600 mile road trip from Denver to Los Angeles



May 2003

05.14.2003 Replacement Windshield #4 Installed (stress cracks)

05.15.2003 Schomp MINI Service Visit #10 - Mileage: 27632
- Inspection 1 Oil Service - Warranty Maintenance
- Coolant Expansion Tank #3 Installed
- Front brake discs and pads replaced under warranty for excessive wear.
- BMW 325i Loaner



05.27.2003 The Italian Job Premiers In Denver


05.31.2003 BMWCCA Autocross School

June 2003

06.01.2003 BMWCCA Autocross - Points Series Event #1
- This is my third autocross.
- I place 2nd in the morning practice, which is held in the rain.
- Unfortunately in the afternoon timed runs the best I can hold is 9th out of 14.
- I still have a problem with consistency, but I'm also encouraged by my results (now if I could just get my fast times in the afternoon when it counts).
- MINIs win BOTH "BS" (Randy Webb) and "CS" (Tad Haas) Classes.
- Official Results (MINIs are in "BS", "CS", and "DS" classes)



The picture above reminds me of a signature pic that COOPERation made for me a while back. =)



06.02.2003 Paint is pealing from left center console support pillar.
- Schomp MINI has part on order. Warranty service visit #11 in my near future.

06.03.2003 mini5280 closes in on 70 members.

06.04.2003 Mileage: 28791
- The A-pillar trim on the left side flew off.

Spec. Review

For what it's worth, here are my opinions on the options after a year of living with them:

Premium Package
- On Board Computer: Other than the outside temperature, I don't use this at all. Since the outside temperature is the default display if you don't spec the OBC, I would not select this option next time around.
- Auto A/C: I like the Auto A/C and would get it again.
- Sunroof: Mine creaks occasionally and it doesn't get much use in the winter, but it sure is nice come spring and summer. Since I'm getting more serious about autocross weight is a consideration, so it's a toss-up whether I would select the sunroof again.

Sport Package
- 17" S-lites: I would pass on the 17" wheels next time around. I sold mine and now use the 16" v-spokes which preserve the stock appearance and are lighter.
- Performance Run-Flats: The very first thing I would do to the car if I had it to do over again is replace the run-flats with regular tires. The tire change alone improved the acceleration, handling, and ride comfort.
- DSC: I hate it. I drive around with it turned off 90% of the time. If the system just applied the brakes when it detected slipping, it would be a nice addition. However, DSC also cuts power to the engine and I have had a couple of close calls pulling out of parking lots when DSC cut power with rapidly approaching traffic.
- Xenon headlights and Fog Lights: I really like my xenons and would get them again.

Lapis Blue Leather
- I like the leather a lot. That said, now that I have seen the Space Cloth (it wasn't available when I got my car), I wouldn't pay the extra $1250 for the leather.
- The alloy patina finish on the interior was the only finish available at the time I purchase my MINI. I would not get it again. My choice would be the plain silver. I did need to replace two interior trim pieces due to pealing paint. MINI should take strides to improve the interior trim paint adhesion.

Options I wish I had: The Cold Weather Package

My next MINI would be spec'd like this:

Pure Silver / Pure Silver MINI Cooper S
- Cold Weather Package
- Auto A/C
- Xenon Headlights with Fogs
- Space Cloth with the silver interior trim pieces
- possibly the sunroof

Final Thoughts

The write-up of the maintenance history turned out more negative than I was thinking it would before I started. Don't get me wrong, I do like my MINI an awful lot. However, needing to have the windshield replaced 4 times, the coolant expansion tank replaced 3 times, and make 10 trips to the MINI dealership for warranty repairs was more than I originally bargained for. I am also not pleased to be on a first name basis with the installers at Speedy Auto Glass. I didn't think the MINI was going to be perfect, but I at least expected BMW to be able to make the MINI slightly more reliable than my MK4 Jetta (2000 VR6).

That said, I do still enjoy the car. I'm happy with the handling, the performance, the small size with the efficient use of space, and the design of the car. The giant killer aspect of the car is appealing too (We're up against the E36 ///M3, the E46 ///M3, and the ///M Roadster in the BMWCCA autocross series and hanging tough).

Dave

[MINImeat]

Heck of a write-up, Dave!
Very thoroughly documented and alot of MINI-adventuring to make me envious.
7 months on my Sep02-build MCS and no windshield problems, yet.
One visit to my dealer to correct my wheel spec and one visit to replace the expansion tank.
No peeling paint or broken pieces, yet.
I'm not putting the highway miles on it the way you are, so maybe that's made a difference.
You seem to have had a nice year with the car when you weren't taking it in for service, though.
I think we're all getting to see what the new-car wring-out period is for the BMW-MINI partnership.
I expect you'll find that alot of the later-build cars have been nearly trouble-free.
Thanks for the informative post.

[miniyup]

Great post.

I salute you "pioneers" who were willing to take the risk on a complete new car design and manufacture operation and have paved the way for the rest of us.

So far, my new MCS seems like it is screwed together very well and it performs great. It seems like MINI has worked very hard in the last year to solve many of the major quality snafus - time will tell as I have only 200+ miles on the clock.

[DEye]

Eek !
Nice write up...
But you're windshield story has me worried.
Mine cracked last week ( the first time in a year) and now i'm gonna get paranoid...

[DaveInDenver]

As I said in the review, I now have a PPG windshield and [fingers crossed] I'm hoping [/fingers crossed] that it is more durable than the MINI windshields have been.

[AidenL]

Thats the most comprehensive report I have ever read, with some of the nicest pics I have ever seen !

I always loved the look of your car Dave, and it sure has seen the country !

[DaveInDenver]

Thanks AidenL

Here are a couple more pics of my car at various points during the past year.

As with the pictures above, these are clickable for the high resolution version.

[cooper4us]

The factory MINI windshields are made by German glass maker 'Sekurit - St Gobain'. Their glass is used on a wide range of vehicles worldwide from Rolls Royce to BMW and anything in between.

No problems with our windshield in almost 10 months of ownership.

We have the standard sport suspension and 15" 8-hole rims with the Continental non-runflat tires. I suspect the firmer ride of SS+ combined with the harsher riding runflats do in part contribute to the added road shock strees being transmitted to the windshield frame/glass.

[Blade78]

That is possible. My Cooper with SS+ took a stone on the Belgian highway 2 months ago and I was lucky the glass didn't actually crack. I have a neat little punctuation in the windshield now, but it didn't penetrate to the interior. So far the screen is standing its ground...

Great review you did there...very helpful for MINI newbies.

Cheers,
Jonathan

[Vanwall]

Excellent report, Dave! I'll have had my Brooksie for one year in a weeks time, with 26,000 miles on the clock. I'm not usually one to fly the 'A' model of anything, but my son Sean suddenly developed an interest in the new MINI a coupla years ago, so when I went to test drive it last year, I fell for the new MINI. He waited for six months to get an S, but I went for the Cooper, 'cause I knew I'd get more tickets in an 'S'. ;-)

Brooksie's been on a number of long distance trips, starting with a summer jaunt to Phoenix AZ, and even with the outside temps high, she drove cool & clean. A month later I was off to Seattle and twisties on the coast roads. She's a CVT, and (touch wood) no real problems yet. Been up the mountains, thru the woods, crossed the stinkin' desert, and tooled up the beach roads without a real serious problem.

A tiny driver's window rattle was finally cured thru Long Beach MINI's persistance. I had the CVT shift boot delamination, but it was also swiftly fixed. The windshield was recently replaced, and even tho I paid out of pocket, I was very sceptical of the "chip cause" diagnosis; strange it can't possibly be stress just because I had over 25,000 miles. It was already severely clouded with zillions of tiny "pits", and I've been around cars enough to recognize a problem. I, too, hope MINI is working on a fix, if possible.

The upcoming issue is the paint rubbing off inside the bonnet. I haven't heard anything on this, yet, but I expect to see a rectification post-hastily.

Other than this, I've had a great year with my Cooper. I don't regret a thing.

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

[KarmanS]

Excellent recap and pictorial, Dave. Thanks for your efforts!

[AprilWhine]

Hi Dave!

I'm glad you came back for a visit from MCO. Great write up, and you always have great pictures.

[northandy]

very interesting write up there... good job !.

[Boltz]

Nice report Dave. I have had mine for almost one year now, and 23K miles. My windshield has also been a problem (and the only problem of great substance), with a stress crack early and now a couple of good-sized starbursts from rocks hits. I have to believe that the Mini glass is inferior. Even my old Karmann Ghia that I drove for several years, with its low stance and upright windshield, never took this sort of damage (nor has any other vehicle I have ever owned). I will have to try after-market glass for the next one.

[RUKnight]

nice write up Dave...but it looks awfully familiar to the one I read on the tex
Mike