Maintenance Costs and Other Questions

[rums54]

Not an owner yet but close. Decided against the VW Sportwagon TDI because of maintenance and repair issues.

Here are my questions:

1. What kind of maintenance needs to be done on a Mini?
2. Are there any pricy maintenance schedules at, say, 30,000 or 40,000 miles?
3. Are there troublesome areas that need periodic repair such as pre-mature brake work, CV joints, tires, etc.?
4. How long is the warranty, is there there an extended warranty and is it worth it?
5. Is it okay to run synthetic oil?
6. I need an automatic transmission because of a problem with my left ankle. Will a Clubman with the base motor work okay (I'm not an aggressive driver) or will it hunt for gears constantly?
7. Should I opt for the 17" wheels?

Any help and comments are appreciated.

[slvrsoho]

I test drove a clubbie last year with an automatic and it was awful but I'm bias I hate automatics but I found it really lagged a lot and the paddle shifter were useless....reaffirmed my love for three pedals


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