[cpowers]

ok, so im just now looking into a 05 cooper s and had some basic questions

i see that most the recalls were taken care of by 04, and i dont find many tsb's, but in general what are peoples opinions about reliability of these cars?

also search as i might i cannot find a damn maintance schedule, maybe its cause i cant spell tho

i love the looks, performance is nice, handleing great, but living 90 minutes away from the closest dealership im worried about warranty issues, but i do all my own servicing

and in honest opinions, how is this for a road faring car, i dont trip much, but this would be my 'relaiable' car, so i will take it on vacations etc every year for 6-7 hours, it is comfy enough, or should i limit its 'out of town' usage

i have a plethora of more questions, but these should whet my appetite for now

Thanks for the help
Chris

ps, i live in Savannah ga, so any quality dealer reff's are good

[shiredweller]

#1-- Most find the MINI to be very reliable. Not all tho. See Faults and Fixes but don't spend too much time there as you may get a false impression.

#2-- Maintenance is minimal and free. Oil change and check the computer every 10,000 miles or so [I think]

#3-- I live 3 1/2 hours from the dealer and this has not been an issue yet.

#4-- The MINI is a much better road car then it seems like it would be. Very smooth, quite and stable in the highway. 6 or 7 hours on the road is no problem.

More questions? ask away. Most people here are more knowledgeable and friendly then me but I just happen to see your post first.

[cpowers]

actually i think you were person 13 :P

well i am largly settled on it, but working in parts at a nissan dealership i know that even the best cars can have quite a few warrantied problems

would other big question

what is "bumper to bumper" warranty
and what is 'powertrain' warranty

it looks like 4 years 50k, but bmw terminology is like greek to me

Thanks
Chris

[dalboyne]

Hey there Cpowers, and a warm welcome to the wonderful world of mini2.com!

The car is great. You will not regret it.

Service schedule is computerised - mine tells me I have to go infor the first service in about 2300 km - I think it's doing very clever things under the bonnet, and the service interval changes depending on how the car is used/abused. But there are those in the know who say you should change the oil more frequesntly than the recommended intervals.

If you want to know how the car is for trips, havea look at threads like the 2004 Stelvio or Bust thread in the Social/UK forum. There are lots more stories of folks who have toured Europe with much enjoyment and little grief. (I relaise that the US is a little bigger than Europe, but the principle's the same!)

Anyway, enough of this - if you have any doubts - go talk to some other local MINI owners - they'll soon put you right!1

Enjoy.....

Ian

[galled15]

I just got back from a 4400 mile road trip at the end of may in my 02 cooper and it was awesome, very comfortable driving. I went from FL to NE to MO to IL to OH to Washington DC and Then back to FL. The best vacation ever.

[cpowers]

awesome, i got to drive a cooper today, i was unimpressed witht the power, but it was only a auto matic, and was NOT a S

i am trying to locate a s to play with

but steering was instantanious, with a truly awesome suspension, maybe not a gocart, but damn close!
and even tho this was a 40,000mi 03 cooper (with a bad tire, made a terribler racket) it was quite comfy, and roomy

only real disappointment was the interior quality/look/feel

i felt that the seats were, blah looking at best, and the very shiny plasticy feel (light silver) dash covers didnt do it for me

i hope to see a darker color interior soon, i think it will look better, has anyone used carbon fiber, wood, or other material that takes away that plastic!

ill keep ye all updated,

Thanks for the welcome
Chris

[Smurfn]

Quote: Originally Posted by cpowers

i hope to see a darker color interior soon, i think it will look better, has anyone used carbon fiber, wood, or other material that takes away that plastic!

Thanks for the welcome
Chris

Firstly welcome to the boards

In answer to this, you can get colour-coded dashboard/doors, or wood or carbon fibre dashboards as both original options or aftermarket

[Johnny L]

Hey, 'Powers!

Much of the interior quality issue has been worked out for '05. There's a very noticeable difference between the '04 and '05. Also, you most likely were riding on the standard seats in the Cooper w/ automatic; they are very ordinary. The S comes with the sports seats, which have very good side bolsters.

As for the power, the auto in the Cooper just won't do. The five-speed is a must, and it's adequate for fun Motoring. The S is a whole other ballgame, particularly with the '05 revised gearing (shorter 1st and 2nd). If you drive a pre-'05 MCS, do keep this gearing issue in mind; the latest model has much more "scoot." Oh, and don't forget the modding possibilities!

Hey, good luck. Perhaps you'll be getting an '06? Lucky lad, you!

All the best!

Quote: Originally Posted by cpowers

awesome, i got to drive a cooper today, i was unimpressed witht the power, but it was only a auto matic, and was NOT a S

i am trying to locate a s to play with

but steering was instantanious, with a truly awesome suspension, maybe not a gocart, but damn close!
and even tho this was a 40,000mi 03 cooper (with a bad tire, made a terribler racket) it was quite comfy, and roomy

only real disappointment was the interior quality/look/feel

[kgouin]

Quote: Originally Posted by cpowers

awesome, i got to drive a cooper today, i was unimpressed witht the power, but it was only a auto matic, and was NOT a S

i am trying to locate a s to play with

but steering was instantanious, with a truly awesome suspension, maybe not a gocart, but damn close!
and even tho this was a 40,000mi 03 cooper (with a bad tire, made a terribler racket) it was quite comfy, and roomy

only real disappointment was the interior quality/look/feel

i felt that the seats were, blah looking at best, and the very shiny plasticy feel (light silver) dash covers didnt do it for me

i hope to see a darker color interior soon, i think it will look better, has anyone used carbon fiber, wood, or other material that takes away that plastic!

ill keep ye all updated,

Thanks for the welcome
Chris

If you buy a MC automatic, once you put it in sport mode there is much more power. You can also drive it as a manual. If you are interested in the automatic, check out the CVT forum. You could also get the S automatic.

As far as the seats, make sure you get the sports seats. They are much better than the standard seats. If you get a MC instead of a MCS, the sport seats are an option.

What color are you thinking about getting?