OK...so I am almost decided on the Mini....now, reliability and upkeep? I am looking for a used S, and have seen some good bargains (or what seem like bargains) on cars with 60K miles and up...whats the reliability of the cars at that kind of mileage? I am using it to commute, so a fun, and worry free car is what I am looking for. I am not looking at resale values or anything like that since I have a 100 mile round trip commute and I will be putting the miles on it...so buying a good car with 60-70k miles seems like a better option than buying one with 20k miles and me putting the miles on it...in a few years the miles will be the same....But what I wanna know is how is the engine? clutch? transmission? Normal upkeep? At 100k will the engine be tired? At 150k? Are these cars pretty bullet proof? I guess if there are some issues, I'd buy a certified Mini and get a warranty, but thats probably 20k minimum...when I can get one for 15k with a few miles on it...and use that 5k for mods!

 

here ya go: http://northamericanmotoring.com/for...igh+mileag+car

One guy i think has 130k miles on hers with no issues, it boils down to how much the car was previously maintained. gl

 

My car has been problematic for a while now. You want a guaranteed reliable car, get a Civic.

 

Wow...thats surprising...My Carrera 4 was VERY reliable...145k miles worth...I would expect a Mini to be less complex and just as reliable....

 

My best friend has a cooper s 2003 or 4. He went maybe 10 times a year to the dealer because something broke. For him at least, it was far from reliable.

 

I'd say it depends on the car. 90 % of my car's problems are to be expected with increasing mileage. The remaining 10 % are problems with the cooling fluid expander vessel and the engine fan (common problem on the R53). They are reliable cars overall, but I've had som troubles with mine. If I could do it all over again, I'd still buy it.

 

I second Newport. Come on guys, give me the dirt on these cars. I'm thinking about buying one for my girlfriend.

 

I'd say that there's bound to be some squeeks and rattles in the car, especially with hardened suspension(lowered car. There's a motor fan related problem that is fairly common that requires you to change a relay (or worst case ontario - the fan). Other than that, I can't remember any common faults.

 

The pre- 07 cars were not as stiff as the updated chassis, so there's more creaking and rattles than you'd expect. Wouldn't call it Lexus or Honda - level reliability, but on par with some of the other rice racers. Fun factor is unsurpassed, though!

 

I've had great success with mine, obviously some routine maintenence and wearable items, brakes, tires, etc. But i've got close to 70K miles stock clutch without any problems, it's still peppy, but i have a 15% pulley CAI, and one ball exhaust mod, so i enjoy it even more. I need more parts! haha.

They are great cars. But do your research and talk to the seller atleast a couple times.

 

20k miles and zero problems *knock-on-wood*