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Anyone out there with a 2012 or 2013 Mini Cooper/Countryman that can comment on reliability? Just trying to see if BMW has made any progress on improving Mini quality/reliability.
The turbo cars stil tend to be problematic in certain areas, though they are good about fixing them. My '11 Mini Cooper (non S) has been perfect the entire time I've owned it, however. Most non S versions are similar, I've seen. They are much better than they were in teh beginning, that's for sure. The S versions tend to drag the JD Power scores low, though.
I have a 2012 MCS with JCW tuning kit and JCW suspension. I would not trade it for any other car on the road. None. It's an absolute dream.
The thing to know about MINIs are they are driver-oriented performance cars, not Mom's cute grocery getters. This is common misconception. They require active maintenance and upkeep. They are not for people who would buy a civic, where you buy it and forget about it and it just runs forever. Proactive upkeep and service are minimum requirements on these, not optional.
Many of the negative things you read in Consumer Reports type writeups dog the MINI for it's quirks (features, not faults)..things like window switches on the center stack instead of the door. It's a very misunderstood car, but once you drive one, the lightbulb in your head goes off as you "get it", then you have to have one. It's something hard to put into words.
In summary, they are as reliable as the effort you put into them. If you are the type to buy a reliable Honda "appliance" car to go from A to B (zero wrong with that), then the MINI is absolutely not for you. If you are the type of driver who wants to smile every time you hear the burble from the exhaust as the turbo spools up and you like to carve corners like no other car, I'd head to the dealer and get motoring!
***NOTE: 2013 Hatchbacks (R56) are now discontinued, you cannot custom order them anymore. The current 2nd-gen model is being replaced in 2014 with a completely redesigned hatchback (the F56, 3rd gen) and will not be available until spring 2014. All other current models will stay the same at least thru 2014.
Let me know if there are any other questions, I'm closely familiar with all the models and options.
Anyone out there with a 2012 or 2013 Mini Cooper/Countryman that can comment on reliability? Just trying to see if BMW has made any progress on improving Mini quality/reliability.
Do people expect many things to go wrong on a 1-yr old car these days? If so, they need to raise the bar a bit.
Do people expect many things to go wrong on a 1-yr old car these days? If so, they need to raise the bar a bit.
Very valid point, Jaypee . . .
Most vehicles tend to need TLC after a few years / miles.
As a general rule, maintenance and routine repairs usually are more expensive on foreign vehicles, especially German, Italian and British vs American vehicles.
Since '02 I did routine maintenance only - brakes, belt, tires, etc without any real major problems.
Problems: I've done the following myself.....
Rear hatchback hinges are complete trash! They eventually rust solid and snap. Changing them is something like having a root canal.
Engine mounts wear out regularly. I can change them in my sleep now. Silicon "upgrades" literally shattered in below 0 temperature!!!!
Driver's side electronic door locking mechanism. If this goes, and it will, you can break both door windows.
Radiator fan motor failure. Very time consuming for what is not as hard on other vehicles, but the whole "nose" has to come off to gain access. Failure could be due to high salt use in my area?
It's never been back to the dealer except for recall work on the airbag wire under the passenger seat.
I know I see a lot of complaints about Mini's, not a surprise they are pricey to keep running given the BMW genes.
Most posters mix fun to drive, maintenance cost and repairs together.
There are a lot of cars that are fun to drive, but cost a lot to keep on the road.
High maintenance cost is something else. Lets say the car needs synthetic oil or brake parts are more expensive. Most buyers already know this and buy the car well aware of this.
The problem is with frequent need for repairs. If parts break down, then that is also an inconvenience in addition to cost. A lot of the cars that would be considered boring to drive, make it to 100K miles with close to no major repairs. If you look on the Mini or BMW forums, you will see this is not the case with those cars. The owners justify this by stating that they are having fun driving the car, but this is not what the OP is asking here.
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Sounds like something a mini cooper salesman would say.
