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MINI Cooper
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Is this the secret British addition to the car to insure it continues the tradition of 'the mysterious defect in your car was randomly assigned at the factory. Like all mystery defects they are guaranteed not to show up under scrutiny and only appear at the most awkward moments.'
I guess I feel better knowing that Honda and Toyota do the shifter via cable. I should have known that was true!
I feel much worse, though, that with 100,000's of these being done in cars built in the U.S. by these two major vendors, that BMW and Mini can't figure out how to duplicate what works, successfully and reliably in new cars.
There's no excuses today for poor execution of undifferentiated technology.
Too bad there were in production for a year before they discovered this and too bad for the north american launch especially as if they'd found it just a few months earlier, there wouldn't be any bad cars over here.
http://www.europeancarweb.com/archives/features/0802_feature02.shtml
Haven't had the opportunity to drive in the snow yet, but I think it'll do just fine.
As for the rough ride, remember this is a MINI. It comes with very tight suspension standard (even tighter with the sport pkg and on the "S"), so you will certainly not mistake the ride quality for that of a Lexus. I may be mistaken, but the difference in ride quality from the 15's to the 17's can't be all that noticeable - can it? Cobblestone and pothole infested streets are not among the MINI's best friends, twisty back roads are!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Thanks
I got 15" wheels and I too have felt they look a little 'skimpy' (the only aspect of my MC that I'm not over the moon about).
What I'm wondering; what's involve with 'upgrading' to 16's? Are wheel-wells different on MC that was build for 16's (or 17's for that matter)? Anybody have an idea of cost? I'm not desperate for the change, I would be doing it for purely aesthetic reasons as I certainly don't feel my MC lacks performance.
My Mini has been ok - performance wise (15" wheeels, non S)has been ok. I've taken it back a few times for misc. fixes to the dealer (that's a 60 mile trip...) and am not happy with the dealer experience in Jacksonville Fla.
Enjoy the looks you're getting now (I am) but look for my car on the lot in 6 months....
As for whether MINI is an overhyped car, I suppose time will tell. Keep in mind that they are hardly advertising at all - word of mouth is saving them a pretty penny in the advertising dept. With production numbers so low for at least the first two years, the hype may not drop for a while. That will hopefully keep resale values up should you decide to get rid of yours soon. Personally, I think trading for a Beetle would be a big mistake. Of course, I am so happy with my MC that I can't even conceive of dropping it for a VW.
There's my Elmer's glue. Sniff away.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
Rest assured, your MINI is a vastly superior car to the current generation IV VW Beetle in every possible way including interior space packaging. The Beetle is simply a Golf with a Beetle body, that's pretty much it. The current Jetta/Golf/Beetle IV Platform is becoming pretty obsolete as these cars in stock form exhibit too much understeer, soft springs and generally good but not earth shattering handling dynamics. Also the Beetle has a solid rear axle which is prehistoric in comparison to the rear suspension setup found in the MINI.
As noted by the previous poster, the Beetle's reliability has been rated from poor (Used cars to avoid per CR) to the current average rating. VW service is nothing to write home about and these cars by now already have very well documented design and assembly problems that will only be cured when the next generation V platform debuts in 2004.
Finally, I will avoid a Mexican manufactured VW product at all costs, trust me, the Puebla plant is churning out very questionnable quality and continues to do so (Just check the Jetta/Beetle forums and see for yourself).
A family acquitance bought a new 2002 Brazilian built VW Golf 5 door. The car has been great so far but the 2.0L engine is noisy and racous in the highway albeit it returns good fuel economy and has good low end torque for a small 4 cylinder.
If I were to go to a VW Beetle, I would prefer the Golf as it is a more practical, better looking car for the same money. Better yet I would wait next year for the V generation Jetta/Golf cars but be warned, these will be first year models such as your MINI, so don't expect squeaky clean reliability from the get go.
Based on the MINI's reliability performance so far (MINI2.com MINICooperonline.com Roadfly.com) I think most of the problems experienced by early build owners are mostly annoyances and nothing safety threating with the exception of the shifter cable problem in 5 speed Coopers (Which BMW already issued a worldwide recall and VIN range numbers have been posted for a new improved cable fix) and the hesitation in some MCS models (For which a software fix is scheduled to be distributed next month).
I think the MINI is a very solid and excellent bet from any point of view. It boggles my mind why people keep buying such junk as the Ford Focus (Ugly, cheap interior and chock full of recalls).
But if you want an APPLIANCE that almost never sees the dealer for the exception of oil changes, then a Toyota Echo is more the car for you. But hey who knows, even Toyotas have had problems with engine sludge!!
So as you can see the 100% perfect car does not exist and all manufacturers can put a bad apple here and there from time to time. Is just the nature of high production numbers.
Recall Alert: MINI COOPER
Owner Notification Date: 7/26/2002
Number of Units Potentially Affected: 3,531
Component Description: POWER TRAIN:TRANSMISSION:3 SPEED:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
NHTSA Campaign Number: 02V201000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description of Recall Campaign: On certain passenger vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, the transmission shift cable connects the gearshift lever in the vehicle interior to the shift linkage on the transmission. It is possible for the shift cable to detach from the transmission shift linkage while the driver is attempting to change gears. If the cable detaches from the shift linkage, gear changes will no longer be possible and the transmission will remain in the last gear selected.
If shift cable detachment occurs and the transmission remains in any forward gear, the vehicle can still be driven in that gear only. However, if the transmission moves into neutral and remains there, the ability to accelerate or maintain speed will be lost, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the shift cable and, if necessary, install a retaining clip over the end of the shift cable to prevent it from detaching from the transmission. Owner notification is expected to begin August 15, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact BMW at 1-866-ASK-MINI (1-866-275-6464).
By the way, saw my first MINI that was actually out on the road. Silver with black roof. Great looking car. Oklahoma City finally gets its first official MINI dealer @January of 2003. 'Bout time!
I am sure the car is terrific in many other aspects but the interior is really Dodge Neon grade all the way. The ergomonics are a different matter all together.
Still, the Focus recall history and low resale value are its main deterrents amid very good competitors in its class. The irony of it all is that Ford did both good and bad to the Focus, by creating a world class small car and by at the same time destroying its quality reputation in NA at the same time.
To tie back into the MINI. I really dig the exterior and interior styling. Still see a few of the original Mini's running around town.
Really If I could let go of the extra doors, it would have been between a Golf GTi, Mini Cooper S, and a SVT Focus.
Also, all of this would be dependent on what price I could actually get a MINI out the door for. Seems like the actual selling prices are all over the map for some people.
I'd be interested in some opinions concerning the recommended oil change schedule. Mini's come with synthetic oil from the factory (recommended for regular use), and the first recommended change is at 10,000 miles. Every 15,000 miles thereafter. WTF? I maintain our cars myself, including oil changes (always synthetic), and go 5,000 miles between changes.
Thoughts? Comments? I can't understand such a long schedule. Don't tell me these engines don't create acids, sludge, particulate and dirt over time.
Also, I know you chnage your own oil, but Free Scheduled Maintenance is included with the Mini for the forst 3 years/36,000 miles.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
random thoughts and questions on the following:
status of my mini - my s got built on 8/2 but it still is listed as awaiting transport (seems like dif's car slipped on the boat in front of me). oh well...
roof rack - has anyone seen one? does anyone have one? how much is your dealer charging (it is a dealer installed option).
toggle switches - what is the third switch from the right for? i've never seen it populated.
flag over sunroof - has anyone seen this? i heard it can be done.
oil - is that really included in scheduled maintenance? that sounds too good to be true.
motor on dudes and dudettes :-)
mb
DO CHECK YOUR OIL LEVEL THOUGH! At first my car used/consumed no oil at all but when I checked it before I filled up on gas this morning it was right between MAX and MIN on the stick. They say to add 1L of 100% synthetic when it is right above the MIN line so I'll be checking my oil at every gas filling and perhaps sooner. So while the interval is quite long it seems like I'll definitely need to add a little oil before the first change (at this rate, I'll need to add 1.0L before the first change). In Canada the maintenence is not included for some reason.
Coolant and brake fluid were both between MIN and MAX which is fine (car had only gone a few km before checking and coolant is usually near MIN when still cold).
The always-missing (in north america at least) toggle switch is for rear fog lights which are illegal in USA and Canada but mandatory in the UK and optional or mandatory in other locations. The MINI is a true world car with what appear to be funny features to us on this side of the pond here and there.
Harry
If the Mini proves anywhere near as reliable as that little Subie, I'll be a very happy camper even though driving this winter might require a little more care. To be honest, I didn't notice that much difference in power in the Mini S while driving in the midrange, although it's somewhat slower from a dead stop.
The Mini S has a very tall 1st gear (nearly 44 mph compared to 35 mph with the WRX) and that makes a big difference in the 0-60 perfomance times. Not being an adolescent stoplight racer, I actually preferred the taller 1st gear and despised the 1-2 shift on my former Audi S4, where you'd go through 1st gear in an eye blink and immediately need to shift to 2nd. That's great for 0-60 times, but it's a major pain in the butt for everyday drivability, especially with the very clunky gearbox of the Audi, which was admittedly improved with an aftermarket short shifter. The WRX with the factory STi shifter was much better than the modded S4, but it's not nearly as refined as the stock Mini S gearbox which is exceptionally smooth and precise but with a tad longer throw (no big deal).
What really sold me on the Mini S was the substantial "big car" feel in such a tight handling package, and the power is more than adequate for the way I typically drive (i.e., in the midrange), and the power delivery is very linear, a big plus. There will always be faster cars, but my priorities are balance, refinement, luxury, and overall fun factor. Legroom for rear passengers is way down on my list, so the Mini S might be the ideal second car for me, especially since it has a lot of utility with the back seats folded down.
Another big plus of the Mini S is the possibility of the John Cooper Works upgrade, which is supposed to be available next year as a dealer-installed option with the full factory warranty. It won't be cheap (probably about $4500) but will give you about 200 bhp and more torque, from a ported and polished head, upgraded supercharger, exhaust, and ECM. My impression is that the Mini S can easily handle that extra power with the stock suspension, but I'll wait to see if torque steer becomes a problem, since there is no limited slip differential. I'll probably spring for this kit, but not if that means upsetting the car's wonderful balance and drivability.
I am considering to purchase the Cooper. However, since I live in Montreal and have to deal with its winters, I am a bit worried about the Mini's handling in the snow. Although everyone says it handles extremely well, can it handle snow/ice covered roads and highways ? What about its ground clearance, can that be a problem ? I am aware that the car was released in the spring, but does anyone have any experience with it in the melting snow at least ?
Thanks for your opinion.
Oliver
The minimum ground clearance is 5" with 195/55R16 or 185/65R15 tires. This is a bit lower than your average car with about 6" of clearance but not by much -- you'll have to decide if 1" less is a problem.
I have more experience in rain when the All-season Stability Control + Traction, Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Corner Braking Control and overall car characteristics have shown themselves to be very good in poor weather. With all the electronics it is a very well behaved car even in overly spirited driving. I don't drive fast in bad weather all the time but the help is good for that first corner under poor road conditions where I sometimes forget to be more cautious at first.
It looks like a lot of the aftermarket companies that modify VW's are getting into the MINI performance aftermarket as well.
You are probably looking at close to 300 HP with the $4,500 in upgrades on the S you outline above - larger supercharger etc, etc. I doubt a ported and polished head will be a value add on an S - that upgrade is for a regular MINI.
The JCW kit is supposed to retain full factory warranty and be street legal. With aftermarket mods, you take your chances. Buyer's choice.
re: ground clearance
After some research, I found the Mini has 4.5" and the Mini S has 4.8" which should be enough for reasonable winter driving. My S4 had 3.5" and still did fine over 2 winters in upstate NY although it did have AWD. Still, I think the Mini with FWD and a lot of weight on the front should do fine. It better! It's replacing the WRX wagon as my winter driver.
PS: I agree with rickrover about the benefits of a chip / exhaust on turbo cars. The S4 had those mods and it made a *huge* difference.
Hmm, I gotta go back for another test drive now huh? sheesh...
Panke also said consumers should expect more derivatives from Mini, suggesting a soft-top model is a strong possibility. Panel van-like Clubsport models are also expected.
" Mini as a brand will not and cannot rely on just one body style," he said. We'll do what we have done , for example, within BMW and bring out step-by-step additional models to make it a full brand there."