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Comments
I am not an aggressive driver, but I do live in the city SF, with the traffic and hills. I drove around 15k miles per year. Now I have 22K in my car after a year and a half owing my car.
I have a questions regarding the inspection I & II, which says that Mini dealership will replace the brake pad (not the dics though) if needed, and they did not replace it during my inspection I, so now I am in between the next interval, and my friend think my pad is getting thin now. I am wondering do I need to pay for replacing the pad now? Since it is a safety issue, I will do it no matter what, just want to make sure my dealer did not rid me off.
Thanks
The dealer was going to replace them with a different brand(can't remember which), but I declined as I did not want the run flats any longer. The base Cooper has a mini spare mounted underneath the trunk.
I went to Fuzion tires for my replacements. I put on 205-55-16
tires as it is hard to find the 195-55-16 size.
These tires were recommended by an independent mechanic that I TRUST. They are excellent tires and are very inexpensive. I ordered mine thru Tire Rack. Go to Tirerack.com and you can find all the info you will need.
I just had my first brake work done on my '03 Mini by a local mechanic - no issues. I know that is was a LOT cheaper than the dealer wanted for it.
I don't know where u live but I bet so calif is more, but who knows
Also does the Cooper S have a place for a spare tire if I decide to use GFT tires? I don't mean does it come with it, but is their a place to put one like in the base cooper. I can't just run down to the dealer until I get back to the US in a few months.
Also how bad is the rear seat to sit in, very bad, tolerable or torture for a small sized adult?
Thanks
The back seat would be just fine for 2 hour trips and I'm 6'2" 225lbs. (if there is a smaller person sitting in front of me. This is key) For a small adult I think it wouldn't be an issue but naturally don't take my word on it go and test drive. The only trouble you would run into is if you had 2 large adults in the front seat. Then the back seat would be a tight cramped space almost unable to accomodate anyone but a child.
I recall during my test drive that once I had adjusted the drivers seat to my comfort there was only some 4-5" space between the back of the drivers seat and the rear seat. Not much room for adult legs. It's a small car.
-groove
Thanks, I'm a fair bit shorter than you are and my wife is only 4'11" tall and I think it would be ok but we would have to test one first. The only thing is the 2 hour ride to the dealership for service and if they had to keep it overnight that would mean renting a car since I doubt they'd provide a rental.
So I'm still wondering what people do who live far from the dealership? :confuse:
Thanks
Thanks, we will have to give one a try and see how it is. But our major concern is servicing the car, can a BMW dealer service it instead of a Mini dealership? The ride is so long to buy AND service it.
I've read a similar thread on buying GFT tires and putting the RFT's in the garage and when you sell the car put them back on.
Only problem is I travel in areas where a cell is pretty unlikely to work and in some remote areas and really want a spare tire.
I still have no idea what to do about the lack of a nearby dealer and that could be a deal breaker for us on the Mini.
I think GFT's are the way to go tho.
Thanks...
The first person I saw use it was shipo so perhaps he invented it. :shades:
Sounds like more of an urge-I-gotta-have-this-car to me.
Sounds like more of an urge-I-gotta-have-this-car to me.
I think wongkid was the guy who replied to me about the tires. As far as distance i am trying to find a work around if possible. and it's about 200 miles not 250 and my wife and I both like th Mini but I do not know if BMW will service the car which is why I asked in here.
Mini has a very limited amount of dealerships as it is and that makes buying one difficult.
There is no gotta have it urge and I don't see why you would make a comment like that? :confuse:
We simply like care with a dealership that is not nearby and are asking what people do who buy Mini's, what they do if they do not have a dealer nearby them.
I can always buy a BMW but i'd prefer a smaller car.
Wait for the 1 series.
Wait for the 1 series.
Yeah, most likely what we will do. My wife likes the look and fuel economy of the Mini but driving 2 hours each way not including service time is a deal killer. The Mini is $10K less but you get a lot of BMW for $35K roughly in the 1 series.
I guess the Mini is only buyable if you live close to a dealer.
Thanks for your help.
-Groove
none taken, I should have used smiley faces and I was just a wee bit tired at the time.
I'm a bit unhappy about Mini not having a dealership in New Hampshire but them's the breaks and you're right. Although I doubt it's 200 miles it's 2 hours because of traffic probably 70 or so miles each way anyway tho.
A big repair would men a rental for a long time and distance to tow it to the dealership probably wouldn't be worth it.
I appreciate your thoughts on the matter
My local Mini dealer has a program where they will come and pick up your car for service and warranty work, and they would travel up to 200 miles (or something like that). I think that they said it was $400 for the 3 years corresponding to the 3 years covered maintenance. Might be worth asking about...
My local Mini dealer has a program where they will come and pick up your car for service and warranty work, and they would travel up to 200 miles (or something like that). I think that they said it was $400 for the 3 years corresponding to the 3 years covered maintenance. Might be worth asking about...
Thanks, I will check that out for certain when I get back to the US. The only thing is it will make the Mini a second car and not a primary one. but it's a very good suggestion. I will mention it to my wife and see what she thinks as we had pulled the Mini off our list.
We will need two cars so it will depend on what i buy. But a great suggestion.
Thanks!
Hi, I'm 12,000 miles away from where used to live so it's not all that easy to call up a dealer. In fact it's tough to reach the US from here period. We don't have a landline where I live because they don't have enough service at the pole so after 18 months still no phone. We mainly use cell phones like everyone else. To make International calls we can drive downtown and call from a place that is open 24/7. But it's expensive and not very practical.
You can't dial 800#'s either.
The dealership does handle the various surrounding States at least according to their website.
The 1 series is a viable option because it's got enough size (i think) it looks bigger than the Mini but it's so heavy almost the weight or a 3 series!
200 lbs. less.
But the engine has been out now for almost a year and the 1 series is mostly a hatch over here and elsewhere but no hope of getting a hatch. Top Gear did a segment on the 1 series and they picked a VW Golf R32 over it, or some type of VW Golf. They weren't big on the lack of rear seat legroom but Clarkson is a big guy and like 6'4" tall. So for him most cars are small. The extra $10K is a LOT of ca$h to pay out tho.
We will check with Mini and email them and see if any dealers are being added. i think they have an email.
Any model we get will end up being a 1st year model unless we buy a Honda Fit.
So we know we will have that to contend with.
thanks.
Even before the introductory article went "live", we suffered a nail puncture and slow leak in one of our Dunlop RFTs. The TPMS system did its job, so we never had the thing go fully flat, but problems with supply and high cost are described in this blog post.
Twitter: @Edmunds_Test
I read the article when it first came out and was really impressed that the issue was addressed and not glossed over. I think that I would swap out the RFT's with GFT's (Go Flat Tires) and use a kit to pump up teh tire if it goes flat, although a donut spare would be ideal.
The problem with RFT's is that if you get a flat at 2am on a Saturday night in the boonies, you are screwed. Also even worse if you have to wait 2-3 days to get a replacement. I'd probably just buy an additional rim and keep a tire on it at my house for an emergency. Of course it depends where you are at the time when it goes flat.
I really want BMW to give the option of a spare and GFT's or RFT's instead of forcing a new car buyer to jump through hoops to buy tires that won't be problematic and the people who say well how many flats do you get anyway? Well it depends if there are new houses being built in your area as well as road construction and what is open past 10pm at night?
I think it will be a great blog to see how teh new Mini does,since my wife likes the car but how do people who live far from a dealer get servicing and maintainance?
Must be great if you have a dealer within 20 minutes but for me it would be 120 minutes if there is any traffic.
Would that cause many people to not buy a Mini?
But can you not drive for a period of time on a flat RFT, as long as you don't exceed a certain speed limit?
Yes I think it's something like 50 miles which depending on where you live might or might not get you home. Most of the places I would go at night do not have 24/7 service stations and AAA is a very long wait, providing you have a cell phone or can get to a pay phone. If you live in the City or have a lot of places open all night you are ok, but I've been to many places where you WILL get screwed if you get a flat in any kind of tire. The Mini is such a nice car and we'd really like to consider one more than we are and the price is right, but that one time you are stranded for all night on the side of the road will put you off to RFT's. Also after the tire goes so far it basically gives up the ghost from what I understand. So after so many miles you could end up on the rim.
I'm thinking that mini should have left the room for the spare in there and offered it as an option but BMW isn't doing that anymore and the new BMW engines don't even have an oil dipstick so you have to rely on the computer!
I need to figure out what my options really are if I am to buy a Mini but chances are with all I am hearing and the dealer being 2 hours away, it's probably not the right car for me. :sick:
Really?? Which models/engines are those?
Really?? Which models/engines are those?
The new 335i for certain and I think even the 328i as well. It's been discussed quite a lot on the BMW forums. many people are not happy that the only way to check the oil is for the dealer to drain the oil and measure it! :surprise:
For me that's a bit much. But it's a common topic. I think the Mini still has a dipstick and all that, but BMW is moving away from any type of maintainance you can do yourself. I mean no dipstick in a $30K+ car? :mad:
That combined with RFT's is making me shy away from BMW and if they keep having problems it will eat into their sales. The new JD Powers 2007 survey results came out and BMW has really dropped.
I'm just hoping I can find a way to make a Mini work for me in my situation but it's not looking good at the moment.
It's hardly rocket science tho. You park on level ground and shut the car off and wait a few moments and then you pull the dipstick out, wipe it off, reinsert it and then pull it out and look at it. There is a line it will either be at, above or below it.
Quite simple really.
Far too many people rely on gadgets which can malfunction and when they do and it's a big repair the factory is going to try and weasel out of fixing it.
I'm in favor of making all drivers being required to actually learn how to drive before they can get a license including them changing a tire, putting in their own fuel and checking their own oil and water level with no gadgets. Oh and checking tire pressure as well.
Plus they would have to pass real driving tests in order to pass, not just a 3 point turn and parallel park. I'd also make learning a manual transmission a requirement.
I know this could never happen but I would do it if it were possible. Too many young drivers have no clue how to drive a car they just use it as though they lived inside a giant speaker box. When they push it they stuff it into a tree.
But to stay on topic The Mini doesn't do anything but have RFT's at this time so it's good.
Quite simple really."
True enough. But, let's say, hypothetically, you also have to go thru a similar procedure to see how much gas you have left in the tank, would you feel the same way?
Well for starters you use Gas up, Oil in general should not be used up. Yes a little bit burns up sometimes on some cars, but it's not a constantly refillable aspect of your car and If you fill up you car with too much ga$, then you will just pay more. If you put too much oil in your car you will damage the seals and gaskets and have real problems. So hypothetically it's not comparable.
Oh and in case you want to hypothetically make it the differential fluid or the tranny fluid then. The rear diff has a plug, take it out and insert your finger. No oil, problem! overfill it and it will pour on the ground. The tranny fluid has a dipstick and probably always will, but is less likely to have problems than engine oil.
So arguing for a completely computerized car it should be one that requires zero lubrication. Maybe sealed electric motors or something. although those would take a beating in the snowbelt.
BMW has already had problems with oil issues and they are well documented in that forum.
Mini has other issues but at least it still has all the bits that matter.
Funny thing tho that no one rallys the new Mini and yet the original Mini was a real champ at Rally's. I wonder why that is?
Because everyone is still rallying the old MINI? The new MINI doesn't offer a significant power advantage but is less visceral than the old MINI.
Could be except parts are a nightmare to get and the old mini's are plagued by electrical gremlins. I even hear the original mini owners making mini jokes about their cars. They sure love them tho.
I still wonder if the New Mini would be good to Rally tho?
I would think so, since the New MINI hasn't really strayed too far from the old blueprint.
I spoke with the RallyX people and read up on the results, no one is using a Mini except for AutoX.
Tons of Subaru's tho.
They divide it into classes like FWD, RWD etc...
So you aren't going to put up your FWD anything versus a tricked out EVO Rally car.
The Mini just isn't rallied any more.
That's ok tho. I was just curious.
Thanks
The limiting factor in rally is traction but I think a MINI would do well in the old group 3 SCCA rally class. With the collapse of the SCCA rally though I don't know all the rules and regulations anymore.
Keep in mind that Dodge dominated the old group 3 class with the FWD only SRT-4 Neons.
I have thought about campaigning a stripped Cooper S with the quafie in the FWD rally class. Its gotta be a stripped model though to reduce weight a minimum and sealing up that enormous panoramic sunroof would be a PITA.