15 replies to this topic

[Kieranlee999]

Im having a midlife crisis at the age of 23 and im wanting to buy a bini for my daily drive. There are two ive driven the Mini Seven and fallen in love but yet to try the Orange cooper s. No matter what im going to need a loan what do you guys think i should do? 

https://approvedused...201811142416419

 

 

https://approvedused...201901113857389

 

 

HELP!?!?!? 

[Minigman]

My experience with BINIS is don’t bother. I had a Cooper S on a ‘08 reg and it drank more oil than petrol. My wife bought a R53 cooper on 53 plate from new and it never missed a beat until she wrote it off last winter. She replaced it with a ‘64 plate cooper and it’s crap by comparison. Buy yourself an early supercharged S if you really have to have a BINI. Personally I’d buy something Japanese for a daily.

[mab01uk]

The current generation of MINI is the F56 (Mk3) and is the first 'all BMW' designed MINI platform with BMW engines and makes a great daily driver if you want a new or recent model. Check the forum below for further advice:-

https://www.minif56.com/

 

The first generation Mk1 MINI (R50 & R53) were mainly designed and developed by Rover with a robust Chrysler Tritec engine plus weak Rover or strong Getrag gearboxes and while they have a few well known weak points, most are easy to fix and they are great fun to drive and early models are fast becoming future classics, especially the supercharged R53 Cooper S.

 

The second generation Mk2 MINI (R56) had a Peugeot shared engine which can have timing chain problems and is probably best avoided.....

Edited by mab01uk, 03 February 2019 - 11:16 PM.

[the.stroker]

The current generation of MINI is the F56 (Mk3) and is the first all BMW designed platform with BMW engines and makes a great daily driver if you want a new or recent model. Check the forum below for further advice:-
https://www.minif56.com/

The first generation Mk1 MINI (R50 & R53) are mainly Rover designed with a Chrysler Tritec engine plus Rover or Getrag gearboxes and while they have a few well known weak points they are great fun to drive and early models are becoming future classics, especially the supercharged R53 Cooper S.

The second generation Mk2 MINI (R56) MINI has a Peugeot shared engine which can have problems and is probably best avoided.....

I have a 2012 JCW as a daily and it’s utter garbage.....
Probably the worst car I’ve ever owned. The fact BMW are fully aware Of all the known problems and horror stories just makes it worse.
In no particular order, just in the last year it’s had multiple thermostat housing replacements, the well documented death rattle from the engine plus sticking valves in the head. It spends more time in the garage for fault rectification than it does on the road. By no means an isolated incident either ......

[humph]

A minor correction to Mab01uk's post above. The 2nd gen MINI had a Peugeot shared engine up until the 2010 facelift when most models went to BMW engines. Need to educate on the engine codes if you're worrried. I wouldn't say avoid the PSA engine though, in theory the fix was a modified tensioner and most should have had this fixed by MINI years ago. That said one of my Cooper S Clubmen had two replacements all in. There was a coking issue on cars that didn't do much mileage, or did mainly short journeys. I never had this either as my cars usually drove to the moon and back every year.

 

Have owned many MINIS, R50, R53, R56, R55, R60 and loved them all. Never owned an F56 for vaious reasons. For me the Seven is the better specced model of the two listed, for me MINIs are all about spec as low spec ones tend to look just that.

 

Bought an early 140k mile R50 JCW Cooper (pre Cooper S) 18 months ago as a non runner for buttons, £50 + MOT later and she's been a scream to drive since.

Edited by humph, 03 February 2019 - 11:34 PM.

[Curley]

Don't listen to the naysayers. Truth is all cars have issues and the MINI is no better or worse than the others. I've had an R55 Clubvan from new, drive it everyday and in 50K miles it's never missed a beet. I had the R53 GP and now have the R56 GP2 from new, which I do not drive that often & both are as much fun to drive as any Mini I've owned.

 

If it was my money I'd buy the Blue one.They both have the same engine. They're both Cooper S but the blue on has more options and is a higher spec.

 

[Kieranlee999]

I've got a friend with a Cooper D and hers hasn't gone wrong :) i really like the blue one as its a special edition similar to my classic but going to look at the orange one on Tuesday to see if i like it as much as the blue one :) 

 

Don't listen to the naysayers. Truth is all cars have issues and the MINI is no better or worse than the others. I've had an R55 Clubvan from new, drive it everyday and in 50K miles it's never missed a beet. I had the R53 GP and now have the R56 GP2 from new, which I do not drive that often & both are as much fun to drive as any Mini I've owned.

 

If it was my money I'd buy the Blue one.They both have the same engine. They're both Cooper S but the blue on has more options and is a higher spec.

 

[A-Cell]

Neither. For a daily ...
Go test drive a Honda Jazz .
https://www.autocar....view/honda/jazz
Reliability top
https://www.whatcar....3/buying-owning
"In the world of small cars, there is nothing more reliable than the Honda Jazz – it topped the category in our latest reliability survey"

[Kieranlee999]

I really want a Bini just because for whatever reason the classic breaks i can still take part in shows around Sheffield there seems to be a big Bini scene as well :) I think im leaning towards the blue one but still going to look at the orange one :) 

[sonikk4]

You hear horror stories about some of the cars. One of our Technicians has a Mini 1.6 Diesel and that just straight up seized. no death rattle no warning. Her boyfriend had to fight with BMW to get the engine replaced under warranty. They even at one point said it would be too expensive to replace the engine and were going to write the car off.

 

Common sense won in the end and they replaced the engine.

 

My mate Paul (he owns the Red One in my signature) had a 54 plate JCW. That was his daily and apart from being bloody small inside for three adults lift sharing it never missed a beat. It ate front wheel bearings but other than that went well. He then went and bought a 1st gen GP. Nice car and so far so good.

 

So you can take everything thats been said onboard and make your own mind up.

 

Service history and warranty though is everything, no warranty walk away. 

[Icey]

I drive an R55 Cooper as a daily. It's had a few problems (failed sensors) that were mainly due to doing very short runs by the previous owner. My wife has an R50 which has the original 'fragile' gearbox that's now done 117k miles.

 

They have problems, I don't think they are as robust as some Japanese marques but they are on-par with most other Euro boxes.

 

We've just got an R56 Cooper S for £700 as a complete gamble as it's a non-runner. Funnily enough, pulled the cam cover off at the weekend and the top chain pensioner has broken up and thrown the timing out. We'll put some new tensions in and and see how it goes (it's helpful that my wife works for a company that breaks MINIs so no shortage of parts).

 

In general they are pretty good cars. They drive nicely (run-flat tyres are garbage), are somewhat easy to work on and parts are cheap(ish) and plentiful.

[Curley]

 

The second generation Mk2 MINI (R56) had a Peugeot shared engine which can have timing chain problems and is probably best avoided.....

 

You're referring to the early R56 with the N14 engine. This was fixed in the later, mostly LCI cars with the N18 engine.

 

 

Neither. For a daily ...
Go test drive a Honda Jazz .
https://www.autocar....view/honda/jazz
Reliability top
https://www.whatcar....3/buying-owning
"In the world of small cars, there is nothing more reliable than the Honda Jazz – it topped the category in our latest reliability survey"

 

 

Honda Jizz more like - LOL

Edited by Curley, 03 February 2019 - 11:29 PM.

[SuperDeLuxeNick]

I have an Abarth 595...

 

Better than a Bini in everyday and less common!!

 

Consider one :)

[nicklouse]

Suzuki Swift Sport Z31 more Mini that a BINI

[Icey]

I have an Abarth 595...

 

Better than a Bini in everyday and less common!!

 

Consider one :)

 

I had one from new. Handed it back to the dealer early.

 

Great car but they have their own problems too. Mine and a couple of others I know had to go back under warranty to have the whole rear break setup replaced as it seized up.

 

If anyone is in this market I'd agree that they should consider the Abarth, but I wouldn't go so far as to say they are any better than the BMW.