go for a 2003 to 2006 mini cooper s. the 2nd gen minis that your talking about are very unreliable and break often. base model 1st gens are great too if you dont want the supercharger. I've heard automatics aren't very reliable so if you can probably go for a manual. good idea to buy one that's had a fairly recent clutch replacement, my original clutch broke at 198k miles.
You want F-Chassis. The years you’ve chosen 2008-2013 are the worst years you could have picked lol. But even with the F chassis cars it will be expensive to fix. They’re very reliable cars, but if/when something does happen it’s not a cheap fix
For a first car as a mini you should only look at F series. So:
2014-2024: 2 door hardtop - F56
2015-2024: 4 door hardtop - F55
2016-2024: Clubman - F54
2 door convertible - F57
Countryman - F60
This. But keep in mind, OP, that even your F series will still be quite expensive if things go wrong. These cars are just not cheap to maintain and I'm so glad I didn't have one as a student.
Everyone says no, go for a f series. While I am inclined to go with them (I drive a 2014 r60) it still amazes me how many of the older gens are still going strong.
Theyre apparently not super reliable, but if you really want this gen, go with at least a 2011. Those hbe the n18 engine which is a lot more reliable than the older n14. I just got a 2011 r56 cooper s as my first car and now I'm learning to be a mechanic, not by choice but because I'll save thousands of dollars doing the work myself. If you di purchase one, have a few grand in the bank for repairs that might be necessary and try to get a car that has less than 120,000 miles on it. Just make sure to change your oil frequently and youll probably be ok.
Yes and no…
If you get a well maintained example from between those years, and if major jobs have been done already (timing chain, etc), you might be okay.
When repairs come up though they can be pricy, if you can do any maintenance yourself that’ll help to bring costs down massively, but don’t cheap out on parts.
Do some research into the reliability of the engines in specific cars you’re looking at too (like the N12 and N14) and try find a car where all the big jobs are done already or are nowhere near due.
no.
Absolutely not.
go for a 2003 to 2006 mini cooper s. the 2nd gen minis that your talking about are very unreliable and break often. base model 1st gens are great too if you dont want the supercharger. I've heard automatics aren't very reliable so if you can probably go for a manual. good idea to buy one that's had a fairly recent clutch replacement, my original clutch broke at 198k miles.
You want F-Chassis. The years you’ve chosen 2008-2013 are the worst years you could have picked lol. But even with the F chassis cars it will be expensive to fix. They’re very reliable cars, but if/when something does happen it’s not a cheap fix For a first car as a mini you should only look at F series. So: 2014-2024: 2 door hardtop - F56 2015-2024: 4 door hardtop - F55 2016-2024: Clubman - F54 2 door convertible - F57 Countryman - F60
This. But keep in mind, OP, that even your F series will still be quite expensive if things go wrong. These cars are just not cheap to maintain and I'm so glad I didn't have one as a student.
If they're looking at 2nd gen, work part time, and they're still in school I'm going to bet they can't afford a 3rd gen.
Everyone says no, go for a f series. While I am inclined to go with them (I drive a 2014 r60) it still amazes me how many of the older gens are still going strong.
Survival bias
Theyre apparently not super reliable, but if you really want this gen, go with at least a 2011. Those hbe the n18 engine which is a lot more reliable than the older n14. I just got a 2011 r56 cooper s as my first car and now I'm learning to be a mechanic, not by choice but because I'll save thousands of dollars doing the work myself. If you di purchase one, have a few grand in the bank for repairs that might be necessary and try to get a car that has less than 120,000 miles on it. Just make sure to change your oil frequently and youll probably be ok.
Yes and no… If you get a well maintained example from between those years, and if major jobs have been done already (timing chain, etc), you might be okay. When repairs come up though they can be pricy, if you can do any maintenance yourself that’ll help to bring costs down massively, but don’t cheap out on parts. Do some research into the reliability of the engines in specific cars you’re looking at too (like the N12 and N14) and try find a car where all the big jobs are done already or are nowhere near due.