[Danny_clegg]

Hi guys

The Mrs is looking for a new car and likes the look of the Supercharged version of the Mini Cooper S. Has anyone had one or have any experience with them and know what they are like to live with. Like all cars, a quick google search has turned up a few horror stories, but you can find them on most cars, even the civics on here.

Any Info on common problems and what to look out for when buying would be a massive help

Cheers all




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[civic sonnie]

There's a tread regarding to mini clutch cost between £1100-2500 to fix a few days ago.

 

[CTR Taylor]

make sure you hear it start from cold. heard few have problems with cam chains.

 

[EdTypeR]

They are tough little cars if looked after properly. Most were sold with 50k/5year service packs so look for one that has been looked after above this mileage.

Common problems are power steering pumps failing and weak gearboxes, and lots have been Barried with poorly executed mods. The engines are chain driven and pretty under stressed for the size of car.

Features of the cars are low mpg 25 ish, a hard ride on run flat tyres and lots of ratting trim. The body work can pick up lots of dings as the sides are big and flat.

Plus points are they are one of the most fun cars you'll drive and the supercharger whine is addictive. They respond well to tuning too.

A friend has had an S for 6 years and it has been trouble free. I had a regular Cooper for 7 years from new and did 95k miles. All it needed was tyres and a set of pads and discs over routine servicing. I suffered a cracked coolant tank that was replaced under warranty.

Get over to MINI Cooper Forum if you want to find out more. I still miss mine.

 

[Danny_clegg]

There's a tread regarding to mini clutch cost between £1100-2500 to fix a few days ago.

There's a few that are up for sale which the advert specifically says in the title something along the lines of "cooper s, 2004, new clutch". Kind of makes sense if it's a massive job to do.


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[Danny_clegg]

make sure you hear it start from cold. heard few have problems with cam chains.

Will do, thanks for the advice


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[Danny_clegg]

They are tough little cars if looked after properly. Most were sold with 50k/5year service packs so look for one that has been looked after above this mileage.



Common problems are power steering pumps failing and weak gearboxes, and lots have been Barried with poorly executed mods. The engines are chain driven and pretty under stressed for the size of car.



Features of the cars are low mpg 25 ish, a hard ride on run flat tyres and lots of ratting trim. The body work can pick up lots of dings as the sides are big and flat.



Plus points are they are one of the most fun cars you'll drive and the supercharger whine is addictive. They respond well to tuning too.



A friend has had an S for 6 years and it has been trouble free. I had a regular Cooper for 7 years from new and did 95k miles. All it needed was tyres and a set of pads and discs over routine servicing. I suffered a cracked coolant tank that was replaced under warranty.



Get over to MINI Cooper Forum if you want to find out more. I still miss mine.

That's sound advice, thanks for taking the time to get it down. So I guess I'm looking at spotting the below then?

power steering pumps failing - noisy from lock to lock and whining

weak gearboxes- gearbox crunching and popping out of gear (though I've had an FN2 for 2 years now so crunching my way through gears is just the norm for me now)

poorly executed mods. -Avoid the Barry special induction kit

The engines are chain driven and pretty under stressed for the size of car. -Rattling chains that are about to snap and take other bits with them when they explode


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[EdTypeR]

That's sound advice, thanks for taking the time to get it down. So I guess I'm looking at spotting the below then?

power steering pumps failing - noisy from lock to lock and whining

weak gearboxes- gearbox crunching and popping out of gear (though I've had an FN2 for 2 years now so crunching my way through gears is just the norm for me now)

poorly executed mods. -Avoid the Barry special induction kit

The engines are chain driven and pretty under stressed for the size of car. -Rattling chains that are about to snap and take other bits with them when they explode


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The power steering whines, it's not an indication of imminent failure, they just seem to be noisy as standard. Our cat used to prick up it's ears when it heard the car park up outside. Every one I have seen has noisy steering.

The spec can also be a bit bewildering as there are so many options. Look for a car with the popular Chilli pack which has 17" wheels Xenon's and half leather. It makes it a nightmare to work out what each car is worth as you are never comparing like for like.

If I was buying one I'd look for a 2006 Cooper S Checkmate run out edition, just before the 2nd generation model came out. It's easier to compare the different cars if they are all the same spec.

There was also a mild face lift in July 2004 with revised dash design which rattles less, different bumpers and a slightly more powerful engine. Build date is on the suspension turret under the bonnet. They seem to be built better than the 2000-2004 versions as BMW made some tweeks to the original Rover inherited design.

 

[AREA51]

Owned one for 12 years before the CTR. Had all the problems you can think of. I would get a late as possible one 06 if you can with the best spec, heated leather, xenons etc. Checkmate sounds the best bet as mentioned. I would only buy from MINI as they only buy back ones that have been serviced and look after. Clutch is expensive as dual mass and also power steering pump if that goes. Engines bulletproof if looked after and would avoid any modified unless receipts and history. Get rid of the runflats as they are expensive to replace and are horrible on the road. They do have a load of problems but mine was pretty reliable.