a friend of mine is looking to get a mini.. i think they're nice cars but
don't know much about reliability... anyone know a good mini forum?
pros? cons?

 

From what I've heard, they are rated among the most unreliable cars, which is bad for a relatively sparsely equipped car, but are definitely fun little cars to drive.

 

arent they made by bmw now? that should say something about the reliability

 

Reliability per Consumer Reports and J.D. Power has been consistantly below average ( like BMW's.....the Mini Cooper is a BMW product )

PROS: Go-kart handling, particularly in the Cooper S and John Works versions. Good power-to-weight ratio, again especially in the S and J.W. versions. Front-drive good for wet and snow traction. Interesting paint and trim options and color combinations, especially for the roof. Ultra-small size very easy to park in tight quarters. Big, ball-shapd shifter easy to grasp. Can be serviced or repaired at select BMW dealers. Base versions are inexpensive. Hatchback style aids utility. Extremely good space efficiency inside...up to 4 adults fit with no problem. Excellent car for rallies or sportcrossing.

CONS: Very stiff ride, again especially in the S and John Works versions. Not a car for ride comfort or sore backs. Waiting lists and limited production mean price markups. Large, traditional, but odd center-mounted speedometer takes getting used to. Tachometer bolted on steering column looks cheap. Not the best car for crash protection but not bad for its size. Cooper S and J.W. versions a little pricey for this size car...even without dealer markups. BMW dealers can be arrogant. Noisy ride, with engine and road noise.

 

 

I think there is a forum called mini2.com or something similar.

 

I would never buy a sardine-can car considering the amount of SUVs and idiotic drivers out there. I guess in NY (I'm assuming your friend is also in NY from your avatar) it would be ok for the traffic jams and tight spaces. Ooops, I guess you're asking about reliability-newer BMW= , maybe except for the 3's.

 

Many people dont know how much potential those lil cars have...

 

The supercharged ones are pretty rapid.
Drives like a big go cart.

 

my friends a girl so to her it's a cute car..
personally.. i think it's good for a girl ..
she just wants the base one.. more for looks.. not performance..
question is reliabilty.. i would hate for her car to spend more time
at the dealership than driving it around.. especially since she has
a reliable altima now..

 

My father had an original Mini...He likes the new one but he won't be leaving Lexus anytime soon.

I love the new Mini. I think it is a great car. As stated, it needs to work out the kinks though.

 

The original minis are about 4871204971309 times cooler than the new ones, so your father had good taste in cars!

-Ethan

 

The mini cooper does has some quirks but it's improved a bit since the survey since 2002. It's like most BMWs, not so reliable the first year. Owners have reported it to be much better now. In fact, some have traded 2002 for 2004. The waiting list in California is quite long and the inventory very very low. I've read that the average inventory for Minis is 3.4 days.

As far as drivibility, it's solid and stiff, and very fun to drive. How do I know? Because we got one last week. One suggestion I do have is that if you don't have a high performance car don't try to follow one in the twisties because you could find yourself in another lane or wose, oncoming traffic. I've looked in the mirror a couple of times and people tailgating me find themselves in the next lane over while I am just cruising through the turns.

When I wrote that our GS was loud compared to a LS I had no idea how quiet it is compared to the cooper.

 

i love it, Italian Job!

 

What's Italian about it? It is a joint contemporary British-German product based on a 45-year old British design....and adapted to American safety and emissions standards.