BMW's Mini brand has been hugely succesful since it was released in 2002 in the United States. They were cute, little, lightweight, and could be suprisingly powerful for a not so powerful price. I myself have owned 3 Mini's so far, but my current and longest lived is my 2008 Cooper S.
In 2007, Bmw redesigned the Mini from the chassis up, giving it more power and better safety ratings. Purists will say the car is not so 'mini' any more, as it grew a few inches and pounds in the process, but the car is still half the size of a Ford Crown Victoria.
The Good
I'll start with the biggest change from the old car, the engine. The 1.6L DOHC engine designed by the french company Peugeot is rated at 120 horsepower in the Cooper, and a turbocharger made by Borg-Warner added on the Cooper "S" models boosts it up to a burly 172 horsepower. Compared to the old 1.6 that was made by Chrysler and wedged into the 2002-2006 Coupes and 2005-2008 Convertibles, the all aluminum Peugeot motor is more advanced and generally more reliable. The engine was rated best in it's class in 2008. The turbo kicks in below 2,000 rpm, making the Mini seem much faster then its 6.1 second 0-60 time says, and the exhaust note under boost gives me chills I never thought I could get from a 4-banger.
The 6-speed manual transmission gives the car a very sporty feel in either the standard or the S, and the gas mileage is pretty phenomenal due to the extra gears - anywhere from 27 to 31 in the city for the S and 30-35 for the Coopers in my experience.
The total rework included the interior as well. The speedometer grew a couple inches and swallowed the radio, and the dash was reconfigured to incorporate another small hidden glove box. They also made the interior color choices anything under the sun basically. The seats are very comfortable, and you can get either cloth, vinyl, cloth/leather, or 2 different kinds of leather to sit on.
The new suspension is tight and stiff, and gets even better when the sport package struts, springs, and swaybars are added. This is the only car I have taken a 90 degree turn at 60 mph that I have felt totally confident in.
The issues
Every new car is going to have some bugs to work out right? Well Mini made sure to hold up to that promise. 1,500 miles in, I started getting a pretty severe rattle coming from the engine compartment whenever under boost. I took it in, and 3 days later was told there was a faulty wastegate. Here we go.
My windows developed the venerable 2008 Mini trait of hitting the top on the auto up function and then rolling back down half way. It took 3 attempts to get them up every time. Another 3 times into the shop seems to have fixed it. Till yesterday. I walked outside and my windows and sunroof had mysteriously opened from me pressing the lock button. Whoever said British cars have more wiring problems was definitely right.
At 12,000 miles, my clutch started honking like a pissed off goose whenever it was released in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. So another week at the MINI dealer beholded a new clutch assembly which is all shiny and stuff. The problem is, the flywheel was faulty too and was not replaced at that time, so there is a chattering every takeoff from 1st. That issue has not been fixed.
My sunroof won't open at all at any temperature over 40 degrees, which pretty much defies the point of having the $1,000 option.
If you were to put anything but Premium Chevron petrol with a dash of fairy dust in the car, the check engine light will come on and make you pay a $100 diagnosis fee to get it off.
The runflat tires are great when you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, but are stiff, noisy, uber expensive (averages $250 per tire), and they wear out in about 15,000 miles.
If you get a coolant leak in your car, plan on leaving it for at least 3 or 4 days due to the water pump being a bitch to get out. It also makes a delightful whirring noise (like a cat set on fire) occasionally.
The engine is so tall (around 2 feet) that the trip the oil has to take from the oil pan to the springs allows for most "S" cars to start like diesel engine when starting up. The first time my car did it I nearly wet myself. Think of a crappy Dodge truck that is a couple quarts low on oil.
The Verdict
All in all, the car was great for the 14 months I owned it. Good power, great mileage, and phenomenal handling. The difference between that and the 2006 "S" I had was that it doesn't feel as nimble anymore, and I liked the supercharger of the old car far more. I like power now, not in a few seconds. The '06 never gave me one problem, the '08 was in the shop 9 times when I had it, and since has been back twice. If you are in the market, look into a low mileage 2002-2006 first. You will get a better car for a fraction of the price (the '08 was over $400 a month - yikes!) that you will love forever. These cars are not for the faint of heart though. Plan on spending anywhere from $200 too $1,500 for repairs on the car when they are needed. Since the 2006 got crunched by some dumbass in a F250, I regret not finding another one instead of buying a new mustang, then a new Mini 6 months later. Find yourself a 2006 "S" hardtop with a six speed and hit the bendy roads. You will not be dissapointed.
If you were to put anything but Premium Chevron petrol with a dash of fairy dust in the car, the check engine light will come on and make you pay a $100 diagnosis fee to get it off.
The runflat tires are great when you get a flat in the middle of nowhere, but are stiff, noisy, uber expensive (averages $250 per tire), and they wear out in about 15,000 miles.
If you get a coolant leak in your car, plan on leaving it for at least 3 or 4 days due to the water pump being a bitch to get out. It also makes a delightful whirring noise (like a cat set on fire) occasionally.
The engine is so tall (around 2 feet) that the trip the oil has to take from the oil pan to the springs allows for most "S" cars to start like diesel engine when starting up. The first time my car did it I nearly wet myself. Think of a crappy Dodge truck that is a couple quarts low on oil.
The Verdict
All in all, the car was great for the 14 months I owned it. Good power, great mileage, and phenomenal handling. The difference between that and the 2006 "S" I had was that it doesn't feel as nimble anymore, and I liked the supercharger of the old car far more. I like power now, not in a few seconds. The '06 never gave me one problem, the '08 was in the shop 9 times when I had it, and since has been back twice. If you are in the market, look into a low mileage 2002-2006 first. You will get a better car for a fraction of the price (the '08 was over $400 a month - yikes!) that you will love forever. These cars are not for the faint of heart though. Plan on spending anywhere from $200 too $1,500 for repairs on the car when they are needed. Since the 2006 got crunched by some dumbass in a F250, I regret not finding another one instead of buying a new mustang, then a new Mini 6 months later. Find yourself a 2006 "S" hardtop with a six speed and hit the bendy roads. You will not be dissapointed.
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