Mini cooper SD convertible - any experience?

ancient_mariner

ancient_mariner

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We're looking at replacing the wife's 11 YO beetle convertible with a mini equivalent, probably 3-4 years old. The SD is unfamiliar, and I wondered if anyone had good or bad experiences with them - things to avoid and warning signs of impending doom especially appreciated, but also good experiences are helpful too.

:woot:
 
Beware about buying a mini - I have one. Lovely to drive but absurdly expensive in terns of the services, parts replacement etc - something goes wrong every few months on mine and it's a £500+ bill every time.
 
The fiat 500 canvas top might be worth considering too.
 
i remember reading they have a lot of fuel pump problems
 
rjbell said:
The fiat 500 canvas top might be worth considering too.
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We've looked at most of the common convertibles, and the only 2 that really fulfil what we want & need are the new beetle and the mini, but the beetle is just too spendy. One of the slightly odd criteria is that it must be possible to get a wheelchair onto the back seats with the roof down, and that's not possible for my wife with the Fiat, plus a couple of other roll-top designs. We quite liked the EOS (VW, not Canon) but the rear seating space is too low, the Golf cabrio is just a bit boring, etc. And the mini is genuinely great to drive & holds its used value fairly well.

the black fox said:
i remember reading they have a lot of fuel pump problems
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Thanks - need to investigate a bit more.
 
Everything is bothersome with every used car it seems. I've been going round in circles trying to find something decent as well.

Something with a panoramic sunroof perhaps? Increases possibilities with 4 door cars that might be easier to chuck a chair into.
 
nass said:
Beware about buying a mini - I have one. Lovely to drive but absurdly expensive in terns of the services, parts replacement etc - something goes wrong every few months on mine and it's a £500+ bill every time.
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Conversely my 2012 mini has been flawless since I got it over a year ago.
 
ancient_mariner said:
We've looked at most of the common convertibles, and the only 2 that really fulfil what we want & need are the new beetle and the mini, but the beetle is just too spendy. One of the slightly odd criteria is that it must be possible to get a wheelchair onto the back seats with the roof down, and that's not possible for my wife with the Fiat, plus a couple of other roll-top designs. We quite liked the EOS (VW, not Canon) but the rear seating space is too low, the Golf cabrio is just a bit boring, etc. And the mini is genuinely great to drive & holds its used value fairly well.



Thanks - need to investigate a bit more.
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Does the 1 series BMW convertible have the same issue? Always thought it was a nice looking car.

Regarding the spendy studying the reliability index no German car fairs very well. You're are also hit with more expensive repair costs.
 
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srichards said:
Everything is bothersome with every used car it seems. I've been going round in circles trying to find something decent as well.

Something with a panoramic sunroof perhaps? Increases possibilities with 4 door cars that might be easier to chuck a chair into.
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Everything is bothersome, isn't it? :p

The panoramic sunroof/rolltop leaves the sides of the roof in place, requiring that one is strong enough to lift a wheelchair onto and through the roof of the car, rather than just over waist height. And they don't offer that same feeling you get with all the windows down.
 
rjbell said:
Does the 1 series BMW convertible have the same issue? Always thought it was a nice looking car.

Regarding the spendy studying the reliability index no German car fairs very well. You're are also hit with more expensive repair costs.
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We've enjoyed her Beetle since 2008, and experienced the semi-reliability of German cars in that time (Ridgeway Oxford have been good though). My own Mini Countryman has been a little mixed since acquiring it in June last year, though generally good. It's just the price of a 2YO beetle, at around £18500ish that's too much, though I may still revisit them in 3 and 4YO versions.
 
ancient_mariner said:
We've enjoyed her Beetle since 2008, and experienced the semi-reliability of German cars in that time (Ridgeway Oxford have been good though). My own Mini Countryman has been a little mixed since acquiring it in June last year, though generally good. It's just the price of a 2YO beetle, at around £18500ish that's too much, though I may still revisit them in 3 and 4YO versions.
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I was considering a convertible with rear seats myself for when my youngest is old enough to climb in the back and strap themselves in. The options are very limited.
 
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ancient_mariner said:
We're looking at replacing the wife's 11 YO beetle convertible with a mini equivalent, probably 3-4 years old. The SD is unfamiliar, and I wondered if anyone had good or bad experiences with them - things to avoid and warning signs of impending doom especially appreciated, but also good experiences are helpful too.

:woot:
Click to expand...

I had the Mini Cooper S convertible for a weekend, I thought it was a really nice drive, but this was the petrol version, very quick off the mark, comfortable to drive, plenty of space in the seats even for the little'n in her child seat. The boot could only take 2 x hand luggage suit cases, so not big at all, but I guess that's the drawback of a small convertible.
 
dad had a couple of minis a few years back including a convertible.

build quality was pretty poor for a sub-brand of BMW, both of his were always going back for something falling off or rattling. headlights misting up was an issue then too.
 
Thanks guys. In the nicest possible way, I wasn't looking for alternatives but rather direct experience of this particular type.

KitsuneAndy said:
I had the Mini Cooper S convertible for a weekend, I thought it was a really nice drive, but this was the petrol version, very quick off the mark, comfortable to drive, plenty of space in the seats even for the little'n in her child seat. The boot could only take 2 x hand luggage suit cases, so not big at all, but I guess that's the drawback of a small convertible.
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The space available is very similar to the old beetle we're moving on: boot will just hold a couple of cabin bags and the front seats need to be forward in order to fit a passenger behind them (and plenty of headroom) with a similar level of comfort. This is, as you say, a drawback of a small convertible, and a situation we've been quite happy with for the last 8 years.

neil_g said:
dad had a couple of minis a few years back including a convertible.

build quality was pretty poor for a sub-brand of BMW, both of his were always going back for something falling off or rattling. headlights misting up was an issue then too.
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I have mixed feelings about build quality, though that's also true for pretty much every modern car. From all I've read, the MkII version of the mini in general was better designed and built than the first, and my 78K Countryman seems generally good with occasional stupid detail failings. Biggest rankle is that paint quality doesn't seem as high as it should be, and every mini I've looked at 2+ YO has had small bonnet chips. My main concern was that we'd get something that was all stompy power with a voracious apetite for spares and servicing, but reading around a bit more, I don't think it should be a problem.
 
ancient_mariner said:
The space available is very similar to the old beetle we're moving on: boot will just hold a couple of cabin bags and the front seats need to be forward in order to fit a passenger behind them (and plenty of headroom) with a similar level of comfort. This is, as you say, a drawback of a small convertible, and a situation we've been quite happy with for the last 8 years.
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Yeah, if I was the kind of person to have a "weekend car", then I'd have been tempted by one.

My 53 plate diesel ford focus felt a lot slower than it actually is for a couple of weeks after handing the mini back!
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Yeah, if I was the kind of person to have a "weekend car", then I'd have been tempted by one.

My 53 plate diesel ford focus felt a lot slower than it actually is for a couple of weeks after handing the mini back!
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Because we live in a village and both work we need 2 cars, so I have something ractical and my wife has the fun car. If we were restricted to a single vehicle then the balance would be a little different.

The point about feeling slower is a good one too, and because there's so much feedback in a mini it feels like you're going faster than you really are a lot of the time.
 
ancient_mariner said:
Because we live in a village and both work we need 2 cars, so I have something ractical and my wife has the fun car. If we were restricted to a single vehicle then the balance would be a little different.

The point about feeling slower is a good one too, and because there's so much feedback in a mini it feels like you're going faster than you really are a lot of the time.
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Yeah we live 15 minutes walk from the city centre, and my wife works from home, the car doesn't move for most of the week, so there's very little point in us spending any money on a nice one :) Although, one that starts reliably in the cold would be a plus lol
 
srichards said:
Everything is bothersome with every used car it seems. I've been going round in circles trying to find something decent as well.
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I think you should get one like mine, though I'm obviously biased having owned mine for nearly 12 years and still not being bored with it.
 
Well, bit the bullet and ordered the car. I *hope* it's not a pile of trouble just looking for a lap to unravel in, and instead will be pleasant and enjoyable transport for another 7-8 years at least.

Why is it that dealers don't prep cars before they go on the forecourt, requiring the buyer to wait a week + before taking possession? It would have been nice to have this for the Easter weekend, but it won't be ready until mid next week.
 
This close to the end of the month, I'd wait the extra couple of days rather than waste x days of tax. (In fact, I did just that last year, although that was a matter of a day [bought and paid for the car on the 31st March and took delivery on 1st April])
 
Nod said:
This close to the end of the month, I'd wait the extra couple of days rather than waste x days of tax. (In fact, I did just that last year, although that was a matter of a day [bought and paid for the car on the 31st March and took delivery on 1st April])
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That's a good point too: if we're going to pick it up next week then waiting until Friday might be both cost effective and amusing. I've not spoken to the dealer about taxing it, but they might be encouraged to do so, in which case we'll just take it at the first opportunity.
 
onomatopoeia said:
I think you should get one like mine, though I'm obviously biased having owned mine for nearly 12 years and still not being bored with it.
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Still haven't found one with the heated seats and proper complete service history that's anywhere within miles and at a half decent dealer. I have been looking :) Just started irrationally coveting z4s as well. I'm beyond help.
 
srichards said:
Still haven't found one with the heated seats and proper complete service history that's anywhere within miles and at a half decent dealer. I have been looking :) Just started irrationally coveting z4s as well. I'm beyond help.
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Love the Z4 but just couldn't justify the cost. As it is, on a chilly day like today I have heated seats and airscarf to keep me warm.
 
To my wife's disappointment, she's had to swap heated seats for a heated screen (heated seats are pretty rare with minis, though common with beetles) but the self-thawing screen will be appreciated and I'm grateful for thinner wires than found in a Ford screen.
 
srichards said:
Still haven't found one with the heated seats and proper complete service history that's anywhere within miles and at a half decent dealer. I have been looking :) Just started irrationally coveting z4s as well. I'm beyond help.
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Mine was a private sale but was only four years old when I bought it and came with a full main dealer history. It still has a full history, but I take it to an independent. No leather sofas or display of shiny new cars like at the OPC (though they do have an old 911 turbo that's obviously on long term restoration as I see it every time I'm in there), but I can actually talk to the mechanics* and look under the car while it's up on the lift. The OPC wouldn't even let me look in the workshop due to "health and safety" :rolleyes:

Have you tried one yet? The fact I rave about mine doesn't mean you'll get on with one, not everyone does.

*I'm on first name terms with the mechanics nowadays, I'm in there so much with the A6 :eek:
 
onomatopoeia said:
Have you tried one yet? The fact I rave about mine doesn't mean you'll get on with one, not everyone does.

*I'm on first name terms with the mechanics nowadays, I'm in there so much with the A6 :eek:
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I haven't found one I like enough yet. I think it's a step too far into potential Bork situation even for me and with my car history that's saying something :eek:

Fortunately my local Indy, where I nearly qualify for my own parking space, is only 15 minutes down the road. They cater for all brands of German money pits :)
 
I know you've now purchased one but take out an extended warranty. Presumably the dealer is providing a 3 month warranty but I'd be inclined to add a year via an independent provider. A mate of mine bought one privately with FDSH and said it's been the most unreliable car he's owned (and he had an new shape Alfa Spider before the Mini). Luckily the warranty he took out is taking care of it - among the faults were power steering pump, leaky roof & failing keys. Other than that he said it's a hoot to drive!
 
ancient_mariner said:
To my wife's disappointment, she's had to swap heated seats for a heated screen (heated seats are pretty rare with minis, though common with beetles) but the self-thawing screen will be appreciated and I'm grateful for thinner wires than found in a Ford screen.
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You're supposed to look through the windscreen not at it. I've never been able to see any of the heater elements on my front screens unless I really focus on it.
 
Gupster said:
I know you've now purchased one but take out an extended warranty. Presumably the dealer is providing a 3 month warranty but I'd be inclined to add a year via an independent provider. A mate of mine bought one privately with FDSH and said it's been the most unreliable car he's owned (and he had an new shape Alfa Spider before the Mini). Luckily the warranty he took out is taking care of it - among the faults were power steering pump, leaky roof & failing keys. Other than that he said it's a hoot to drive!
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It's from Sytner, Slough, and has a 1 year dealer warranty - that I hope we don't need. But thanks for the tip.

nilagin said:
You're supposed to look through the windscreen not at it. I've never been able to see any of the heater elements on my front screens unless I really focus on it.
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I've driven a couple of Fords, and find the wires in the screen incredibly intrusive, even after several days. If you're unaffected then that's great.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I've driven a couple of Fords, and find the wires in the screen incredibly intrusive, even after several days. If you're unaffected then that's great.
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Perhaps they had replacement screens, in 25 years of driving various Fords with heated front screens where the elements have changed over the years, I've found them no different to a plain laminated screen.
 
I've only had one ford, a Mondeo estate and the heated elements were the bane of my life.

Absolutely in yer face time, think that was the shortest time I've owned a car!
 
Took one for a test drive, I found it wasn't particularly comfortable for that short journey. The boot space or lack of it sealed its fate. We also thought that for what you actually got for the money it's extremely expensive.
 
nilagin said:
Perhaps they had replacement screens, in 25 years of driving various Fords with heated front screens where the elements have changed over the years, I've found them no different to a plain laminated screen.
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The last one was a Fiesta with 3000 miles about 5 years ago, but I guess it's possible if a little unlikely. Seems like I'm not the only one though, from Mike's post.

Blank_Canvas said:
Took one for a test drive, I found it wasn't particularly comfortable for that short journey. The boot space or lack of it sealed its fate. We also thought that for what you actually got for the money it's extremely expensive.
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If it were our only car then I'd largely agree with you on the boot space. And for the same price as the SD we could have an 18-24 month old mid-level Focus/Astra (or a 24 month old standard cooper) but it's always going to be a Focus or an Astra, which is a fully functional and economical but very unrewarding vehicle to drive. It took me a few weeks to become used to the firm ride of my countryman, but now almost everything else feels soggy and imprecise by comparison, and it really rewards driver involvement instead of taking away a need for driver input.

I don't think it's a car that would suit everyone or even most, but on balance I'm expecting it to be good for us, and really looking forward to a chance for a good blat to the coast with the top down. :)
 
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