Is the Mini Cooper a reliable car?

To those of you who have owned one before:





1. Are they reliable?


2. Have you had any problems with the dealership service?


3. Do they require a lot of repairs in the first three or so years?


4. Does the 2011 Countryman have any known steering wheel or automatic transmission problems?


5. Is there a car comparable to the mini cooper that you'd recommend?





Please post the year of the car and how long you've owned it. Thank you in advance!|||these are the most reliable car around|||the mini is a well experienced car model in England and has been refined for today's drivers. plus's are good fuel economy, sporty feel and handling and envy appeal.


minus's, parts are pricey, not the easiest to enter and exit for older drivers and envy appeal (lost friends) British electrical used to be the worst but hopefully much improved. The countryman is a bit new for a lot of feedback yet.


I like the Honda Fit as a consideration in the size range. I own a first gen Fit 2007 sport and was surprisingly pleased by it's sporty feel and comfort. the cargo space is amazing for such a small car and has been a budget friendly car. true mileage on the highway has been a fairly consistent 34 mpg. the boy's at Honda did a good job here.


Fords Fiesta may spark your interest as well. Ford has done a fine job of improving their quality in the last several years and I have found their service dept's outstanding.|||Consumer Reports rates them as above average for reliability. The earlier ones didn't get such great ratings. The dealers are good, as the cars are made by BMW, and BMW mechanics have some serious training. Statistically, they don't require a lot of repairs.








On the downside, they all take high test. Maybe the countryman doesn't have this problem, but I've found the ride to be very harsh. It would be ok for short trips but I wouldn't want to spend 4 hours behind the wheel. They are also REALLY tiny inside. I wouldn't put my worst enemy in the back seat.





There isn't much that compares to a mini. They have amazing handling and are really a blast to drive. There is new Fiat/Chrysler coming out soon that may be comparable.





My bro in law is a BMW mechanic and owns a mini Cooper. I've spent a lot of time behind the wheel.|||Yep. Low compression bmw engines. Don't own one. However, repair is expensive because of the lack of room in the engine compartment...mechanics will give you the book rate if it's non-dealer so it will be similar to dealer labor charges.





Kia soul would be what I'd recommend because it's cheaper and the warranty is longer...but not really the same thing. Wouldn't recommend the fiat 500 when it get's here...awful build quality.