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May 9, 2009 3:07 p.m. mw Reader

My wife and I have decided that a 'new' mini would be a good next car for her. We practiced putting the car seat in the back and decided it would be something we could live with on a daily basis. Due to price limitatations, we are looking at an 02-03 cooper or S. The car will see 95% daily driving duties and hopefully some autox duty when I don't feel like towing the miata to an event.

What are some things to look out for on these cars? Timing belt or chain? Major maintenance issues? I would be doing my own maintenance, so how are they to work on? Does an S require premium fuel? What kind of mileage can we expect?
May 9, 2009 4:37 p.m. wherethefmi HalfDork

I thought the question would be one worded like, why, what, or when

No help here, move along.
May 9, 2009 7:45 p.m. Datsun1500 HalfDork

Both require premium. 02's had some issues, seats break, and the transmissions are weak. 02-07 the cooper has a 5 speed while the s has a 6 speed (manual) 08-09 both have 6 speed. Have you driven one? They base model is pretty quick, might not need an S. They don't drop too much in price so unless you want/need a lot of options a new one might be worth looking in to. 09 non s with a 6 speed can be bought for right at $20K.
May 9, 2009 8:26 p.m. djsilver New Reader

They didn't get LSD's until about '05. If you plan to Autox even occasionally it's something to consider.
May 9, 2009 8:31 p.m. wherethefmi HalfDork

Isn't the new lsd "virtual"? like it uses the brakes to reduce wheelspin.
May 10, 2009 9:43 a.m. mw Reader

LSD isn't a big issue because if I want to autox quickly, I have my miata for that. Were both the 5 and 6 speed trannies weak in 02? Where do the seats break? Are there warning signs before the trannies go?
May 10, 2009 5:07 p.m. Datsun1500 HalfDork

The seats get stuck in the forward leaning position, which requires the seat to be replaced, go figure. There are a few recalls on both the 5 speed and 6 speed transmissions. Clutch jobs are expensive also....
May 11, 2009 12:55 a.m. heyduard New Reader

Get the Bentley service manual (best price I've seen is from Amazon). Follow the "1st gen Stock Issues" forum on northamericanmotoring.com

02 to 04 justa coopers have midlands 5 speed trannies if manual. 05 and 06 have a getrag 5 speed. Midlands, bad. will self destruct at some point. Cooper S has a 6 speed getrag. IIRC, slightly taller gearing on pre 05 models. great for storming the autobahn. get 15 inch wheels for stop light drag racing, ie normal stateside driving. Cooper S tranny also has a dual mass flywheel setup. Change the tranny fluid asap. It's considered a "lifetime" fluid. 07 and newer justa coopers have a 6 speed getrag.

The 1st gen Cooper S has a serpentine belt tensioner that may fail spectacularly. Aftermarket companies make a stop bar or cable catch to prevent spectacular failure. The eaton m45 blower is considered a "lifetime" part as well. Get a used spare and have it serviced.

Thermostat housing is known to leak. On early models, the coolant tank should have been replaced. use bmw/mini coolant or evans only.

All engine variants have timing chains.

Bushings should be replaced on high mileage Minis. Front LCA bushing should be inspected for sure. Front top strut mounts should be checked for tears (good time to install camber plates but oem if you want to stay in stock class). If driven in a metro area, struts probably will be need to replaced. Check out the Mini Cooper (R50) project car that Per and Kim drove for suspension and exhaust ideas.

The faux LSD, nee F1, is only available on the 08+ JCW.

I have been driving my daughter in my Mini since she was seven months old. luckily, she transitioned from the carrier to a forward facing child seat.

Motor on!
May 11, 2009 9:44 a.m. geowit Reader

Midlands = BAD Getrag = Good

Also, PS fans and pumps tend to fail, mainly from electronics not mechanical. Probably heat related. On the S, recommended maintenance on s/c belts is 60k but my original went 110k. I carry a spare in the boot but have not used it yet. LCA bushings are junk. Get aftermarket replacements. Powerflex is pretty popular. Quirky cars but I love mine. I have 150K on it.
May 11, 2009 9:55 a.m. Jay Dork

You can have the best of both worlds. The other day I saw a Mini towing a Miata on a trailer.

J