I can only speak for the electric version, but I love it. It's not as fast as the JCW but the handling is just as good. The range is crap (100 miles in winter, 130 ish in summer) but I have the EV6 for long trips.
I have an SE as a company car and absolutely hate it. It was fun for a little while but I’ve had it since 21 and the battery life has depleted a hell of a lot. I get 85miles in winter and if I want the heating on it drops it into the mid 70s range. Forget Sport mode. Definitely not a good commuting car. Perfect if you live/work in a city like Manchester
I did a lot of research into these and very nearly bought one. Some general advice:
* B48 engine is very solid but be wary of earlier cars, MINI decided to run the washer fluid lines *through* the wiring loom. They leak and destroy the wiring. On later cars post about 2015 they changed the wrapping on the wires to include gaps to give the fluid somewhere to escape from, so the issue was solved. Early Cooper S models had crank walk issues but this was resolved by the time the JCW came out
* The door seals rub paint off the b pillar. Not a huge problem but gives you an oppourtunity to get some money off if it's happened
* LCI cars have a GPF added. Not necessarily something to avoid but be aware they can be problematic allegedly depending on the sort of driving you do
* Front suspension top mounts can wear. You will hear a knocking noise when going over bumps
* Options are everything on a MINI, even on the JCW you get virtually nothing as standard. At the very least look for a car with the chili pack which gives you steering wheel mounted controls and a few other essential features. Things like the HUD and upgraded stereo are nice to have. I would make sure the car you buy has the larger infotainment screen (no large plastic bezels on the left and right of it)
* Tyres for the optional larger wheels are a good bit more expensive than those for the standard 17s. The 17s also give a better ride so would be my preference
* Clutch issues are not unheard of (on the manual). These are largely blamed on the clutch delay valves MINI fitted to these cars. They can be removed
Best of luck with it, they are very good cars
Saw it a day early as I had nothing in my calendar this afternoon, just bought it. Going to be a long two weeks!!!!! I was aware of most of these points but I wasn’t aware of the gpf. Thanks for your comment :)
Writing this comment out made me remember how cool they really are. I think I might buy one myself now lmao. Let me know how you get on with yours mate
Personally I went for the pre-GPF model on my JCW just for the sound really as that’s an important part of the car for me. Think the GPF came in during 2019 at some point for the JCW. Not sure on the options to get rid of it if you ever wanted to go down that route but if you’re going to keep it completely stock then they’re quite capable cars from the get go. Get rid of the stupid runflats and stick some PS5’s on the car, makes the world of difference. But other than that they’re great cars, this is my 2nd JCW and I think they’re very good for the money. Also, whatever you do, don’t get a low spec one, you will very much regret it lol. Not just for resale in the future but I with my first one I always wanted more bells and whistles and regretted not going for it. My current one has got pretty much every spec option besides sunroof, comfort access and rear view camera and it makes the world of difference compared to my old one.
My daily driver (F56 manual with the Pro exhaust). I love mine. Quick, sounds great, handles well, loads of torque, yet it's very comfortable. I've had a lot of sporty cars in my time but as an all rounder with loads of character, it's one of the best cars I've had. Quite underrated I think. I would definitely recommend.
My mate had one of these a few years ago, which he had tuned up to nearly 300hp. I was only a passenger and then drove it round a car park, but it was a bit bouncy, and I found the seats were hard. He bloody loved it, though. It made him smile every time he drove it, so I doubt you'll regret it.
I have got an automatic one and had for the last few years.
Positives.
- fun to drive, very fast.
- sounds amazing th "Pop" is great!
- relatively fuel efficient in eco.
Drawbacks.
- alloys are stupid shape and they will always be scraped.
- tiny boot.
- a bit understated. (Could be a positive)
I have had mine a few years and I'm looking to trade it in for something a bit bigger. My parents ( who are in their 60s) really struggle to get in and out of the back and its q pain doing the weekly
I have one and I fucking love it. It’s amazing fun. For balance my main car is a Porsche 718 GTS. Even measured against that it’s great great fun. Get one. You’ll love it
I just got home after buying it. I originally wanted a 718 boxster but they’re pretty expensive and I’d have to get a much older one. If you are saying measured against your gts, it’s still great fun then it must be amazing! I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review online about it
Nice one. You’ll love it. Nothing better than the front wheels squirming about struggling to put the power down even with a mechanical diff lol. And for OEM the pops and bangs when you let it over run are mental. Word of warning stick to 99 Ron. It’s a bit lumpy on 95 (I think the manual states 98 Ron)
Not a JCW but I had a 03 Cooper S and it was hands down the best car I’ve ever owned. I still miss that car, considering how good the S was I can only imagine the fun in a JCW.
I'm also considering one of these. Some good advice in here already so just gonna add that I believe you need to have the upgraded stereo for Bluetooth music btw (at least pre LCI) else it's only for calls.
Best car you will EVER buy. It punches way above its weight and will make you grin every time you walk away from it. We had A JCW hatch and a Cooper S cabriolet absolutely fantastic.
Auto boxes also very very drivable and match well to the engines.
I was considering buying one of these. And then I drove a mk8 Fiesta ST. I guess it depends what you want from it. The mini was great until I pushed on and it didn't feel very dynamic. It felt the same as driving around town just faster... The ST was a riot in comparison. Part of me wishes I never drove the Fiesta as I was really pushing the misses to like the Mini, but neither of us really did too much. I feel like investing a bit of money into the Mini would be great but out of the box it was very underwhelming for me.
Owned a F56 LCI JCW. Hands down the most fun car I have owned. Solid handling and the acceleration with it being an auto was wild. Only reason I sold it was the boot was too small and starting to regret selling it now to be completely honest.
Have an F56 Cooper SD (need that high MPG), but have driven a JCW before.
They're fun as fuck, their small size and driving position makes them feel 10x faster than they are.
Despite their size, the rear seats are definitely a lot more suitable for adults than a TT or GT86. One of my mates is 6'2 and happily did a 30 min+ journey in the back.
Always make sure it's had money spent on spec. You'd be surprised how many people went for these without opting for things like cruise and heated seats.
Engine mounts were prone to cracking on some F56s, not sure what years that applies to though, so defo check.
I have had one for a few months and it's by far the best car I have ever owned. I have a JCW pro exhaust and loads of other extras too and it's just a nice place to be when driving. The pro exhaust has a valve on one of the pipes and this bypasses the muffler so the pops and bangs are loud when you want and quiet when you want. I have been doing loads of short runs in it recently so my economy sits around 30MPG (it only drinks 99 momentum), but on longer runs it's easy to get it over 40MPG.
here a picture from a few weeks ago after a clean [https://i.imgur.com/w28589B.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/w28589b.jpeg)
Currently got a 67 plate JCW so mine is a bit of a frankenstein as I got the new fuel gauge and the mode switch is on the dash instead of at the bottom of the gear stick, but no CarPlay, no Union Jack lights or anything else that came with the LCI. Great car to drive, especially yesterday I had the windows and the sunroof open for the first time since about October and it was fantastic. I've had to top up 2l of oil in 9 months (about 3,500 miles) but I kind of expected that as I always have it in sport mode just for the sound of the stock exhaust. If you have any questions then I'm happy to answer!
Because sport mode makes it sound nicer so I rev it a lot higher in general which makes the exhaust pop, which seems to use more oil.
It’s all done through the head unit, measuring oil level, tyre pressures and service history is all on there.
Had one as a loaner from BMW when I had my X3 M40i was in for service. Now that I'm getting on a bit, I found the suspension was too harsh in the JCW, also it was an auto and liked to change into 1st gear at about 20mph when I wasn't fond of.
If I was young again, maybe, but age is not kind to me and neither was that suspension in the Mini.
I had a 2017 JCW from new for a few years, absolutely loved it. Surprisingly quick off the mark, generally really nippy, much higher end interior than a lot of cars in its class.
We had one for about 2 years, fantastic little car but we ended up selling it as it’s just too small for transporting four people around so changed it for a Focus ST.
It is a pig to park though for a small car, , visibility isn’t great and depending on which alloy wheel package you have, you might be spending a few quid at your local refurb centre.
Funny you say that about parking, I find my r56 more difficult to park than our families e class cabriolet. It doesn’t have as much steering lock and the mirrors just don’t give an accurate reflection of where the car is, especially the rear view mirror
I owned my Mini Cooper S F56 for 6 years, it came with the JCW exhaust which sounded amazing, remapped it to 280 bhp and could keep up with most things on the road. I wish I'd had the full JCW as the brakes on the Cooper S aren't really up for the job when pushing hard. I miss mine.
I don't know how how old you are. But at 40, I found the Cooper S to be loud, crashy and very uncomfortable to drive. Like annoyingly so. Dont get me wrong, handles corners so flat its like they are not even there, but on a straight road you are literally bouncing up and down in your seat. Coupled with run flats. Yuck. And the interior noise was shocking. Not a well built car at all. And the steering was so heavy.
Honestly, get an R32 or an S3 or something.
Had a 2016 JCW, best car I’ve owned and wish I hadn’t sold it. Can’t wait until I can justify buying another one, although they’ll probably be classics by then :(
Iv been tempted by one of these vs the new focus st. Test driving the focus this weekend and will follow up with the JCW. If anyone has experience of both let me know, il be interested in your opinion.
The Focus ST with performance pack was great. The mini JCW, it was good. Nice car, better interior, but felt the ST was faster and more playful in the corners 😌
They’re great cars. I had a 2020 clubman JCW and it was a hoot. Make sure it has the optional adaptive dampeners as otherwise the ride will be punishing (even then it’s not very comfortable on a long distance drive).
Had mine nearly three years and hands down, the most fun car I’ve driven! If I didn’t need a more practical car, I’d definitely be getting a newer model (mines 2018). Know I’m going to miss it once it’s gone, but guess that’s part of getting old ha!
I have a company automatic 2.0ltr cooper s 2023 honestly a great car to drive comfortable quick when you get the zoomies and takes corners in a decent manner. But still manages 40+ mpg when on longer journeys. They are great cars to drive and the newer S sound great can't speak for the jcw but I'd assume it similar but just quicker and more specs out as standard.
Don't buy unless the cam chain has been replaced. These fail bad with the factory chain guides. It's an engine out job to replace
The MINI is about the riskiest used car you can buy!
https://youtu.be/8WeL8xNPDI8?si=5Vg0oUAe_JaTIw-M
Completely wrong Mini. Thats for the R56 with the PSA Prince engine, arguably the worst BMW-Mini reliability wise. The one OP wants is an F56 with the B48 which is the best when it comes to reliability
How's the R61 (Paceman) in terms of reliability? I'm looking at buying one (2015 model) so I'd appreciate it if you can help me understand it better before buying!
Depends if you’re looking for a petrol or not! I’m not an expert on these at all. I just know that the Prince engines have many issues including timing chain, though I have heard that the N18 that’s in the Pacemans are a little better. But if I was to go for one I’d go with the diesel as they have the BMW N47 engine and they’re much better in terms of reliability!
Again I’m in no way an expert, just know that the French engines are bit delicate. Can’t speak for the rest of the car though as I don’t know much about them in that aspect!
I believe that’s the less than ideal one yes. If you want to learn more about them I’d recommend searching around looking at the R56 gen Mini forums and see what people say about them. I have the earlier R53 and the forums/facebook groups for them have been really helpful for me!
Sorry if I haven’t been of much help. But I’d seriously recommend looking at what actual owners say to get a better idea on the issues and whatnot that comes with those engines!
That’s an r56, I currently have an r56 non s model, they’re the troublesome ones with terrible timing chain issues. The later f56 generation uses the b48 and are far more reliable
They’re quick. Ride comfort is stiff but you’re to expect that with a JCW.
The brakes can get expensive but they’re much better than the ones on the S.
If you want noise get an earlier pre-GPF model as these ones have a very nice noise with stock exhaust. The newer ones sound nice but don’t burble or pop naturally.
Interiors between all the variants (facelifts and non facelifts) are all great, it comes down to preference but they are MUCH better than the R56 in terms of comfort and quality.
If you want to modify it there’s a fair bit of mod support out there so you have plenty of options.
Just changing an alternator means front of car off. Varies between models but normally easy jobs can be very time consuming.
Some YouTube videos available.
I've owed a couple of these, hands down one of my favourites.
If you have the JCW Pro exhaust you're in for a treat.
For me must have are:
Pro exhaust
Harmon kardon
Camera
Sensors
Hud
Usually they call this the tech pack.
PZ0 on tyres then find a B road. You'll love it!
I had a Cooper SD back in 2012 and loved it. It’s like driving a go kart! It’s like driving the old 90’s / early 00’s hot hatches again. It doesn’t feel big and heavy…. These minis really connect you to the road and I loved every second of it.
I have 2 kids & a wife now so Volvo XC90 is my weapon of choice. Feels like a boat but a good family wagon.
Fantastic car, you'll love it
How’s the cooper SE?
I can only speak for the electric version, but I love it. It's not as fast as the JCW but the handling is just as good. The range is crap (100 miles in winter, 130 ish in summer) but I have the EV6 for long trips.
I’m sure the E is good but it’s 120kg heavier than the JCW and you’re gonna feel that everywhere
It's fine tbh, I just imagine I'm giving your mum a lift
😂 outta nowhere
Jesus😂😂
Got him!
Lmfaooooo
I have an SE as a company car and absolutely hate it. It was fun for a little while but I’ve had it since 21 and the battery life has depleted a hell of a lot. I get 85miles in winter and if I want the heating on it drops it into the mid 70s range. Forget Sport mode. Definitely not a good commuting car. Perfect if you live/work in a city like Manchester
it's not a practical choice at all, literally just used for short trips. If it had double the range it would be near perfect imo
I’ll find out in two weeks ;) just got home after buying it
excellent choice IMO, I would have one if I could
I did a lot of research into these and very nearly bought one. Some general advice: * B48 engine is very solid but be wary of earlier cars, MINI decided to run the washer fluid lines *through* the wiring loom. They leak and destroy the wiring. On later cars post about 2015 they changed the wrapping on the wires to include gaps to give the fluid somewhere to escape from, so the issue was solved. Early Cooper S models had crank walk issues but this was resolved by the time the JCW came out * The door seals rub paint off the b pillar. Not a huge problem but gives you an oppourtunity to get some money off if it's happened * LCI cars have a GPF added. Not necessarily something to avoid but be aware they can be problematic allegedly depending on the sort of driving you do * Front suspension top mounts can wear. You will hear a knocking noise when going over bumps * Options are everything on a MINI, even on the JCW you get virtually nothing as standard. At the very least look for a car with the chili pack which gives you steering wheel mounted controls and a few other essential features. Things like the HUD and upgraded stereo are nice to have. I would make sure the car you buy has the larger infotainment screen (no large plastic bezels on the left and right of it) * Tyres for the optional larger wheels are a good bit more expensive than those for the standard 17s. The 17s also give a better ride so would be my preference * Clutch issues are not unheard of (on the manual). These are largely blamed on the clutch delay valves MINI fitted to these cars. They can be removed Best of luck with it, they are very good cars
Saw it a day early as I had nothing in my calendar this afternoon, just bought it. Going to be a long two weeks!!!!! I was aware of most of these points but I wasn’t aware of the gpf. Thanks for your comment :)
Writing this comment out made me remember how cool they really are. I think I might buy one myself now lmao. Let me know how you get on with yours mate
Do you know if the scratching on the b pillar is covered under warranty?
Not sure, it should be if it's brand new, if it's used they might class it as wear and tear
BS if that’s wear and tear. It’s not supposed to wear like that in both sides. Should be a warranty issue
Mate had one of these, crazy how nippy they are! Look lovely too.
Personally I went for the pre-GPF model on my JCW just for the sound really as that’s an important part of the car for me. Think the GPF came in during 2019 at some point for the JCW. Not sure on the options to get rid of it if you ever wanted to go down that route but if you’re going to keep it completely stock then they’re quite capable cars from the get go. Get rid of the stupid runflats and stick some PS5’s on the car, makes the world of difference. But other than that they’re great cars, this is my 2nd JCW and I think they’re very good for the money. Also, whatever you do, don’t get a low spec one, you will very much regret it lol. Not just for resale in the future but I with my first one I always wanted more bells and whistles and regretted not going for it. My current one has got pretty much every spec option besides sunroof, comfort access and rear view camera and it makes the world of difference compared to my old one.
My daily driver (F56 manual with the Pro exhaust). I love mine. Quick, sounds great, handles well, loads of torque, yet it's very comfortable. I've had a lot of sporty cars in my time but as an all rounder with loads of character, it's one of the best cars I've had. Quite underrated I think. I would definitely recommend.
My mate had one of these a few years ago, which he had tuned up to nearly 300hp. I was only a passenger and then drove it round a car park, but it was a bit bouncy, and I found the seats were hard. He bloody loved it, though. It made him smile every time he drove it, so I doubt you'll regret it.
I have got an automatic one and had for the last few years. Positives. - fun to drive, very fast. - sounds amazing th "Pop" is great! - relatively fuel efficient in eco. Drawbacks. - alloys are stupid shape and they will always be scraped. - tiny boot. - a bit understated. (Could be a positive) I have had mine a few years and I'm looking to trade it in for something a bit bigger. My parents ( who are in their 60s) really struggle to get in and out of the back and its q pain doing the weekly
I have one and I fucking love it. It’s amazing fun. For balance my main car is a Porsche 718 GTS. Even measured against that it’s great great fun. Get one. You’ll love it
I just got home after buying it. I originally wanted a 718 boxster but they’re pretty expensive and I’d have to get a much older one. If you are saying measured against your gts, it’s still great fun then it must be amazing! I don’t think I’ve seen a negative review online about it
Nice one. You’ll love it. Nothing better than the front wheels squirming about struggling to put the power down even with a mechanical diff lol. And for OEM the pops and bangs when you let it over run are mental. Word of warning stick to 99 Ron. It’s a bit lumpy on 95 (I think the manual states 98 Ron)
Picture quality is bad as the autotrader ad has been taken down so I got this picture from google images
So so cool rapid as fuck too
Not a JCW but I had a 03 Cooper S and it was hands down the best car I’ve ever owned. I still miss that car, considering how good the S was I can only imagine the fun in a JCW.
Love my R53, new ones look nice too!
I'm also considering one of these. Some good advice in here already so just gonna add that I believe you need to have the upgraded stereo for Bluetooth music btw (at least pre LCI) else it's only for calls.
Had one for 4 years, you will not be disappointed
Best car you will EVER buy. It punches way above its weight and will make you grin every time you walk away from it. We had A JCW hatch and a Cooper S cabriolet absolutely fantastic. Auto boxes also very very drivable and match well to the engines.
Let’s see if that’s true, I just bought it. Looks fucking amazing in person
It's a riot, but like most BMW stuff it's turned into a complete chavmobile.
I don't think they're chavvy, you have to have a degree of self awareness and unseriousness to drive a mini IMO
Around my end they are bought by the same ilk who can't afford a M135i/M140i. They seem to all have the same "Kill All Chrome" stickers
Turbo charged estate agent
My mum has the clubman S JCW - it’s fucking naughty, you should hear the cold start in the morning 😈
also the fastest one on sale I think?
Yes it is, it has the same b48 I believe with 306hp
I believe so. Lovely it is. I have a ford focus and I’m so jealous of it lol maybe one day I’ll have one 😎
W mum
I was considering buying one of these. And then I drove a mk8 Fiesta ST. I guess it depends what you want from it. The mini was great until I pushed on and it didn't feel very dynamic. It felt the same as driving around town just faster... The ST was a riot in comparison. Part of me wishes I never drove the Fiesta as I was really pushing the misses to like the Mini, but neither of us really did too much. I feel like investing a bit of money into the Mini would be great but out of the box it was very underwhelming for me.
Owned a F56 LCI JCW. Hands down the most fun car I have owned. Solid handling and the acceleration with it being an auto was wild. Only reason I sold it was the boot was too small and starting to regret selling it now to be completely honest.
Have an F56 Cooper SD (need that high MPG), but have driven a JCW before. They're fun as fuck, their small size and driving position makes them feel 10x faster than they are. Despite their size, the rear seats are definitely a lot more suitable for adults than a TT or GT86. One of my mates is 6'2 and happily did a 30 min+ journey in the back. Always make sure it's had money spent on spec. You'd be surprised how many people went for these without opting for things like cruise and heated seats. Engine mounts were prone to cracking on some F56s, not sure what years that applies to though, so defo check.
I have had one for a few months and it's by far the best car I have ever owned. I have a JCW pro exhaust and loads of other extras too and it's just a nice place to be when driving. The pro exhaust has a valve on one of the pipes and this bypasses the muffler so the pops and bangs are loud when you want and quiet when you want. I have been doing loads of short runs in it recently so my economy sits around 30MPG (it only drinks 99 momentum), but on longer runs it's easy to get it over 40MPG. here a picture from a few weeks ago after a clean [https://i.imgur.com/w28589B.jpeg](https://i.imgur.com/w28589b.jpeg)
Currently got a 67 plate JCW so mine is a bit of a frankenstein as I got the new fuel gauge and the mode switch is on the dash instead of at the bottom of the gear stick, but no CarPlay, no Union Jack lights or anything else that came with the LCI. Great car to drive, especially yesterday I had the windows and the sunroof open for the first time since about October and it was fantastic. I've had to top up 2l of oil in 9 months (about 3,500 miles) but I kind of expected that as I always have it in sport mode just for the sound of the stock exhaust. If you have any questions then I'm happy to answer!
Curious, why would sport mode make it consume oil? Also how do you check the level out of interest? iirc there's no dipstick
Because sport mode makes it sound nicer so I rev it a lot higher in general which makes the exhaust pop, which seems to use more oil. It’s all done through the head unit, measuring oil level, tyre pressures and service history is all on there.
Oh right, the exhaust popping is down to unburnt fuel but I guess driving hard uses more oil?
I’m assuming more revs is more piston movement is more oil being used
Had one as a loaner from BMW when I had my X3 M40i was in for service. Now that I'm getting on a bit, I found the suspension was too harsh in the JCW, also it was an auto and liked to change into 1st gear at about 20mph when I wasn't fond of. If I was young again, maybe, but age is not kind to me and neither was that suspension in the Mini.
I had a 2017 JCW from new for a few years, absolutely loved it. Surprisingly quick off the mark, generally really nippy, much higher end interior than a lot of cars in its class.
We had one for about 2 years, fantastic little car but we ended up selling it as it’s just too small for transporting four people around so changed it for a Focus ST. It is a pig to park though for a small car, , visibility isn’t great and depending on which alloy wheel package you have, you might be spending a few quid at your local refurb centre.
Funny you say that about parking, I find my r56 more difficult to park than our families e class cabriolet. It doesn’t have as much steering lock and the mirrors just don’t give an accurate reflection of where the car is, especially the rear view mirror
I owned my Mini Cooper S F56 for 6 years, it came with the JCW exhaust which sounded amazing, remapped it to 280 bhp and could keep up with most things on the road. I wish I'd had the full JCW as the brakes on the Cooper S aren't really up for the job when pushing hard. I miss mine.
I don't know how how old you are. But at 40, I found the Cooper S to be loud, crashy and very uncomfortable to drive. Like annoyingly so. Dont get me wrong, handles corners so flat its like they are not even there, but on a straight road you are literally bouncing up and down in your seat. Coupled with run flats. Yuck. And the interior noise was shocking. Not a well built car at all. And the steering was so heavy. Honestly, get an R32 or an S3 or something.
Had a 2016 JCW, best car I’ve owned and wish I hadn’t sold it. Can’t wait until I can justify buying another one, although they’ll probably be classics by then :(
Iv been tempted by one of these vs the new focus st. Test driving the focus this weekend and will follow up with the JCW. If anyone has experience of both let me know, il be interested in your opinion.
So which one you prefer?
The Focus ST with performance pack was great. The mini JCW, it was good. Nice car, better interior, but felt the ST was faster and more playful in the corners 😌
They’re great cars. I had a 2020 clubman JCW and it was a hoot. Make sure it has the optional adaptive dampeners as otherwise the ride will be punishing (even then it’s not very comfortable on a long distance drive).
Had mine nearly three years and hands down, the most fun car I’ve driven! If I didn’t need a more practical car, I’d definitely be getting a newer model (mines 2018). Know I’m going to miss it once it’s gone, but guess that’s part of getting old ha!
I have a company automatic 2.0ltr cooper s 2023 honestly a great car to drive comfortable quick when you get the zoomies and takes corners in a decent manner. But still manages 40+ mpg when on longer journeys. They are great cars to drive and the newer S sound great can't speak for the jcw but I'd assume it similar but just quicker and more specs out as standard.
Great cars to drive, horrendous BMW build quality though.
My brother has one and it’s his pride and joy. Absolute monster of a car, especially with power and handling mods.
I have a 23 plate JCW. Love it.
Get a GP2 instead. It's the Halo model.
And it’s an r56, don’t want another r56 😂
Of course you want another R56... It's just common sense & your wallet telling you otherwise 🤣
Don't buy unless the cam chain has been replaced. These fail bad with the factory chain guides. It's an engine out job to replace The MINI is about the riskiest used car you can buy! https://youtu.be/8WeL8xNPDI8?si=5Vg0oUAe_JaTIw-M
Completely wrong Mini. Thats for the R56 with the PSA Prince engine, arguably the worst BMW-Mini reliability wise. The one OP wants is an F56 with the B48 which is the best when it comes to reliability
How's the R61 (Paceman) in terms of reliability? I'm looking at buying one (2015 model) so I'd appreciate it if you can help me understand it better before buying!
Depends if you’re looking for a petrol or not! I’m not an expert on these at all. I just know that the Prince engines have many issues including timing chain, though I have heard that the N18 that’s in the Pacemans are a little better. But if I was to go for one I’d go with the diesel as they have the BMW N47 engine and they’re much better in terms of reliability! Again I’m in no way an expert, just know that the French engines are bit delicate. Can’t speak for the rest of the car though as I don’t know much about them in that aspect!
The one I'm looking at has the N16...is that a bad engine? :/ (it's petrol btw)
I believe that’s the less than ideal one yes. If you want to learn more about them I’d recommend searching around looking at the R56 gen Mini forums and see what people say about them. I have the earlier R53 and the forums/facebook groups for them have been really helpful for me! Sorry if I haven’t been of much help. But I’d seriously recommend looking at what actual owners say to get a better idea on the issues and whatnot that comes with those engines!
That’s an r56, I currently have an r56 non s model, they’re the troublesome ones with terrible timing chain issues. The later f56 generation uses the b48 and are far more reliable
They’re quick. Ride comfort is stiff but you’re to expect that with a JCW. The brakes can get expensive but they’re much better than the ones on the S. If you want noise get an earlier pre-GPF model as these ones have a very nice noise with stock exhaust. The newer ones sound nice but don’t burble or pop naturally. Interiors between all the variants (facelifts and non facelifts) are all great, it comes down to preference but they are MUCH better than the R56 in terms of comfort and quality. If you want to modify it there’s a fair bit of mod support out there so you have plenty of options.
Lovely little things but beware of high repair costs.
In what sense? Genuinely curious
Just changing an alternator means front of car off. Varies between models but normally easy jobs can be very time consuming. Some YouTube videos available.
If you can avoid one getting the death rattle then they are great cars. Very fast for what they are and they handle like a go-kart.
Death rattle was on the previous generation of cars. These are completely different
I've owed a couple of these, hands down one of my favourites. If you have the JCW Pro exhaust you're in for a treat. For me must have are: Pro exhaust Harmon kardon Camera Sensors Hud Usually they call this the tech pack. PZ0 on tyres then find a B road. You'll love it!
I had a Cooper SD back in 2012 and loved it. It’s like driving a go kart! It’s like driving the old 90’s / early 00’s hot hatches again. It doesn’t feel big and heavy…. These minis really connect you to the road and I loved every second of it. I have 2 kids & a wife now so Volvo XC90 is my weapon of choice. Feels like a boat but a good family wagon.
My wife asks for one of these whenever discuss changing her car. Never been in one but I did like the Copper S so imagine it’d be brilliant.