Its about time. I will replace my 2001 Acura CL Type-S after all. The finishing mileage is 302K, all of which have occurred under my ownership. It has been an extremely reliable car, a stolid trooper that has brought me to almost every corner of the United States. Now, the time has come and all mechanical indicators point to its early and unfortunate demise and I shall need a new car. I am writing because I am seeking advice, and this board is a wealth of smart, car-educated people, all of which hold in high regard and respect greatly.

For my next car, I am thinking of getting something small. I have had many small cars before-Toyota MR2 Spyder/Toyota Echo/Others. I generally prefer small cars for their practicality and on the whole, really hate wasted space as most often, the rear seats in my car never get used. I also want something FWD and Automatic. Manual is generally more trouble than its worth I believe.

Currently topping my list are the 2007+ Mini Cooper S with the turbo engine. The older Mini Cooper S models with the supercharged engines are also distantly on that list. Also on the list is the Mitsubishi Eclipse GT. Other than that, cannot think of anything else.

I have done extensive research and both the R53/R56 Mini Coopers are extremely troubled vehicles. R53 models have problems with mushrooming struts, electrical faults and more problematic, ticking engines b/c bad oil pump design that starves the engine when tilted on hills. The R56 models have serious problems with their timing chain snapping due to stretching. This is also called the Mini "death rattle." However, Minis are irresistibly characterful cars, enough so for me to forgive the pimples on its innocent face.

In the meantime, I will be driving my backup car-a 2004 Subaru Forester XT. I have had that for 6 years and it has approx 8,XXX miles. I bought it with the intention of using it as a vacation car but I ended up using the spacious trunk in the Acura instead. The Subaru, as good as it is, does not make an ideal everyday car for me because it has an insatiable appetite for fuel.

My question for forum members is-does anyone own a 2007+ Mini Cooper S OR have considerable knowledge on them and if so, do you believe their potential reliability faults outweigh the positive attributes of the car itself? What have been your ownership experiences with them?

Also, if anyone else has any ideas as to what small cars may make a good choice, do feel free to chime in.

 

I'm pretty sure the moderator Shoofin has some knowledge on them, although he has a Clubman S. I think that if you wanted a small, quick car for daily use, a Mini Cooper S would be the way to go.

 

How many transmissions did you go through?

 

That was the question that came to my mind.


He says it was reliable

 

GTI? or do you look for something more mature.....

 

https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-cl-2001-2003-50/how-long-will-my-car-last-265-000-miles-counting-769331/

Wow seems like he did 37k miles since march 2010!

Crazy! Then again it seems he doesnt go over 3k rpms.

 

cr-z

 

Just one transmission...though if I were to keep it, a second one would be in the works and frankly, it would not make good financial sense. At this point, I will probably donate it rather than go though the hassle of selling it b/c I can scarcely think of a buyer who would want a car with this much mileage.

Other cars, the CRZ...heavier than the Insight (new one), slow and not particularly fuel efficient would not work. VW...never liked them and too large. The Eclipse GT is also heavy but I have had good experiences with Mitsus so they are on the very short list.

Note-who does take their car over 3K RPM, especially a V6? Some may be skeptical but in everyday driving, it is unnecessary. A majority of my driving occurs on the expressway so RPMs rarely crack 2.5K. Maybe transmissions would last longer if ppl did not race/tow with them.

 

I would bet more than 80% of this forum go over 3k RPMs on their daily commute. Not so much if going long distances on a highway.

Hell my 65 old father even does on a regular bases. Why bother having 260hp if you didnt plan to use it ever?

Buy something good on gas and something that is basic so you wont run into any issues. How about a Nissan Versa or a Honda Fit? Prius?

 

Go with a new TL A-Spec, of a CSX Type S

 

Accelerating, merging onto highways, etc. Happens fairly daily IMO. Oh and the tranny failures on all of the Honda and Acura's were due to a design flaw.

 

isnt the Mitsu Eclipse larger than a VW golf ?

 

It might be longer/wider and heavier but I think that's really the only thing that's "larger" about it.

 

I think the Cooper S might be too risque for the OP. He might be tempted to actually drive it

Seriously though, I'd get a Golf/Jetta diesel and put another 300k on it and save some $$ in fuel costs.

 

owned a 2004 MINI....loved it.
Car was bullet-proof.

 

I would not advise a Mini. My buddy has an 03 type s, and everything that can go wrong has in only a year of usage.

 

Vw gti.

 

I like the Eclipse and test drove one before I bought my XF. The 3.8L motor is great! Has a lusty sound, but from what I'm reading you may never hear it. Overall its a pretty good package. GT Premium Pkg. gets you leather, heated seats, rear dimming mirror, and the excellent Rockford Fosgate sound system among smaller things.

It probably wont get as good of gas mileage as your CL though. I could see it going over 300K pretty easy if you keep up maintence.

 

Why not a 2006ish Infiniti G35 coupe? It will probably outlast all the cars mentioned in this thread and still drive the nicest...

 

Mea culpa-Yes, the Eclipse GT is actually a rather large and porky whale. I believe the platform is actually shared with the Endeavor SUV, not good...but I like Mitsubishis and know they are reliable. Speaking of reliability, I believe there are other forum members who still have their original Acura transmission. The failure rate is probably not as high as people think. I believe it is around the teens-correct me if wrong.

I thought I would update this post. I think I am off the Mini Cooper or at least the R53 models with the supercharged engine. Many of the models I looked at had considerable signs of rust which is problematic living in a salt belt state. Also, the interiors were not impressive at all with large gaps/rattles throughout. The engine was less than impressive being loud/very rough and unfortunately, I did have to rev it pretty high to get it moving with any sign of alacrity...not good.

Well, two choices left. Mitsu and R56 Minis...

 

tl?

 

Probably not even that high. I think it was in the 5-8% range. However, when you factor in all of the affected models (CL, TL, Odyssey, Accord, etc), it equals a pretty high number of vehicles. And yeah, there are more then a few people on here still on their original trannies. It wasn't a 100% failure rate after all

 

A Spec. Good Choice.

 

I redline on daily basis and mountain road on my way to work and back home is a good excuse for that.

 

GTI with dsg.

 

I'll take your CL?

 

RSX


A4


128i


Fit


G35


IS 300


Mazda 3


Altima Coupe


tC

 

I'm really disappointed you couldn't find a red TC. That's just being lazy.

 

 

 

Well since you don't take the car above 3k RPM why don't you get a C6 Z06 with its massive torque curve? That way at least you'll be driving something reasonably quick without putting too much strain on the engine.

 

 

I like to do random things to make people wonder

 

my hero

 

cooper, as long as you don't drive like you have a vagina

 

only time i'm below is on the hwy in 6th gear

 

i say tc ... my sis just got one ... that car feels bullet proof, as its basically a camry with two doors and looks better IMO

 

My friend has one and the sunroof whistles on the highway and it has more rattles than my TL, which is a lot. It's a good looking car but meh.

It's no performance monster but I'm a huge fan of the 2G Honda Fit.

 

I would suggest a TSX.

G37, maybe?

 

RSX maybe since you like small fwd cars