Faults:

My 2004 Mini Cooper needs a new transmission, and it only has 85000 miles on it!

My daughter primarily drives this car back and forth to school; she is very gentle, does not race it, but she is guilty of not keeping it clean.

Small things have been repaired over the years: keyless entry would not work on driver's side, door latch on passenger side was repaired, brake sensors, etc.

But a car needing a new $8000 transmission this soon is ridiculous! Warranty ran out at 5 months ago, so I don't know what we will do. Oh, and this particular transmission (CVT, or variable) is no longer used by BMW.

Faults:

When I first purchased the car the passenger seat would not slide fwd or backwards and the passenger side door lock actuator was intermittent. I took it to the local mini dealership and they got me fixed right up that same day! I work in a service dept at a dealership and I must say, they are on top of it!

General Comments:

I like to go fast... That being said, this car does just that. I have had it up to 115MPH without even trying. it can hit 60pmh in 2nd gear!! This is completely stock by the way. Its not the fastest car in the world but with that kind of power in such a small car and with the way it handles... IT FUN!!!

Faults:

Unable to open passenger door.

When in driving rain, there's a leak through the sun roof.

General Comments:

I love this car. It is unique looking, and as of now, there aren't thousands of them on the road.

She handles incredibly well on all roads, but loves passing and traveling on winding back roads.

The few problems I have had have been repaired for free while under warranty, and once when it was just out of warranty, the repair was free.

Since it is the only car I have, I need to be careful when I shop, and I don't get stuck being the driver too often. She holds two people comfortably, but fits 4 quite well, and as my sons are six feet tall, that is quite amazing.

Occasionally I have thought about updating my vehicle, but as yet cannot bear to part with my "Olga Matilda" Mini Cooper.

Faults:

Auto-up feature on driver's window not working.

Various creaks from instrument panel.

General Comments:

This car is a great deal of fun. The handling is brilliant. Steering is very quick and perfectly weighted.

The performance is good. Acceleration is lively and pick up at highway speeds impressive, even in 6th gear. I find there is plenty of torque, even below 4000rpm. The engine is smooth and very refined. The supercharger whine is audible, but not intrusive, it adds great character.

The ride is too harsh with the standard 16" run flat tires. Road ridges and rail crossings transmit serious jolts to the passenger cabin resulting in creaks and some rattles. I am surprised that the ride is harder than my previous BMW Z3.

I personally find there is too much lumbar support in the standard sport front seats. This feature should be adjustable or otherwise made less extreme. The rear seats are comfortable, but leg room is minimal.

The details in this car are superb. The fit and finish is great, initial quality impressions are good. Paintwork is faultless. The black plastic cladding attracts dust due to static though.

The operation of the tailgate lock/latch is irritating. There is no audible unlock sound leading to uncertainty that the tailgate is indeed unlocked. The outside latch "button" requires too much effort and needs accurate placement of the the finger operating it to actuate.

Night time illumination of the instrument panel is impressive as is the power of the Xenon headlamps.

The "base" audio system is adequate. Power is acceptable, but the clarity of sound is just average. Base response is good though with no vibration of trim panels surrounding the speakers.

In summary a really fun car offering great handling and detail design, but with room for improvement.