Faults:

Front indicators stopped working.

Rear brake lights stopped working.

Bonnet catch stopped catching.

Passenger door lock jammed.

Front end rotted through despite regular maintenance.

Gearbox starting to crunch on 1st to 2nd changes.

General Comments:

So far the engine has been 100% reliable, but is beginning to run on. Has always started first time.

Not the fastest machine in the world, but has pleasant usable acceleration and handles like nothing on this earth.

Seriously good looking, fun packed car with a very friendly community to back it up.

Parts cheap and plentiful.

Faults:

Nothing so far, just need to check oil, coolants, brakes etc regularly.

General Comments:

The Mini Cooper is a fantastic little car all round, easy to see why it was voted car of the century.

Although pretty basic in design and mechanics, it just handles amazingly, and darts around town.

A couple of things I've noticed in my brief ownership of the Cooper is that you can become somewhat invisible to other road users. In that, they don't see you till the last minute, or simply assume that 'it's a mini, it must be slow, so i'll tailgate it'.

Buy one it you want a great bit of fun driving, but beware of judgemental other road users in their ubiquitous 'euroboxes'!

Faults:

A new starter motor and gear box have been the most serious problems, but were to be expected given the car's mileage.

I've also had minor problems with locks and lights and the usual rusting.

General Comments:

This car is great fun to drive. It handles well and is fairly nippy.

The ride is a bit bouncy though, and it is fairly noisy on the motorway.

I find the cabin surprisingly roomy and with a lowered steering wheel fairly comfy.

I'd definitely have another mini, but I'd prefer a newer one.

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

Bought in 1991 as a 1000cc City - very low miles up to 1997..

2001 fitted a 1275 MG Metro A+ c/w RC 40 exhaust, slightly modified cylinder head, SU HIF44 carb, polished MG inlet manifold etc... produces around 80-90 bhp..

With a 3.44 to 1 diff (instead of 3.10 to 1) it will cruise at around 70 in 4th...acceleration from 70-90 is superb - easily beats a Mk II Golf GTi or Pug 1.6 GTi - tops out at around 115 or so. Good deep exhaust noise, rorty induction.. spins wheels in second quite happily..

Gas filled adjustable Spax's all round mean a very active, but never harsh ride - not comfortable, but will out corner most things on smooth, dry tarmac. Doesn't like the bumps too much though. 175/50/13 Dunlop SP3000's hang on well, but don't last long - maybe 6000 miles if driven gently..

The car has never seen a dealer in it's life - Mini's aren't the most difficult things to service - but it has been meticulously maintained with regular oil and spark changes every 6000 miles, regular lubrication etc.. and has had the head "decoked" at around 50000 miles.

Has been fantastically reliable - never let me down once - always started on the button.

In short, a fantastically fun little car, faster than you may think (with a few mods) and makes me smile every time I drive it. Especially when I am going around the outside of an Audi S3 on roundabouts... (he was trying too)

Faults:

Alternator is very susceptible to the weather, having had at least two in the four years I have had the car.

Rust is a perennial problem with all Minis, but mine is kept garaged and this seems to help a lot.

General Comments:

Minis handle better than just about any small car, although they can be a bit slow in a straight line, round corners they stick to (dry) roads like superglue.

Minis are a modern classic, and over the years every possible modification has been designed, spares are cheap and plentiful, and every Mini is unique.

Faults:

A fair amount of stuff has gone wrong, but nothing major, and it has never left me stranded.

Electrics are a bit fragile, gearboxes wear with a lot of town driving, engines are unbreakable. Bodywork rusts..... badly!

General Comments:

Despite the above the car is fantastic. It is great fun to drive, in a straight line it will never scare any Ferrari drivers(!), but down a twisty back road it's one of the quickest cars I have ever driven.

They are very cheap to run and get parts for. Great friendship between owners. Very easy and cheap to modify. Not really a motorway car.

Faults:

The electrical side of this car is crap and there is always a problem with the alarm, headlights, stereo etc.

Apart from that it is a quite sound car and the engine copes reasonably well while it's being ragged.

General Comments:

This car is great fun and I have a lot of pleasure driving it.

A K&N air filter, pipe across oil filter and a stainless steel whole system exhust have been fitted to increase the power output. It is now up to 85 bhp (in a car that size believe me it shifts).

It blows away XR2's, Nova's etc

Top end is 115 mph and 0-60 is about 9 sec.