- #3 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [dean407]
by busiris
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May 27, 2008 (12:08 pm)
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Replying to: dean407 (Apr 30, 2008 4:08 pm)
My daughter has an 04 Corolla, and my wife has an 05 Mini convertible 5-speed manual.
No comparason between the two cars. The Corolla is a great car for transportation, but the Mini allows you to have fun getting around.
The only problem we experience with the MIni (has 40K miles on it now) was a leaking water temp sending unit at 30K miles, replaced under warranty.
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- #4 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [dean407]
by karen31
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May 27, 2008 (2:01 pm)
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Replying to: dean407 (Apr 30, 2008 4:08 pm)
i went from a Toyota Corolla to an 03 Mini Cooper and owned the Mini for less than a year before it broke down. no warning. estimated cost to repair $8k (transmission). then the air bag light became problem. then electrical issues. Finding BMW dealer to service my mini was biggest problem. In the end i couldn't even trade this car in !! An expensive lesson that will cost me for years to come. I now drive a mitsubishi eclipse and it is better in every way. check the blogs -- everyone seems to have problems with these mini's, seats stick, constant rattle inside interior light, rubber around hatchback door falls off, clutch problems, and a tire for goodness sakes will cost you $300. Did i mention I had to rent a car for over 3 weeks while BMW waited for tranny fluid. Consider yourself warned!
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- #5 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [karen31]
by british_rover
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May 27, 2008 (5:29 pm)
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Replying to: karen31 (May 27, 2008 2:01 pm)
You had a bad experience with your MINI but thousands of people had great experiences. The most serious problem I had with mine was a third brake light that stayed on all the time. There was a short in the BCM causing that one problem and it was fixed quickly under warranty.
The transmission that caused all the problems in the MINI is the CVT automatic in the base MINI and it is no longer offered.
How did you pay 300 dollars for a tire? I paid less then that for two tires from the www.tirerack.com with shipping and a mount and balance and I know the 16 inch performance summer tires on my MINI Cooper S cost more then the tires on a base MINI.
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- #6 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [british_rover]
by busiris
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May 28, 2008 (12:53 pm)
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Replying to: british_rover (May 27, 2008 5:29 pm)
I agree...If yook at the total # of Minis sold .vs. the complaints, by far most folks are happy with their Mini.
Very few people post messages when they are satisfied with their purchase...
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- #7 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [busiris]
by mvargo1
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May 30, 2008 (10:07 pm)
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Replying to: busiris (May 28, 2008 12:53 pm)
I love my Mini but I must admit the tire thing is annoying, They definitely are not $300 each, but only two companies make proper size 16 inch tire to match the original equipment. The Continentals (original equipment) are about $100 each, the others(I forget the brand) are about $120
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- #8 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [mvargo1]
by busiris
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May 31, 2008 (9:11 am)
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Replying to: mvargo1 (May 30, 2008 10:07 pm)
Yeah, my wife will probably replace her Mini run-flats with regular tires when the time comes. We were fortunate in that her car came with a space-saver spare, so she has options.
$120/tire does seem high, but check around and I think you will find its about the going rate (maybe slightly higher) for performance-oriented tires...
I will admit that the tire issue has been the main (and only) disappointment with the Mini....
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- #9 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [dean407]
by minisf
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Jun 08, 2008 (11:20 pm)
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Replying to: dean407 (Apr 30, 2008 4:08 pm)
I just bought a used MINI, 2006 convertible, non-S. I was debating over a Corolla, Prius and Jetta.
From everything I read, researched it to death, best advice is to stay away from anything less than a 2005 MINI if you intend to get an automatic. 2005 or later are good cars.
As coincidence would have it, Consumer Reports April Annual Auto Issue rated the 2006 MINI as super reliable and a good buy. They rated the earlier MINIs as horrible because of the CVT [automatic transmission.]
Mine is like new, with 27,000 miles left on the 50,000 mile MINI warranty, or 24 months, whichever occurs sooner.
I would recommend you look for a 2006 MINI or MINI cabriolet, with at least 12,000 miles or one year left on the manufacturer's warranty.
In my tests I averaged about 32 MPG, city and highway. That's very good. Of course, part of the reason for my mileage is that mine is not an S model and I have the manual transmission.
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- #10 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [busiris]
by coolrunning
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Jul 07, 2008 (6:24 pm)
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Replying to: busiris (May 31, 2008 9:11 am)
$120.00 per tire is cheap! The Michelins I just bought for my Chrysler 300C's ran just over $250.00 each (over $2000.00 for both cars), but they made a tremendous difference in the ride and handling of the cars. They are safer, quieter and I am sure to get about 300% better miles out of them as compared with the C  ontinentals they came with.
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- #11 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [dean407]
by tammy21063
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Jul 24, 2008 (6:17 am)
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Replying to: dean407 (Apr 30, 2008 4:08 pm)
TRADED MY 2005 COROLLA FOR A 2008 MINI IN APRIL. I LOVE MY MINI. HIS NAME IS "OXFORD"! NOT SURE IF THE MINI WINS OVER THE COROLLA IN TERMS OF PRACTICALITY. HOWEVER, IT SURE IS ALOT MORE FUN SO FAR.
GOOD GAS MILAGE! IF IT'S PERFORMANCE IS SATISFACTORY OVER THE NEXT 3-4 YEARS, I'LL TRADE FOR ANOTHER ONE.. 
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- #12 of 12
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Re: MINI vs Toyota Corolla [tammy21063]
by coolrunning
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Jul 25, 2008 (5:39 am)
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Replying to: tammy21063 (Jul 24, 2008 6:17 am)
Good luck with your MINI. It is probably too new to have given you much trouble, but I have been reading a lot about transmission failures, electrical problems and very expensive repairs out of warranty. In contrast, the Corolla has always been famous for being economical, safe and reliable, there are many reports of people driving them for more than 250,000 miles before having to put any major money into them. I recently read about someone who had a MINI that required a complete transmission replacement for nearly $4000.00! I don't understand why they are so prone to expensive repairs (since the are the off spring of BMW). Where I live, the closest authorized warranty repair dealership is 4 hours away. The Toyota dealerships are within a few miles from my front door. Yes, they are cute, but about as impractical as any "sports" car. Have fun with it while you can, and be careful!
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