Question by Keto: Where can I get a Sirus Radio installed in a 08 BMW Mini Cooper besides the dealer?
We live in Colorado. Dealer wants $ 635 to do it. That’s too expensive. Anyone else do this for more reasonable price?
We’ve tried every audio place in Colorado Springs and none will take on the task because the radio is built in or something like that. Called everyone in phone book and none will do it, except dealer.
we bought an XM radio from Best Buy for another car, but they refuse to install one in the mini.

Best answer:

Answer by P-nut
Try an Audio Shop. I dont know what places you have in your area but checkout the phone book. there should be many places that can help you
Call around for the best price

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Question by : 2007 mini cooper s – Are there still reliability issues?
I’m thinking of tradining in my 2004 corolla to buy a 2007 mini Cooper S. After doing some research, it looks like i’ll have to shell out probably 8-10k after trading in for the Mini that I want. My only concern is the reliability that I am losing in my Corolla.

I have read many horror stories from online forums about their 2007 Mini’s having enging and maintenance issues and then being charged an arm and a leg for them. Has MINI addressed this issue in any way yet? Have you had any bad experiences with your car? I’ll most likely be buying a money that has exceeded its 35000 mile warranty.

Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by Hank Scorpio
I see these cars all the time and I’m not really aware of the issues but it’s possible as these are forced induction cars with a variable boost system (at least in the turbocharged ones).

Is it a great idea? Probably not. Cooper s is going to be more expensive to maintain, repair, and operate…plus will require premium gasoline and synthetic engine oil.

The thing with bmw is that even if they agree there is a problem that is under the warranty they won’t issue a recall unless it’s a publicly visible problem (meaning it would cause a bad pr problem). So…you basically have to go by reviews or stories from customers which may or may not be accurate.

I would never drive a cooper but then again I would never drive a corolla so…I don’t know what to tell you in this case. Would I pay an estimated 15k (with trade in) for a used cooper s? Probably not. Most of the people who would own this car wouldn’t take care of it properly just like with the other cars that skew toward “car as pair of shoes” demographic. Cars can be like shoes (i.e. utilitarian)…but it’s more expensive to buy a new car when it falls apart…so you have to buy a good one if you don’t want to take care of it.

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Question by Cyndy Rollo: For a BMW Mini Cooper Would car insurance be cheap for me?
My dad has an old mini cooper, it must be around 20/25 years old.

Best answer:

Answer by LT
From about $ 50 to about $ 400 per month. Depends on age, where you live, how much coverage you want/need, etc. No way for us on YA to give an answer, so see your insurance agent

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As a Mini Cooper owner, I can confirm that everything you’ve heard about how fun it is to drive is absolutely true. The car handles like it is on rails, but also has a surprising amount of spunk given its size. This is due to the maxed out engine.

The Mini comes in various models ranging from the basic hard top known as the Mini Cooper to a convertible and a Clubman which tries to be a car for four people. Each comes with a sport version that has a more powerful engine. There is also a JCW Mini. The JCW stands for John Cooper Works. Cooper was a Formula One and rally car builder associated with the company in the 1960s.

Regardless of the model of Mini you have, it has an inline 4 cylinder 1.6 liter engine. Many people assume this engine is a BMW model since Beemer owns the Mini brand. The engine carries the BMW name, but it was a Toyota model in the early years of this decade and now is based on a Peugeot in the 2008 and forward models. The reason for this appears to be the simply fact BMW didn’t have much experience building tiny engines that punched out big power. Toyota and particularly Peugeot did.

The engine in the Mini Cooper is normally aspirated in the base models. The “S” versions come with a turbocharger. The models of the first half of the decade had a supercharger instead of a turbocharger. Regardless, this is a little engine that can. Although it is small, the forced air system pushes the horsepower on the “S” versions into the middle 170s with the JCW versions popping up over 200. For such a small, light car, that is a lot of power.

The title of this article references the “purring” engine. Any Mini owner knows full well this is a joke. Although the engine has a lot of punch, it sounds like it has been in a brawl with a bit Mercedes engine. The thing literally sounds like one of those old diesel Mercedes your grandmother drove. It clicks. It knocks. It basically makes an unholy racket when it is idling. I actually went back to the dealer and listened to other cars on the lot that prospective buyers were starting up to make sure my car didn’t have a problem. All of them make the racket and it is normal.

The Mini Cooper is not the fastest car on the road. A MazdaSpeed 3 will blow it away. The Mini is, however, plenty fast enough thanks to a little engine that sounds like diesel, but performs like puma.

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Question by mark_hensley@sbcglobal.net: Can someone give me insight on the BMW MINI? Is the car hype or is it the real mccoy?
Are they built well, will they last many years and take high mileage. Does anyone have a high mileage Mini, any issues? Would you recommend the car for a teen, the one with 6 airbags. What do you think?

Best answer:

Answer by george
i would definitely rely on this car… and i would definitely get this vehicle for a teen… from what i’ve heard and read, they have one of the best crash test ratings out there for a compact car… try doing a lil more research on this vehicle, all the info is out there… i’m also pretty sure that you will find a car forum or two that is made particularly for the Mini Cooper… good luck…

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The Mini Cooper S is a small, very friendly looking car with a traditional design but a modern engine and features. The very first Mini was launched on the market in 1961 by the British Motor Corporation (BMC), belonging to the supermini class of automobiles.

The genuine Mini is considered an emblem of the 1960s, being of great inspiration to the car makers in that time that noticed the clever space saving front-wheel-drive layout. The Mini Cooper was very popular among celebrities in the 60s and the 70s but it hasn’t lost its fame today.

The history of the Minis is long and BMC has launched a great number of successful models of Minis throughout the last decades. There are the MK I Mini the MK II Mini, variants to these, plus the Mini Cooper and the Cooper S. Mini Cooper and the Cooper S were considered two economical models, the price being affordable to almost anyone. These very sporty and speedy cars, so many people preferred them.

Mini Cooper S has made history in the rally races as well, obtaining some victories at the Monte Carlo Rallis in the 1960s. The famous Nikki Lauda, Enzo Ferrari and Steve McQueen all owned Mini Coopers. However, the Mini was voted as the second most influential car of the twentieth century, being beaten only by the Ford model T.

Unfortunately, the Cooper S was produced up till 2000, but a new Mini was introduced by BMW, the owner of the brand. This fresh mini car was called the MINI written in capital letters. The new MINI is worthy of its name, keeping many of the old characteristic features of the mini Cooper but getting some state of the art features also. The Cooper S is considered a sporty version of Mini. It two doors only and a 6 speed manual transmission.

The Mini Cooper S features a multifunction steering wheel plus an up to date navigation system, glass panel sunroof, automatic air conditioning and many more. These are only the standard options to which you can add some other extras. Even if the S is a small car, it has force and is very speedy. It has strong suspensions, precise go-kart handling and great transmission.

You can be sure that the Mini will offer you great safety with the ABS, the Connecting Brake Control, Electronic Brake force distribution as well as the Brake assist feature, which are all included in the standard package on\f the Mini Cooper S. you can also get the automatic stability control and traction features plus the dynamic stability control. For the Cooper S manufacturers safety comes first. All in all, the Mini S is a car with great personality and looks, speedy, inexpensive and safe. Enjoy the ride and the car as well.

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Mini debuted the all-new Cooper and Cooper S at the recently held 2007 North American International Auto Show. These models feature an entirely different body design, interior and engines.

Though at first glance, the overall design of the Mini Cooper is still identical to its predecessors, the automaker confirmed that each body panel is different. Under the hood of the vehicle is a set of new engines that include the 1.6-liter four-cylinder which is capable of producing 120 horsepower. The Mini Cooper S, on the other hand, features an intercooled and turbocharged version of the same 1.6-liter engine that generates 175 units of horsepower. The automaker also claims a 0-62 time in just 7.1 seconds, and a top speed of 140 miles per hour.

Each body panel has been redesigned by the automaker. However, the vehicles still bear that distinguished look of Mini vehicles. Mini’s pool of designers made continuity and fluidity as their concept. Moreover, the concept also emphasized modern traditional designs and significant engineering features. The newly launched Minis are immediately recognizable both dynamically and visually.

The new vehicles retained some of its predecessors’ Mini Cooper parts accessories like short body overhangs, the popular wheel-at-each-corner stance, high shoulder line rising towards the rear, hexagonal radiator grille, and the huge, round headlights. Subtle changes are also made to new Mini Cooper parts to create a brand new aura. New Minis have become a bit bigger compared to the first generation. As a fact, the new MINI Cooper is 60mm longer than its predecessor while the new MINI Cooper S is longer by 61mm. To maintain proportions, Mini also increased the size of the rear portion by giving the vehicle more rounded contours.

The headlights of the vehicle are now stationary to the body. They are turned protruding to some extent to the outside to keep the geometry of the car from the front. The indicators are housed within the main headlight units. Also, the radiator grille is now composed of a closed, self-contained element inspired by the air intake scoop on the classic Mini.

The Mini Cooper S has a more prominent front end because of the featured bonnet that curves up by about approximately 20mm more to provide extra space for the turbocharged engine under the hood. The feature is also resorted to comply with the pedestrian impact regulations. The new Cooper S rises gently to the rear to accentuate the stance of the vehicle. Its shoulder line is made 18mm higher than the previous model. With regards the rear lights, they are made larger and now come with external surrounds.

Both the Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper S feature vertical airflow edges on the C-pillars and individual spoilers at the rear end of the roof enhance the level of aerodynamics to an even higher standard than before. In addition, 0.33 is the current drag coefficient of the Mini Cooper.

Critics in the industry are saying that the Mini Cooper is dead because of the redesign. They added that from the moment the new Minis are displayed in the recent auto show they are pronounced DEAD. However, are they really dead and insensible? Enthusiasts say it is the other way around.

Now, Minis are open to a wide range of customization. It is given broad variety of paintwork and body colors, 7 of which are brand new.

Related Mini Cooper Articles

There has been some debate about the practicality of using the Mini as a family car, particularly if a baby is involved.

A rear facing child seat in the back of a Mini, even the new BMW Mini, is very awkward to fit and virtually impossible to get your child into once the seat is secured. It also restricts adjustment of the front seats which is not good if you have to put the child seat behind the driver’s seat. I am told there are one or two models that will fit ok but you do have to shop around.

This also brings up the question regarding the feasibility of getting a pram or pushchair in the boot of a Mini. Buggy type pushchairs, particularly the umbrella-fold type will fit. Most pushchairs suitable for children over 6 months will fit if folded completely flat.

In my own experience, one of those all singing, all dancing new baby travel systems takes a degree in origami to fold it down and then an articulated lorry to transport it anywhere! These are nice to push but a nightmare for getting in any car, let alone one of those gorgeous BMW Mini’s.

Of course, the Mini Clubman has a quite a bit more space than the older version. Officially. I would like to cast doubt on that statement. My sister had an old style Mini, typically orange in colour and we went everywhere in it. Both heavily pregnant we had no problem fitting in.

I could never understand how she managed to hit the vicar when pulling out of a parking space but that was more due to her shrunken pregnancy brain than the Mini itself!

Anyway, after the babies were born my sister acquired a dog. It was a cross between an Irish wolfhound and something that looked like it was out of Hound of the Baskervilles. It was also very drooly and completely barking mad. We needed to get to the launderette one day and the old Mini was the only form of transport we had between us.

We packed two babies, a dog, two buggies and two families washing into this Mini and made our way to the launderette. Of course, this was in the days before they came down so hard on wearing seat belts as, if I remember rightly, our noses were pressed up to the windscreen.

This led me to thinking, just how many people could you get into a used Mini?

Officially, it’s four. However, experiments by people I believe may have been slightly inebriated at the time have resulted in a total of 22 occupants in the Mini.

Does this not depend on whether it is a newer style BMW Mini, a Mini Clubman or an old style Mini?

And would it make a difference if it were a used Mini?

If you take into account the wear and tear on the inner surfaces of a very old Mini, surely this would gain you a few extra centimetres. But what if it was a cherished Mini? These have been brought back to almost original condition and can even be re-upholstered. Depending on the upholstery material, would you be losing centimetres?

Of course, this is all debatable as the size of the people you try to fit in would make a drastic difference. Imagine trying to fit 22 men in a Mini if they were all 16 stone. Something would have to give – probably the suspension, windows, doors and more.

Now try and fit 22 women in a Mini, all size 10 and a measly 7 stone each. Doesn’t that fit better? Add to that the fact that you could be gaining centimetres with worn upholstery and it makes it look positively easy!

I would like to see how many people of average size and build could be fitted into all styles of Mini. This would surely prove whether or not the extra space BMW claim to have put into the new style Mini would be worth having.

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Question by Tomasthanes: What are some good MINI Cooper forums (especially in Souther California)?
I’m hoping to become a new MINI Cooper owner in the next 1-2 months and would like to find a forum where I can start to ask questions. I’m hoping that the forum might be part of a Southern California MINI club. I’m open to all suggestions.

Best answer:

Answer by Johann C
Gee, man thanks for your invitation. Setting your objectives and goals first. State what do you expect from each member or participants on your forum. I hope and pray, you would gain more members on the group.

My contribution is I could make a logo for your group, since I am a graphic artist from a company.

God Bless my friend.

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