That’s about it really!
On the way home from MINI Peabody today(!), where I met Diane for lunch, GBMINI went through the 20,000 mile count.
Do I have issues – a few MINI ones I suppose, but nothing to stop the pleasure while motoring:
1. Recently, in the warmer weather, the old “cold start” problem has returned where the engine either won’t start for 2-3 seconds of starter turnover, or starts then stalls. It always restarts fine – I believe this is a(nother) software issue related to the way the engine computer learns how best to run the car. I find that if I wait a couple of seconds between turning the ignition on and turning over the engine, all is well (presumably while the software gets itself sorted).
2. The door window glass is loose and rattles when the doors are opened. I have had this issue resolved more than once but it returns – so now it is part of GBMINIs character.
3. The heating system is not good enough. The car takes too long to warm me up in the winter and too long to cool me down in the summer.
I have had a few other issues with the car, but all have been so well dealt with by MINI Peabody that I have forgotten them. Diane today was at MINI Peabody because she is upset with her old dealership (Keeler MINI); a couple of the issues she had were shown to us as errors in the work done by the previous dealer …
I have wondered recently about what I will do when it is time to replace GBMINI (prompted by the ’05 model changes, some of which I don’t like). My plan for now is to wait and see what the new engined car is like (mid 2006?); but I don’t know what non-MINI I could now buy that I would enjoy driving – a number of MINI owners have switched to the Subaru WRX but I don’t want power as much as pleasure and there are not many cars on the road that give you as many smiles as the MINI.
Plus, the extended family I now have with MINI owners I know (especially the “MINIsOnTop gang”) will make it hard to move to a non-MINI.
(surprisingly, no pics on this post! GBMINI is still embarrassingly dirty from MINIsOnTop)
M&I / GBMINI 
Congrats on hitting the second milestone!
And you’re not the only one that’s not overly excited about some of the changes…
20,000 miles toatch your 2,000 posts on MINI2 hit yesterday. Wow, a post for every 10 miles!!
The smaller the engine, the less heat it generates, and the longer it takes to heat up the cabin. You’ve practically got a motorcycle engine under there, so be patient! 🙂
Thanks Josh – I had not noticed my MINI2 milestone 😉
I’m hoping they bring out a hybrid engine MINI in 06 or 07 when I’ll likely be ready to replace my MCS.
I am sticking with the MINI’s. I want to be one of those guys people talk about and say “He knows his chiz about mini’s,” cause I have owned them so long. I will get to my classic MINI restore project as well. It would be great to get up in the morning and go hmmm which one am I going to drive today New or Classic.
You might want to consider checking out the Volkswagen R32 as a new car. You will be highly impressed.
a.
No adem, one quick look at the pic here put me off.
I like the STYLE of MINIs … I see a styleless “boy racer” car on that page (as the article says, “rectilinear conveyances”!)
Hey Ian…I’ve had similar issues (plus much more) with my Mini and BMW is buying it back from me next week. Long story and longer process. I’ve been looking for something to take the Mini’s place, but that’s a tough act to follow. Something that looks great, but has the passion under the hood and draws passion out of the driver. Just yesterday, I went and drove a few cars, by far my favorite turned out to be the Volvo S40-T5. I think you should check it out. Coming from a Mini, you will be highly impressed.
Thanks for the new car suggestions, but please note I said “nothing to stop the pleasure while motoring” … I have no plans to replace GBMINI for at least another year or two!
By then, who knows what exciting cars might be available – including even better new MINIs 🙂
WOW…you’re not kidding we did both hit the 20k mile mark at just about the same time! Glad to hear you are still enjoying your MINI as much as I am mine.
I also appear to have the “cold start issue” and seems to come and go as well. Only I notice no consistent pattern with it, completely random so far as I can tell. The only other thing I can camplain about is that for about a week now, I have had a ticking or popping noise coming from the driver’s front wheel area on acceleration…thinking it’s a bad CV(?). Other than that, all is well… Cheers!