for many years Minis were cute unreliable cars.
if you weren't driving a Beetle with a big yellow plastic sunflower antenna, you
were driving a Mini.
then BMW bought the brand, remained crappy for ten years but since 2014 Minis have had
much better design, engineering and build. And became good cars.
They honestly are still too small for me and in a world of 6-9000 pound cars (not trucks)
now becoming common out on the road, that little car had sure better steer around
trouble. I thought the station wagons became bloated looking
only ones I ever looked at were John Works models with a stick, otherwise why bother.
Though even weak base engines can be fun with a stick shift.
you just rev it out more, like we used to.
those tiny cars sell well, Fiat sold a bunch of their tiny ones too.
I wonder how they hold up.
- Early BMW Generations (approx. 2002-2013): These models (first and second generations) were known for various issues, including transmission failures, power steering pump failures, and problematic plastic cooling system components (water pumps, thermostat housings). This era is responsible for the brand's lingering reputation for unreliability, culminating in a last-place finish in a 2009 J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey.
- Later BMW Generations (2014-present): Reliability dramatically improved with the third generation (F-chassis), launched in 2014. By engineering the cars with core BMW components, such as the B38 and B48 modular engines, and improved manufacturing processes, quality improved substantially. Independent surveys have confirmed this transformation; for example, MINI climbed to tied for third place in J.D. Power's 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study, a major turnaround.
This analysis explains the shift in MINI's reliability from poor performance in earlier BMW generations to its current strong standing.
Then I asked her if I would catch pneumonia being outside dragging oil hose all day ? 
