The Mini turns 50 this year. It\’s one of the true icons of motoring, a revolution in car design, and the original giant killer of motorsport. I loved my Mini, even though it was, quite frankly, a little bitch, and I long for the day I can afford another one.
I\’m not a fan of BMW\’s Mini, which is far from the concept that Issigonis conceived; there\’s more space in the original than in the new one, and yet it\’s twice as big!
I got my 2008 Mini one year ago and just got it’s first oil change last week (with 21,000 miles on it). The mini automatically checks the condition of the cars fluids and brakes and indicates when it needs to be changed. As much as I would like to have a vintage Mini, I still like my newer little Oxford, England made car.
You’re a complete moron if you wait 21k between oil changes, especially the first one. That’s the most important oil change, the break-in change. I don’t care what some fancy monitoring system says. You should be going NO MORE than 10k, and thats if you’re using a high quality synthetic. Try this: when you decide to sell the car, be sure you tell people that you hardly ever change the oil. See what that gets you.
My 2008 MiniCooper S convertible’s owner’s manual recommends that the first service and oil change occur at 15,000 miles.
So, while the other poster’s 21,000 is high, your statement about 10,000 isn’t correct either.
Unless one would be a complete moron for doing what the owner’s manual says…
I actually went in at the 15,000 mile mark (like the salesman originaly told me to), but the BMW/Mini Maintainence Department informed me of the automatic self-checking and they had me come in later when the call indicates during start-up or at the one year mark. My car has a 100,000 mile warranty on it and if they are wrong they can pay for it to be fixed, so far my Mini is great and no problems (and I’m getting over 43mpg, bitches).
I owned cars for over 28 years and have never broke one. The new cars, especially the better olds, are different then the ones I drove in my teens. If you want to needlessly spend money treating a modern vehicle like one from the 1970’s, be my guest, but for me, I follow my BMW/Mini instructions. Now my Toyota is a different matter, that sucker gets it’s oil changed every 5,000 miles, just like the manual says.
At least please tell me you’ve been checking the oil level regularly…..
Old mini’s kick ass. I wish the vintage ones were street legal here in the states but I don’t think they are without lots of mods. DOT approved glass, headlights, taillights, etc. The people i’ve met who drive the new mini’s here have always struck me as posers.
Saw a classic one coming back from work at doral being towed (I guess by private owner). Looked amazing, brand new almost.
The mini-truck is cute!