From MINIUSA PR:
In its first year since launch, the MINI Convertible has received the top award in its segment in the latest Strategic Vision Total Quality Index (TQI). The MINI Cooper Convertible was the highest scorer in the Convertible Under $30,000 segment in this year’s index and is the third year in a row a MINI has received top segment honors in the TQI by the San Diego-based research firm.
The TQI measures new vehicle owners’ satisfaction and assesses new buyers’ responses to the complete ownership experience, including buying, owning and driving their new vehicles. The calculations also include the emotional response to that experience.
“The respondents’ data is entered into complex calculations that mirror the way people really respond to the vehicle ownership experience” says Dr. Darrel Edwards, Strategic Vision’s President and founder, “Those manufacturers who can deliver the most positive emotional experience and go beyond that to delight their customers are going to be winners.”
“We’re very pleased with the results of this survey,” said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. “The MINI Convertible offers a perfect blend of product substance, premium quality and overall value – and of course, the best of open-top motoring fun. The results of this survey further supports what our customers have been telling us through their purchase decisions.”
<p>Flippin’ sweet!</p>
<p>So whatever happened to the rear windows busting out and MINI not supporting owners’ claims.</p>
<p>as usual these companies fail to garner the vast collective experience of owners disatisfied with the product and the company that claims to warranty it.</p>
<p>huh?</p>
<p>I don’t know what your experience has been gmini but I love my ’05 MCSc, unfortunately my wife loves it too… gee i’d like like to drive it again!</p>
<p>I’m refering to the article from last December. Here’s the perma link:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2004/12/29/failed" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2004/12/29/failed</a><em>rear</em>window<em>on</em>mini_convertible</p>
<p>Jono – I’m not referring to your comment… that’s a very valid question. I’m trying to figure out what gmini meant.</p>
<p>gmini had lots of trouble with his previous (hardtop) MINI – maybe that soured him too much.</p>
<p>As far as I know his current (hardtop) MC40 has been problem free after the initial problematic JCW install was resolved.</p>
<p>As for the Convertible, I know of a few blown rear windows, and recently some scratches on the rear side windows, but this TQI suggests such problems are uncommon – good!</p>
<p>the link</p>
<p><a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/2004/12/29/failedrearwindowonmini_convertible" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/2004/12/29/failedrearwindowonmini_convertible</a></p>
<p>Doesn’t work. I would be interested in reading just for the shear pleasure. Searching for “failed rear window” works. Try the following.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.motoringfile.com/search.php?search=failed+rear+window+" rel="ugc">https://www.motoringfile.com/search.php?search=failed+rear+window+</a></p>
<p>Lets see if doing a link works. I’m a novice after all.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.motoringfile.com/search.php?search=failed+rear+window+">Text to link</p>
<p>Yeah, it worked! click the “Text to link”</p>
<p>Take that Consumer Reports!!!! LOL</p>
<p>I’m happy with mine, though after reading stories about rear windows blowing out, I think about it every time I put the top down. Hmm. Maybe I just need to keep the top down. :)</p>
<p>maybe that’s why they say u should always motor with the top down and they set up a number to report violators? they don’t want people opening/closing them too many times before they hit 50k miles?</p>
<p>j/k…u are gonna hear horror stories about ANY car in online forums, but that doesn’t mean that the car isn’t, as a whole, more reliable than other cars…it just means u hear about the few cases of problems more often because u visit MINI forums and not lebaron forums or mustang forums</p>
<p>Yeah, I second the Consumer Reports thing. THey still have the MINI listed with black dots all over the place. Of course they haven’t retested the car since 2002!</p>
<p>I just checked out the 2005 CR car buying guide and the MINI has all red dots, not all dots are completely filled, but still a vast improvement. They even include the marks for the previous 3 model years and you can see the improvement in quality for each category.</p>
<p>BTW, picking up my MCS on Saturday!</p>
<p>I’ve looked at the way the top folds and I don’t see how there could be any problems with the back window. I suspect that the problems that were reported were caused by a situation unique to those cars.</p>
<p>There are LeBaron forums?</p>
<p>I’m thrilled with my MCSc, but not thrilled with the infamous roof wear marks I have with only 600 miles on the clock. I had read they fixed this problem by the mid-Feb builds. My car is an end-of-Feb build, but still has the problem. I’ll wait until MINI has a sure fix before I take it in for work. Some owners have had the tops replaced more than once; I’d rather wait until they’re sure they can fix it for good the first time.</p>
<p>The rare “exploding rear window” phenomenon, which appears to be caused by temperature changes, not by raising/lowering the top, had me worried before I purchased, but I did so anyway, confident (hopeful?) that MINI will back me up if I did get one of those faulty pieces of glass. It’s unfortunate the entire roof has to be replaced if the rear glass breaks.</p>
<p>Add that to some unpleasant speaker buzzings (both tweeters and mids) and the fact this is the first car I’ve had to actually crank to start since my ’77 Camaro 20 years ago (I was young and foolish), and I’m still extremely satisfied with my purchase.</p>
<p>As far as I know the total number of failed rear windows is miniscule compared to the total number of convertibles delivered worldwide. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10. Not much of an epidemic.</p>
<p>I read somewhere in GoMINI magazine that BMW has a fix coming out for the roof wear problem (if it isn’t out already). Also, the exploding rear window issue (I don’t have an MCSc), I had this experience with a 1976 Chevy Nova. The car was garage kept but the changing temperatures caused it. Knowing BMW, they are probably working on a redesign of the roof so the window is more easily replaceable. </p>
<p>The thing I like about BMW ownership of MINI is BMW appears to be cognizant of problems and actually goes and fixes them. I don’t see that happening very often with other car companies.</p>
<p>The most recent CR issue (June 2005)where the reviewed the MINI <a href="http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91173" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=91173</a> </p>
<p>still “can’t recommend the MINI because of its subpar reliability.”</p>
<p>Another overall extremely satisfied MCSc owner. No mechanical top problems, but I too have noticed slight wear and slight fade in the creases of the top on my car delivered around new years, 4500 miles to date. I put the top up and down pretty much daily. Will the new improved top be covered by warranty?</p>
<p>Off the subject: What octane gasoline are most owners putting in there MCS?</p>
<p>It’s worth noting, the Toyota Solara, which you would expect to be an excellent or at least a good, was just average for reliability. I’d take these ratings with a grain of salt. I find it hard to believe a Toyota would have just average reliability ;)</p>
<p>I put 91 octane in my MCSc.</p>
<p>Regarding the Toyota Solara convertible, one of the magazines (Car & Driver perhaps?) called it the “rubber chicken of convertibles” because of its excessive body flex. I’m always suprised to see anything negative whatsoever said about Toyota.</p>
<p>How many other cars are in the “Convertible Under $30,000 segment”?…2? 3?</p>
<ul>
<li><ul>
<li>m</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<p>Other convertibles under $30k?</p>
<p>PT Cruiser
Sebring
Mustang
Miata
Eclipse
Solara
MR2
Beetle</p>
<p>Pretty obvious why the MINI cabrio would be the pick of the litter (if you want 4 seats anyway…).</p>
<p>I own a MCSc that had one of the infamous exploding back windows. While it took some convincing of the dealer and 10 days to get it fixed, MINI fixed it under warranty . . .</p>
<p>I’m incredibly happy with my ‘vert, but not so happy with the dealership service departments that I’ve dealt with. One dealership that I had an appointment with for an iPod install kept me waiting for 4 hours for it and gave me my MINI back with plastic shavings in the glove box and on the floorboards. The second dealership that installed my replacement roof dented the car 3 times . . .</p>
<p>The MINI has been out an additional 15 days because of the damage that Hank Aaron inflicted and the problem is still not resolved . . . I loathe body shops.</p>
<p>Summary:
Xan love his MINI.
Xan does not love Hank Aaron MINI of Atlanta.</p>
<p>I’m a new MCSCa owner, with about 100 miles on the car. The quality and workmanship is as good or better than that of our two 04 MCS coupes. However, there are issues:</p>
<p>ROOF WEAR–there was a spot on the right side when the car arrived. The top has been up and down about 10 times since we received the car off the truck–(it rode all the way from OH to CA with the top down in the transporter) and I haven’t seen any new spots, but it’s best to let gravity let the top down the last few inches and NOT rely solely on the autopmatic stop related to pressing the “down” button</p>
<p>I also used 303 Fabric Guard before the car hit the streets.</p>
<p>And, making sure the top folds squarely at the corners makes a difference. You can “train” it to do this by folding it correctly, if necessary, as it goes down.</p>
<p>SCRATCHES ON REAR SIDE WINDOWS–owners on NAM and mini2 have reported scratches appearing on the outside of the rear side glass, near the back edge. Some blame dirt. I believe it’s something metal inside the window well scratching them as they cycle up and down.</p>
<p>RATTLES: The side windows do rattle more than the coupe when they’re in the up position, without any support at the rear edges…so I drive with them down. Simple fix</p>
<p>Anyway, the jury is still out of the cabrio version. If only I could get the car back from my daughter.</p>
<p>After 5 months (and 5000+ miles) as owner of an MCSc, I am still happier than a clam at high tide! Are there some roof wear issues? Yeah, it has a couple of those white marks – but not many, and no thread wear as far as I can see – so I will wait and see what MINI does before going through the one, two, and three roof changes that some others have been through.
Touch wood, I have not experienced an exploding rear window, nor scratches, just a car that runs like a dream and is a sheer pleasure to drive.
As far as the Consumer Reports issue is concerned – remember that there has not been enough time passed to make judgment on the reliability of 2004 and after models – which of course would include the cabrio. Time will tell. But if the first 5000 miles are any indication of things to come, I couldn’t be happier with my choice!!</p>
<p>Xan needs to go to Global Imports instead of Hank Aaron next time.</p>
<p>Absolute love my MCSC’s spunk, looks and character! One real issue: When the top is in sunroof position there is a binding noise in the passenger side end of the top’s middle strut casing. This started after about 2,500 miles. While I think a shim might fix it, the Service Tech said he did not want to open up the cover until a company memo emerges. </p>
<p>Anybody hearing this and have a fix other than top all down/up? </p>
<p>Re avoiding the white roof marks by part manually folding the top properly…Could that be by pushing the button AND simultaneously crimping the top as it goes down with three hands/people!?.</p>
<p>I picked up my MCSc back in November ’04.</p>
<p>To date, I have proud 8,700 miles on my MINI. As far as the roof goes, I seem to be suffering from the same illnesses as others on this forum. I’m getting the wear marks on the outter edges where it creases. I’ll have to try out the “training the fold thing” that someone mentioned earlier. I have noted quite offten that when I put up the roof that some times the back passenger window doesn’t go up. I find this odd as there is only one button that puts up both windows. This typically occurs when I use the door lock to put up the roof. One of my other gripes about the roof include a nasty squeeking noise when it goes up; kind of like the sound of an old door closing.<br />
Lastly, I frequently find that the interior roof liner gets snagged on the back right when the roof goes up. Apparently, MINI uses electrical tape to hold down some cables or something. The tape comes loose and the sticky part get’s stuck to the roof and snags. I had it repaired once (about 1 month after picking up my MINI). It’s starting to do it again and now it’s once again going to be ‘fixed’. In my oppinion, duct tape and electrical tape don’t belong in cars. Actually, the manufacturer recommendations for electrical tape are “indoor use only”. So why is there electrical tape in my MINI?!?!?</p>