Are Mini Coopers good?

kerrymaid

Saw a lovely second hand 03 Mini for around 17,500e... I am seriously eyeballing it. Just wondering if anyone has feedback on whether they are a good car? In terms of reliable? expensive spare parts? fuel economical? high tax or insurance? Any feedback would be great!!
How many years could I easily get out of it before things start to go bump

Owen

I'm so biased on this subject, it isn't funny. I work for MINI. We have had little to no problems with them. The engine is powerful, but very simplistic inside, so there's very little to go wrong. They can be easily tuned for a few hundred Euro to 135 Bhp using software alone. They are the least depreciating in their class, which makes their total ownership cost quite small indeed, and they're build by BMW - so the quality is high. Best of all, the handling is like a go-kart, you can embarrass any large car on the road, and you'll have the comradery of all other MINI, and Mini drivers on the road waving and smiling at you.

Enjoy it!

Henry Ford III

Cooper S flies although it eats fuel and the supercharger whines if driven quickly.

Depreciation is low, and reliability is good. They are cool too and handle well.

I don't care much for the basic ones for rag tops.

Seth Brundle

ned78 wrote:

...and they're build by BMW...

Isn't the engine a Toyota?

Owen

Only the Diesel. The Petrols were a predecessor to the Chrysler Neon 1.6 engine, made by an Argentinian company called Tritec. MINI bought the blueprints, and modernised the engine, and made it to their own specs.

kikel

kbannon wrote:

Isn't the engine a Toyota?

NO WAY:eek:

KeRbDoG

kbannon wrote:

Isn't the engine a Toyota?

If the engine was a Toyota it would make it a better car

unkel

kerbdog wrote:

If the engine was a Toyota it would make it a better car

No it wouldn't!

The Toyota diesel was too dull. It didn't sell. It's being replaced by a 110BHP PSA diesel...

KeRbDoG

I was thinking of reliability more so

want2play

ned78 wrote:

I'm so biased on this subject, it isn't funny. I work for MINI. We have had little to no problems with them. The engine is powerful, but very simplistic inside, so there's very little to go wrong. They can be easily tuned for a few hundred Euro to 135 Bhp using software alone. They are the least depreciating in their class, which makes their total ownership cost quite small indeed, and they're build by BMW - so the quality is high. Best of all, the handling is like a go-kart, you can embarrass any large car on the road, and you'll have the comradery of all other MINI, and Mini drivers on the road waving and smiling at you.

Enjoy it!

If you need any work done on it, diagnostics or anything a dealer has to do; arent you going to have to pay BMW service costs?

Seth Brundle

Not if you go to a specialist!

prospect

I thought BMW now own MINI.
It is weird that they use a PSA diesel rather than their own diesel. I understand that the 1.6 PSA's are better than the BMW diesel engines, but it still seems weird to me.

pburns

ned78 wrote:

I'm so biased on this subject, it isn't funny. I work for MINI.

ned78 - I'm not trying to be a smart-ass - The Mini Cooper is an an iconic car and from what I've read the handling and driving experience is incomparable to anything else. However...whenever I see a Mini it's usually driven by either (a.) a girl or (b.) a nerdy looking bloke.

The new Mini Cooper would be an option for me in the future but despite the lavish praise from the press I can't help think it's a bit...girly...

What is the 'ownership profile' that you've come across?

Santa Claus

There's also a large boy racer element driving mini coopers.

Wasn't Dre doing to buy one at one stage ?(although he's probably mentioned buying most cars at one stage or another)

unkel

prospect wrote:

I thought BMW now own MINI.
It is weird that they use a PSA diesel rather than their own diesel. I understand that the 1.6 PSA's are better than the BMW diesel engines, but it still seems weird to me.

The smallest diesel BMW do is a 2.0l. It probably doesn't fit in a Mini. Only guessing here but I reckon BMW did not want to to develop a small diesel engine from scratch just for the handful of Mini diesels they would ever sell and instead bought somewhere else. I wonder did they consider the FIAT 1.3JTD?

prospect

unkel wrote:

The smallest diesel BMW do is a 2.0l. It probably doesn't fit in a Mini. Only guessing here but I reckon BMW did not want to to develop a small diesel engine from scratch just for the handful of Mini diesels they would ever sell and instead bought somewhere else. I wonder did they consider the FIAT 1.3JTD?

I wonder.

Is there that much difference in physical size between BMW's 2.0L and PSA's 1.6?

I agree, the Fiat JTD is a cracker and very sporty.

\m/_(>_<)_\m/

only before 1972

Seth Brundle

I don't know if it would make much difference but BMW's diesel would be designed for RWD whereas the MINI has a transverse engine. Presumably with a few mods the engine could fit in?

unkel

kbannon wrote:

I don't know if it would make much difference but BMW's diesel would be designed for RWD whereas the MINI has a transverse engine. Presumably with a few mods the engine could fit in?

Even if it could, the few Mini buyers that insist on a diesel engine probably don't want a 2 liter...

C_Breeze

the cooper S is an absolutle rocket , plastered a grin to my face for the entire 1 hr i was driving it!! ..but they look ghey

onemanband

pburns wrote:

ned78 - I'm not trying to be a smart-ass - The Mini Cooper is an an iconic car and from what I've read the handling and driving experience is incomparable to anything else. However...whenever I see a Mini it's usually driven by either (a.) a girl or (b.) a nerdy looking bloke.

The new Mini Cooper would be an option for me in the future but despite the lavish praise from the press I can't help think it's a bit...girly...

What is the 'ownership profile' that you've come across?

The Cooper "s" is a fantastic car. Amazing power, handling and super build quality. It is a joy to drive. This coming from an M3 owner!

turbo

you should go for the 's' model, with the new MINI being launched soon prices should drop and for that price you should be able to get a nice 's'

smemon

a black mini cooper s semi automatic with the steptronic paddles will be my next car once i get a bit of cash.

if they look girly, so what - i'm getting that car, i'll drive it like a man. You can take corners without slowing down and whizz around town like Mr Bean

everyone should own a mini

Mac 3

Rented a Cooper in Spain earlier this year, cracking little car, it struggled a bit up hills on the motorways but if the 1.6 Cooper is good, the Cooper S must be fantastic. The Cooper was well beyond my expectations.

If you dont need a big boot, you wont be disappointed..

Mac

Gavin1

Hi,
I had a Cooper S. Absolute rocket. The drive was a bit hard for Irish roads. Roundabouts and tight corners became fun. The engine is made to be redlined and driven hard

The downsides were fuel economy(brutal), runflat tyres(brutal) and trying to sell secondhand(had to trade in).

All in all a great car.