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MINI COOPER Used Car Review

In 2002, BMW gave the world a retro-inspired modern take on Britain's famous Mini. It was much bigger and not as cleverly packaged, yet it has proved to a huge success despite its premium pricing. It was more than a triumph of marketing, as the modern-day Mini Cooper very much imitated the fun, go-kart handling of the original. In 2014, a five-door hatch was added to the regular Mini range that had previously centred around a three-door hatch and two-door convertible.

Pros

Cons

  • Responsive turbo petrol engines
  • Five-door model (2014 on) added more practical element
  • Customisation options galore
  • Can be big money for a small car
  • Engine-dulling CVT auto of original 'new' Mini (2002-2007)
  • Small boot and limited rear-seat space
  • Firm ride of JCW (John Cooper Works) variants
This is general information and should not be relied on as purchasing advice.
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Overview of the Mini Cooper

Overview of the Mini Cooper

In 2002, BMW gave the world a retro-inspired modern take on Britain's famous Mini.

It was much bigger and not as cleverly packaged, yet it has proved to a huge success despite its premium pricing.

It was more than a triumph of marketing, as the modern-day Mini Cooper very much imitated the fun, go-kart handling of the original.

In 2014, a five-door hatch was added to the regular Mini range that had previously centred around a three-door hatch and two-door convertible.

MINI COOPER GENERATIONS

2002-2007

2007-2014

2014 on

RUNNING COSTS

Fuel Consumption (2014 on)

1.5L 3-cylinder turbo diesel: 3.7 to 3.9 litres per 100km

1.5L 3-cylinder turbo: 4.7 to 5.3 litres per 100km

1.2L 3-cylinder turbo: 4.9 to 5.1 litres per 100km

2.0L 4-cylinder turbo: 5.5 to 6.9 litres per 100km

= Highly economical.

= Good economy.

= Average fuel use.

= Heavy consumption.

Servicing

Contact your nearest Mini dealership for servicing enquiries. Mini Cooper parts and accessories can be found on Gumtree.

SIMILAR MODELS TO MINI COOPER

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR: MINI COOPER (2014 ON)

Biggest potential for tears with a Mini Cooper is one that has been neglected by a previous owner with regard to servicing.

Serviced properly, these can be durable engines, but skipped oil changes won't be tolerated.

The first problem can be failure of the variable valve timing system which gives the engine its flexibility.

If oil has been allowed to become old and dirty, the little oilways that control the valve timing can clag up, wrecking the mechanism and leading to mayhem internally.

A mist of oil around the front of the cam cover is a bad sign, too, and suggests problems in the same area. But don't confuse a valve-timing oil leak with a failed rocker-cover gasket which is much easier and cheaper to repair and has been known to occur on these engines.

https://www.autoguru.com.au/mini/mini