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
Audi A1
Fiat 500
Peugeot 208 GTI
Renault Sport Clio
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
