Mini Hatch Cooper

Great drive - BMW service – Have had a Cooper S for 5 years (Perth) and with service inclusive plus (SIP), extended for 5 years at a couple of thousand $. BMW service inclusive for annual oil changes and other consumables on low km car a no go. All SIP servicing is “condition based” which is code for pay$$$ for an oil change yourself if you want annual oil changes.… Read more ·  1

Otherwise it’s every 2 or three years. Gotta say it took a bit of badgering to get it done but the SIP is handy when it comes to disc brake pads and disc replace. Now to the car, 60000 km and both rear and front discs replaced at 25000 and 45000 respectively. Front tyres lasted 50,000 and cost $800 to replace fronts. Battery life is about 3.5 years and $750 to replace. Recently the front right engine mount rubber went any near $400 for parts and a thousand dollars for 2.5 to 3 hours of labour plus GST. Engine mount = $1600

Toyota Yaris GR or equivalent likely a better buy, better drive better build and better service inclusions and cost

So keeping a mini in parts once it’s older is a lifestyle choice. Based on billing info from a friend a turbo overhaul is plus $8000.

"Winnie the Coop" - What a great ride – I purchased the mini from it's original owner in Feb 2020. The car has been incredibly reliable. I drive it everyday to / from the office and on the weekends take it for longer rides. It's been down to the Coast several times and handles curves very well. The car follows it's regular BMW service schedule and has just rolled 38,000 kms. Loving it… Read more

more and more each time I drive it. I would definitely purchase another Mini Cooper. If you love to drive, this is the car for you.

So far so good 2010 R56 Cooper Hatch – 2010 R56 Cooper Hatchback 1st Mini for me, Second hand straight swap for a 2011 Ford Ranger (long story, but a happy ending). Happy with it, no issues that I'd complain of. Glad I didn't go the Cooper S, as they appear to have more problems than the basic Cooper. Daily driver, go kart cornering, but understand that I will have to fork out $$ for servicing, parts replacement and run flats. Lucky I have a mortgage eh! Happy motoring! Show details

Mini Cooper S Cabrio R52 Sidewalk – Buying a Mini is a lifestyle choice. It afords you the opportunity to join car clubs and meet nice mini people. My Cabrio is a special edition, noting major has gone wrong however I would recommend keeping regular maintenance especially in the oil department. Supercharger is very characterful. Roof works perfectly and is the outstanding feature of… Read more

this car. This model is the ultimate version of the Mark 1 modern minis designed by Frank Stevenson.

Arrogant, Rude, Pushy and don't care, after they get your money, that's Mini Garage Parramatta! – As a BMW product owner since 1983 having owned 5 Sedan cars and 3 Minis I have a fair understanding of the service offering by this international organization via their dealerships in Australia and N.Z........Generally speaking they are professional and diligent with the required tasks. So when we returned to Australia in Dec 2020 we decided a… Read more

Mini Cooper S was the car to buy. After looking at the internet and various Mini Garages a demonstrator - Oct 2020 build and just 2300 klms "on the clock". The car was located at Mini Garage - Parramatta (formally Trivett Mini Garage). We were introduced to a gent who was quite professional; however, once he realized we were "going to buy" he became quite pushy..........almost to the point.as if his life depended on making the sale. The usual "haggling" produced an acceptable sale price. The car was delivered between Xmas 2020.....All was "up to scratch" to this point. Within a few days of taking delivery of the car we started getting phone calls "encouraging" us to rate the "buying experience" at 10 out of 10..............Because we were pestered we gave a lower rating thinking someone would take notice and may be ask why. Then emails started on promoting Mini and the brand - we had asked specifically not to receive "junk mail" they continued until we received an invitation to bring the car in for a check over as it had completed several thousand kilometers. We accepted the invitation and made a date about 5 weeks hence, A week before the appointed day we realized we'd not be able to keep the appointment and tried to call the service area number. The phone went through all the options with the final one indicating we could leave a message and someone would call back............we lift a message (all this happened before lunch!). By 3-00p.m we had not had a call back so we called again..........nothing, then around 4-30p.m - still no call back This routine was repeated 3 more times up to 5-00p.m. I thought I'd call shortly after 5-00p.m this time the phone was answered but it was hung up almost straight away. Remember this was the Service Departments designated phone number, taken from the dealers website we were calling! Late morning on the day of the appointment I had a call from some individual, chastising me for not keeping the appointment! ........I was furious at such treatment! I wrote to the Dealers Managing Director - private and confidential correspondence............3 weeks later I have not had an email, phone call or letter with an explanation what went wrong........... I suggest if Mini Garage - Parramatta cannot run a Call Centre as appears to be the case; why would you entrust your car to them to have the car according to the BMW/Mini protocols?

The Worst – Adelaide Dealership, is far from helpful. Excuses for fault of Break Grinding, until they stated it is normal for Mini. They stated that they did all these things to fix the problem and the Mechanic, which they don't have, had taken all these corrective measures to fix the problem on the 3 returns back to them, to then receive a phone call from a… Read more

salesman to tell me its normal?? The worst. No response from Management, Dealer Principal after my emailing them. Terrible CS, couldn't care less.

My mini – I have a mini Cooper s purchased in 2018 new. I use my car daily for commuting to and from work mainly, to run errands and for the occasional road trip. I have been taking it to the mini service centre when the electronics prompt me for a service. There have been no mechanical issues found with the car so far after 2 years of ownership. Love the… Read more

styling and quality of the product. Only downside is I wish that they would integrate Apple or Android car play soon, without it breaking the bank. Competitors have this on base models! Their own system for integration/app is useless and difficult to use and there's so much more potential.

Terrible Build Quality And Just A Terrible Vehicle In General – I had a 2007 MINI Cooper S Chilli (it was my first car) and it was an utter money pit. There were several issues with the car including, but not limited to, high pressure fuel pump, timing chain guides (it already had a new engine from MINI in 2010, several years before I owned it), clutch exploding, flywheel destruction, selector fork bent… Read more

(previous owner did not purchase an OEM component), broken sunroof motor and boot mechanism malfunction (it would never lock after closing it, posing a major theft risk) and a check engine light that would never go away (even after using special software called, ISTA)

The 1.6 litre Prince engines are not known for being reliable from the beginning. They constantly beg for more and more maintenance piling on the money you need to keep these junk heaps on the road!!

As you can tell, I hated the car with a passion towards the end of my ownership.

Do yourself a favour and please stay away from them. They are an utter nightmare from beginning to end. If anything, purchase a BMW. They'll prove to be a better car in the long run. It's what I ended up with and there have been no faults whatsoever, apart from the usual services, which is a given.

I loved this car until the timing chain broke without warning, causing catastrophic engine failure – I regularly serviced my Mini and it was less than six years old when the timing chain broke without warning. It was out of warranty and Mini was going to charge me $14,000-15,000.00 to repair the engine or $16,000.00 to replace the engine. They only offered me $1,500.00 for a trade in (initially $500.00). I have since discovered that this is a… Read more

common problem and a design fault in these that BMW is aware of. Although I loved this car and had no issues until this point in time, I feel devastated as I believe my car to have been worth about $25,000.00 at the time that it broke down. I had hoped to be driving for a few more years before I traded it in for a new one. Google BMW and timing chain faults before you buy these cars.

Fast and economical – Enjoyed ever bit of that car. It is small, it is compact, fuel efficient. The car is comfortable to drive. Has a great pick up even though doesn't need that much petrol. The design from inside is a bit weird, the whole dash board is in the middle, unusual but easy to get used to.  Show details

MINI COOPER-MAXI PROBLEMS – well,where should I start..For the Love of my Daughter I bought this LEMON when she got her License..Water pump.Thermostat,Overheating,computer troubleshooting,Automatic faults of simple battery change,left shock absorber changed twice,still noisy..changed the remote key-does`nt unlock after rippoff from BMW,heater blows only on one… Read more

side(passenger)..Can-Cup holders-useless,Boot so small cant fit even a slab of beer,,,Only good thing a can mention is a Cheeky-Atractive look and a lot of eyes are watching you at the lights..Guys,Girls,FATHERS except the Look,this Car got nothing else to Offer You...I can only say that Peugeot 1,6 petrol engine is very economical..Interior is plastic toyish looking,seating low but comfy,,,End of my Experience DON'T BUY IT....

Fantastic to buy from – Bought a 2011 r56 mini cooper, awsome little zippy car. Purchased from Gabrielle motors NSW, were fantastic in their customer service and super responsive communication. Will be purchasing the next one through these guys again! Driving is amazing 8n the mini, it hugs the road and corners beautifully, ive put to the test too and it handled very… Read more

well.

Interior is basic but it feels like your in a larger car.. very roomy feeling.

Running cost are cheap as.. 45 to fill the tank and it lasts for ages, have had it now for 3 months and hasnt even done 100,000 ks not a thing wrong with it. Mechanic was blown away by how cheap and easy the car is to maintain.

LOVE my Mini! – The driving experience is what sold me on the car, and the compliments are what made me keep it! It has a very low centre of gravity so you feel the bumps more, but going around corners or through the hills is amazing. If you can't get it in a manual....get it in a manual. The interior is cute, but small. You can fit five people in but I… Read more

wouldn't suggest it for a long drive.

Reliability is great, tells you if you need to pump up the tiers and running costs are low.

Great car if maintained properly – Overall it's a fun great car. BUT * don't get the auto (will fail) * Manual 5 speed box will fail UNLESS you change the gearbox oil every 30k's. Mines busted and this can cost more than the car to fix. The 6 speed S box is fine. Just got a new box and will start from scratch knowing it's looked after. Only buy one thats had regular oil changes… Read more

or recently been replaced.

* bushings and engine mounts are bad, BUT if you replace them all with performance (urethane) once it's better than new handling.

It can be cheap to get parts if you find online yourself and use an honest BMW trained mechanic, or ridiculously expensive through other mechanics (as it's tricky to get things apart). So suits someone who's a little savvy.

Great to drive, easy to park, and the back seat fold flat so surprisingly practical.

Endless Headaches/Sloppy Engineering – Can't give them "0" stars, so they get a lucky star...just one. Super friendly sales and service people for sure, MINI, good job, you've trained them well. The complimentary Starbucks coffee and Chex Party Mix are also a nice touch, but none of these can substitute for engineering and delivering a quality automobile to your customers! I'd rather… Read more

by a car from a jerk that was a quality product, designed for performance, reliability, and longevity. The automatic transmission on my 2007 mini cooper failed at 108,000 miles. A regularly serviced automatic transmission such as the one in the 2007 Mini Cooper, by comparable industry standards, should be good for at least 150,000 miles. This was not an inexpensive car (over 30K new, with over $15,000 in labor and parts in the meantime). The transmission was serviced when the car was still under warranty, and well after the BMW corporation was aware of the design flaws that ultimately led to the transmission failure. Rather than service the defective transmission while the warranty was in effect, they sent me home with a car that they knew had a poorly designed/engineered transmission from the factory. Although the transmission was serviced 18 months prior to this failure, and I believed the work carried a 2-year warranty, MINI's position is that the work performed was not mechanical, but electronic in nature, and was not covered under the 2-year warranty. The MINI was fun while it lasted, and as a professional that works with young adults as a career, I always felt comfortable recommending the MINI as a first car. My position on the MINI (not Bill Jacobs, you've been consummately professional) has shifted, and I will ultimately share my story of dissatisfaction and disappointment with the BMW corporation. Of notable irony is the fact that I originally purchased a MINI because of their resale value. $45,000 later and I have a MINI that is worth $150. The final tow to and from Bill Jacobs MINI will cost more than that. I believe that any of the owners of Bill Jacobs MINI or it's representatives would feel exactly as I do in regards to this situation. To MINI and BMW……….you missed the most important thing that car buyers want, that is, a quality product. Everything else has been tasty, perfectly-brewed, and pleasant.

My perfect first car – Mini cooper is really easy and fun to drive. For a new female driver, parking is easier with mini copper. It's very safe and fast to do turnigs and corners. The most important thing, The looking is cute. It's actually bigger than it looks. You can always put down the back seats and hold big luggages. Filling a whole tank is about $50.  Show details

Perfect – We bought this car just half year, it’s really awesome, the control of the car is so comfortable. The noise is very low, you can change the interior light into your fav colour. The only one thing we don’t like is the halogen head light. anyway I think most people will like it  Show details

Love it! – Such a zippy and speedy car! An iconic model turned into a modern look and does not dissappoint. The car looks good outside and inside - especially with the leather interior and modern functions inside such as bluetooth, conventient buttons next to the steering wheel and the lighting inside of different colours!  Show details

Love love my mini – My mini is really fun to drive. It sticks really well to the road making corners feel really safe. The interior is shiny and has a luxurious feel with all the chrome detailing. It can get a bit squishy in the back with lack of legroom but if you are mainly solo driving then it won't be an issue. I don't think the diesel is as fuel efficient as the… Read more

dealers say but for low to medium weekly use I probably spend about $50 per 1-2 weeks on petrol costs

retro brilliance – when looking for a new car this year, most cars seemed nearly all the same,accept for mini by bmw, the modern retro look is one of the most handsome cars i,ve ever lais eyes on,when getting into the drivers seat the interior is simply just beautiful, has a spaceship feel with retro looks. When accelerating with the 1.5 turbo engine you feel part… Read more

of the car,as it handles the road like a go cart,sticks to the road on every corner like glue,a true sporty drivers car,buying a mini is buying a car that most likly no one else will have the same,as the choice of colours ,add ons,models is so unique and personel, after couple months of owning a mini, mini will send you a plaque with any name you want up to 8 letters to further personelise your car,mini cooper sevens with 1.5 turbo engine becomes even better on a highway as the turbo gives heaps of over taking power with sublime handling,special isn,t enough for the mini cooper sevens ,heaven fits its better,a firm sporty ride for those who love their cars.

Perfect – Mini is my first car, I enjoy to drive it every day. The only said point the service is too expensive. My first service if mini copper service team cost me 490 (engine oil is free)... But overall. the experience with MINI and their service team is very very good.  Show details

My ultimate car and best car yet- it is love ❤️ – Amazing handling, great steering, sticks to road well! Very good looking car and it turns heads where ever I go go which I love! Interior is very impressive clean cut and has the best looking dash! Running costs are great so affordable and that's even with the best most expensive petrol for the car!  Show details

Best Car EVER – I love my Mini Cooper. I have the basic model 2015 and can't really fault it. The 3 Cylinder Turbo is very powerful yet incredibly economical. It handles very well and I have plenty of control on the road. The build quality is great and the interior looks funky. It is responsive for both acceleration and braking whilst looking cool on the road. Fits 4 people max.  Show details

Love my Mini Cooper D – I love driving my baby. It is really responsive. Great for zipping along but keep your eye on the speedometer. It can get up and running quickly! I love it's retro look and stylish finish. This little car is a head turner for sure! And being a diesel visits to fuel up are few and far between. LOVE IT!  Show details

Retro styling with modern convenience and real sporty ride! – Initially I disliked the look of the "new" minis, having been driving a "real" mini for a few years, but I had a look at a few and liked the features in them. I considered buying a R-53 (supercharged) but the R56 offered so much more in terms of features and I liked the idea of a turbo motor.The more I looked at them the more I liked them, and… Read more

then my 1991 Magna died and I wanted a good car. I hunted around and waited until I found what I wanted, a Cooper "S" with the JCW kit (add-on, not factory). The JCW Kit adds an extra 10 KW over the standard "S" motor and lots of extra torque. I was mightily impressed by the low-end power, with the turbo kicking in from about 1800 rpm, with the 4 cylinder engine remaining silky smooth, unlike my old Magna!

The JCW kit consists of (essentially) an ECU flash and an upgraded exhaust on a Cooper "S", which really sounds muted when you are driving it, but is actually much more noticable from the outside. I really enjoy driving this car, as it is quite nimble and sporty. I will confess that I did the "Road Test" on a nice quiet country road and quickly got to 200Kph before I backed off. Top speed is given as 235Kph, which to me is quite believable, as it still was accelerating strongly when I backed off.

The original purchaser of my car must have ticked nearly all of the boxes when ordering it, including heated seats, integrated sat nav (relatively rare in 2007), Xenon headlights and headlight washers, stainless steel trim with chromed instruments, adjustable interior lights (blue-purple-red-orange), bluetooth (also relatively new in 2007, although it is phone only) auxilliary sound input, i-pod/iphone connection in the (cooled) glove box (except it won't charge Iphone 4s) to listen to music and lots of other stuff.

The original run-flat tyres were long-gone when i bought it, most owners recommend getting rid of the RFTs and carrying a can of tyre foam and a pump, it has worked for me on the one occasion that I got a flat. The RFTs are not repairable and make the ride rough, apparently. The suspension is stiff enough as is, without having nearly solid side-walls on the tyres.

OK Downsides! The car is really a two-seater, unless the people in the back seat have no legs, or the driver has short legs. For me, at 183cm, the seat is almost all the way back, leaving no legroom for anyone in the back. The stiffness of the suspension means that the dash assembly squeaks and groans, noticable at low speed.

Reliability of the N-14 Princess turbo motor is somewhat compromised by a few known problems, Hgh pressure fuel pump failure, Water pump housing failure, carbon build-up in the intake manifold (causes pinging and rough running) and the dreaded timing-chain death-rattle- curable by fitting a new timing chain, chain guides and chain tensioner.. Services are expensive, but you are driving (essentially) a BMW. There are non-"Mini Garage" services available at significantly cheaper rates, often run by ex-MiniGarage mechanics, so just as good.

It uses 98 RON petrol, gets on average 7.9l/100km around town and about 6.5 at 110kph (one of the features is instant fuel consumption and average fuel consumption read-outs). At 200 kph fuel consumption is about 25 litres per 100km, to give a range of 200km from the fuel tank, or about 600km at normal (legal) speeds.

Overall, this is a car that I would like to keep for many years as a daily driver, especially now that the kids have grown up (but I haven't). It handles sharply on the winding roads, has good acceleration and braking and has a fun factor way above just about any other car i have driven (except for my Moke).

Buzz to drive but oh so expensive to maintain – Was excited when I bought this car new in 2011 and for the first 3 years I had a virtually trouble free run other than a recall for the turbo and annual servicing costs which appeared excessively high. Being tall I was amazed at the legroom and surprised by the amount of cabin space for the front seat passengers. Interior finish is beautiful and… Read more

comfort levels high if you ignore the back seat which is only suitable for smaller kids. Other than the servicing costs the main bugbear for me was the hard ride compounded by the run flat tyres and average road surfaces throughout Adelaide. Tyre wear initially was very good as they lasted close to 40k before I converted to standard which improved the ride but at the expense of tyre wear.

Things started to go awry around the time of the warranty running out with cooling system issues emerging followed by coolant leaks and degradation of cheap plastic parts such as an obscure air conditioner bracket which snapped and damaged an alloy component (power steering I think) within the chassis. The plastic front grill surround has also cracked. The dealer costs to repair the leaks, replace front and rear brake pads, rotors etc were astronomical and well outside of my budget leaving me no choice but to have repairs carried outside of the dealership for about 50% less a no brainer. yes it is a great little car to drive but be sure you have the budget to cover maintenance/running costs as these are way too expensive.

Cooper S - Great car but expensive to run – I have a 2008 Mini Cooper S with Auto. I am the second owner and I have owned it for four years. It is a great car to drive, but it is expensive to own. Brake rotors and pads had to be replaced at 60,000 klms, which apparently is a common issue with many European cars (sacrificial rotors) - BMW cost is $1800, although I did it cheaper by buying… Read more

after market parts from the UK. BMW also use a plastic component in the circulating cooling water system - this failed at around 65,000 kms (around $500 to replace)- the plastic eventually fails from the heat in the engine bay - a crazy design! An oil leak developed at 70,000 klms, which cost $1000 to fix. Timing chain now needs replacement at 80,000 klms, at $2000 - this is a design issue that BMW USA fixed under warranty, but BMW Australia is not admitting fault for.

I love my Mini, but the mechanical components have been poorly designed - it really is a luxury purchase. If you buy one, go in with your eyes open and don't buy one if you are after a cheap runaround.

Never buy a cooper s with auto – My wife has a 2006 Mini cooper s with automatic gearbox. It has only 77000 kilometers and has just been quoted $11000 by gold coast Mini to replace the gearbox. If you look all over the web its a major issue, started jumping gears, then shunted to the next gear then failed completely and went into limp home mode. Mini (BMW) charged $450 just… Read more

to put it on the diagnostics and then confirmed the $11000 replacement which is ridiculous.

No explanation as to why, what other alternatives their would be, etc, etc.

I would never buy another Mini if they only last less than 80000ks.

Just a joke.

I love my Mini Cooper S – So sad about the bad reviews for my car! I've had mine for 5 years now, bought from the dealer ex demo with 1000k on it. It hasn't missed a beat. Apart from a recall for the turbo, which was replaced free, it hasn't had one single problem, not even a blown fuse! It's fun to drive, corners like a go cart, has fantastic power and grunt. The Mini's… Read more

computer tells you when to service it and I only have to about once a year. I'm not a conservative driver, I push my Mini hard as I love to feel the turbo kick in. Compared to the Toyota Tarago I had previously, servicing is cheap! One service, always at BMW dealership, cost me $143 AND they gave me a brand new BMW courtesy car for the day, I couldn't have hired one for that price. I love the style, the power and the absolute driving pleasure of owning a Mini Cooper S. It's just plain fun, oh and I'm female and 47, mid life crisis I guess.

Fun Factor – I don't understand why all the bad reviews of this fun little pocket rocket. A wolf in a sheep's clothing. I love the drive, performance, handling, comfort, features and interior volume. I've owned 911 Porsche and VW Scirocco and they're amazing cars too. But the Cooper S fun factor is dialled in at under 80k p/hr whereas the others are way way… Read more

above speed limits to max out their best. Fuel economy is great as is the reliability. Mine is serviced at Doncaster BMW for the next 5 years at a total fixed sum of $1080 parts and labour - can't beat that for a BMW...?? And, tho Mini is iconic ... I wasn't too impressed with the standard model Mini loan-car they gave me while mine was being serviced / so if you want one of the all-time go-Kart classics then go for the 2015 onwards Cooper S or John Cooper Works models with manual transmission and with as many feature options as you can afford.

Maximum smiles per gallon – I bought my '02 Cooper 5 speed manual used about a year ago & I completely love it! It's incredibly fun to drive, looks fantastic & returns good fuel consumption. The gear shift is a delight, as is the direct steering, excellent brakes & ridiculous levels of grip! Surprisingly roomy inside - I'm 6'1" & have plenty of leg & head room - it's a… Read more

surprisingly capable load lugger when you need it.

A word of caution to those who are especially financially sensitive: don't expect this car to have Japanese levels of reliability & cost efficiency. While my Cooper has been mechanically reliable, it has had a few fairly minor electrical gremlins, most of which have been a little pricier than expected to fix. It's also been a little more expensive to service than my previous 2 cars (both Mazdas of a similar vintage).

But for me, the massive grin I can't wipe off my face every time I approach & jump into my Mini is well worth the extra expense it has been!

This Lemon Sux – Purchased brand new in Jan 2008 for around 60K with all the fruit (lemons in particular?). Total of six months since wasted in service? department...great coffee and they all know me by name. Everything that can be replaced has been replaced (should have bought a ten year warranty?). Two new turbos, fuel pump, head gasket, back hatch, drivers… Read more

side window, wiring harness, computer control system to activate car and locking, window shades, front window seals, and yes....a new timing chain and tensioner.

Now I feel like a million dollars driving this piece of citrus ('cause that is what it costs to run)!!