How foolish would you be to buy a 53 plate Mini Cooper
Discussion
My son has had a R53 Cooper S Checkmate for the last 3 years. That supercharger whine is very addictive and it pops and bangs (aftermarket exhaust). Hard ride on the runflats but is a proper little go kart.
Clutch was replaced last year (85k on clock) and top mounts last week (90k). Small oil leaks have been common but easy / cheap fix, couple of brake wear sensors aswell but again cheap. Just replaced all the run flats for normal tyres .He loves it but is about to chop into webuyanycar as he wants a M2.
If i could justify it i would buy it off him
Clutch was replaced last year (85k on clock) and top mounts last week (90k). Small oil leaks have been common but easy / cheap fix, couple of brake wear sensors aswell but again cheap. Just replaced all the run flats for normal tyres .He loves it but is about to chop into webuyanycar as he wants a M2.
If i could justify it i would buy it off him
Edited by addsvrs on Wednesday 10th October 20:39
bompey said:
We've got a 2005 mini cooper which we've had from new. Apart from tyres all it needs is servicing every 2 years and thats it. I'd say theyre low cost and cheap to run. Go for it.
Mrs Tidy bought an R30 One in 2003 then got invited to the R56 launch in 2006 - so she picked up her Cooper on Xmas Eve 2006!She still has it on just 55K miles - it's a riot to drive and hasn't had any major issues.
They drive really well, so why not?
Auto or manual?
My girlfriend has been through 2 auto minis in the last year and a half, both eventually undriveable in less than 75,000 miles each. The first was a 2002 CVT that didn’t last more than 2 months before the garage owner refunded us the full cost due to an ‘unrepairable’ transmission. The thing was lethal, cut out constantly and would jerk you forward when slowing down for junctions or traffic etc. Could never find the right gear and would often lose power when joining dual carriageways. The second lasted a little longer, a 2007 R56 DCT(?) that had no end of trouble until it too eventually started cutting out when stopped or when driving.
Personally would never go near a Mini again even if someone paid me to but might just be 2 bad experiences out of millions of good. On a positive note, when the second did decide to work it was bloody fun to drive!
My girlfriend has been through 2 auto minis in the last year and a half, both eventually undriveable in less than 75,000 miles each. The first was a 2002 CVT that didn’t last more than 2 months before the garage owner refunded us the full cost due to an ‘unrepairable’ transmission. The thing was lethal, cut out constantly and would jerk you forward when slowing down for junctions or traffic etc. Could never find the right gear and would often lose power when joining dual carriageways. The second lasted a little longer, a 2007 R56 DCT(?) that had no end of trouble until it too eventually started cutting out when stopped or when driving.
Personally would never go near a Mini again even if someone paid me to but might just be 2 bad experiences out of millions of good. On a positive note, when the second did decide to work it was bloody fun to drive!
I looked at pre-facelift R53 Coopers for an ex a few years ago and got warned off because of rust issues and manual gearboxes being weak/breaking. The jump in purchase price and running costs of a Cooper S ruled them out, but at the time, they were said to be a safer bet reliability-wise. This was probably 5-6 years ago now though, so maybe more issues have come to light since then.
Got to kind of think, given the average purchase price of an 03 Mini Cooper is probably around what 1200-1500 notes? You'd be no more foolish with many cars at that price bracket and age. Just do your homework, look for the best example you can afford.
If the question is actually are there more reliable cars or different choices for that kind of money then the answer is probably yes. Which i think you are aware of already.
If the question is actually are there more reliable cars or different choices for that kind of money then the answer is probably yes. Which i think you are aware of already.
I've got a 55 Cooper S, so the 170 odd bhp one, fully loaded (bar sun roof) it even ahs the arm rest, its absolutely cracking fun.
It's done 95k and has no history and cost me about 2.5k, just had the torque bushes and top mounts done, should be good for another 20k (although the exhaust has a slight blow).
It's a go kart for the road with enough power to be fun but not stupid.
It's done 95k and has no history and cost me about 2.5k, just had the torque bushes and top mounts done, should be good for another 20k (although the exhaust has a slight blow).
It's a go kart for the road with enough power to be fun but not stupid.
It's a Chrystler engine in the first generation cars. The second generation ones are Peugeot engines (cooper S is definitely).
I recently bought a 2002 Cooper S with 90k and full history for £1500 for cheap thrills. As soon as I got it I ripped it apart to adda few mods and some preventative maintenance. I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised by the condition of the oily bits considering it's age.
Going by the owners groups most issues on the S model in particular are age related or due to the cooling system.
I recently bought a 2002 Cooper S with 90k and full history for £1500 for cheap thrills. As soon as I got it I ripped it apart to adda few mods and some preventative maintenance. I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised by the condition of the oily bits considering it's age.
Going by the owners groups most issues on the S model in particular are age related or due to the cooling system.
stevekoz said:
Got to kind of think, given the average purchase price of an 03 Mini Cooper is probably around what 1200-1500 notes? You'd be no more foolish with many cars at that price bracket and age. Just do your homework, look for the best example you can afford.
If the question is actually are there more reliable cars or different choices for that kind of money then the answer is probably yes. Which i think you are aware of already.
This.If the question is actually are there more reliable cars or different choices for that kind of money then the answer is probably yes. Which i think you are aware of already.
It's a 15 year old car. I'd say every day is a bonus
Lord.Vader said:
What’s up with a 15 year old car?
I ran a 40 odd year old one as a daily and has no issues, daft attitude.
I had a 2003 Cooper a few years ago now. I ran a 40 odd year old one as a daily and has no issues, daft attitude.
Seems like there are the 'usual' problems with an old used car, but the problem areas on the Cooper are:
- PAS Pump (as with all R50/R53 MINIs, maybe even later ones too). Didn't have any issues, but knew it could happen
- Door locks. I think it's one of the parts still made by Rover. Anyway, they fail, and the Driver's one can be an issue as it might one day decide to unlock the car and open all the windows randomly.
- Gearbox. I think the later ones got a more reliable Getrag one (working off distant memory here), but they can get a bit notchy.
Other than that, the exhaust manifold bolts may be fused on, it might leak oil a bit, and the ride in mine was horrific.
HOWEVER, I'd love to have another one as a cheap runaround. They aren't quick, but are a lot of fun to drive. Also like a tardis. I'm over 6' and it felt massive inside. Parts are also quite cheap and easy to find. It's aged well, imo.
I think all MINIs since the early ones have gone crap.
Lord.Vader said:
What’s up with a 15 year old car?
I ran a 40 odd year old one as a daily and has no issues, daft attitude.
Nobody is saying there's anything up with all cars of that age. It's probably more mile dependant than age dependant but my mini is 16 years old and 90k and it would appear to still be running around on many of it's original suspension components and bushes which I would describe as having seen better days. Quite a few of the hose clamps and seals appear to be hitting that sort of age where they perish/turn to dust as well. All forgivable things for a car of it's age/mileage but certainly things you wouldn't necessarily factor into say a 5 year old car.I ran a 40 odd year old one as a daily and has no issues, daft attitude.
As for a 40 year old car. I'm sure it's perfect, but I'm also sure someone/several owners have replaced many bits over time to keep it that way.
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