About Mini Cooper
Overall Satisfaction Rating
- 5 stars
- 4 stars
- 3 stars
- 2 stars
- 1 stars
Mini Cooper Reviews
Any
- Any
![Rated with 5 stars]()
![Rated with 4 stars]()
![Rated with 3 stars]()
![Rated with 2 stars]()
![Rated with 1 star]()
A link has directed you to this review. Its location on this page may change next time you visit.
In 2015 I purchased my first used car ever. I have always bought new, but wanted a good quality car on a budget. Was replacing a Saab 9.5 with over 135k miles. I test drove a Volkwagan Passat and hated it and this cute Mini Cooper was next to it. Nothing on the lot appealed to me and I thought the Mini was impractical but I test drove it cause Why Not?! It was AWESOME! It was much larger on the inside than it looks on the outside and this was a more basic 2 door version. The back seems a little small if you want to transport people in the back seat on a daily basis, but I don't need to so I just keep the back seats down and the space it provides to transport so many things. I am a tennis coach and am able to transport my equipment with ease. My Dad ended up buying the Paceman, she is a riding instructor and carts around saddles, trunks, etc with ease. I purchased a load of plants and flowers from a nursery this summer and was able to carry almost as much as our 2019 Acura RDX.
I began with 27k miles on it in 2015 and it is now 2023, I have 134,600 on it and I have kept up with maintenance, oil changes, brakes, tires, etc. I have not had to do anymore than that up until 2022 when I had to change the oil gasket, thermostat for about $1000 and the cooler in 2021, extended warranty covered this. I was thinking of selling and purchasing a brand new one, but after the reviews I'm going to hold off. I was on the fence because this one has been so good to me and I still enjoy driving it that anytime you change cars, no matter which brand it could be good or bad. But I still will purchase another Mini after I run this into the ground most likely.
This car has driven up and down 95 between Northern New England and Southwestern Virginia and between Southwestern Virginia and DC on a very regular basis. It is great on the highway and the ONLY car I will drive on windy mountain roads because of how well it hugs the curves. I am someone who gets car sick very easily and if I am a passenger in this car I do not get sick on windy roads. I've driven it up and down the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, through the White Mountains in NH, in the snow, driving rain, and have never felt unsafe. We lived up a huge hill in Central New Hampshire, do not have AWD and am able to get up a steep snowy incline with minimal effort or problem.
Maybe these other Mini owners do not keep up with oil changes. BMW is known to begin having oil leaks. I only just had this issue in late 2022 and I have always changed the oil they recommend every 3k miles. I also use 93 gasoline. It is important to use 93 and since I get such good gas mileage even though it can be much more expensive we still found this to be a better option on long drives than when we had a Nissan Rogue. If you switch back and forth with Regular and Plus or Supreme it is not good for your car and maybe that is the issue with these other reviews?
Bottom Line. I bought mine at CarMax. So have never dealt with a Mini Dealership and the service department at the 3 different CarMax's this car has been to has been superb! My mom's car was bought used at a BMW dealership and they have had no issues with Service either. I bought my tires, brakes, and changed lightbulbs there and have found them reasonable and reliable. Get the CarMax Extended Warranty no matter which car you purchase from there, it covers everything imaginable without a problem and will cover whether the part is from Mini or aftermarket so don't be afraid to ask for Mini parts. In the beginning I did have to change spark plugs, they used Mini factory ones, and was told it was because the previous owner probably used cheaper gas and changing to 93 consistently I never had a problem after that! I love my Mini, other Mini owners I meet love their Mini and I am looking forward to exploring my options for a new Mini!
Thank you, you have successfully subscribed to our newsletter! Enjoy reading our tips and recommendations.
If you are thinking of purchasing or leasing a MINI Cooper, don’t. You would be dealing with a company that does not take responsibility for their franchisees, their employees, and their third party affiliates (ergo Roadside assistance). I was stranded in Yellowstone National Park for two days to no avail and had to turn to my insurance company. MINI then left me stranded in the Idaho Falls airport without a rental car. I am from Georgia. MINI is not taking responsibility for their negligence and an alignment that resulted in my tire’s uneven wear-and-tear and, ultimately, its ripping to the wire. You’re better off with another car/company. If BMW is anything like it’s daughter company, I wouldn’t go near them either. Save yourself an enormous headache down the road.
We bought a 2016 Mini Cooper. Jan 2020 It had 46000 mi. 1 year and 4 Mos later we had it serviced at 48000 mi and were told engine mount failed-cost $786. Repair manager said he has seen this happen many times with the mini. I called several other repair places who said the same thing. Our friend who just bought a mini said it happened to him.
Our $2000 4 year extended warranty excluded coverage for this. We dumped this warranty and called mini to get some type of reimbursement for this obvious design flaw. They offered nothing- not even a partial refund. Looking to sell our mini cooper asap. BUYER BEWARE- MINI CORPORATE DOES NOT STAND BEHIND ITS PRODUCT
A year or so ago: “Well, what can I say? I’m a lucky MINI owner when someone like Andre will eliminate that strange little rattling somewhere bugging your mind. Claude **, who has helped me resolve Mini issues, took notice. I said to everyone that the gentleman is a dear (referring to Andre). Sweet natured and eager to be your friend.” I have also always received excellent service from Corey.
Well, that was then and this is now: I’m sorry Andre is no longer at Mini. I used to be treated like royalty there and have continued to patronize the shop. However, current service (06/09/20) team seems a little adversarial/contentious. The repair bill today came to almost $2000 — isn’t that outrageous? I was shocked. Even worse is that I wasn’t warned of the full cost ahead despite being a woman in the middle of a pandemic, widespread unemployment and riotous unrest.
Frankly, the advisor was not so eager to help with my insurance adjuster, which would have been a relatively minor issue due to specifics and deductible. I resent that he, instead, took it upon himself to feed the insurance adjuster information he never discussed with me first, extrapolating from whatever he thought led to this Mini repair. Our conversation is, by the way, substantiated on texts due to my bout with laryngitis. Again, that was very disconcerting, as I’ve been unable to talk and on antibiotics to boot.
One person can truly make all the difference in the world. I’m disappointed and more. I hope Mini service makes it up to me for my follow-up to this here review. After all, I had my Mini flatbedded there from Goodrich tires In Glendale where I drove right as the tire sensor light came on. I don’t need attitude. I need good friendly, honest, fair service and advice as a loyal customer. We all do. I continue to be speechless. Deserve response.
Had my car 2 months and was driving home when the tire blew - this was late at night and I was alone, tried to get a tow from Mini Roadside Assistance to be told the car was Canadian (which it is not) - they refused to tow it so I had to get my own tow. Took to a local garage and ended up buying two tires because the other was so worn out - bear in mind I’ve had the vehicle 2 months and it was still under warranty and was pre certified (both are totally useless by the way) - got my vehicle back and took it to mini in Knoxville for an alignment to be told it would cost over $6,800 for a blown tire!!!!
I was told by the dealership that the screws were not tight (finger tight) and there was bright yellow paint on the problem area cleaning indicating an issue - this Mini dealership told me to contact the seller of the vehicle as it was clearly done by them.... This is where it gets super shady... When I told them I bought it from another Mini Dealership - they quickly put me on hold and then changed their mind and said it was my fault.. I had driven down a pothole or ran into a curb!! What?? That’s not true!!! There was no damage caused by me and had I driven it into a curb how the heck did the other tire get so worn that I was not allowed to drive it!!
Unfortunately this seems to be Minis way now, they sell you a vehicle but the second you drive off the dealerships courtyard you are 100% on your own!!! The original dealership has washed their hands off me and have only called once to pretty much say it’s not our fault.. 2 months in and I’m about $8,900 in the hole. Oh and don’t call Mini Corporate because they don’t care - they will take notes but will not follow up with you or help because ‘each dealership is independently owned’ so you are not covered. So disappointed in Mini, it’s such a fun car but it’s a huge risk - would I even buy another one? Not on your life!!!!
When driving is becoming a boring task, you probably want to give Mini Copper S a try. It is designed to be different. It is not as comfortable as my Prius. But it makes driving to work a little bit more interesting. As long as you are not comparing it to Prius, Mini Cooper is quite reliable. But if you do need to get something fixed, don't count on the CPO warranty. It is just a marketing gimmick. Even if Mini has a list of items not covered by the CPO warranty, it does not mean items not on the list are covered. In fact, it would be quite amazing if you could find anything that is covered by their CPO warranty. So, if you want to get a pre-owned Mini Cooper, make sure it still has some standard warranty left.
I have the 2.0 Mini Copper S Petrol, well built and well finished. Beautiful to drive and great fun. However the most annoying thing for me, is the use of extremely cheap and discolouring plastic trim on the outside. My car is a very late 2017 and the plastic is marked and get, I have tried all sorts of plastic treatment including the one in my mini pack but nothing really restores it. Compared to my Wife's 2016 Mazda CX5 which is still perfect and any plastic product makes it look like new. Before the Mini, I have owned BMW's since 1999, never experienced this problem before, it's very poor and lets the whole car down.
I leased a brand new Mini Cooper Countryman S only 6 months ago. Everything has been great until recently. I was three hours into a 5 hour drive when suddenly a red light came on telling me to stop and shut off the car since the engine was overheating. I immediately called my salesperson who said to use the SoS in the car to get a tow. I was told to not drive for car. Unfortunately, I was on the side of I-95 where 18 wheelers were flying past. Well, I sat there for 3 hours, THREE hours, waiting for my tow that Mini organized. It was terrifying to say the least.
It was towed back to Alexandria, Va where I live and leased the car. I was informed that a stone hit underneath and damaged the radiator and that I had to pay for it. What? How could that be? My drive was smooth and nice - no problems. I have since discovered that is a design flaw that exposes the radiator to this type of damage. I had to get my insurance co involved, and I have been waiting two weeks already since a needed part is coming from Germany and they have no idea when it will arrive. I have been car-less except for the first several days when Mini gave me a loaner.
After all of my complaining, they have since said they'd give me another loaner which I will pick up shortly. First of all, this is a lease, and this is a corporate problem so I should not be responsible. Secondly, if my leased car sits in their garage for a month (?), why should I make a payment when I don't even have the car. Needless to say, I am dumping this car after my lease, and I am not leasing or buying another Mini Cooper.
Whatever you do in life do not I repeat do not purchase a Mini Cooper. What amazes me is that BMW continues to produce this pile of **. I guess as long as there’s consumers not willing to research like me why not! If you value your money spend it wisely on Honda -Toyota.
Mini Cooper convertible S car is a very sturdy, fun ride. Mini has since updated their options which now includes a much more comfortable ride with a lot more options. Love the ease of the convertible top. The ride was a bit stiff for long distance motoring but has since been fixed to accommodate more comfort, electric seats, backup cameras, just to name a few. Such a sporty fun ride that I feel very safe in.
Mini Cooper Company Information
- Company Name:
- Mini Cooper
- Website:
- www.miniusa.com