Faults:

ABS sensor damaged when washing car.

Suspension "A" bushing needed replacement at 60,000 (steering had play).

Other than tires, brakes, oil and fuel filters, nothing else.

General Comments:

This is not the Cooper S.

The Mini Cooper is a lot of fun. It's the kind of car that makes you smile when you have to drive. It handles extremely well, and has a lot of power for a 1.6 liter engine. The engine is made in Brazil by Chevrolet, and was tuned by BMW. It's a modified version of the 2.0 Dodge Neon engine. The only time I feel it lacks power is when I'm lugging 4 people up a hill in San Francisco (not often).

I was told that the 2007+ models have a Peugeot engine, which are more prone to failure than the 2001-2006 models.

The handling is very tight, and it feels like a sports car. Suspension is tight too.

The Mini Cooper is great for running around about town, but not so great if you're taking your parents and your grandmother out for a Sunday roast. It's also downright uncomfortable for trips of over an hour. Back seat space is very cramped. Trunk space is very small. But hey, it's meant for a couple without kids.

Amenities are very generous: heated seats, great sound system, Xenon headlights.

People smile when they see my car. They never did that before.

It's great on gas.

I average 31 MPG (US) / 37 MPG (UK) / 7.6l/100km for mixed highway/city driving, and 40 MPG US / 48 MPG UK / 5.9l/100km for highway.

Get this car while you're young and don't have kids. Also, sell before 100,000 miles as I'm told that auto transmission problems are the norm. A manual transmission will last a lot longer.

Faults:

4 run-flat tires needed replacing at 60,000 km - $800.

Power steering pump at 67,900 - $1475.

Catalytic converter at 77,100 km - $1200.

Now needs R rear muffler, probably a CV joint, can hardly wait for the cost on that.

General Comments:

Great fun to drive, handles magnificently, great acceleration. Fuel economy only fair for such a small car, rough ride. Very expensive to repair, and needs a lot of repairs. Worth the cost? Only if you can afford it.

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 43881 miles.

Light fell off, gas tank door cover fell off.

Seats are wearing badly.

Never have I had a car blow a head gasket at less than 50,000 miles. Had cars that were 10 to 15 years old with over 100,000 miles and still ran without any oil leak or the head gaskets blowing.

General Comments:

I loved this car, but after this I will never get another one, because no one is willing to help.

Have family that work for dealers, and was informed by them they would help their clients out when they were just out of warranty by replacing the motor.

Faults:

The brake pads and rotors replaced at 41000.

The convertible top stopped working the next month.

This car made me nervous; it always felt as if something was on the verge of breaking.

No one will repair this car or even change the oil, and the dealer's prices are gold plated.

General Comments:

A nice looking car, but my car had that horrible CVT transmission. Absolutely no acceleration from a stop. Jerky and unrefined. 115 hp and CVT just don't mix well. A car today does not have to ride so poorly to handle well.

I so wanted to like this car as I have an original Mini Cooper, but all they have in common is the name.

This car was nothing but a disappointment to me.