Mini Cooper Review (2001 to 2006)

Quick Summary

In case of the MINI Cooper, the market has rewarded an excellent product with stellar sales. The hatchback versions with manual gearboxes remain the pick of the crop with our choices being an entry-level Cooper or a range-topping Cooper S Works. It's hard to go too badly wrong but there is a lot of choice out there so take your time and don't get tucked up by a seller looking to command top book for an average car. Those days have long since passed.

Overall:

Models Covered: (3dr hatch 1.6 [Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper S Works, Cooper Park Lane, Cooper S Checkmate])

COOPERSONIC

Few cars in recent times have provoked such a frenzied buying rush as the MINI Cooper. First unveiled in 2001, the car's waiting lists grew ridiculously long and models were changing hands at a premium well above the retail price. As production was ramped up to cope the waiting times fell and the Cooper and Cooper S variants remained hot tickets. Used buyers can now get hold of a Cooper model at sensible prices but how well does it stack up second time round?
Used Mini Cooper for sale

History of the Cooper

Launched in April 2001, the MINI Cooper dumbfounded all the sceptics. Most fully expected that BMW's pastiche of a British classic would fall flat on its face but nothing could have been further from the truth. Although the Cooper package wasn't that far removed from the markedly cheaper MINI One, it was still the car to have for summer 2001 and even now it still cuts a dash.In October 2001 a four speed CVT gearbox option was introduced but this blunted the Cooper's rather modest performance still further and should best be avoided unless you use your Coop for a lot of city schlepping. The answer to the Cooper's relative lack of straight line poke came in 2002 with the introduction of the 170bhp Cooper S, a supercharged model with mouth and trousers. Shortly afterwards, the 200bhp John Cooper Works models were offered as an aftermarket conversion. March 2004 saw the unveiling of Convertible derivatives of both the Cooper and Cooper S while a rocketship 'factory' 210bhp Cooper S Works model arrived in November 2004. A Steptronic gearbox was released for the Cooper S models at the start of 2005. Special edition Cooper Park Lane and Cooper S Checkmate cars were also available in 2005/2006. The all new MINI was unveiled late in 2006 to replace this model, but it looked almost identical so dismay amongst the car's enthusiast following was kept to a minimum.
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Mini Cooper Road Test

It probably won't have escaped your attention that parent company BMW don't have a great deal of experience in producing front-wheel drive cars. In fact, their advertising seems to pour scorn on the benefits of directing power forwards. Other manufacturers have shown that producing a sweet-handling yet powerful front-wheel drive car can be something of a task. Ask any of BMW's engineers whether this was the case with the MINI and they'll chuckle, recalling its impressive achievements during testing at the Nurburgring: BMW aren't renowned for creating dynamic duffers. Although the Cooper handles well, keen drivers will always seek out the supercharged but rather thirsty Cooper S models. What's important here is rest to sixty in 7.2s on the way to 138mph. All of which would be useless were the basic car to be incapable of capitalising on all that power. But of course it isn't. If you've driven a standard MINI, then you'll already know about the excellence of the standard chassis: so good in fact that it would have been a waste not to further exploit the whole set-up. The Cooper S package does that brilliantly. The Convertibles are not quite so stellar, exhibiting a degree of body flex and some poor all-round visibility. For really demented performance try the Cooper S Works. With 210bhp up front it's enough to keep some junior supercars on their mettle.
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Buying a Mini Cooper

Practically all MINI owners paid the extra £100 for the five-year 'TLC' servicing option, and as such your prospective purchase will probably have had some main dealer attention. The unfortunate fact that is beginning to emerge is that it may well have needed it. Apart from a recall to modify some car's fuel filler necks, many owners have seen somewhat more of their local BMW service bay than they would have expected. Many owners reported that the ball races at the top pivot points of their front suspension struts were lacking caps and exposed to the elements. This seemed to be the cause of left hand pull on some models, rectified by fitting new struts. Rattling dashboards and badly fitting roof guttering were also repetitive complaints amongst owners. Likewise a faulty sensor in the tailgate latch often flashes a warning to the driver that the hatch is open, requiring a few slams to disengage it. Check for tyre wear and accident damage and ensure that the hood mechanism functions properly on the Convertible models.
Used Mini Cooper for sale

Mini Cooper Typical Pricing

How long is a piece of string? This could get complicated. Beside all the different Cooper models there are separate prices for the Pepper and Chilli option packs, so pricing a Mini Cooper variant is often anything but straightforward. Let's start with the standard Cooper hatch with a manual gearbox. These open at £7,400 on an 01 Y plate. A 51-plated version with Pepper pack costs from £8,100 with a similar vintage Chilli model going for around £8,800.CVT gearboxes add around £450 to these numbers. A basic Cooper Convertible kicks off at £13,200 on a 2004 04 plate.Move up to a car with a supercharger and you're looking at a few more pounds. Intro level for a Cooper S hatch with the manual box is £10,200 on a 2002 02 plate with the Chilli Pack adding another £600. The Convertible Cooper S starts at £14,800, again on the 2004 04 plate, with the Steptronic model starting at £17,000 for a 2005 54 plate. The Cooper S Works conversion can be found from £12,750 on a 2002 52 plate.
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Mini Cooper Parts

(approx prices excl VAT for a 2004 Cooper.) A clutch assembly is around £130. Front brake pads are around £55, a full exhaust about £360, an alternator around £100 and a front tyre around £65. A starter motor is about £120. A headlamp is about £165.
Used Mini Cooper for sale