Used MINI Cooper review and buying guide (2001 to 2007): which one to buy and what to check

Which used MINI Cooper should you buy?

The MINI Cooper to buy sits on standard Sports Suspension with 15-inch wheels, not the Sports Suspension Plus pack or 17-inch rims. The ride's already jiggly, and that pack and the bigger wheels make it worse. 17s on runflat tyres are prone to punctures that need a new tyre, so check the wheel size before anything else.

The earliest cars carry the most extra trouble. Transmission failures on 2001 and 2002 cars had become more frequent by 2007, and early cars also had front struts that pull them to the nearside, door check straps that rust without grease and ABS pump wiring that can short against its bracket. That doesn't clear a later car, but an early one with no paperwork for gearbox work is the riskier buy.

Whatever the year, the gearbox decides it. There's a long run of reports of failures in the gearbox and final drive, so a Cooper that whines, grinds or baulks between gears isn't one to take home. Extras vary hugely from car to car, so list what's fitted on the one you're viewing rather than assuming it matches the last one you saw.

Which MINI Cooper engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The manual gearbox is the Cooper's main weak point, with plenty of reports of it and the final drive failing and trouble showing from 3 to 5 years old. A 2002 recall modified the gearchange cable on early cars so the box wouldn't stick in gear. On the test drive, listen for whine or grinding and feel for a stiff or notchy change in every gear.

The CVT automatic has its own reports to weigh. One owner reported a CVT starting to kangaroo at around 9 years old as its electromagnetic clutch wore out, and another's 28,000-mile 2004 Cooper CVT sheared its water pump pulley off the shaft. Those are single cars, but don't buy an auto that jerks or surges as it pulls away.

The engine's own weak spots are cooling and water. Thermostat housings have been reported failing on the R50 engine, and radiators can corrode once a car's 3 years old. Several MINIs have hydraulicked after swallowing shallow floodwater, so never drive one through standing water, and ask the seller straight out whether it's ever been flooded.

What should you check when viewing a used MINI Cooper?

Power steering comes first, because several owners report the electric motor driving the pump failing, and it can overheat the wiring loom on its way out. With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock and listen: a loud whine points to low fluid from failed seals, and a noise from the column means its upper bearing's gone. One owner's 89,000-mile 2003 Cooper needed a new pump.

Warning lights tell you a lot on this car. ASC, ABS and handbrake lights together, especially with the speedo or rev counter cutting out, point to ABS pump wiring shorting on its bracket on early cars, which has led to smoke and fire in the engine bay. ABS and ASC modules can fail from 3 to 4 years old. An airbag light can come from a loose loom under the seat, and long travel on the footbrake or handbrake means a rear caliper's failed.

Underneath, look for rust on the fuel tank straps, exhaust brackets and rear silencer, which can leave rust marks on the back of the car. Check the nearside bottom corner of the windscreen for cracks, open each door to feel for a rusty check strap, and look for grass packed around the low catalytic converter. If it pulls left, early struts or pushed-up front turrets are the cause.

If it's got the opening panoramic roof, run it through its full travel several times: one R50 owner paid £500 in labour for a replacement roof, and that one failed again later. Ask for proof the recalls were done: the 2001 refuelling static fix, plus the 2002 work on the battery-draining CD player, gearchange cable, front lower suspension arm bolts and handbrake lever.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What does a used MINI Cooper cost to run?