Used MINI One R56 review and buying guide (2007 to 2013): which one to buy and what to check

Which used MINI One R56 should you buy?

The MINI One R56 to buy is one whose gear lever feels tight, because the six-speed Getrag gearbox fitted to these cars has started to fail and a loose-feeling lever is the first sign. One owner's 2009 One needed a new gearbox at 57,000 miles, so it's the first thing to judge on any One you view.

Launch cars from 2007 have a 1.4 petrol, the One moved to a 1.6 petrol with Valvetronic valve control from March 2010, and a 1.6 diesel One D joined it in August 2010. Owners of 2007 and 2008 petrols have reported Vanos trouble, one with a failed exhaust Vanos and one with a warning light that came down to the Vanos needing more oil, so ask for receipts for any Vanos work and check the oil level.

Which MINI One R56 engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The six-speed Getrag gearbox is the part to worry about on a MINI One R56, as it's been failing and a loose-feeling lever is the first sign. A six-speed box is standard on every One, and the optional six-speed automatic is made by Aisin, so it's a different gearbox from the Getrag. The 1.4 petrol's geared tall, which leaves it flat in sixth and makes third less useful than it should be.

Owners of 1.4 petrols built from 2007 have reported Vanos trouble, and one had a cracked cylinder head. One 2007 car's exhaust Vanos failed at 37,500 miles and its owner paid £510 after a £170 goodwill discount, while another 2007 One cracked its cylinder head at 48,000 miles, which cost its owner £3,178 at an independent garage. A four-year-old 1.4 that had been serviced by a dealer suffered total engine failure.

A dealer put one 2009 car's repeated cam sensor fault down to short journeys causing rust inside the engine, and the fix it proposed involved a modified rocker cover. The 1.6 diesel One D arrived in August 2010, and one owner's 2011 One D sheared the bolt securing its fuel tank bracket, so that's worth a look underneath before you buy.

What should you check when viewing a used MINI One R56?

Feel the gear lever before anything else: if it's loose, the six-speed Getrag gearbox is on its way out, and one owner's 2009 One needed a new gearbox at 57,000 miles. On the drive, try the clutch too, because one 2010 car's clutch failed at just 13,000 miles.

Run your eye over the windscreen for chips and cracks, since the glass is thin and stone strikes crack it easily. Check the paint for flaws, and ask whether the battery's ever gone flat, as a failing battery earth strap can drain it. There have been starter motor problems too, and if the upgraded sound system's fitted, try every speaker, because its tweeters fail again and again.

On a petrol, watch for an engine warning light or a loss of power, and check the oil level, as one 2008 car's warning light came down to its Vanos needing more oil. Ask for receipts for any Vanos or cam sensor work, and ask what sort of journeys it's done, since a dealer blamed one car's repeat cam sensor fault on short trips. Look underneath for oil leaks, and on a One D check the fuel tank bracket bolt.

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