Hi car lover, in today’s episode, I introduce you to a premium subcompact car that is highly agile in handling, and it is no other than “Mini Coopers.” This beautiful car has been popular since the 1960s; as such, we will be looking at how long mini cooper lasts, including other vital aspects you need to know about this vehicle.
How Long Do Mini Cooper last?
A Mini Cooper can last for 13 to 17 years of service translated into 200,000 – 250,000 mileage based on an average of 15,000 miles per year. This is only possible if the vehicle is well maintained and driven.
Are Mini Cooper’s reliable?
The Mini Cooper has a reliability rating of 3.0 out of 5.0 and ranks 25th out of 32 car brands, according to RepairPal. Also, the Mini Cooper ranks 21st out of 21 cars in the subcompact segment.
Also, Mini Copper was rated an average reliability score of 2/5 by the Consumer Reports.
Furthermore, Kelley Blue Book’s consumer reliability rated the Mini Cooper a 4.4/5 score which symbolizes that consumers are well satisfied with this car model.
How Long Do Mini Cooper Engines Last?
Mini Cooper engines last for 13 to 17 years, translated to 200,000 – 250,000 miles.
It is advisable; you wait for 30-60 seconds upon starting it to ensure that the oil reaches temperature and flows through the engine.
Are Mini Coopers expensive to maintain?
The annual maintenance and repair cost of Mini Cooper is $846, which is far higher than the average yearly maintenance cost of the subcompact class, which is $456.
What Mini Cooper Year Models should you avoid?
It would help if you avoided the Mini Cooper car model of 2011, 2012, and 2013 based on safety hazards. Also, these above models have been reported to suffer from engine failures, fires, and other hazardous defects, which can put you at risk.
However, the 2011 and 2012 Mini Cooper are reported to have early teething issues. But 2013 avoided these problems. So the 2013 model is known to be better than the 2011 and 2012 models.
What is Mini Cooper’s high mileage?
The Mini Cooper can run up to 250,000 miles which is considered its high mileage. However, certain factors made this possible, and they include:
- Usage of quality parts
- Routine oil changes
- Personal care and maintenance
- Regular Tire rotations
- Driving smoothly
- Regular attendance to Service appointments
How Long Mini Do Coopers Last before Rusting?
Mini Coopers are known to be resilient to rust; as such, there are hardly reported rusting issues on new Mini Coopers. This is because most Mini Coopers undertake high-standard rustproofing exercises during production. Also, it uses high-quality paint, qualitative car parts, and the galvanized under-body of the car, which is usually sealed.
You should note that that additional rustproofing exercise is not advisable except you live in rust-prone environments; such as icy environments, swampy and high humidity environments
However, it is not 100% certain that your car is free of rust as no vehicle is immune to rust. As such, there are some spots to watch out for rusting in the Mini Cooper, and they included:
- Under tail lights
- Above the license plate
- Around the wheel wells
What are the tips to follow to protect the Mini Cooper from rust
- Waxing: it is required that you wax your Mini Cooper twice a year. This is necessary for a nice shine and to serve as a protective coating against rust.
- Ceramic Coating: This helps to serve as an additional layer of protection for your car surface that helps protect your car better.
- Regularly Washing: This is very important for those that live in rust-prone environments. Washing the car helps remove the salt, dirt, and grime that causes rust on the vehicle.
- Treat all paint damages and scratches with Urgency: Exposed metal and paint surface increases the degree of the car suffering from rust. As such, all forms of paint damages should be treated immediately.
Note: Mini Coopers models from 2004 to date usually have a 12-year/unlimited-mile rust and perforation warranty.
How Long Do Mini Coopers Last Compare to other Car Models?
Enlisted in the table below are the different ways in which Mini Coopers last compared to other car models?
| Mini Cooper | Fiat 500 | Honda Civic | Kia Soul |
| In terms of durability, a Mini Cooper can last for 13 to 17 years of service translated into 200,000 – 250,000 mileage-based on an average of 15,000 miles per year. | In terms of durability, a Fiat can last for 13 to 17 years, which is translated to a mileage of 200,000 – 250,000 miles. | In terms of durability. The Honda Civic can last for 17 to 20 years, translated to 250,000 – 300,000 miles, with a longer lifespan than Mini Cooper. | In terms of durability, the Kia Soul is a very reliable car that lasts for 13 to 17 years which is 200,000 – 250,000 miles, the same as with Mini Cooper. |
| In terms of reliability, the Mini Cooper has is rated 3.0/5.0 and ranks 25th out of 32 car brands, according to RepairPal. | In terms of reliability, the Fiat 500 is rated 3.5/5, which is pretty above Mini Cooper’s.
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In terms of reliability, the RepairPal rates Honda Civic a score of 4.5/5, which is far above Mini that was rated 3.0/5 | In terms of reliability, the RepairPal rates Kia Soul a score of 4.5/5, greater than that of Mini Cooper, which is 3/5. |
| The annual maintenance and repair cost of Mini Cooper is $846 | The annual maintenance and repair cost of The Fiat 500 is $522, which is $324 cheaper than that of Mini. | The average annual maintenance and repair cost for the Civic is just $368, which is almost half the price of Mini’s, which is $846.
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The average annual maintenance and repair costs are $437, which is $409 less than Mini Cooper’s. |
How Long Do Mini Cooper Tires Last?
The Mini Cooper tires can last for about 2 to 3 years, translated to 20,000 – 30,000 miles. However, they can wear out much sooner or longer depending on factors like:
- Driving styles
- Climate, and
- Road conditions.
Tips to prolong the life of your Mini Cooper’s tire
- Regular rotation of tires for every 5,000 miles to ensure even wears.
- Periodically checking tire pressures every few weeks to ensure they are of the proper tire pressure.
- Periodic visit to the tire shop to check your wheel alignment at every six months intervals.
How Long Do Mini Cooper Brakes Last?
Mini Cooper brake can last for 30,000 – 70,000 miles depending on certain factors like; driving habits and conditions.
However, changing a brake pad and the labor is $150 – $300 per axle, which is pretty high.
So to prolong the life of your brakes, you must:
- Avoid complete stops at high speed.
- Drive carefully, as a sporty driving style can lead to faster deterioration of brakes.
How Long Do Mini Cooper Batteries Last?
The Mini Cooper’s battery lasts for 3 – 5 years. This can be shortened or elongated based on certain factors like; climate, battery types, and driving habits.
To prolong the battery life, ensure you clean (using a toothbrush dipped in baking soda and water mixture) the terminals to keep them free from build-up.
How Long Do the Mini Cooper’s Spark Plugs Last?
The Mini Cooper’s spark plugs can last for 60,000 miles before requiring a replacement,
However, it would help if you looked for signs that will tell you that your mini cooper is due for a change. They are:
- Rough idling
- Hard starts
- Reduced gas mileage
- Lack of acceleration
- Engine misfires
What is the Insurance Cost of Mini Cooper?
A comprehensive annual Mini Cooper’s insurance coverage is $1,536 or $128 monthly, which is less than the average yearly fee of $1,468 for a compact segment car, making Mini Cooper $68 cheaper.
However, insurance cost varies from state to state and from shop to shop.
The Worst Years for the Mini Cooper
According to the report from CarComplaints, the 2006 Mini Cooper is known to have the highest number of complaints so far in which the majority of the complaints were on transmission and power steering issues. In terms of multiple reports on transmission failures, the 2005 Mini Cooper is considered the worst model.
Also, the 2007 and 2009 models of Mini Cooper S had the most reports of engine failures.
It would also help to avoid the first generational models that use CVT automatics, as they are known to fail at around 100,000 miles.
To go further, the early second generations Mini Coopers (2007 to 2010) have been reported to have a long list of issues, including turbocharged engines. This is characterized by:
- Water pump and thermostat failure
- Excessive oil burning/consumption
- Timing chain tensioner failure
- Carbon build-up
- Loss of Turbo oil line
However, many of these issues have been corrected with an engine update in the 2011 and 2012 models.
The Best Model Years for Mini Cooper
The best model years for the Mini Cooper are from the 2019 models that are considered the third generational models.
According to CarComplaints, there have not been issues reported so far. In addition, these newer Mini models come with an 8.8-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay, including some luxurious styling tweaks to give you a pleasurable driving experience.
Tips to Prolong the Life of the Mini Cooper
- Smooth driving habits
- Usage of quality parts and fluids.
- Treat every form of malfunction with a sense of urgency.
- Regularly wash of Mini Cooper to avoid the build-up of dirt and salty ailments.
- Regularly check your engine oil, coolant, brake, and transmission fluid to ensure they are working correctly.
- Store your Mini Cooper in a cold, dry garage to protect it from the atmospheric elements.
- Ensure you read the owner’s manual and understand it.
Conclusion
With the above information, you know understand why Mini Cooper is one of the best cars out there, and you can get an answer to the question, “how long do Mini Cooper Last?” For more cars reviews, do follow up on our blog posts.