Used 2008 MINI Cooper Consumer Reviews
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Great car if you’re financially comfortable enough
CourtneyEC, 10/09/2018
2008 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
This is a really fun car, deceptively comfortable for one so small, great for collecting speeding tickets. Has great field of vision around it. Plenty of storage space if you put the back seats down, I’ve moved with it a few times. Back seats are cramped and the seats themselves are uncomfortable, front are just fine. The seats are pretty durable and clean up nicely after minor spills. Has a lot of customization you can do with the read outs though they are often obscured by warning lights. You get used to the big odometer in the middle of the car. The front end of the car is very low and prone to getting torn off if you park too close to a concrete curb, you learn to park far back in a space. I hate the sunroof Which takes up the front and back area of the ceiling and comes with a purposeless mesh cover, but that’s just because it’s impractical in Vegas and only serves to expose the top of your head to the sun while you drive. If you like sunroofs it’s a pretty big one. It has stopped working though recently, which most I ever did with was crack it for ventilation while parked. The gas indicator is different from most cars, visualized in pie slices. Once it gets down to three the car may run empty at any moment. The downside is that the car is expensive to maintain. My dad bought this used in 2011 as a midlife crisis mobile and I ended up with it in 2013. In that time the timing chain snapped, requiring the whole engine be replaced. Then a few months later some plastic part in the engine deformed from heat (I live in Las Vegas, I think it’d been 115 that day) and had to be replaced. Oil changes are $60 to $100, though supposedly only needed once a year. Currently at 122000 some miles it’s just had to have completely new brake pads, replaced water pump, Persistent antifreeze leak that the mechanic is currently trying to fix, all of which has cost more than a third of the car’s worth at this point. That’s not to mention the several sensors that have gone bad so constantly say something is wrong with the tires, seatbelts, and brakes even though they’re fine. I don’t bother fixing those. This model (or all Minis?) have a lot of plastic parts inside that I don’t think hold up well to the dry heat in Vegas. The check engine light has been on for most of the life of the car, with one thing or another wrong with it at any given time. It’s been a good car, comparatively good on gas mileage, but the upkeep is a bit beyond what is practical On a student’s limited funds. Would make a great passion car though, something fun and comfortable for someone that can afford the repairs and has a garage to shield it from the sun. Not sad I’ve had it, just sad it hasn’t been more durable. Then again, 7 years in the family putting up with longer commutes, a climate I don’t think it was designed for, and persistent minimal maintenance (getting it fixed when we can afford or when absolutely urgent) I’d still says it’s been a good car for the price. This round of repairs may hold it for another 60 or 80000 miles, but planning to sell it and go electric when I get the money saved up.
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My MINI Cooper S nightmare
tdi owner now, 01/10/2010
2008 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
11 of 13 people found this review helpful
I thought when I bought my MINI Cooper S 2008, I was buying my dream car. I was proven wrong as soon as winter in New England came around. First morning below 0 it left me stranded on the side of the road for 4hours (until Roadside could get me). At that point, it was in shop x 3 weeks, they needed to get a modified "snorkle" part for the manifold. There was water in there. I thought doesn't it get cold in Europe..well yeh! The car come May and June wasn't any better. The car was at the dealer on ave. 1x every 6-8 weeks with less than 20000mi. I lost a ton of money when I traded in my completely unreliable MINI contrary to what the dealer says it does lose value!
a blissful honeymoon led to a nasty divorce
stanley m heath, 06/12/2016
2008 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
14 of 17 people found this review helpful
BMW seems determined to make Mini owners tethered to their Mini dealership service departments. There are no instructions for owner maintainence and the instructions for resetting the stupid computer for things as simple as inflating the tires are either incomplete or unintelligible. Oil change intervals of 15,000 miles are too long and only contribute to more trips to the dealer in the long run as the engine wears out. Every Mini owner can attest to the utter worthlessness of the run flat tires. Harsh ride and expensive to replace I put conventional radials on and it made big improvement. For a "sports" car with all the electronics I"d expect and oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge at the minimum, but apparently BMW engineers knew better. I bought my Cooper S with 13,000 miles and never got the Email regarding the recall for timing belt tensioner replacement until mine imploded at 30,000 miles. The local dealer was willing to replace mine, but up until that moment I'd never had oil consumption problems. Since then it burned through 2 qts. in 5000 miles. Coincidence? I think the fragments from the tensioner ruined the internal parts of the engine. The driving experience is indeed exhilarating, but beware the dealer cost for service can offset the fun factor real quick. I will not buy another Mini or any other BMW product or recommend them to anyone else. Run the other way
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Unreliable go-kart
Alex, 01/29/2010
2008 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
DO NOT BUY A MINI!!! I was excited to pick up my Mini a couple of years ago; it had go-kart handling and almost 40mpg. However shortly after I picked up the car the problems started; engine overheating, windows not rolling up, various engine lights coming on, etc... Each time the dealer would help me resolve the issue, but as this wasn't scheduled maintenance, I had to arrange alternative transportation. In addition we live about an hour from the dealer so it was two hours of driving with my wife following me. This wouldn't have been such a big deal if it wasn't in the shop at least once a month. Moritz would not work with me, and I finally sold the car for a much more reliable Nissan.
2008 Mini Cooper S
ckranert, 11/13/2009
2008 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
8 of 10 people found this review helpful
I bought the car in May of 2008 and already have over 30k miles, so it is a great car to travel in. I am able to get my wife, son, golf clubs, and everything else that comes with having a toddler in the car with no problems. People complaining about space don't know how to use what they have! Got it for the gas milage first and performance second, it hasn't disappointed in either. My main concern is the constant rattling from the passenger side and the dealership's refusal to fix it. Aside from that it is a great car.
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