Used 2012 MINI Cooper Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2012 Cooper, so we've included reviews for other years of the Cooper since its last redesign.
Rocket on wheels
joejh, 02/15/2012
2012 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
52 of 54 people found this review helpful
I'm always shocked at how exciting this ride is everytime my foot touches the accelerator. It's the grown-up's go-kart, on steroids. Mario can eat my dust! How did they put such a large herd of horses under that tiny hood? This car literally growls and thunders when I hit the starter. And what's even more shocking is the fuel economy. Still get low 30's even with my happy feet dancing on that gas pedal. And the bucket seats are perfection - I heard BMW has a PhD designing their seats. It has to be perfect in order to keep you in it!
2011 Mini Cooper Update
Dave E, 10/03/2016
updated 10/21/2020
2011 MINI Cooper S 2dr Convertible (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
45 of 49 people found this review helpful
I have to update the 2011 Mini Cooper review I had previously posted a a Money Pit. It has gone for a great many months without any repairs whatsoever other than routine maintenance. Apparently it was not fairing too well as a garage queen and now that it ha been driven everyday as a back and forth to work car it seems to be thriving and it just keeps on going day after day without the need for anyt repairs. As previously mentioned, it is so fun to drive always and now that all the kinks seem to have been ironed out of it, it feels like a car I will be wanting to keep for a great many more years. Even if I were to get a larger and safer car for back and forth to work, I would still keep the Convertible Mini just because it is so much fun. Advice? Drive it every day to keep it in shape!
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MINI is a big LEMON
David Ginsburg, 07/25/2015
updated 08/01/2016
2011 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
78 of 87 people found this review helpful
You could buy a MINI...or you could throw a pile of cash into a burning dumpster and get the same value. I have a 2011 MINI S, with 63k miles. Car is CONSTANTLY in need of repair. To date, I've replaced the ignition coils and spark plugs three times apiece--THREE TIMES!-- plus hoses, a water pump, drive wheel, fly wheel, water pump pulley, and the AC compressor. Now, the radio is fried and the replacement is $1,000.00 installed. It's hugely expensive and frustrating, and I would NEVER buy another MINI. I've spoke with the customer relations team several times, and although they are very nice and do their best to placate customers, that's all they do--placate you. There is never an actual solution provided. I'm hoping a class-action suit is filed against MINI soon, because I believe they are defrauding consumers with poorly-built cars and hiding the true costs of ownership. This is the worst ownership experience I've had in 25+ years of driving.
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Great city car !
Ashwin, 10/03/2018
2012 MINI Cooper 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 6M)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
I bought a 2012 MINI Cooper (Base Hardtop with 1.6L engine and 6 speed automatic transmission) for my wife as a birthday present and we absolutely love it ! We've owned it for about 6 months and put 5000 miles on it (had 47k when we purchased it). So far, it's been decently reliable and economical car to own. We've been averaging around 33 mpg under mixed conditions and around 38 -40 mpg on highways (the computer calculated mileage it displays is usually 2-4 mpg higher, but I'm happy it's getting the advertised mileage from the EPA/MINI). Oil changes are very cheap since it only requires 4.4 quarts and it costs less than $50 for synthetic oil+filter if you're a DIY person. The car has very good visibility and decent cargo storage when you fold the rear seats down because let's face it, you're almost never going to have anyone sitting in the back. The stereo is excellent and all the electronics have been working perfectly. The brakes on the car are incredible which is probably because of how light the car is! The only reliability related issue we've had is a rough metallic clunky noise (sounds like a bucket of bucket of bolts) which turned out to be because of running very low on engine oil. It was particularly evident on coldstarts in the morning and would almost stall when you come to a stop even after the engine warmed up. My initial thought was that it was the infamous timing chain tensioner and I ended up replacing it during the oil change, but the part I removed was perfectly fine so it must have just been low oil causing the issue. Thankfully, the OEM tensioner only cost me $25 and was simple to replace, and I don't have to worry about it for at least another 50k miles. I do not have any oil burning issues, so it might just be that the previous owner did not fill sufficient oil. From a driving perspective, the throttle/engine/transmission combination is sometimes hesitant and sluggish to respond when you take off from a stop, but sport mode usually fixes that. The seats are excellent quality and won't hurt your back on a long road trip. Overall, it's a really fun car particularly in the city (road and wind noise is a little loud at highway speeds) and I'd highly recommend this car to anyone!
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2012 R58
bcz, 02/21/2014
updated 03/21/2022
2012 MINI Cooper S 2dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
32 of 36 people found this review helpful
A more accurate description is a 12' S Coupe w/ automatic and LOADED. Bought this car in December 2011 and have driven 42k miles so far. I am a commuter from a rural area into a college town and was looking for an economy car, but not one that was underpowered or cheap. This is likely to be the brand I stick with for awhile, they are SO fun to drive and cannot be beat in city traffic (only two wheels have it better). It feels safe because you know that the car has very respectable handling and power to get you around, and deal with occasional poor drivers on the open roads. Rather expensive based on size alone, it has taken the miles and years of ownership to gain a greater appreciation. *Spring of 2022 (and fast approaching the ten year milestone), current odometer is holding at 88k as it is stored winters and only driven on sunny days. It has been modified with aftermarket parts in order to enhance its already 'as-built' nimbleness, including: lowered sport suspension, minor engine mods, and large exhaust. The funnest little car to have around, it got me through college, and I plan on keeping it around.
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