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Mini Cooper R56.I (2007-2010)
Mr BlackSouth East Queensland, QLD
So far so good 2010 R56 Cooper Hatch
2010 R56 Cooper Hatchback
1st Mini for me, Second hand straight swap for a 2011 Ford Ranger (long story, but a happy ending). Happy with it, no issues that I'd complain of. Glad I didn't go the Cooper S, as they appear to have more problems than the basic Cooper.
Daily driver, go kart cornering, but understand that I will have to fork out $$ for servicing, parts replacement and run flats. Lucky I have a mortgage eh!
Happy motoring!
Purchased in January 2021.
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JuliaGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
- 7 reviews
Fast and economical.
Enjoyed ever bit of that car. It is small, it is compact, fuel efficient. The car is comfortable to drive. Has a great pick up even though doesn't need that much petrol. The design from inside is a bit weird, the whole dash board is in the middle, unusual but easy to get used to.
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Endless Headaches/Sloppy Engineering
Can't give them "0" stars, so they get a lucky star...just one. Super friendly sales and service people for sure, MINI, good job, you've trained them well. The complimentary Starbucks coffee and Chex Party Mix are also a nice touch, but none of these can substitute for engineering and delivering a quality automobile to your customers! I'd rather by a car from a jerk that was a quality product, designed for performance, reliability, and longevity. The automatic transmission on my 2007 mini cooper failed at 108,000 miles. A regularly serviced aut...Read more
omatic transmission such as the one in the 2007 Mini Cooper, by comparable industry standards, should be good for at least 150,000 miles. This was not an inexpensive car (over 30K new, with over $15,000 in labor and parts in the meantime). The transmission was serviced when the car was still under warranty, and well after the BMW corporation was aware of the design flaws that ultimately led to the transmission failure. Rather than service the defective transmission while the warranty was in effect, they sent me home with a car that they knew had a poorly designed/engineered transmission from the factory. Although the transmission was serviced 18 months prior to this failure, and I believed the work carried a 2-year warranty, MINI's position is that the work performed was not mechanical, but electronic in nature, and was not covered under the 2-year warranty. The MINI was fun while it lasted, and as a professional that works with young adults as a career, I always felt comfortable recommending the MINI as a first car. My position on the MINI (not Bill Jacobs, you've been consummately professional) has shifted, and I will ultimately share my story of dissatisfaction and disappointment with the BMW corporation. Of notable irony is the fact that I originally purchased a MINI because of their resale value. $45,000 later and I have a MINI that is worth $150. The final tow to and from Bill Jacobs MINI will cost more than that. I believe that any of the owners of Bill Jacobs MINI or it's representatives would feel exactly as I do in regards to this situation. To MINI and BMW……….you missed the most important thing that car buyers want, that is, a quality product. Everything else has been tasty, perfectly-brewed, and pleasant.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how Mini Cooper R56.I compares to other Hatchbacks
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Melody21Charters Towers
- 4 reviews
- 2 likes
- Cooper R56.I (2007-2010)
- Verified purchase
My perfect first car
Mini cooper is really easy and fun to drive. For a new female driver, parking is easier with mini copper. It's very safe and fast to do turnigs and corners. The most important thing, The looking is cute. It's actually bigger than it looks. You can always put down the back seats and hold big luggages. Filling a whole tank is about $50.
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Richard1850Metropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 3 reviews
- 1 like
Retro styling with modern convenience and real sporty ride!
Initially I disliked the look of the "new" minis, having been driving a "real" mini for a few years, but I had a look at a few and liked the features in them. I considered buying a R-53 (supercharged) but the R56 offered so much more in terms of features and I liked the idea of a turbo motor.The more I looked at them the more I liked them, and then my 1991 Magna died and I wanted a good car. I hunted around and waited until I found what I wanted, a Cooper "S" with the JCW kit (add-on, not factory). The JCW Kit adds an extra 10 KW over the stand...Read more
ard "S" motor and lots of extra torque. I was mightily impressed by the low-end power, with the turbo kicking in from about 1800 rpm, with the 4 cylinder engine remaining silky smooth, unlike my old Magna! The JCW kit consists of (essentially) an ECU flash and an upgraded exhaust on a Cooper "S", which really sounds muted when you are driving it, but is actually much more noticable from the outside. I really enjoy driving this car, as it is quite nimble and sporty. I will confess that I did the "Road Test" on a nice quiet country road and quickly got to 200Kph before I backed off. Top speed is given as 235Kph, which to me is quite believable, as it still was accelerating strongly when I backed off. The original purchaser of my car must have ticked nearly all of the boxes when ordering it, including heated seats, integrated sat nav (relatively rare in 2007), Xenon headlights and headlight washers, stainless steel trim with chromed instruments, adjustable interior lights (blue-purple-red-orange), bluetooth (also relatively new in 2007, although it is phone only) auxilliary sound input, i-pod/iphone connection in the (cooled) glove box (except it won't charge Iphone 4s) to listen to music and lots of other stuff. The original run-flat tyres were long-gone when i bought it, most owners recommend getting rid of the RFTs and carrying a can of tyre foam and a pump, it has worked for me on the one occasion that I got a flat. The RFTs are not repairable and make the ride rough, apparently. The suspension is stiff enough as is, without having nearly solid side-walls on the tyres. OK Downsides! The car is really a two-seater, unless the people in the back seat have no legs, or the driver has short legs. For me, at 183cm, the seat is almost all the way back, leaving no legroom for anyone in the back. The stiffness of the suspension means that the dash assembly squeaks and groans, noticable at low speed. Reliability of the N-14 Princess turbo motor is somewhat compromised by a few known problems, Hgh pressure fuel pump failure, Water pump housing failure, carbon build-up in the intake manifold (causes pinging and rough running) and the dreaded timing-chain death-rattle- curable by fitting a new timing chain, chain guides and chain tensioner.. Services are expensive, but you are driving (essentially) a BMW. There are non-"Mini Garage" services available at significantly cheaper rates, often run by ex-MiniGarage mechanics, so just as good. It uses 98 RON petrol, gets on average 7.9l/100km around town and about 6.5 at 110kph (one of the features is instant fuel consumption and average fuel consumption read-outs). At 200 kph fuel consumption is about 25 litres per 100km, to give a range of 200km from the fuel tank, or about 600km at normal (legal) speeds. Overall, this is a car that I would like to keep for many years as a daily driver, especially now that the kids have grown up (but I haven't). It handles sharply on the winding roads, has good acceleration and braking and has a fun factor way above just about any other car i have driven (except for my Moke).Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
John PSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 9 reviews
Cooper S - Great car but expensive to run
I have a 2008 Mini Cooper S with Auto. I am the second owner and I have owned it for four years. It is a great car to drive, but it is expensive to own. Brake rotors and pads had to be replaced at 60,000 klms, which apparently is a common issue with many European cars (sacrificial rotors) - BMW cost is $1800, although I did it cheaper by buying after market parts from the UK. BMW also use a plastic component in the circulating cooling water system - this failed at around 65,000 kms (around $500 to replace)- the plastic eventually fails from the...Read more
heat in the engine bay - a crazy design! An oil leak developed at 70,000 klms, which cost $1000 to fix. Timing chain now needs replacement at 80,000 klms, at $2000 - this is a design issue that BMW USA fixed under warranty, but BMW Australia is not admitting fault for. I love my Mini, but the mechanical components have been poorly designed - it really is a luxury purchase. If you buy one, go in with your eyes open and don't buy one if you are after a cheap runaround.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
I love my Mini Cooper S
So sad about the bad reviews for my car! I've had mine for 5 years now, bought from the dealer ex demo with 1000k on it. It hasn't missed a beat. Apart from a recall for the turbo, which was replaced free, it hasn't had one single problem, not even a blown fuse! It's fun to drive, corners like a go cart, has fantastic power and grunt. The Mini's computer tells you when to service it and I only have to about once a year. I'm not a conservative driver, I push my Mini hard as I love to feel the turbo kick in. Compared to the Toyota Tarago I had pr...Read more
eviously, servicing is cheap! One service, always at BMW dealership, cost me $143 AND they gave me a brand new BMW courtesy car for the day, I couldn't have hired one for that price. I love the style, the power and the absolute driving pleasure of owning a Mini Cooper S. It's just plain fun, oh and I'm female and 47, mid life crisis I guess.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Mini MinerWestern Australia
- 3 reviews
This Lemon Sux
Purchased brand new in Jan 2008 for around 60K with all the fruit (lemons in particular?).
Total of six months since wasted in service? department...great coffee and they all know me by name.
Everything that can be replaced has been replaced (should have bought a ten year warranty?).
Two new turbos, fuel pump, head gasket, back hatch, drivers side window, wiring harness, computer control system to activate car and locking, window shades, front window seals, and yes....a new timing chain and tensioner.
Now I feel like a million dollars driving this piece of citrus ('cause that is what it costs to run)!!
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Cheap on fuel - Very expensive on everything else
I have owned a 2009 Mini Cooper Camden diesel for the past 4 years. Whilst i like the Mini and it is very fuel efficient - its down sides cost more than the savings of the up sides.
1 - I have gone through a set of run flat tyres each year of ownership. $900 per year - never had this issue with any another car i have owned,
2 - Service costs for the Mini are outrageous. - $500 - $900 x 3 times per year
3 - The rear tail light assembly holds 4 globes. When one globes connector burns out you need to change the entire assembly ( $100 )...Read more
4 - recently i had an issue with the radio - it suddenly stopped working - The fuse was not blown & that is the only check of the system I can make myself - The radio system is totally enclosed within the dash - meaning that the dash has to be dismantled in order to access the radio - upon taking it to BMW I was informed that the dash would have to be dismantled, the seats removed, the carpet removed, the door trims removed in order for them to diagnose the cause. I wrote a letter to BMW Australia & Germany outlining the issue I was having. I explained that if they ( as a manufacturer ) decide to totally enclose the radio system inside the dash resulting in total interior dismantle to access & diagnose it they should / must assume responsibility for its failure & pay for its repair. Of course in more diplomatic words their response was ( its out of warranty / bad luck mate ) The end result of this issue = new power module & new radio head unit = $2000 - I have sold the Mini & will NEVER EVER buy a BMW product AGAIN .... The BMW mechanic that worked on my Mini told me this - They make these cars to last the term of the warranty - I fix them but I would never buy one = Enough said .... BMW = Buyers, Money, Wasted - legalised robbery is what it is.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Find out how Mini Cooper R56.I compares to other Hatchbacks
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ReiditAU
- 3 reviews
- 12 likes
Spunky car, sporty interior and exterior.
Great looking car, bought used from dealer. Had for over 3 years bought with sport suspension which is great. Only drama recently was with the Friction Pully Assembly/Drivebelt/Waterpump pully. My mechanic said that this was not a great design part and wears out too quickly . Cheap to run. Fun to drive. Great to park in small spaces.
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NewportHandymanSydney
- 27 reviews
- 23 likes
Love it
I'm a bit sad to see such bad reviews of my car, which I really love! Mine is a 2009 "D" (diesel) 6-speed manual with the sunroof and I can't say enough good things about it. It still drives and handles mostly like new, and apart from some dints in the sides from clumsy people opening doors in car parks, it still looks pretty good too. I just love driving it, it's not super fast but it's torquey and you can swing it around a corner if you feel like it. You can fit more in it than you would expect - just today I bought a new clothes dryer and (w...Read more
ith some advance measurement) was able to bring it home in the Mini (the guy at the loading dock was pretty surprised). And the fuel economy is phenomenal, always better than 4l/100km out of town, about 5.5 tootling around our suburb. My wife, admittedly, doesn't like it that much as she doesn't like manuals and prefers a "smoother" ride. BTW I get mine serviced at Bromspec Motor Works in Brookvale.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
This car is a lemon!
I am now going to the tribunal in an attempt to recover some of the $10,000+ in repair costs for my 2008 Mini Cooper S. Mini did pay for the parts for the timing chain, but not the fatal oil leak, 2 clutches, turbo charger, electronics, etc, etc. I have to return the car to the dealership in the morning as the electronic have failed again. I just got it back after two months with the BMW mechanics supposedly going over everything! Never buy this car!
Too expensive to repair and too many faults.
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Igooba
- 2 reviews
- 9 likes
Faulty timing chain tensioner systemic problem
BMW in some countries acknowledge that cooper s r56 has a faulty timing tensioner causing $1600 repair or if not repaired early total engine replacement. In australia their official line is they do not have to comply as the laws here don't make them have to.
Timing chain issue fails after 30'000km on a $50,000 car! Does that sound right.? If you talk to your BMW service manager they tell you it is normal. (Not normal on a $12k Hyundai)
Beware of BMW used car inspections they won't tell you honestly any known issues covering them up, I spe...Read more
nt $500 on an inspection and 2 weeks later had a $1600 repair bill for the timing chain tensioner an issue they have gone to court about In 5 countries. Cool, great to drive Expensive servicing, run flat tyres fail early and expensive, timing chain tensionerSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Mini Cooper Customer service
Terrible after sale from BMW. Good car but a have few faulty parts. Return to BMW they refuse to fix it under warranty and charge high cost to resolve the problem. Unprofessional and rude to customer. Never buy another Mini or BMW after this. Thier service is the worst ever!
fun to drive
worst after sale service from BMW
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boardieAU
- 5 reviews
.. A bad choice!
I purchased my Mini Cooper 'S' from Col Crawford MINI in June 2010. This was my second Mini, i only sold the previous one which i loved to move back to the UK. This time around, what a mistake!
The car sounded like a diesel one morning (October 2010), towed to my local BMW dealer (Parramatta) who were amazing. They called me and advised the timing chain was on its way out.. Typically something needing replacing at 150,000kms, not 7,000kms. The vehicle was in the shop for a period of 6 weeks. BMW parramatta had their hands tied and kept me in...Read more
formed along the way. I said i needed a car to get around in, they said head office would have to approve that. They didn't want to budge.. I finally got approval after threatening the ACCC. I did call Col Crawford who said unless they can repair the car themselves, then they won't assist with a hire car.. Multiple calls, useless! Other things also happened like the drivers vanity mirror fell off and a power window switch failed on multiple occassions... Again, my local dealership was always there to assist. I finally get the car back, driving on the motorway in the rain, wait for it, the entire lefft hand side wiper arms flys off! Yes, flys off! Thank goodness it wasn't on the drivers side. Again, back to BMW we go. A few weeks later the lower front grills falls out, yes, falls out! The only good thing about all my visits to MINI were that they washed the car each time. I had a good relationship with the local service advisor ho assisted me each time, she actually showed me how much money they had spent on warranty repairs since i bought the vehicle... A wopping $8,200 that was billed back to BMW head office in Melbourne. I had enough... If the car was costing this amount of money (sure i get it, its European) then what the hell would it cost out of warranty (at which i also bought an additional two years of at a cost of $1300). I wasn't going to stick around to find out. I made an appointment to visit the useless staff and dealer principal at Col Crawford since they were the ones who sold me the car in the first place. I actlally visited to do more business. I said in light of the cars history, and my fear of driving this car moving forward and what had happened to date i wanted to get out of the Mini and into something different. Col Crawford is a multi franchise dealership... We looked at Hondas, Nissan etc... Both being Japenese seemed like a good idea. When i went back to see the dealer principal (Nick) he tried to flog us a 2004 BMW 118i.. Then a 2006 model. I said 'are you nit listening'? Enough of the European stuff, we were going to order a Nissan if the sums added up. Sure, i was going to loose money on the Mini, even though for two months out of her 8 months of life i didn't have her.... Nick wanted to offer around 15k less then the purchase amount... Espically after everything we went thru and that his service department did not have to lift a finger service wise. I wanted to give them business... He said he would not budge because clearly the car was riddled with problems.... And he had no confidence that BMW Parramatta fixed all the issues! I said 'are you not meant to support the national brand, dealer and service network'? He said again, that he wouldn't budge on the numbers... I didn't see a line of people outside to buy cars.1 comment
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Find out how Mini Cooper R56.I compares to other Hatchbacks
Know better, choose better.
leo729
- 2 reviews
- 6 likes
Terrible
Buy this car if you're a die hard Mini enthusiast!If not and you still want this car because it looks cool and it's Mini,dont hold on it for long.Dispose it as soon as the 3 year warranty and Road Assist run out or prepare to spend $$$$$ for repairs not to mention time. Browse for Mini Forums around the world,this car apparently encounters many major mechanical problems early in it's life (3-5 years)
Great Road Assist
Further to my earlier review(Leo729),the door actuator was replaced and fixed the problem. I thought it was the last.However,I h...Read more
1 comment
BMW recently recalled MCS for water pump failure and risk of engine fire.. Thanks God,mine didnt catch fire when my MCS overheated and water pump failed.
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techracerAU
- 4 reviews
Love my Mini :)
Having owned my 03' R56 Cooper S for 3yrs now, I have fallen in love with it. Coming out of a Type R Honda Integra I was looking for something that was still fun to drive but in a more modern package.
Although the "S" has only 125kw (vs 145kw from the type R) it is still alot of fun to drive.
I have now travelled 40,000km (after buying it at 90,000km's) and it still brings a smile to my face everytime I go out to it in the morning-how many cars can really give that to you today.
I've found the build quality to be really good although after f...Read more
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taijieric88
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
OK
water leaks into rear light a month or so after delivery, drivers side window leaks. kept the price from 7 years ago, but sacrificing QC?
- a unique european car for a reasonably low price- powerful and handles great
- quality control has degraded from the previous series (02-07)- cheap built, what happen to the solid feeling from the 02-07s?
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Questions & Answers
R55 ClubmanSasked
Anyone can help ?? I had a 2010 R55 Clubman S recently the car had Lightning System fault most of the light (head light, indicators, room lights even the windows not working) anyone can tell me how to repair this??
2 answers
Suggest you get your service agent to check the bolt holding the electrical harness in place underneath the car...I had to replace my harness at great expense and when they reinstalled the new one, the bolt was left loose and threw up an endless array of electrical faults for two years before they finally resolved the problem with a wrench (even got locked out for awhile). Repairers came up with an endless list of phantom electrical faults to replace in the interim but it was just the harness bouncing around shorting everything out. MM
Did you check the fuses & relays ? If these are not the issue take it to a non BMW mini spesialust - BMW quoted me $4000 to replace the stereo. The non BMW specialist charged me $1400
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Un-Happy
Agree with you about the useless staff at Crawfords !!!!!. Would not recommend them period.