This BMW Mini Cooper Buyer’s Guide is intended to be a good starting point for those in the market for a Mini Cooper. Mini Coopers were recently made famous in “Gold Member”, and before that in “Italian Job”. Everyone has seen or knows about these loveable small cars. This car is popular among all ages. It is one of the best looking cars at any price point, and can be had under $10,000.
MINI is not a brand that has much recognition. Most people believe the brand is “Mini Cooper”. If you choose the right Mini Cooper it can be a terrific car, if you don’t it could be a “endless money pit”. I can hear YouTuber Scotty Kilmer laughing in the background. Check out Scotty’s video about Mini Cooper’s here.
As you know, in my buyer’s guides I like to talk about specific models/trims that are the best buys along with general knowledge. So in this MINI Cooper Buyer’s Guide, I am gonna cover each trim.
N14 vs N18 Engine (Mini Cooper Buyer’s Guide)
One of the main reasons Mini Coopers get a bad reputation is due to the failures of the N14 engine. The N14 is a great engine and if maintained well it will give you no problems. The problem is that when buying a used Mini Cooper you have no idea as to how that engine was maintain. Therefore it is my advice to stay away from the N14 engines altogether and look to purchase the newer N18 Engine. The N18 began its life in MINI Coopers from 2008 in the base models. From 2011 in the Turbo models. i.e. Avoid Automatics before 2008 and Turbo Models before 2011.
THIS IS A LIVING DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE UPDATED, PLEASE CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY
To be continued …
