Used third-gen Mini Cooper F56 - The go-kart on steroids that punches above its weight. What to look out for and how much to repair?

Very few cars invoke a sense of amusement that transcends the boundaries of petrolheads and those that aren’t; or civilians as we call them. The MINI Cooper is a member of that extremely exclusive club that can also count on the likes of the Volkswagen Beetle among its esteemed fellows.

Regardless in classic or new form, the 3-door MINI never fails to put a smile on peoples’ faces and even encourages a second look from non-petrolheads even; a reaction not even supercars can lay claim to.

Nonetheless, the BMW Group bringing the Mini into the modern age was just the shot in the arm the hatch needed and retained two of its most iconic features; the design and that go-kart handling.

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The latter is what has essentially defined the Mini, allowing it to punch well above its weight against larger, more powerful machinery. More of a switchblade in a gunfight if brought to a drag race, the Mini’s razor-sharp handling and diminutive size made that very switchblade a game-changer in the hand-to-hand combat arena of tight, twisty corners.

Reasons to get one

Well… it’s a Mini? No matter how much horsepower fuels the engine of your loins, absolutely nobody; and we mean nobody, isn’t charmed by a Mini.

The Mini is as much of a pop culture icon as it is a motor vehicle. Songs have been sung about it, movies were made around it and people in general just go gaga over it.

Who didn’t watch Mr. Bean growing up? And if you’re a petrolhead, don’t you dare tell us you haven’t seen The Italian Job. Heck, even Madonna namedropped it in her song American Life.

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Plus, did we mention that it handles like a go-kart and will embarrass much more exotic machinery on any road that isn’t dead straight?

If that isn't reason enough, some of the quirky design elements did actually translate into some real world convenience. Take for instance the instrument cluster that's attached to the steering column, meaning regardless of the steering wheel's adjustment, the cluster would always be perfectly visible.

Lastly, the funky and groovy cabin design cues were simply hard to ignore. A particular guilty indulgence was the bright red engine start toggle switch that invoked parallels to a jet fighter. Cheap thrills but we never attessed to being hard to please.

How many variants of the third gen Mini are there?

In this buying guide we’ll be focussing on the pre-facelifted third gen that’s completely new from the ground up over its predecessor. The easiest way to tell the pre-FL and FL apart would be via the those iconic Union Jack taillights on the FL. So yeah, you won't get those here.

When launched new in early 2014, the F56 Cooper arrived here in the usual Cooper and Cooper S forms. In total though, there were 4 variants if you include the upgrade packs for each, cheekily dubbed Chilli and Wired in typical MINI speak.

If you’re wondering, it’s a MINI Cooper Chilli in a scrumptious shade of Iced Chocolate Metallic that’s pictured here in this piece.

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The biggest upgrades with the third gen MINI are the new engines pinched from BMW that replace the notorious Prince engines found; often leaking oil, in the second gen MINI.

You’ll find a 1.5-litre three-cylinder Mini TwinPower Turbo engine in the Cooper. A variant of the B38 BMW mill found in the BMW F30 318i, it made 136 HP and 220 Nm of torque. All that was good for a scant century dash in 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 210 kph.

Stepping up the big boy Cooper S sees a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from BMW’s B48 range. Here, it delivers 192 HP and 280 Nm of torque; good enough to dispatch the century sprint in 6.7 seconds and onto a top speed of 233 kph.

While the engines were new, the transmissions were retained, them being the same Aisin six-speed automatics with the Cooper S getting a unit dubbed the Sports Auto version that also incorporated Launch Control.

Equipment wise, only the base Cooper got halogen reflector-type headlamps that lack the distinctive LED DRLs. However, if you opted for a dash of Chilli sauce, it included LED headlights and foglights that were standard in the Cooper S.

Wheels were 16-inch Loop Spoke Silver designs on the Cooper and 17-inch Tentacle Spoke Silver rollers on the Cooper S.

Things were pretty barren in the Cooper with fabric upholstery and manual air-conditioning but did get a Sports steering wheel. The Chilli kit added leather sports seats, dual-zone climate control and a 6.5-inch screen with MINI’s take on BMW’s iDrive with a six-button layout.

In the Cooper S, additional kit comprised Anthracite headlining and a John Cooper Works (JCW) steering wheel. The Wired kit only added a centre armrest and 12-speaker Harman Kardon HiFi sound system. However, the screen was a larger 8.8-inch unit with a touch-sensitive controller built into the central rotary dial.

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Safety back in 2014 wasn’t given as much emphasis as it is now. Loosely translated, that meant only 4 airbags for all variants.

Used market prices

Brand spanking new, pricing for the pre-facelift third gen F56 Cooper was as follows:

Having been in the market from early 2014 up until the facelift was introduced in the middle of 2018, pricing does understandably range quite a fair bit for used units.

Which variant should I go for?

Seeing that there were essentially only 2 variants, it boils down to that need for speed.

Bear in mind, 136 HP in something this small is plenty of punch so if you’re purchasing a used MINI for the lifestyle element, the regular Cooper is plenty sufficient.

We do strongly implore you try and score yourself a Cooper Chilli though. Those LED headlights, sports seats, dual-zone climate control and a 6.5-inch infotainment screen are kit that’s well worth the premium.

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If that aforementioned need for speed overpowers you, the Cooper S is just what the doctor ordered. Here though, you’ll sleep just fine without the extra bits from the Wired pack but if you do come across one that’s priced right, go for it.

You see, the most valuable part of the Chilli and Wired packs were the three-year MINI Service Inclusive programme. That’s a strong indication that the owners would have sent the car back to the authorised service centres for that duration at least.

Lastly, always prioritise units that were officially imported by MINI Malaysia and with a full service history over recon units that are mostly from Japan and could be more prone to tampered mileage.

Common problems and maintenance costs

Once again, we spoke with friend and chief BMW / MINI consultant for WapCar Owen Riley. As the founder of Munich Precision, Owen is well versed in the dark arts of BMW vehicles and seeing that the MINI engines are shared with the former, he’s best suited on addressing common problems and maintenance costs.

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From his experience as well as some sleuthing around owner forums, the third gen F56 MINI is relatively problem-free and dependable in either form. The key to ensuring the longevity of that is timely maintenance.

Thus far, the B38 and B48 engines have been proven to be reliably solid performers in the MINI, with some owners going so far as to daringly call them bombproof.

There have been some reports of turbo failures with the B38 and if you’re one of the unlucky few to encounter it, you’ll be looking at around RM 3,800 for a replacement unit.

Apart from that, you're looking at basic maintenance that doesn't stray much from any other BMW with the B38 or B48 lump.

Remember, before you put pen to paper, you can always get Munich Precision or any other specialist workshop to perform an overall inspection. In the case of Munich Precision, that'll set you back around RM 200.

Conclusion

Some will say you don’t own a MINI so much as you live its lifestyle; and we’re hard-pressed in arguing against.

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It’s been a good transition for the marque, testament to that is the fact that BMW Group have now sold more MINIs; with the caveat that it’s inclusive of all body styles, over the original Mini. During its run from 1959-2000, about 5.4 million classic Minis were sold. BMW Group eclipsed the 5 million mark back in 2019.

Head-turner, canyon carver, nostalgia inducer or just as a plain old people mover, the world is definitely a better place with the timeless Mini in it… just don’t make the mistake of calling it cute or it’ll make sure that next corner up the road will be your last.

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