Pro and Cons of 2007 Cooper S

[Tina2009]

Dear all,

I am planning to buy an used Mini Cooper S 2007. However, when I asked around, someone suggested that I should re-consider of the 2007 because it was the first year that Mini add the turbo charge to the minis.

Please share with me what you experience about the 2007 model. If you're owning one, have you find any problems with it? If you did some test drive among 2007, 2009, 2009 or now 2010, is there a really big difference between 2007 with one of the newer model?

Please let me know, I need to make the decision quick.

Thanks,

Tina

[KevinC]

Hi Tina. I share the sentiment that buying the first year of a new model or massive makeover tends to be a bad idea. That's one reason I just ordered a '10 model, despite the fact that a facelift is coming next year - I like the idea of buying a mature version of the current car.

Consumer Reports shows some problem areas on the '07's & '08's that have improved on '09's - but almost all of their rankings improve towards the newest model year, which isn't surprising because problems have had less time to crop up.

Others will weigh in with their own experiences, no doubt. Me? I'd probably shy away from an '07 for the above reason. But I'm sure plenty of people will tell you that their '07's are fine, and not to worry. Weigh those responses and make your decision. Good luck!

[Mini2na]

I own an '07, so my knowledge is limited regarding changes to the S.

To the best of my knowledge:

Possible cold start issue through most of '09. There is debate if there has been a "real" fix to the '10s, but the flurry of complaints is slowing as MINI is replacing parts.

I have not heard of other problems with the '07s that don't exist in all Gen 2s.

They added the USB headend plug in late '07 models and beyond. I also think they added a window auto-up feature.

If you want a Gen 2 MINI and it is a good deal.... Go for it!

[kyounger]

I have had NO engine problems with my 2007 S. The only notable issue was the armrest lid kept sliding open, eventually my dealer fixed it by retrofitting the 2009 lid.

Disclaimer: I bought the extended warranty. My historical experience is that when I buy insurance I don't need it, when I don't buy it I do need it. YMMV.

Keith

2007 Cooper S, Laser Blue / White, with the whole option book.

[Oakland Raiders Mini]

Good luck with whatever model you choose. I have an 07 also and I love this car more than anything I own.

[pilotart]

I would base decision more on condition than year, between 2007-2010.

Late (September build) '07's added mandated TPMS, but lot of advantage with the older 'flat tire' warning system if you change wheels for winter.

Auto-Up windows came in '08 and Standard DSC came in '09, Standard MFSW finally came in 2010.
If you want Cruise Control, you must have Multi Function Steering Wheel.

Most important would be to find (ask your area Mini Club) a local Independant Garage that knows MINI's and pay for a pre-purchase inspection.

If you have a local MINI Dealer, they can access Service Records and inspect, but remember that they have a 'dog-in-the-show' if they also sell used MINI's.

Either way, an inspection would be money well spent and may aid in negotiation of price with any faults found and usually pay back more than its cost.

[TheBigNewt]

If there was a cold start issue the owner probably had it looked at via his dealer so check the records about service and complaints registered there. The 07-09 cars are pretty much the same except for the things mentioned here (the USB etc). The engines, trannys, brakes and suspensions are identical as far as I know. One nice thing about Minis is there aren't many dealers that you can take it to when it messes up so records are hard to hide. In Phoenix area I think there are like 10 Honda dealers but only one Mini in the whole state.

[KevinC]

Originally Posted by TheBigNewt

In Phoenix area I think there are like 10 Honda dealers but only one Mini in the whole state.

We'll have another in Tempe sometime early next year. Much closer to me than North Scottsdale.

[Eds not-so-red MINI]

I've got an '07 that I bought new. Only had a freak engine issue the second day I had it (variable valve timing controller went belly-up ... it still ran, but in 'limp mode'; very, very rare, and the dealer fixed pretty quick). Otherwise, since then I have not had a lick of trouble, and I don't exactly baby it. I've never experienced the cold start or cold-weather knock issues I've heard about.

The turbo delivers a lot of low-end torque; it does take about a half second to spool up from a dead idle, but nothing at all like the lag of earlier turbo motors. I've never driven a gen 1, so I can't compare the two; but I'm more than happy with it, and anybody else who's driven it is pretty impressed. Warning: there's a good bit of torque-steer if you really jump on it; if you're not expecting it (as I wasn't the first time I jumped on it), it'll get squirrelly on you in a hurry.

As far as I know, there are no significant changes to the car or engine from '07 to '10. About all I've seen is they've changed around options in some of the packages, but for the most part all the same options are available. Although they did replace the mediocre premium stereo with a Harman-Kardon system for '10.

If anything, just check the condition of the tires on the car you're looking at. The factory run-flats aren't exactly high-mileage, and they're pretty expensive to replace, unless you replace them with 'real' tires.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide!

ed

[VicSkimmr]

I've got a September 2007 build and haven't really had any major problems with it that could be attributable to just 2007s.

I sent it in for the cold start rattle fix even though it really wasn't that bad, had a rear hatch actuator replaced because of an issue with some communication issues between it and the key fob, and I sent it in for a sunroof motor replacement because it wouldn't open immediately if it had been sitting in the sun all day.

Mine has lots of little rattles, but that's to be expected when you've pretty much taken apart the entire inside of the car for one reason or another (and the fact that I live on a gravel road).

I would choose an '08 or later model just based on the fact that they come with the USB hub instead of just the aux input as well as the fact that most '07s are probably near or past their warranty expiration date.

[Diploman]

Conventional wisdom is that one should avoid the first year of a new model, until the expected "teething problems" have been resolved. Ignoring that standing advice, I purchased an early (April-build) ) 07 MCS. To date, with about 28K miles on the clock, this car has been absolutely reliable, the most trouble-free car I have owned. Not a single issue of any significance has surfaced. The car has been rock-solid and has provided abundant hassel-free enjoyment. I have not regretted the purchase.

[minicooperwill]

Originally Posted by kyounger

I have had NO engine problems with my 2007 S. The only notable issue was the armrest lid kept sliding open, eventually my dealer fixed it by retrofitting the 2009 lid.

Wow, they swapped out your armrest lid? Maybe I should ask about that when I take my car in on Tuesday.

I have an 07 and have had no major issues and only a few minor ones.

[4xAAA]

My 07 has it's issues. It gets up to cruise speed real fast. I don't know why? It just does. And it makes my face hurt. If I drive for an hour, my smile muscles get all sore and stuff. Issues like that.

If you get a deal that you like or can live with, take it. Buying an 07 isn't a harbinger of evil. They have been pretty rock steady, on the whole. They tweak the minor details every year, but the R56 has been a good platform.

Enjoy.

[jghost]

I have an 07 Cooper, Not S, Nothing but trouble for me.

Windows roll dow by themselves; Dealer had to replace cat, air bag system, portion of transmission and it still does not work correctly - Ratcheting problems while shifing, noises etc... I can say that I've never been stuck on the side of the road, thank goodness for the limp mode.

I've never owned a car with so many problems and I've had 15! 8 of which were new. I want to love this car, it's fun to drive, it's cool looking, gets decent MPG, but I won't buy European vehicles ever again.

[nrc]

'07 Cooper S with about 25k miles and no problems. Ok, one of the tiny plastic trim rings around the door lock push button broke. Dealer replaced it during scheduled maintenance.

[minicooperwill]

Originally Posted by minicooperwill

Wow, they swapped out your armrest lid? Maybe I should ask about that when I take my car in on Tuesday.

I have an 07 and have had no major issues and only a few minor ones.

BTW, I did ask about this when I took my car in. My SA said it must be broken, and I told him it had been like that since Day One. He said it must've been broken since Day One then. They put in a new one, and that lid isn't going to be sliding open on its own ever!

[grodenglaive]

Originally Posted by jghost

I have an 07 Cooper, Not S, Nothing but trouble for me.

Windows roll dow by themselves; Dealer had to replace cat, air bag system, portion of transmission and it still does not work correctly - Ratcheting problems while shifing, noises etc... I can say that I've never been stuck on the side of the road, thank goodness for the limp mode.

I've never owned a car with so many problems and I've had 15! 8 of which were new. I want to love this car, it's fun to drive, it's cool looking, gets decent MPG, but I won't buy European vehicles ever again.

+1

[oldMGguy]

Originally Posted by Tina2009

Dear all,

I am planning to buy an used Mini Cooper S 2007. However, when I asked around, someone suggested that I should re-consider of the 2007 because it was the first year that Mini add the turbo charge to the minis.

Please share with me what you experience about the 2007 model. If you're owning one, have you find any problems with it? If you did some test drive among 2007, 2009, 2009 or now 2010, is there a really big difference between 2007 with one of the newer model?

Please let me know, I need to make the decision quick.

Thanks,

Tina

Hi Tina:
I've got a pair of '07 MCS - his and hers. Identical other than color and some interior trim. She absolutely loves hers for zipping around town and the occasional longer run. If you leave the rear seats folded down, there's tons of storage space. Both cars are averaging around 36 mpg on the computer.

Ours have the manual transmission. We did drive an '08 MCS with the automatic transmission and both of us hated it - seems to have a significant "dead spot" as you begin to push on the acceleratior, then it races off. Goes away if "sport mode" is selected, so the dead zone seems to be a function of the electric throttle sensor/engine computer interface. We didn't care for it, and have been happy with the manual transmission.

Her mid-year '07 "S" has been flawless for 25,000 miles. Mine has been into the dealer for repair of the timing chain tensioner twice - no cost to me, but annoying to say the least. I've never bought an extended warrenty before, but will on my vehicle. Other than the tensioner issue, one flat tire and that's been it for 32,000 miles on my car.

Things to consider - the "S" sport seats are very firm, and both of us (AARP generation) start squirming after a few hours in the saddle. OK around town. The run-flat tires are indeed very pricy ($200 each) and don't last as long as standard tires - 30-35,000 miles IF you drive reasonably safe and sane (hard to do in the "S" however ). The run flats have very stiff sidewalls, which transmit a lot of road noise into the cabin.

My pet peeve - if you insert a Venti Starbucks into the console cup holder, it bumps the heated seat button - which you'll discover soon enough.

Like the others have said - take your proposed purchase to the dealer, get a full readout of all previous maintenance work, and any "needs-to-be-done" maintenance codes stored. Adjust your price to allow for new tires soon. If you can arrange it, have the car parked overnight in a nose-low attitude. Then start it up after it's sat for at least 5-6 hours. If you hear a gawd-awful diesel-like rattle coming from the right front side of the engine (believe me, you'll hear it if the tensioner has failed!) - walk away from the car. Parking the car nose-low tilts the sideways-mounted engine, which seems to aggravate the defective timing chain tensioner issue. BMW has a fix out, but the "full monty' version is very, very expensive, if not done under warrenty. The defective tensioner issue has occurred on 07-09 "S" vehicles. Not all by any means, but enough that a prospective buyer needs to be careful.

Hope it works out. These little cars are indeed a hoot to drive!

[Faulta]

Earlier 2007 S had first generation mapping with more hp and tq. versus slower later model cars with "updated" mapping.

[Tina2009]

Dear all,

First of all, thank you very much for everyone gave me a feedback.

Second, English is not my first language, when I read your responses, I wasn't sure I completed it correct.

Anyhow, is the right that everyone wanted to let me know that the 2007 has minor problems, nothing big?

THe car I am planning to buy is under 20k since the owner didn't drive it much.

Thanks,

Tina

[minicooperwill]

Originally Posted by Tina2009

Anyhow, is the right that everyone wanted to let me know that the 2007 has minor problems, nothing big?

THe car I am planning to buy is under 20k since the owner didn't drive it much.

Thanks,

Tina

Yes!