I believe I have narrowed my search down to the Mini Cooper. Recently my daily driver let me down so I've been searching for something that is reliable and economical but doesn't lose all the fun. It seems that the low mileage used Minis I'm finding are predominately the first generation 2002. At the moment I have found two specifically that are around the 50k mile mark. One is a base Mini and the other a Cooper S. There is really only about $3k difference between the two and I feel like the S would put a bigger smile on my face.
So I call out to you Mini enthusiasts (obviously I mean the car and not that you are all little people *har har har*) to tell me what to do or tell me what you'd do. Will the Cooper S being a first generation 2002 be more prone to failure and need more special attention than the base model, would it be enough to really put a damper on the S? What is the normal mileage that the superchargers need to be rebuilt/serviced? Or should I stay away from 2002 all together?
Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

This will guide you:
http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

 

Read the article minsanity linked to. First Gen had a lot of issues you can look out for when shopping if you are well informed. Don't buy an automatic.

 

I bought an 02 Cooper 3 years ago and no regrets good solid car. I have taken it to Colorado, Florida and N Carolina twice, does not use oil and gets about 35 MPG.
Looking at the car overall you would be hard pressed to tell it is 10 years old next May.

 

can someone tell me what type of coolant I should be adding to my 2002 Mini?

 

Same here

I have a 2002 MCS bought used in 2007 and it's great! Runs great, still looks great (most people don't believe it's a 2002) and the problems I've had with it are the generic ones from the first gen. I know a few guys who race MINIs and they say the first gen cars supercharged cars are better than the second gen turboed cars.

I've on long road trips with it and it has performed flawlessly. I don't abuse the car, but I don't coddle it either.

 

I use Zerex, but if you're just adding coolant, you should probably use OEM to be safe.

To the OP, you just need to be aware that there are some parts specific to the early '02s, and you may not have an emergency boot release, and the stereo may not support an Aux-in (if you're interested in that.)

 

I did a lot of research before buying my '04 Cooper S. I test drove Just-a-Coopers, stock and modded S models and a JCW. I have driven a stock '09 Cooper S as well.

What does this all mean???

Everything i read and heard was '04-06 are the best overall.

Keep an eye on the strut towers, serpentine belt, spark plugs and coolant res.

and for the love of all that is holy... STAY AWAY FROM THE AUTOMATICS!!! (CVT style trans on 1st gen cars)

Other than those items, normal maintenance and enjoy the car.

 

The S is lots of fun, and has a better tranny (relilable 6 speed vs a semi ok 5 speed on the base), and the S NEEDS PREMIUM FUEL...so something to consider...
More fun, but less mpg overall, higher fuel price...better tranny, life od sc varries widely...anything from 50 to 160k....but $700 plus labour more or less
..no show stopper...at the 10 yr mark, condition is most important as mantance history....02's may be priced at a discount...
varying build quality, and slight diffferances in some parts can make repairs hard at times...

 

I love my 2002 Cooper S. It was also very low mileage and it has been a super fun car and pretty reliable (I've had a few trials and tribulations, but this website has been great at helping to work through those).

I have some friends who, over the years, have purchased all of the following brand new: 2002 Cooper S, 2004 Cooper S, 2006 Cooper S, 2009 Cooper JCW, 2011 Cooper JCW. Repeatedly, they've told me that the 2002 was one of the best Cooper's ever made. Out of the box, it was an extremely capable performance car. And I agree with everyone else, stay away from the Automatics.

 

I have a 2002 S and have wondered if there is a difference in reliability between early 2002 production dates and later production dates. I remember reading how demand was greater than expected and subcontractors had difficulty meeting the demand while maintaining quality. Production lines were at capacity while running 24/7 and assembly workers were exhausted. Given all this, the early production date cars could be more reliable - or not.

Kevin

 

I'm doing my 1st oil change on my 02 and would like to know if there are any procedural tips or tricks worth knowing. Knowledge is power!

 

There's a clear DIY with pictures on this site-do a search! Cracking open the oil filter can before the drain plug is key, as I recall.

 

For the record, the standard Cooper requires premium as well...

I have an early build, 02 Cooper that I bought new in July 02...I bought it when I was single and one wife and 2 kids later, it's time to move on. My 2012 Countryman is on order and I will be parting ways with my little buddy soon and I'll hate to see it go. it looks great, has been very reliable and I can say nothing bad about it, other than the lack of room in the back seat (which wasn't an issue when I bought it). I can't recommend to anybody against buying one and would happily keep mine if I could.

Happy motoring!