Hello, I am in the market for a new car and the Mini Cooper S is one of the top contenders for me. I test drove a manual and I fell in love with the car, I was wondering about the cost of maintenance of the Cooper S? Example being, oil change, tires, brake pads, etc... At first glance the mini looks like a bang for the buck but I know that Mini is owned by BMW and they are not known for cheap parts or maintenance. Thanks!

 

MINIs come with a 3year/36Kmile full maintenance package which covers:
Oil and filter changes (every 15kmiles or 1yr whichever comes first)
Regular service tuneups - I don't have the intervals in front of me right now...
These services provided free of charge on the manufacturer's recommended schedule. If you want to have them done early, as many do, expect to pay out of pocket.


Not covered:
Tires (runflat replacements will run you ~$400 per tire)
Out of interval maintenance, like oil changes at 7500Kmile intervals: $80-$125, depending on dealership. Or DIY for about $60-$70 in oil & filter.

Not sure:
Brake pads - My brakes have always lasted more than 36kmiles, so I don't expect it to be covered on maintenance package.

 

Yes and no. The tire company has warranties, too (except for road hazards). Also, they aren't that expensive anymore. A friend of mine just bought a set of Continental runflats (with a higher durability rating than OEB), and paid $190 a piece.

Free service also includes things like wiper blades. I think brake pads ARE covered--it's BMW's standard "pay zero" plan. Also, you can buy an extended service plan, just like the extended warranty, directly from BMW/MINI.

The 3 year/36,000 miles plan shouldn't be confused with the 4/48K warranty period.

 

My friend had the pads in his 07 MCS replaced at about 16k, covered under the standard 3 year, 36k warranty.

Why is it costing you $60-$70 for a DIY oil change? $40/change is about what I've paid for supplies. $5.60/qt for Mini label oil from my dealer and about $10-12 for a filter.

 

15K miles between oil changes is kind of scary. Is the factory fill synthetic? I would at LEAST do a filter change every 3-5K miles if you're not going to change the oil.

 

Oil is a much discussed topic on NAM. Yes, the oil is full synth. Some industrious, or rather curious, inquisitive NAMers have had their oil analyzed at various intervals. The majority opinion on the board seems to be oil changes every 7500miles is best, but this is not unanimous. A search should yield some threads.

Brake pads: 16kmiles is a pretty short interval. I'd expect pads to last at least 40kmiles under normal driving conditions. Were they defective?

Oil: <shrug> YMMV. I just passed on some of the reported costs by members of the board. Even dealer purchased oil prices will vary from dealership to dealership. Go to 'boutique' oils and the prices definitely change.

 

7,500 seems reasonable. I would probably still do a filter change at 3,500 though, the filter clogs up and loses efficiency in ability to remove particles from the oil long before the synthetic oil breaks down.

As far as brake pads, if you do track days or autocross 16K is very reasonable. Some people go through a set of pads/rotors in 2-3 track events.

 

Yeah, I actually did my first oil & filter change at break-in, 1200miles. Do you mean you also change the filter between oil changes? Interesting.

Yeah, if autocrossing I can see where the brakes will need replacement more often. I was assuming normal commuting-type wear. Though it was my understanding that autocrossing voids the warranty. True?

 

Thanks for all the posts, I really appreciate your input. If I need to replace my tires can I just buy a set of non run flats? My friend has an 05 M3 and it came standard with run flats, when he needed to replace his tires he just bought high performance non run flat tires. If I do the same will it void my warranty or the 3 year free service plan?

 

^^ No, switching tires will not void your warranty nor affect the service plan. Be aware that the S-models do not have a spare tire, so contingency plans are highly recommended.

 

Thanks a bunch OPC, looking foward to purchase my mini soon...

 

My 1 yr annv. date came up. OBC says 10000 + miles before service is due. Called up the dealer, told them I do my own oil change. I was told to call back when OBC says less than 1K miles.

 

r56mini, I assume you haven't been resetting the service interval? If so, then you put 5kmiles on your MINI in 1 year? At that rate, you would barely get one dealer maintenance visit before the maintanence plan expired.

I'd say they owe you a checkup. My undersanding was 15kmiles or 1yr whichever comes first. Even if they don't change the oil & filter, they can check other service points (fluids, other filters, check for unusual wear on belts, hoses, brakes, etc.).

 

$400 a tire if you go to the dealer maybe. If you get the dunlop's from any other service station they should run no more than $288 because most price match tirerack. As the dunlop's are crappy tires I will be going with the Bridgestone RE050's which are rated much better and they only cost $206 which is a very good price for a run flat.

 

If you get the 16" allseason runflat option, you usually get Continental ContiProContact SSR, they only run $129 a piece at trierack, and also get the best reviews of all the runflat options available.

 

I only have 3800miles on my 15 month old MINI. Had it in for its first service at dealer this month, they changed the oil/filter and windshield blades, regardless what the OBC says.

 

I have something like 12500 miles. OBC says 11000 today.*** I was told all they do is oil change at 1yr annv. if the OBC is more than 1000 miles. If the OBC says service is due, they will do more (??). I don't know what more things are there to do. My wiper blades are PIAA and they are 100 times superior to the OEM so I don't need the OEM refills. I just don't like going to the dealer when nothing is broke. It is a waste of my time. I have changed my oil 3 times already. ***I have never reset the interval.

 

There is one other consideration regarding changing from runflats to non-RF. Starting in mid '07, the new tire monitoring devices require an adaptor of some sort to make the switch. I can't recall what since I have an earlier (rubber stem) tire setup, but it's not exactly cheap, IIRC. I'd still make the change (until I sat on the side of the road cursing the lack of a spare, that is).