Go used car shopping and sooner or later you’ll stumble across a Mini Cooper S. We’re talking the R53-era model of 2002-06, with a supercharged 161bhp 1.6-litre engine. Prices range from £1000 for a runner with some history and multiple previous keepers, through average cars for around £2500, to £4500 and upwards for the best.
Our find is somewhere in between, a one-owner 2005-reg with 72,000 miles for £3250. It has the desirable Chili pack (alarm, manual air-con and xenon lights), a part-leather interior and a panoramic sunroof.
The wag selling it said it had War and Peace history, which had us looking for Tolstoy in the logbook until someone pointed out that he meant there’s lots of it. The last fettle was at 71,000 miles and, according to the seller, it drives perfectly.
Still, there can’t be any harm in looking for oil leaks, a known issue with the Cooper S’s Tritec engine, where the oil exits past the sump and timing chain covers. Tired gaskets are to blame. There’s no temperature gauge so we’d check the coolant level in the expansion bottle and the cylinder head for cracks. The stiff suspension and harsh, run-flat tyres can combine to crack the engine mounts (about £400 to replace).
The supercharger needs fresh oil every now and then and it can also become noisy over time, which may suggest changes have been missed. A whining as the wheel is turned can indicate the steering pump is about to go south. It’s best to replace it without delay. Finally, we’d check the front footwells for damp and that the handbrake doesn’t slip off the ratchet when engaged.
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