2003 MINI Cooper Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
25 -28 City / 32 -37 HWY
Source FuelEconomy.gov
Horsepower
115 -163
Seats
4
Front angle view.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle Peggy S
Uses only minimum gas about 6 miles to a gallon.
It is small and easy to park in many spaces. Have no complaints since I have had only one problem. That needed repaired.
accountCircle William D
Reliable transportation with looks.
It's fun to drive with power from the turbo. Great on gas. Sits low to ground so you feel all the bumps in the road
accountCircle Matt
Reliability
I have an 03 S. 106,000 miles only need regular maintenance. Oh and a starter. But my cars getting a vibration so I think the mounts are going. I love my Mini.
accountCircle Dorothea W
This car is safe and built to last
It gets me where I want to go and I have not problems with it.
accountCircle Karen G
My favorite Car: The Mini Cooper S
My Mini Cooper is my favorite of any car I have ever owned. It is small and gets great gas mileage. It is easy to handle and has great pep. When the seats in back are flattened, there is an abundance of cargo space. The only thing that is inconvenient is not having space for a spare tire. The original tires are run flat. But if you don't get run flat replacements, you are up the creek if you get a flat.
accountCircle Deb S
The car that people call the clown car, because of how much I can get in it
My Mini is the very best car ever. The seats make you feel like you are getting a hug every time you drive. I have heated leather seats which are wonderful in the winter. I get very good gas mileage. Got 35 miles to the gallon when it was newer. Now that I have over 260,000 miles I only get 27 miles to the gallon. The leg room in the back seat is really great, for being such a small car. When you lay the back seats down. There is so much room. People are amazed how much I can get in the back of my car.
accountCircle Natalie R
Mini cooper: my honest review.
Mini coopers drive like go karts. They are fun fast and reliable. I have had a few issues with mine; the headlights have issues, it can be loud, and a side piece fell off during a heavy rain storm. I did however buy it second hand. But if you are considering getting a mini, do it. I do not regret my purchase one bit.
accountCircle Alan L
Great gas mileage. Fun to drive, accelerates quickly. Corners well.
It is fun to drive and has speed. Maintenance on it is difficult due to the small engine compartment. Parts are expensive and so is labor if you take to shop. Great gas mileage even with the supercharger

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Haley M
2003 mini cooper s - huge headache.
I love the look of the vehicle. I bought off of a friend who buys and sells vehicles. He had just purchased the vehicle and thought it was in good shape. Boy was he wrong. The person that he purchased it from obviously did not take care of this vehicle. This vehicle was in bad shape and I had problem after problem with this vehicle. After day 3 I starting having problems starting the vehicle. But they could not figure out what was wrong with the vehicle. It wasn't the starter. And it took them awhile to figure it out. Everything in the vehicle seemed like it was just falling apart. Had issues with the pieces kept falling off. When I say pieces I am referring to trim around sunroof, covers over air the air vents. Handles in the back that helps people get out of the vehicle. Trim/cover around door handle. The passenger window started giving me problems. It would take a while to roll up the window if down past a certain point. Now it doesn't roll up at all. I believe it just off its track and easily fixed. Cigarette lighter/charging outlet broke. Ac stopped working. Compressor is good. Air turns on, it's just not cold. Radio turns on but no sound. Think that may be just a simple fix. Thinking the previous owner may have changed it out and when selling, he may have just put the factory radio back in without properly installing it. There was a huge oil leak. Being that I was not too familiar with the vehicle, so when I tried to squirt water on the windshield. It ended up squirting water on the lights. Apparently this particular vehicle shoots water on the headlights. Well it opened up and squirted the water on the front light. And the cover to that flew off. The trim over the driver side tire fell off. And the list goes on. I am not sure if it is because how poorly these vehicle are made or because of how the owner didn't take care of the vehicle. But I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle. But I do like the look comfortness of the vehicle. I also like the size and control it has on turns. Maybe I just got a bad one. Even after all the problems I have had, I still would consider purchasing a new one.
accountCircle Bobbie K
That it is cute and quick and that it is 15 years old and only has 85000 miles on it.
I like the pickup the car has, it is quick. Don't like that it uses mid grade gas, it's pretty small and very low to the ground.

MINI Cooper Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
Base
115 HP 33-33 MPG 4 Seats
car
S
163 HP 30-30 MPG 4 Seats
Photos may not match model

2003 MINI Cooper Owner Reviews

4.31
16 Reviews
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5 stars 50%
4 stars 38%
3 stars 6%
2 stars 6%
1 star 0%
accountCircle santino t on February 7, 2021
Mini cooper the small fast fun car
It is a small compact car, that is fun to drive. But the problems are too small for taller people and not a lot of cargo space.
accountCircle Bobbie K on January 22, 2021
That it is cute and quick and that it is 15 years old and only has 85000 miles on it.
I like the pickup the car has, it is quick. Don't like that it uses mid grade gas, it's pretty small and very low to the ground.
View All Reviews (16) chevronRightAlternative

Ranks #4 Small Cars by Owners

The 2003 MINI Cooper has an average owner rating of 4.31 out of 5 which ranks it #4 of 21 other Small Cars.

1
car
2003 Volkswagen GTI
4.5
2
car
2003 Subaru Impreza
4.35
3
car
2003 Hyundai Tiburon
4.33
4
car
2003 MINI Cooper
4.31

Ranks #5 Small Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2003 MINI Cooper has a combined MPG of 34 which ranks it #5 of 21 other Small Cars.

1
car
2003 Honda Civic
48 MPG
2
car
2003 Toyota Echo
43 MPG
5
car
2003 MINI Cooper
34 MPG

Is The 2003 MINI Cooper A Good Car?

Yes, (at least the supercharged manual one). I bought mine with over 120,000 miles on it and got over 50,000 more before anything happened (which was my fault more or less) and I absolutely love it... Read More
Courtney D.

How Reliable Is The 2003 MINI Cooper?

It is very reliable. I have not had any of the 'normal issues' that it has and the only thing to really go wrong at this point that I did not play a part in is the timing guide broke on my new engine... Read More
Annie H.

Related Articles for 2003 MINI Cooper

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2003 Mini Cooper S: What to Know Before Buying

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the 2003 mini cooper s supercharger problems?

Answer: The 2003 MINI Cooper s supercharger problems are cracked battery case and battery fluid leak. This piece of the car will eventually become ineffective. The battery will need to be changed every 50,000 to 60,000...
openInNew See all Frequently Asked Questions

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Not Rated

Roof Strength

Not Rated

Driver-side Overlap Front

Not Rated
*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety