MINI Hatchback (2001-2007) review | BMW's original R50 MINI

What is the BMW MINI R50?

With the original, classic Mini being a British institution, there was a certain amount of consternation among the faithful when BMW launched the now-capitalised MINI on to the UK market in 2001. For starters, although the R56-era MINI was being made in Britain the brand was now German-owned, and while designer Frank Stephenson's styling paid homage to Alec Issigonis' original, the new car wasn’t very ‘mini’ anymore. In fact, it dwarfed its iconic namesake, which had only ceased production a year or so previously.

The grumbling didn’t take long to abate as owners fell for the MINI’s cheeky, retro-chic looks, its stylised interior and plethora of fun options and accessories, including big stickers for the roof and door mirrors. Unsurprisingly the MINI R50 remains highly sought-after on the used car market, its allure being a mix of the individuality it offers owners – there were so many choices for speccing a new one that there are plenty of unique examples out there now – and the lively way it drives.

These days, even the purists have come to accept the “new” MINI, and these early cars are close to classic status in their own right.

How practical is it?

Despite its significant increase in size over the original Mini, the R50 MINI doesn’t boast lavish internal dimensions. It’s roomy enough in the front – and has fine seats and an excellent driving position and visibility – but the back seats are tight on legroom and wide enough only for a couple of adults.

The boot lives up to the car’s name, although the back seat splits and folds if you want to transport something larger than a week’s grocery shopping. Total boot space stands at just 150 litres with the rear seats in place.

What's it like to drive?

Brilliant, in a word. The MINI engineers’ obsession with nimble, sporty handling may have compromised ride comfort slightly, but it’s great fun to chuck around. Unlike a lot of small cars of this era, though, it still feels relatively grown up on the motorway, with comfortable seats and low noise levels.

Essentially the R50-era MINI offers four engine options: three petrol variants based on a four-cylinder 1.6-litre motor, and a 1.4-litre turbo diesel producing 74bhp. The entry-level petrol engine gives 89bhp and is fitted to the One model, while the Cooper’s power output is 114bhp.

The Cooper S added a supercharger to the engine and started off with 163bhp, later rising to 168bhp. Harking back to the original Mini, the MINI Cooper S is also available in (MINI-approved) aftermarket guise as the John Cooper Works with 210bhp, and the 218bhp limited edition (450 units in the UK) two-seater JCW GP. The One and Cooper have a manual five-speed gearbox, the Cooper S a six-speed, and there is also the option of a CVT automatic gearbox.

The diesel and 89bhp petrol engines in the MINI One perform adequately and no more than that, but the MINI Cooper R50 nips along feistily, if not with a huge amount of speed. The Cooper S is genuinely quick, and on tight, winding back roads can shame many a sports car. What all models share is the sort of spirited handling that makes the MINI mk1 feel alive underneath you and elevates it above the hatchback norm in terms of driving pleasure.

Technology, equipment & infotainment

The R50 MINI had a very attractive base price when launched but was relatively poorly equipped – the standard car didn’t even come with a rev counter. Instead, MINI’s owner BMW made its money from individual options that many owners chose to add when they ordered their car, and later from option packs that grouped multiple options together.

If you’re looking at a MINI One, try to find one with the Pepper pack – this includes a Cooper S steering wheel, Chrome Line interior and 15-inch alloys, as well as Brilliant Silver interior trim, passenger seat height adjustment and a storage compartment pack. On top of that, you get front fog lights, a rev counter, on-board computer and an interior light pack.

There’s also the more basic Salt pack, which brings a leather steering wheel, velour floor mats, passenger seat height adjustment, front fog lights and an onboard computer. Similarly, the Chilli pack contains all of the above, plus multi-functional steering wheel controls, LED headlights and leather sport seats.

MINI Hatchback R50 running costs

Having managed to keep original owners of early MINIs within the dealer network with its excellent TLC servicing plan – £100 for cheap servicing costs for five years or 100,000 miles – MINI realised that future owners without the benefit of TLC were unlikely to pay MINI/BMW hourly rates for servicing an old car. Hence there’s a special servicing plan for pre-2006 MINIs.

The prices aren’t too bad, but obviously what the MINI dealer really wants is you to green light the repair of other non-service items that an older car is likely to need. And that’s when independent specialists can come into their own, with labour rates about half what you’ll pay at a dealer. With the R50 MINI, access to some components is very labour-intensive, so that’s why a good hourly rate can really make a difference.

Something you’ll have to go to a MINI dealer for is replacing the battery in your key fob, because the fob has to be digitally coded to your MINI’s ECU. This operation can cost £120.

If you’re buying a Cooper S, you may want to brace yourself for a potentially large outlay if the mileage is approaching 130,000 or so: there are reports of some cars requiring a rebuild of their supercharged engines, which is a £4,000-£4,500 job. A whole replacement engine is likely to be cheaper.

Being an older car, chances are that your MINI will soon need new tyres. With the One you’re looking at around £60-£70 per corner and a similar amount for a standard Cooper: a little more if it’s running on optional larger tyres. Per corner on a Cooper S it’s in the region of £75-£120, but if you want to retain the run-flat variety of tyre it was originally fitted with, a good one such as a Michelin is £181.

The R50 MINI was never touted as an economy model (and is too old to be super-efficient) so don’t be too disappointed with average mpg figures, which top out at 59mpg for the MINI D, fall to 33mpg for the Cooper S, and hover around the 40mpg mark for the Cooper and One.

MINI Hatchback R50 reliability

Less the subject of reliability and more of an annoyance, the plastic trim of the R50 MINI is prone to rattling and some of its plastics, especially the silver-coloured bits, are fragile to the point of snapping off. The same applies to the seat tipping handle, as it gets kicked by passengers struggling to exit gracefully from the tight rear seats.

Electrical maladies are a common theme throughout the MINI range of this era. The worst of these is the ABS pump wiring that can short-out on its bracket and fry the whole wiring loom, which is very expensive. Less potentially wallet-wilting is an airbag warning light – with luck it’s just that one of the connectors has become unplugged underneath the front seats. Still on matters electrical, it is known for wiring to corrode on the power steering pump and a replacement could cost you £750.

There are other power steering issues too. When not in the best of health the power steering makes a slightly strange whining noise at low speed. If that whining becomes too loud, it could mean that the power steering fluid needs topping up. Clunking from the steering column is likely to mean that the upper bearings are starting to fail, and these days the lower ones are starting to suffer too.

On a test drive, if you notice the car pulling to the left, it’s probably a sign that the front suspension towers have been knocked out of line and require resetting on a jig. And if there’s a clunking from the rear suspension on early (pre-2004 facelift) cars, that’s likely to be the wishbones on their way out.

MINI replaced its gearbox supplier during the 2004 facelift for the MINI mk1, as the Rover-built five-speed manuals fitted as standard to the One and Cooper could become notchy and awkward to shift with. The newer gearboxes are built by Getrag. Some of the Rover 'boxes are still out there – and may also be making a whiny sound – and if their bearings are shot a rebuild will cost about £450, and another £1,000 to fit.

Other things to beware of? Fuel tank metal straps can corrode and snap. Radiators can start weeping at 10 to 12 years old, and may lead to water pump and head gasket failures. And driver’s seat side bolsters tend to wear through with age.