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Fiat 500 vs MINI Cooper: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the MINI Cooper does better at its MOT: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.6 percentage points ahead of the Fiat 500 on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 81,131 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict; the common faults below cover the rest.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Fiat 500
Pass rate72.0%
Age-matched national76.4%
Difference-4.3
Tests37,554
MINI Cooper
Pass rate87.2%
Age-matched national81.9%
Difference+5.3
Tests43,577

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Fiat 500s registered 2008–2022 and MINI Coopers registered 2010–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Fiat 500

Type 312, 2008–2024 · city car

Two things decide a used Fiat 500: the gearbox and the engine. The Dualogic automated manual is the most reported problem on the car and the reason many buyers stick to the manual, and the 0.9 TwinAir is the engine owners most often report for oil consumption. The 1.2 8V and 1.4 16V petrols use a timing BELT with a published Fiat interval; the 0.9 TwinAir and 1.3 MultiJet have no belt operation at all. Its Euro NCAP result is three stars, tested in 2017 under that year’s protocol.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2014/088recall
    Interior and exterior vehicle lighting may fail
    91,448 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 12 September 2011 and 8 July 2014
    Large recall — 91,448 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2010/117recall
    The wrong airbag may deploy in a collision
    29,130 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 1 December 2009 and 31 August 2010
    Large recall — 29,130 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Transmission — Dualogic automated manualmajor
    Jerky changes, hesitation pulling away, or a failure to select a gear. This is an automated manual, not a conventional automatic, and it does not behave like one.
    Dualogic-equipped cars · £400–£1,500 for actuator work
    Check: Drive it in traffic, from cold, and do several pull-aways on a slight incline. This is the single most reported problem on the car and the reason many buyers hold out for a manual. We hold no frequency figure for it, but the volume of reports is high enough that a test drive in traffic is not optional.
  • Engine — 0.9 TwinAir oil consumptionmajor
    Oil level dropping noticeably between services.
    TwinAir petrol · Varies enormously by cause
    Check: Check the oil on the dipstick before the test drive and ask the seller how often they top it up. An owner who does not know is telling you something.
Typical asking price:
£2,990–£7,999, median £5,250 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 29 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
45–55 mpg real-world for the 1.2; the TwinAir rarely matches its official figure
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
no single year stands out
Years to avoid:
2008, 2009, 2010
Used Fiat 500s for saleFull 500 fault guideUsed Fiats

MINI Cooper

F56 (2014–2023) · Premium-badged three-door hatchback (the closely related 5-door F55 and Convertible F57 share the same platform and engines), sold new in the UK in Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works and Cooper D/SD diesel guises, with a Cooper SE electric derivative added from 2020.

The third-generation MINI Cooper (F56), sold in the UK from 2014 to 2023, is a fundamentally reliable small hatchback once past its early teething problems. From around 60,000 miles, owners report timing-chain rattle on the 3-cylinder engine, water pump leaks and clutch wear. Diesels built up to October 2017 are covered by DVSA EGR-cooler recalls, and up to October 2018 by an EGR software recall. Best buy: 2019–2023. Worst: no single year stands out on DVSA MOT results.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2020/179recall
    The exhaust gas recirculation module cooler could leak over time
    71,128 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 27 November 2013 and 28 March 2017
    Large recall — 71,128 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2023/174recall
    On some diesel vehicles glycol leakage from the EGR-Cooler may occur. In very rare cases this could lead to the melting of the Intake manifold and in very rare cases result in a possible fire.
    30,812 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 24 April 2013 and 31 October 2017
    Large recall — 30,812 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Crankshaft (bottom-end) bearing noise – early Cooper S petrol enginescritical
    Knocking or rattling noise from the lower engine/bell-housing area, an unusual or hard-to-depress clutch pedal action, and an illuminated engine management light; left unaddressed this can progress to bottom-end engine damage.
    2014 to early 2015 build dates (Cooper S petrol models) · Can appear at low mileage — not linked to high mileage · A bottom-end rebuild or engine replacement can run to several thousand pounds (roughly £2,500–£5,000+).
    Check: Listen for knocking on a cold start and check the clutch engages smoothly with no odd pedal feel. This is not a DVSA safety recall — DVSA lists no crankshaft-bearing recall for any MINI — so ask a MINI specialist to inspect rather than relying on a recall check.
  • Timing chain stretch – 3-cylinder B38 petrol engine (Cooper, One)major
    A metallic rattle or 'tak-tak' noise on cold start-up that fades as the engine warms; rough idle, misfires or a check-engine light if the chain has stretched significantly.
    Mainly pre-facelift cars, 2014–2017, on 3-cylinder Cooper/One models · Typically 60,000–80,000 miles, occasionally earlier · Upper timing chain and tensioner replacement at an independent BMW/MINI specialist typically £500–£900; main dealer pricing is higher.
    Check: Listen for a rattle from the front of the engine on your own cold start (not one the seller has already warmed up); check service history for any timing chain/tensioner inspection or replacement.
Typical asking price:
£4,995–£14,325, median £8,990 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 29 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
1.5 Cooper (3-cyl): 45–51 mpg real-world. 2.0 Cooper S: 38–43 mpg. 2.0 JCW: 34–39 mpg.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Electric versions: one first registered from 1 April 2025 pays the £440/year supplement in years 2–6 only if it listed at over £50,000 new; one registered before then never does, whatever it cost.
Best years:
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Used MINI Coopers for saleFull MINI Cooper fault guideUsed MINIs

Also compare:

Which one suits you

Fiat 500

Good for: City drivers and new drivers who want low running costs and will accept a small car, ideally with the manual gearbox.

Less good for: Anyone who needs rear-seat space, and anyone buying a Dualogic without driving it in traffic first.

MINI Cooper

Good for: Buyers wanting genuine go-kart-style handling and premium interior feel in a small car, and willing to pay MINI-dealer or specialist rates once out of warranty. A 2019+ car with a full main-dealer or MINI-specialist history is the safer buy.

Less good for: Anyone on a tight budget for servicing — parts and labour cost more than mainstream superminis. An early 2014–2015 car with patchy timing-chain and cooling-system history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Fiat 500 or the MINI Cooper?
On the MOT measure, the MINI Cooper: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.6 percentage points ahead of the Fiat 500 on first-time MOT passes, across 81,131 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Fiat 500 and the MINI Cooper compare?
72.0% of Fiat 500s pass their MOT first time (37,554 tests in DVSA's records) and 87.2% of MINI Coopers pass their MOT first time (43,577 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Fiat 500's age average 76.4% and cars of the MINI Cooper's age 81.9% — so the Fiat 500 runs 4.3 points worse than its age group and the MINI Cooper runs 5.3 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Fiat 500 and MINI Cooper should I avoid?
Fiat 500: The earliest cars carry several DVSA recalls including two separate steering-column campaigns, and are old enough that corrosion becomes the deciding factor. MINI Cooper: 2014–2015 cars are the ones owners most often report early crankshaft-bearing noise on (Cooper S petrol), diesels from these years fall inside the R/2020/179 and R/2023/174 EGR-cooler recalls, and they carry the highest mileage of any F56s on the used market today (making timing chain, water pump and clutch wear more likely to already be due), predate the 2018 infotainment/CarPlay update, and represent the first production year of an all-new platform with the usual early-build inconsistencies. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2014 and 2015 registrations above all cars registered those years, so they are not named as years to avoid. Judge a MINI Cooper by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year.
Is the Fiat 500 or the MINI Cooper cheaper to run?
On fuel the Fiat 500 has the edge: its most economical version returns up to 55 mpg, against up to 51 mpg for the MINI Cooper, on the figures in our model guides. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. The electric versions (Cooper SE) pay the same £200/year standard rate since 1 April 2025 (electric cars were exempt before then), with the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 only on one first registered from 1 April 2025 that listed at over £50,000 new. Any Fiat 500 or MINI Cooper registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.