Mini Coopers are definitely cool little cars. They’re stylish, they’ve got good fuel efficiency, and for such small vehicles, they can really get a move on too.
A part of maintaining any vehicle is ensuring that it always has enough motor oil in the system to prevent friction, wear, and overheating, and not only enough oil, but the right kind too.
Well, this is exactly what we are here to help you find today, the best oil for Mini Coopers. Here we have described the oil which is recommended by the manufacturer, we’ve reviewed some of the best alternatives, and we’ve answered all of your most pressing questions too. Let’s get to it!
Click here to skip to our recommended pick!
- Great for older and newer vehicles
- Reduces emissions and burn off
- Increased fuel efficiency
- Great for high mileage vehicles
- Can also be used for older vehicles
- Great at keeping engines clean
- Cost effective
- Minimal burn off and emissions
- Maximizes engine performance and cleanliness
- Official oil of NASCAR
- Maximum engine performance
- Minimal oil burn off
- Great for high mileage engines
- Long term protection
- Maximizes both performance and lifespan
- Very good price
- Various viscosity ratings
- Performs well in all temperatures
Overall #1 Rated Pick
We have chosen Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec Engine Oil as the best oil for Mini Cooper, as it matches all of the needs, standards, specs, and requirements of Mini Coopers, according to BMW Longlife-01 Engine Oil.
As stated on the product page for Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec, it is an officially approved replacement for BMW Longlife-01, MB-Approval 229.5, Porsche A40, Renault RN 0700, 0710, VW 502 00/505 00, and more.
Now, this is supposed to be long life engine oil, which it is, as it helps provide an amazing amount of lubrication and wear protection over a long period of time.
This Liqui Moly engine oil is also designed to minimize oil burn off and emissions, while also helping to maximize the fuel efficiency of your Mini Cooper.
Oil for Mini Cooper – Buyer’s Guide
Just so you know what you are getting into, let’s talk about the Mini Cooper and its oil requirements.
Are you short on time or just want a quick answer?
Check out our list below for a summary of our results.
- Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec (#1 Overall Pick)
- Liqui Moly Molygen New Generation 5W-40 Motor Oil (For High Mileage Mini Cooper)
- Idemitsu Full Synthetic 0W-20 Engine Oil (for most Mini Cooper models)
- Mobil 1 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil (for Extreme Temperatures)
- Liqui Moly TOP TEC 0W-20 Motor Oil (for Long Term Protection)
- AmazonBasics Full Synthetic 0W-20 Motor Oil (Budget Friendly Oil for Mini Cooper)
Mini Cooper Oil Recommended by Manufacturer
The first thing to be done here is to go take a look at the Mini Cooper owner’s manual. Yes, there are many different types of engine oil out there, especially when it comes to viscosity ratings. Of course, this is very important to keep in mind.
Now what it so nice about the recommended oil for Mini Coopers is that there are actually lots of possibilities to go with. What we mean is that there are plenty of vehicles out there which only have one specific oil recommended by the manufacturer, but this is actually not the case with the Mini Cooper.
According to the official owner’s manual, the 2017 Mini Cooper should be using BMW Longlife-01 as the motor oil. This particular engine oil is made by BMW, and of course BMW is the owner of Mini Cooper. Below, we will take a quick look at BMW Longlife-01 engine oil to see what it is all about.
However, before we do that, it is important to note that the Mini Cooper owner’s manual also states that other suitable API SL certified oils may be used. What is really neat here is that the Mini Cooper can actually handle motor oil of varying viscosities, and this includes SAE 0W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30, SAE 0W-40, and, SAE 5W-40, all as long as they are fully synthetic.
Below we want to take a quick look at BMW Longlife-01 engine oil, and in the review section further below, we will take a look at some of the best alternatives.
Mini Cooper Oil Recommended by Mileage
Something that is also important to know is that what kind of oil you use for your car, whether for a Mini Cooper or anything else, does also depend on how old the vehicle is, or in other words, how many miles are on the engine.
The reason for this is that older engines with more miles on them have different oil requirements than newer engines with less miles on them. Older engines require oil that has the ability to rejuvenate old gaskets and prevent leaks, oil which can maximize engine life, and oil which goes a long way in cleaning the engine and keeping it that way.
On the other hand, newer engines also need oil that can keep the engine clean, although that said, cars with less miles on their engines benefit from higher performance oil which not only maximizes engine lifespan, but also increased performance. Let’s take a closer look at the recommended oil for Mini Coopers based on engine mileage.
| Mileage | Recommended Products |
|---|---|
| 0 – 75,000 | Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec |
| 75,000 – 150,000 | Idemitsu Full Synthetic 0W-20 |
| 150,000 – 300,000 | Liqui Moly Molygen New Generation 5W-40 Motor Oil |
How to Change Oil for Mini Cooper
Of course, something you have to do regularly is to change the oil in your Mini Cooper. No, performing an oil change is not overly hard, but it does need to be performed regularly, and it needs to be done right.
Here we have a few instructional videos on how to change the oil for some of the most current and popular Mini Cooper models.
How Often to Change Oil
If you are using basic motor oil for your Mini Cooper, the official recommendation from the manufacturer is that the oil should be changed every 4,000 to 6,000 miles.
However, with that being said, if you are using high quality and high performance motor oil, this could stretch up to 10,000 miles between oil changes.
Mini Cooper Leaking Oil
The gaskets and valves in Mini Coopers, just like with any other cars out there, can and do degrade over time. This can cause oil to leak into the engine, which can then cause some serious damage.
If you have an older Mini Cooper which is leaking oil, you may require some high viscosity and high mileage engine oil with the ability to rejuvenate old gaskets so they do not leak.
If this does not do the trick, your Mini Cooper may require some rather substantial repairs.
Mini Cooper Oil Consumption
An interesting thing to note about most Mini Cooper models is that they burn oil off faster than their capacity allows for.
In other words, an average Mini Cooper can hold about 4.2 quarts of oil, and it will burn off roughly 1 quart of oil every 750 miles.
This means that an average Mini Cooper can go for about 3,000 miles (slightly more), before it runs out of oil and requires a refill.
Mini Cooper Oil Viscosity Ratings
Something else important to note about Mini Coopers, is that according to the official manufacturer’s instructions, most models can handle a variety of oil viscosity ratings, especially the newer ones.
For instance, the 2017 Mini Cooper can handle:
- SAE 0W-20;
- SAE 0W-30;
- SAE 5W-20;
- SAE 5W-30;
- SAE 0W-40;
- and SAE 5W-40 viscosity engine oils.
The point here is that you should definitely familiarize yourself with what oil viscosity is and what different viscosity levels bring to the table.
Now that we have figured out what kind of oil is best for Mini Coopers, it’s time to take a look at some of the best alternatives to the one which we have described above. The following are the best oils for Mini Coopers that you can buy. Remember that according to the official owner’s manual, Mini Coopers can handle motor oils of varying viscosities, so this list is going to be fairly diverse.
Best Synthetic Oil for Mini Cooper
The top best product [hide]
Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec
Liqui Moly Molygen New Generation 5W-40 Motor Oil
Idemitsu Full Synthetic 0W-20 Engine Oil
Mobil 1 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil
Liqui Moly TOP TEC 0W-20 Motor Oil
AmazonBasics Full Synthetic 0W-20 Motor Oil
Mini Cooper Oil Type By Year
Next, what type of oil you get for your Mini Cooper is going to depend on the year in which the vehicle was made. Not all models of Mini Coopers will take the same oil, although most requirements are very similar. For instance, the 2017 model can handle SAE 0W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30, SAE 0W-40, and SAE 5W-40.
2017 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The 2017 Mini Cooper has a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces 134 horsepower. Cooper S models have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder which produces 189 horsepower. You can expect about 28 MPG out of the basic model. The recommended oil type for the 2017 Mini Cooper is BMW Longlife-01. This vehicle can handle SAE 0W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30, SAE 0W-40, and SAE 5W-40 viscosity engine oils. The oil capacity is 5.6 quarts.
2016 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The 2016 Mini Cooper is a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine capable of producing 124 horsepower. The 2016 Mini Cooper features a variety of oils and viscosity grades which may be used. The recommended products for this vehicle include BMW Longlife-01, BMW Longlife-01 FE, BMW Longlife-14 FE+, and Mini Original Engine Oil. Also, this car can handle SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40, SAE 5W-30, 0W-20, or 5W-20 viscosity grades. The oil capacity is 4.4 quarts.
2015 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The basic Mini Cooper model from 2015 features a 3 cylinder turbocharged 1.5 liter engine with 134 horsepower. You can expect roughly 31 MPG out of it. The 2015 Mini Cooper features a variety of oils and viscosity grades which may be used. The recommended products for this vehicle include BMW Longlife-01, BMW Longlife-01 FE, and Mini Original Engine Oil. Also, this car can handle SAE 0W-40, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-40, and SAE 5W-30, viscosity grades. The oil capacity of this vehicle is 4.5 quarts.
2013 & 2014 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The 2013 model features a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine capable pf producing 118 horsepower. Both the 2013 and 2014 Mini Coopers feature a variety of oils and viscosity grades which may be used. The three recommended products for this vehicle include BMW High Performance SAE 5W-30, BMW Longlife-01, and BMW Longlife-01 FE. Oils which meet the 0W-40, 0W-30, 5W-40 and 5W-30 viscosity ratings may also be used. These vehicles take 4.4 quarts liters of oil.
2011 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The basic model features a 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 114 pounds-feet of torque, while the upgraded version features a 181 horsepower turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-four-cylinder engine with 177 pounds-feet of torque. The approved engine oils for the 2011 Mini Cooper include any high performance oils with viscosity ratings of SAE 0W-40, 0W-30, 5W-40 and 5W-30. This vehicle can hold 4.4 quarts of oil.
2002 Mini Cooper Oil Type
The 2002 Mini Cooper features a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine capable of producing 115 horsepower. The recommended oil type for the 2002 Mini Cooper is BMW Longlife-01, with preferred alternatives including BMW Longlife, BMW Longlife98, and ACEA A3. This vehicle can hold 5.1 quarts of oil.
Mini Cooper Oil – FAQ
Which engine oil is best for Mini Cooper?
Here we are recommended what are generally seen as the very best engine oils for Mini Coopers.
- BMW Longlife-01 Engine Oil
- Liqui Moly 5W-30 Special Tec
- Liqui Moly TOP TEC 6200 0W20 Motor Oil
- Mobil 1 96989 0W-40 Synthetic Motor Oil
What type of oil does a Mini Cooper Take?
The 2017 Mini Cooper can handle SAE 0W-20, SAE 0W-30, SAE 5W-20, SAE 5W-30, SAE 0W-40, and SAE 5W-40 viscosity engine oils. That said, this does depend on the exact model.
How much oil does a Mini Cooper take?
On average, you can expect most Mini Cooper models to take roughly 4.4 US quarts of oil.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, as you can see, in terms of the types and brand of oil which the Mini Cooper can take, it’s quite a versatile little vehicle. Just be sure that the oil you get has the exact requirements which your model of Mini Cooper requires.
The most important factor here is going to be oil viscosity, but there are also others to keep in mind. If you can find motor oil that helps remove and prevent deposits, lowers emissions, increases fuel efficiency, works well in all temperatures, and helps provide long term performance, then you’re on the right track.
Add comment