Used MINI Cooper S Manuals (F56): Which Year to Buy?

Prices checked November 2026.

The third-generation MINI Cooper S two-door hardtop (F56) arrived for the 2014 model year with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, and it kept a 6-speed manual for years. This guide covers 6 model years, 2014 to 2019, with sold prices from Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids for that exact year and gearbox. We give a range only with at least 3 matching sales. A single sale is one car on one day, not a market value.

Who should consider an F56 Cooper S manual?

It is a front-wheel-drive hot hatch with 189 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque from a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder, according to the Cars and Bids listing for a 2019 car. The EPA rates the manual at 26 to 28 mpg combined depending on year.

Model-year and gearbox availability

The EPA lists a 6-speed manual 2-liter Cooper S for each of 2014 to 2019: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. For 2020 the EPA lists the Cooper S two-door hardtop only with a 7-speed automatic (2020 listing), so we dropped 2020 from the shortlist the brief suggested and added 2014 in its place. A Cooper S two-door is the model with the hood scoop and "S" badging. Four-door Cooper S cars are a separate body style and are not covered here.

Six exact-year cars to compare

Each section lists the sold cars we found in the past 12 months, the recalls NHTSA lists for the year, and a CarGurus search for current listings.

1. 2014 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 1 sale. A 60,000-mile 2014 sold for $11,600 on Bring a Trailer in July 2026. That is one car, not a range.

• Recalls. NHTSA lists campaign 15V-628 (passenger front air bag may not deploy properly in a low-speed crash) for 2014 to 2016 Cooper S two-door cars, and 15V-450 (rear-seat side impact performance, FMVSS 214) for 2014 to 2015 Cooper and Cooper S hardtops. Seat cushion recall 15V-739 covers certain 2014 to 2015 Cooper S hardtops built March 28, 2014 to May 9, 2015 that had a front passenger seat cushion replaced. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN to see which are still open.

2. 2015 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 2 sales. A 159,000-mile car sold for $8,350 on Bring a Trailer in May 2026, and a car on Cars and Bids sold for $8,100 in August 2026. These are 2 single sales, not a range. Two other 2015 Cooper S cars that sold on Bring a Trailer were automatics, so we left them out.

• Recalls. NHTSA lists campaign 15V-628 (passenger front air bag may not deploy properly in a low-speed crash) for 2014 to 2016 Cooper S two-door cars, and 15V-450 (rear-seat side impact performance, FMVSS 214) for 2014 to 2015 Cooper and Cooper S hardtops. Recall 15V-739 (front passenger seat cushion replacement) also applies to 2015 cars built through May 9, 2015. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN to see which are still open.

3. 2016 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 1 sale. A 26,000-mile 2016 sold for $12,850 on Bring a Trailer in June 2026. That is one car, not a range.

• Recalls. NHTSA lists 15V-628 (passenger front air bag) for 2014 to 2016 Cooper S two-door cars. It also lists 15V-887, which covers 1 MINI Cooper Hardtop 2 Door built November 24, 2015 for a steering gearbox issue, so it is unlikely to apply. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN.

4. 2017 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 1 sale. A 2017 sold for $11,137 on Cars and Bids in June 2026. The listing reports a JCW exhaust, tuning kit and Dinan software tune, so it is a modified car. That is one car, not a range.

• Recalls. We found no NHTSA recall for the 2017 Cooper S two-door hardtop. The 2017 recalls NHTSA lists are for Clubman, 4-door and other models. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN anyway.

5. 2018 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 1 sale. A 77,000-mile 2018 sold for $16,500 on Bring a Trailer in January 2026. It had the Fully Loaded Pack, a panoramic sunroof and 18-inch wheels. That is one car, not a range.

• Recalls. NHTSA returned no recalls for 2018 MINI Cooper models. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN anyway.

6. 2019 MINI Cooper S hardtop, 6-speed manual

Price check: we found 1 sale. A 68,300-mile 2019 sold for $16,200 on Cars and Bids in December 2025. It had a wrap, a JCW body kit and other modifications. A second 2019 Cooper S on Cars and Bids sold for $14,600, but it was an automatic, so we left it out.

• Recalls. NHTSA lists 2019 campaigns for the BMW X1, X2, Countryman and Cooper S Convertible, not for the two-door hardtop. NHTSA recall data. Run the VIN anyway.

Factory equipment and specification differences

We could not open a factory document that lays out equipment changes by model year, so we do not claim any beyond what the sources above show. What we can confirm: the EPA lists the same 2.0-liter turbo with a 6-speed manual for all 6 years, and the listings show buyers choose a lot of option packs (Sport, Premium, Technology, JCW Interior). Compare the window sticker or build sheet on each car, not the model year alone.

Service history and VIN-specific recall checks

• Run the VIN through NHTSA and a MINI dealer for open campaigns. The 2014 to 2016 cars have the most recall activity.
• Ask for service records. Dated oil changes and brake fluid changes are the easy ones to check, as in the Cars and Bids 2019 listing above.
• Follow the intervals in the owner's manual for that car.

Pre-purchase inspection priorities

• Ask for a Carfax or AutoCheck report and look for accident repairs.
• Check the clutch take-up and that the car pulls cleanly in every gear on a test drive.
• Have an independent shop that knows MINIs scan for stored fault codes and look for oil and coolant leaks.
• Check for modifications. 2 of the 6 sales above (the 2017 and the 2019) were modified cars, so their prices are not a clean read on stock cars.

How to choose the right example

• Lowest price: a 2015 or 2014. The 2 sales we found for the 2015 were both under $8,500, though one had 159,000 miles.
• Fewest recalls: a 2017 to 2019 car, where we found no NHTSA recall for the two-door hardtop.
• Newest with a manual: a 2019. The EPA lists no manual for 2020.

How we picked

The brief we started from listed 2015 to 2020. We checked each year against the EPA's fueleconomy.gov listings for a 6-speed manual Cooper S two-door hardtop. 2020 had none, so we swapped it for 2014. We then read completed sales on Bring a Trailer and Cars and Bids from the past 12 months for the exact year and gearbox, and left out automatics, John Cooper Works cars, 4-door cars and convertibles. Recalls come from NHTSA's recall data. Before you buy, run the VIN, get an independent inspection and ask for service records.

Related Department Six pages

• Used MINI Clubman S manuals: which year to buy
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