Anyone here own a Mini Cooper S here.
I had the opportunity to drive one over the week end and boy was it a blast I loved it. From the moment I sat in the car I felt a connection, I love the interior (different). I like the control that I have in it, the zippyness everything. I am loving this car. I can use a fun small car in my life for once, I've had big boat LS's all my adult life, its time for me to widen out.

The car I drove was a friends who just bought it so they couldn't give me any history.
So whats the skinny on this itty bitty Mini?

I thought about the S2000 (gets high marks here in CL) but I want a back seat and something other than Japanese. I want buttons I'm not use to seeing, a different dash arrangment, different interior forms and materials. I guess I'm feeling German right now (blame my Audi). I think I burt myself out on Japanese autos, its all I've ever had, heck I'm even getting tired of my LX but I refuse to rid myself of it.

Before I grab this car are there any other european small zippy mid-upscale cars out there I could compare the Mini S to or consider. Since I have the German jones Would it be worth checking out the M3. In other words if I'm going gah-gah over the Mini would the M3 actually be my calling and I just don't know it? I guess I better go and just test drive it eh. I'm just so freakin spontaneous with cars that impress me I'm the sort that will go and get it tomorrow with out asking any questions, but since I belong to a board now I can bounce my ideas of you guys, its just funner that way. Haha funner...

 

The M3 is not in the Cooper's class. It is a considerably more expensive......and powerful.....car than the Cooper, even in Cooper S or John Works trim. If you want a European-designed car a little closer to the Cooper S in both execution and price, check out the Volkswagen GTI and R32. The new GTI, especially, is closer to the Mini in handling than the last-generation model was......but be warned, German cars have poor-quality electronics and are likely to be unreliable....and most Minis are unreliable also. R32's were in limited supply as new cars but may still be available new or used...you may have to do some searching.

I understand your enthusiasm for the Cooper S's handling. Few cars on this planet with a back seat have that kind of agility. The trade-off, of course, for that stiff suspension, short wheelbase, light weight, and lack of overhangs front and rear, is quite a stiff ride...which I'm sure you've noticed. But if you don't mind a race-car-stiff ride....hey, go for it.

 

I was looking into buying one 2 years ago... everything looks awesome, however every single mini board that i visited was full of problems with the cars. So check them out and see if this is still the case.

 

Thanks mmarshall

I'm fully aware of the reliability issues of these German cars and why I will least it only. Yes when I drove it the ride was very stiff, and for me coming from generations of LS's I really felt it bigtime AND I LOVED IT!. As a third car that ride and its accompanied handling is perfectly fine with me, I wont be driving it on long trips, just around town, weekend trips to the store/ mall etc. (help keep the miles down on the audi)

I was afraid that my expressions would be slightly missunderstood, my intentions wasn't to compare the M3 and cooper S I understand they are two totally different autos. I was basically comparing my desire to the two cars, in other words if I loved the cooperS and the feel it gave me would the M3 be my ultimate calling, hence greater response/ feel/ experience etc.

For instance I like the watching movies on the big screen but IMAX takes the cake and would rather see all of my movies on it. Get what I'm saying...

I'm not drawn to the cooper simply because of price or cost, no more than Carmen Diez (spelling) to the Prius. Cost is not an issue. Its all about what I want out of the car and if the car can deliver and put a grin on my face, I really don't care what it cost, if a 20k+ car can do that then its all good.


Spwolf - Thanks for that info I will check into that, I'm curious to know when the issues started, within the first three years, after, or near the end of...and also if anything has changed for the better since your quoted "2yrs ago".

 

I'd get the Cooper S! I think they even make convertible now? They are pretty roomy on inside vs how small it looks from outside. You can mod it a la Italian Job! hahaha...Coopers are so cute.

 

Coopers are pretty nifty. Definately get the "S"; lots of "chrome"-esque accents and a little better performance and handling. Think of it as a Scion with a lot more spirit...

 

Milla, I personally have never driven the Cooper S, but I can tell you about a gentleman that works with my wife.

This person, first off, is a diehard Bimmer fanatic. He even writes articles for a BMW magazine (unsure of which one offhand). He's at the level where he was invited to Germany a few years ago to test drive the then yet-to-be released 6 series. His preference lies towards the smaller vehicles and he was a HUGE fan and owner of the now defunct 318 ti.

He also owned, for weekend fun,a 1961 MGA, which was equipped with the larger displacement engine that was available. This was MG's "race car" at the time.

So, we can see he appreciates both fine German machinery and quirky British rides!

He has since sold the Bimmer and the MG and he needed a new "toy" as he put it. He opted for the Cooper S. While speaking with hom just prior to the Christmas holidays, he said he has never had more fun than driving the S. He has tracked the car this past summer and was VERY impressed at it's handling (somewhat expected) but he was equally surprised at the power delivery over the course of a 2-3 hour race. He said it had more than ample power for road course scenarios (which he says is more power and handling ability than anyone needs on the street).

So, according to him. The Cooper S is the way to go!

 

it was pretty problematic from start... just check the boards and see if it is problematic still...

 

1) Say hello to the mid-life crisis.
2) Get a red corvette

 

Yes, there is a convertible now ( orange is the featured but not the only color ). The top folds not only up and back, stacked like an accordion on the rear deck like the VW Beetle, but also has a nifty half-back feature that is like a half-top or a sunroof.

There is also a John Works hardtop version, which is factory-approved and carries a factory warranty....perhaps the ultimate Cooper. It runs around 200 HP, and with an even stiffer, pro-handling chassis and tires than the Cooper S, really turns it into a pocket-rocket. I, personally, though, would NOT want to drive this car on ANYTHING but a glass-smooth road.

 

Of note, both Porsche and BMW are above average in reliability.

 

Of note, Porsche and BMW repairs costs are ridiculously high.

 

Of note, BMW includes full maintenance for the first 4 years/50,000 miles. Your only out of pocket expenses are gas and tires (insurance would be a good idea too).

Trust me, I've seen Lexus repairs and they are not cheap - any of these luxury car brands have incredibly high repair costs.

 

Yeah, but in reality you are still paying for it, basically, because the car is overpriced by about 10-15k.


Still quite a bit cheaper than BMW, and especially Porsche.

 

You mean it costs more -it is not overpriced however. Always remember, you get what you pay for

Of note, they wanted $250 for the O2 sensor in my wife's RX300. It is a $70 part and takes 15 minutes to install.