Don't think I would bother with kits and all that, 5 years ago I might have but these days I tend to just leave them stock and buy a "better" one in the first place.
How feasible is a Cooper S as....
- Thread starter Vince
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Don't think I would bother with kits and all that, 5 years ago I might have but these days I tend to just leave them stock and buy a "better" one in the first place.
buy her a slightly longer chain or if you have to allow her on the roads - a bus pass
anything else is just creating additional heart ache and worry for the rest of us.
Good point... She already has a 10ft chain which I thought was well above average "certified" chain length. A longer chain would no doubt give her access to my office from the kitchen which is against all known rules.
She has been banging on about why she isn't engaged after 5 years when her friend got proposed to in just a few months, so I had a plan, get a ring box and put the car key in it. Get down on one knee and when she opens the box put my hands together and say.... "please don't crash it"...
Soldato
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[TW]Fox;20417902 said:
The Cooper S is very nice, if you want and will benefit from a Cooper S’s performance and don’t mind the increased running costs then it is the mini to have.
A Cooper has all of the advantages of the S, can look virtually the same with the kit and wheels, has all of the kerb appeal yet none of the disadvantages (unless you really want the performance and don’t mind the higher insurance and running costs).
![[TW]Fox](/data/man-of-honor/2009.png){kind=avatar}
What? No it doesn't! What a strange thing to say. Its perfectly true that it has MANY of the advantages but not all of them - it's quicker for a start!
I think the basics of this is if it was me I would take the S, but like you guys say she doesn't really know any different. Mileage will be tiny so MPG is not an issue, servicing/tyres etc cant possibly be as much as the boxster so I guess it is within what I can afford.
The downside seems to be her lack of experience, I mean I dont want to put her in something that she won't be able to handle or that she is going to hurt herself in. I also dont fancy paying more than say £1500/2k for her first years insurance.
I think I will test drive a few coopers and see what I think, after that I can try the Cooper S and see if I think it is worth the premium. For us at the moment I honestly can't see any real advantages of the Cooper S but Im a heart rules head kind of guy so that may well change after driving a few.
The downside seems to be her lack of experience, I mean I dont want to put her in something that she won't be able to handle or that she is going to hurt herself in. I also dont fancy paying more than say £1500/2k for her first years insurance.
I think I will test drive a few coopers and see what I think, after that I can try the Cooper S and see if I think it is worth the premium. For us at the moment I honestly can't see any real advantages of the Cooper S but Im a heart rules head kind of guy so that may well change after driving a few.
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Soldato
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[TW]Fox;20423601 said:
Er I put that it has all the advantages bar performance but thanks for the grammatical correction.
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Mini One... Mini Cooper S?
I dont think she cares one bit. How it looks on the drive is all that really matters.
Mini One... Mini Cooper S?
I dont think she cares one bit. How it looks on the drive is all that really matters.
OK so the Mini was delivered this morning, not a Cooper S, just standard Cooper, how ever I cannot see for the life of me how someone who does not drive for fun could want more than what you get in the standard Cooper power and handling wise, if anything the S would just be less comfy ride wise.
Then 20 miles into driving on an 11 plate car that only has 5k on it, the engine warning light comes on. Within that time I was bored of it already once the initial "ooh I remember this its just like my old Zetec S!" charm wore off, compared to my MX5 I have had over 4 years, which still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it after all this time.
Great...
Wonder what car I will get next.
Then 20 miles into driving on an 11 plate car that only has 5k on it, the engine warning light comes on. Within that time I was bored of it already once the initial "ooh I remember this its just like my old Zetec S!" charm wore off, compared to my MX5 I have had over 4 years, which still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it after all this time.
Great...
Wonder what car I will get next.
the JCW bodykit is a factory option.
Everything the Cooper S offers over the Cooper is stuff she will not have the slightest interest in.
Get a Cooper in a colour she likes and job done.
Oh, and try your hardest to get one with the panoramic sunroof. It completely transforms the feel of the car (makes it feel much bigger).
Get a Cooper in a colour she likes and job done.
Oh, and try your hardest to get one with the panoramic sunroof. It completely transforms the feel of the car (makes it feel much bigger).
It amuses me how many women I've met who don't even realise they have a Cooper S, usually the husband had something to do with it and they just wanted a Mini
I stupidly asked someone once if their Cooper S was the supercharged version or the turbo one and the reply I got was. "Oh no, it is just a standard Cooper S" Turned out it was the Turbo charged one....
Almost as bad as my old boss with her "rear wheel drive Alfa 156"
EDIT - oh and don't bother with the S for a new driver. Standard cooper if it has to be a mini.
I have a 06 Cooper S (Old version, supercharged).
Just to give you an idea, I do around 100 miles week (urban) and this costs me around £25-£30 a week). Mind you, I do sometimes have a heavy foot and my route to work is nice bendy country roads, it is just too tempting to get into 4K and above revs to hear the whine!. In terms of 'Long Distance' I travel a lot to watch Liverpool and it costs me around £65 there and back, and around 20miles outside of Leicester I am on red (260ish mile round trip).
MINI's in general have quite a few OEM faults, power steering pumps, misc sensors which don't come cheap unless you are within warranty. They also run on Runflats so be prepard to fork out anything from £110 to £140 per tyre when you need to change.
Also Tax is a little bit steep, around £260 for the year. Not forgetting that you have to regular top up/change your oil etc on the supercharged to keep it running smooth.
The way I sometimes explain it to people is that for the money it costs me to run, I would expect something with a bit more poke. (don't get me wrong, it is nippy) But overall I am happy with it.
Overall it is a good car, and I enjoy driving it (which is the main thing). If you looking for something fun and don't mind spending a bit more then go for it.
Edit: However, if you are going for the new S which are fitted with a turbo then the running costs will be a lot less.
Just to give you an idea, I do around 100 miles week (urban) and this costs me around £25-£30 a week). Mind you, I do sometimes have a heavy foot and my route to work is nice bendy country roads, it is just too tempting to get into 4K and above revs to hear the whine!. In terms of 'Long Distance' I travel a lot to watch Liverpool and it costs me around £65 there and back, and around 20miles outside of Leicester I am on red (260ish mile round trip).
MINI's in general have quite a few OEM faults, power steering pumps, misc sensors which don't come cheap unless you are within warranty. They also run on Runflats so be prepard to fork out anything from £110 to £140 per tyre when you need to change.
Also Tax is a little bit steep, around £260 for the year. Not forgetting that you have to regular top up/change your oil etc on the supercharged to keep it running smooth.
The way I sometimes explain it to people is that for the money it costs me to run, I would expect something with a bit more poke. (don't get me wrong, it is nippy) But overall I am happy with it.
Overall it is a good car, and I enjoy driving it (which is the main thing). If you looking for something fun and don't mind spending a bit more then go for it.
Edit: However, if you are going for the new S which are fitted with a turbo then the running costs will be a lot less.
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If you are going to drive it then definitely get the S. My GF has a Cooper and she loves it but it just lacks any oomph which really bugs me when I drive it.
Thanks Mull3t, that is the kind of insight I was looking for.
I do very very little mileage a week, on average in my 330 I have done 2,500k per year in the four years I have owned it, so that is not a major area, the various issues seems like an area of concern though.
I would be looking at a 2004 Cooper S.
I do very very little mileage a week, on average in my 330 I have done 2,500k per year in the four years I have owned it, so that is not a major area, the various issues seems like an area of concern though.
I would be looking at a 2004 Cooper S.
Defo good choice to go for the supercharged, I personally think it's got something more about it than the new S Turbo. And it sounds wicked when you get the exhaust to pop when switching gears.
Way I see it though, is no matter what car you get they is always going to be additional costs down the line. If you want something fun, then defo go for the S.
Vid below when I just got it, was excited to get the popping/burbling on video, something the Turbo's can't do. Just adds to the character!
Way I see it though, is no matter what car you get they is always going to be additional costs down the line. If you want something fun, then defo go for the S.
Vid below when I just got it, was excited to get the popping/burbling on video, something the Turbo's can't do. Just adds to the character!
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^^^^
Agreed. If fun is high on your agenda then not much beats the Mini (maybe my old Elise was more fun but I don't think I've ever owned or driven anything else that comes close)
Spend £200 on a smaller supercharger pulley and it'll put an even bigger grin on your face