Cooper S - should I ?

wozzizname · 22 Jul 2012 at 21:33

I've had my VW Bora V5 for about ten years now, and it's time for a change. I like the VW for it's comfort and reliability (nothing has gone wrong in 10 years, although it hasn't done many miles until recently) but the handling isn't great and I fancy a change.

I've been thinking about a used Mini Cooper S - reasons being it's fun to drive, reasonably rapid, has acceptable running costs, decent resale value and I like the looks / quirky interior.

I've a budget of about £14k - does this sound a sensible idea, and what else should I be considering (had wondered about Alfas, but slightly concerned about build quality/ reliability).

My mileage is now about 12k a year, mainly dual carriageway, country 'a' roads, some town driving.

Over to you Motors experts !

Brookert · 22 Jul 2012 at 21:47

Just a word of warning, don't expect a mini to last as long as your bora did.

mjt · 22 Jul 2012 at 21:48

Don't the R56s have quite a few reliability issues though?

Have a look at the 130i..

wozzizname · 22 Jul 2012 at 22:04

While I like the idea of a 130i, I'd be worried about the running costs (servicing particularly) compared to a mini with the TLC package...

Beerbaron · 22 Jul 2012 at 22:06

am i right in saying they have a poor mpg?

Ben Cole · 22 Jul 2012 at 22:12

Supercharged ones yes, turbocharged ones no....is what I've read/heard.

rodenal · 22 Jul 2012 at 22:23

The running costs of the likes of a 130i aren't too bad tbh - it's unlikely to see as high mpg as the turbo'd cooper S but it's less likely to break and you're only talking the difference of literally a few mpg - the kind of difference where a bigger factor is your own driving style. It's also another level up in the performance leagues - that big six really, really suits the 1 series.

Got to be honest i've never been a fan of the new mini - never driver a turbocharged S though, only the supercharged which i found slow slow slow - nothing to offset the compromise in space for me, but if you like the looks etc then fair enough.

As above I believe the new cooper S have some real reliability issues but it sounds like whatever car you buy will come with / have warranty purchased anyway so i'm guessing that's not so much of an issue - best to drive the mini and maybe a few other cars to see what you think

rjk · 22 Jul 2012 at 23:18

are you set on a hot hatch?
what about a larger saloon or coupe?
Your budget can cover loads of stuff really. I are you set on a certain economy expectation?

Some more info about what you want from your next car would open the thread up to suggestions

atpbx · 23 Jul 2012 at 07:21

Beerbaron said:
am i right in saying they have a poor mpg?

No.

The wifes R56 MCS has averaged 37.5 ish over the past 5 weeks (one tank, filled it up for the second time since we bought it)and its only been dawdling across town in that time.

Early R56s had tensioner issues, later ones dont, if you tune them too hard the gearbox and clutch brake, thats about it.

Joe T · 23 Jul 2012 at 09:45

rodenal said:
never driver a turbocharged S though, only the supercharged which i found slow slow slow - nothing to offset the compromise in space for me, but if you like the looks etc then fair enough.

Really? Most people say the opposite. And the turbocharged version doesnt feel as fast as the supercharged one....

Stelly · 23 Jul 2012 at 09:48

Joe T said:
Really? Most people say the opposite. And the turbocharged version doesnt feel as fast as the supercharged one....

I agree the super charged one was a lot better, I have had both (now and A3 TDI

)

Supercharger whine was immense as well, mine had limited slip diff which was epic

Stelly

p1RATE · 23 Jul 2012 at 09:55

my girlfriend has the supercharged and it gets just over 30mpg. very rigid body and suspension set up and drives like a go cart. I love it but would never buy one for myself (personally i would go for a nice coupe).

budget for 6-8k, buy a second hand one with 40-60k on the clock with full BMW service history and get the chili pack if you can. i think the turbos had a few issues which were fixed after the first year or two, so look for supercharged first.

rodenal · 23 Jul 2012 at 09:57

Joe T said:
Really? Most people say the opposite. And the turbocharged version doesnt feel as fast as the supercharged one....

Yeah didn't get on with it at all - I liked the whine but the car didn't feel like it had the get up and go to match the noise, maybe my expectations were just too high given the output.

The JCW stuff makes a big difference, so I hear anyway.

atpbx · 23 Jul 2012 at 11:09

Joe T said:
Really? Most people say the opposite. And the turbocharged version doesnt feel as fast as the supercharged one....

Doesnt feel as fast due to the broader power band and wider spread of torque.

The R56 is faster in every respect than than the R53, its just not as raw.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolongtermtests/218775/mini_cooper_s.html

Seems to explain everything.

DAIR · 23 Jul 2012 at 11:56

wouldn't touch the cooper s tbh.

Cooper s jcw or gp for me.

Went out in a gp before getting rid of my vxr. The thing was awesome.

GSDog · 23 Jul 2012 at 11:56

I have a 2006 R53 Checkmate with the LSD. It's a great car to drive, so much fun and I do love the supercharger whine. However, it does drink fuel! I'm currently averaging 24.5mpg but I don't drive economically. Personally I wouldn't spend more than £10k on one and I'd still opt for the R53 despite the fact that the R56 is better in some ways.

I'm planning to fit a reduced super charger pulley among other things soon, they're not difficult to get to 200bhp+.

Joe T · 23 Jul 2012 at 12:03

rodenal said:
The JCW stuff makes a big difference, so I hear anyway.

I have a JCW R53 but it doesnt get driven enough