[Westerley]

Did anyone see 5th Gear tonight? Cooper v Swift shootout?

Cooper wins! Although only by a fraction of a second. Seems like the handling of the Cooper won the day as the Swift was slightly quicker but lost time on the corners

[Gristy]

I saw 5th gear (poor mans Top Gear) and the clip

Tiff didn't really want it to win - handling was much better in the Cooper

What would most people want to pull up in, a Cooper or a Swift? - no choice

[DerekH]

Yes the Cooper under powered over priced and over weight hey who care's as the Mini did the business in the corners, we looked at ST Focus,Astra SRI , etc then drove MCS the End. Guess the one sitting in our drive, but it's not all about performance.

[Harpo]

And how many Suzuki Swift runs are there on the calendar?

Exactly. Says it all really.

[Hartge210]

Even Tiffany couldn't get the Cooper oversteering

Well done Cooper

[Westerley]

Quote: Originally Posted by DerekH (original)

Yes the Cooper under powered over priced and over weight

I would rather have a bit more weight anyway. I once drove a Swift 200 miles up the motorway and I may as well have been driving a paper car. Every time I passed a lorry I'd end up in a different lane. Scary.

[gpmick]

Its was the top Swift made So why not put it against at least a Cooper S ?????
The time would have been a lot bigger gap

[Morri7]

I missed it! Do they repeat 5th gear at any time?

[Jamesr022]

Quote: Originally Posted by gpmick (original)

Its was the top Swift made So why not put it against at least a Cooper S ?????
The time would have been a lot bigger gap

beacuse it would not be fair comparison on price and power! i'm sure i read some where that a hotter swift will be comming out soon!

[KenL]

Quote: Originally Posted by Gristie (original)

What would most people want to pull up in, a Cooper or a Swift? - no choice

Less of the snobbery please , the Swift is a good wee car - just like the MINI

[marx87]

There is no comparison between the 2 cars for me Mini all the way

[Harpo]

Quote: Originally Posted by 5th Gear website

This week we're giving you the chance to win a a brand new Mini Cooper worth nearly £13,000. Last year, the 'new' new Mini won our Small Car of the Year Award, and it remains one of the benchmarks. Tiff loves it, especially after it beat the more powerful Suzuki Swift Sport around Cadwell Park in the Shoot-Oout thanks to some finely-tuned handling...

So what are they stripping out from the standard Cooper to make it worth less than £13000?

[FunFindus]

5th gear is repeated sometime sunday morning. I like the swift, it a nice looking run about and well priced. Still wouldnt buy one prefer my mini

[bugiz]

Can anyone find a youtube link?
Please we don't get fifth gear till.... a very long time here in Aussie

[OneDriver]

KenL I can see what you are getting at. But my view is pretty precise on the matter.. and I don't put it down to snobbery. There is much more to think about here than paper facts.

The MINI is a premium small car... it may well be in the same size bracket as many other cars (Swift and Fox to name but a few) but the dealer experience, perceived history, nostalgia, Car quality and ownership experience sets it apart. You pay a premium price for something that in reality isn't much different but stands in a bracket all of it's own. If manufacturers wanted to they could build something comparable to the MINI (some try) but it doesn't sell as the MINI does due to so much more emotion, history.... and (through it's attachment to BMW) prestige attached to it. It'd just be another car that few are inclined to pay for or are impressed by.... hence the Swifts much lower sales, even though you (on paper) get so much more for you money.

If you heard reports of an awesome restaurant that was only £10 a head would you rush out with your wife to go visit? Generally I'm afraid the answer is NO. Yes the Swift might be fun to drive, look funky and be cheap as chips... but as we all to well know. Luxury goods just don't work that way - it's about more than functional value...... call us suckers for believing in the MINI but I guess we all just want that something special that means a little more than the same old same old

[Westerley]

Interestingly there is a certain Suzuki dealer selling their demo Swift Sport. It is 3 months old has 32 miles on the clock

[jamesbeaumont]

Quote: Originally Posted by DerekH (original)

Yes the Cooper under powered over priced and over weight hey who care's as the Mini did the business in the corners, we looked at ST Focus,Astra SRI , etc then drove MCS the End. Guess the one sitting in our drive, but it's not all about performance.

Actually the Swift weighs more than the Cooper at 1105kg opposed to the 1065 of the Cooper. Therefore the cars both have identical power to weight ratios (113 bhp/ton) The Mini has more torque too so I dont get why the Swift was quicker....
This was the other car I was looking at before the Mini but decided against it as it had awful residuals and short gearing. (possible why it was quicker round the track I guess) I think the Swift looks great with 2 big exhausts and lovely alloys. Give the Cooper 15 bhp more though and theres no competition (if you have the money)

Oh and does anybody know what times the 2 cars posted? Then we can compare how the R56 did against the R53 and the C2 GT and SportKa(!!) that beat the R53....

[KenL]

Quote: Originally Posted by OneDriver (original)

If you heard reports of an awesome restaurant that was only £10 a head would you rush out with your wife to go visit?

Having spent £120 on a lunch for 2 on Saturday, I can assure you I would rather go for an awesome meal at a tenner a head

[J1JPE]

Swifts' seats were too narrow for my ample ass

Other than that - good value nippy package

Glad the Coop won tho' ... JCW sound kit (chip/induction) & we'll have a real warm hatch to play with

[Wes]

Funny this should pop up, I traded my '05 Swift for the 06 R50 Cooper. Interesting to compare the two. The Mini's gearbox is BRILLIANT... Can't say it more, the Swifts clutch take up point is nearly at the end of the travel, gearbox isn't as direct, I tried others and was always the same. Non adjustable as well.

The motor in the swift was definitely more vibey, holding the gearshift you could get a hell of a vibe from it. The Mini's got virtually none. Roadholding goes completely to the Mini, the swift was good, but jumping from it (I had low profile 17's on it) to the Mini with stuff all body roll, more direct steering, the drive is great. The Mini is slightly rougher, but with tauter suspension and runflat's I guess that's to be expected.

Seat of the pants, the Mini feels stronger through the rev range.

Biggest thing, build quality, the Swift had this line in the middle of the dash on the passenger side where the airbag bursts out, and it was rough used to annoy the hell out of me as it was always in my sight, plastics were nowhere near as nice. I know I'm comparing apples to oranges due to the cost, but I'm not unhappy I swapped across....

The Mini's not as tinny... hey! it rhymes!
I'm a poet and didn't know it...

Better go now....