newbie looking to buy cooper s

[zepp21]

hey everyone,

i am currently an 18 yr old high school student with a land rover discovery II....not a good choice considering gas mileage. I am looking at selling it and buying something more practical for college. I would like something fun to drive but also practical in matter of size, gas mileage, practicality . I would also like to know how the mini performs in light snow. I like the outdoors and would also like to be able to hold some equipment while driving....like a snowboard....will it fit inside or not? Thanks for all the help

Alex

[Ingrid]

Hi there.

Don't know too much about the cooper S as I own a cooper myself. But I'll try to help.

Drove an S yesterday! Fun fun fun! Absolutly a fun car! It's very practical and fun to drive around with as it's quite small But the gas mileage is not that good. Because of all the power the S uses a lot of gas( I think it does).

When I got my cooper I was suprised to se how well it performed in the snow. And with the snowboard.. I don't know. Depens on the snowboard. The MINI is a small car, so I don't really know if you can fit it inside, but you can always buy the snowboardthingy to have on the roof.

But anyways.. GO FOR AN S

[jimskater]

Alex

Like the EPA says, your mileage may vary--but I average 22 - 24 mpg with my S. (I'm a leadfoot)

Snow performance all depends on where you live. If your in an area that requires snow tires, by all means get them. I've driven in a light snow in the So Cal mountains & had no trouble with the all weather tires.

I don't know about a snow board, but my boogie board fits right across the folded rear seats--and sits in a MINI rear seat cover/boot liner combo that hoses clean.

[dakini]

like has been said, snow performance depends on tires. i have Dunlop 5000 runflats on mine, which have a good snow rating. make sure if you buy a used cooper s that you know what tires are on it and what their snow rating is. it's a heavy car, with a pretty low center of gravity, so that helps. but anything more than 5 inches of snow, and you're going to want to wait til the roads are cleared.

as far as wanting a fun car for college, just a warning: when I was in college, most people's cars got abused -- doors got slammed into your car sides from too-small parking places; windows got broken, even in the protected parking, mainly by drunk frat boys on their way to beat someone up saturday nights. if you really adore your car, college parking lots aren't the place for it.

as far as snowboards go: yeah, it will fit. my mountain bike fits. the problem is that if you have a boat or two and boots in the back, you'll need to put down the rear seats, which means only taking one friend with you to the slopes.

are you going to be driving up mountains frequently to go boarding in the winter? like, on a ski and board team? if so, i'd think about keeping that SUV.

[Ferroequine]

I've driven my MCS through snow storms, and actually enjoyed myself. It is a great car in the snow, especially if you have the right tires for the job - snow tires. For light snow, you can in all likelyhood get away with all-season tires. DSC rules.



Although, like Dakini suggested, you'll be turning the MINI into a little snowplow if you get 6-7 inches of snow, so if you're expecting big dumps, wait for the snow plows first. Some of the guys here go skiing regularly with their MINIs.

As far as carrying snow boards, you could consider the MINI roof rack, as it is quite sturdy and can even carry an enclosed carrier (MINI has their own, or Thule).

[le_knut]

I always take the MINI when I go skiing or snowboarding. The snow on the roads is no problem at all. I have a roof rack for the skis, but I mostly put them inside. it works for skis or snowboards up to 180 cm (70 inches). It may be a bit more difficult to shift as you have to put them between the front seats but they fit.