Help Decision should I buy 04 Cooper S?

[sqmstr]

Hey everyone I bought a 2004 Is300 which i gotta tell you this car I love but i have not got it yet, I am buying it through a auction dealer looking for the one i want hence the wait for the car...

This being said I can't help every time i am online i keep looking at the mini coopers, I drove one from my job the other night since we don't have valet im the night manager and i went to pick up the car it was fun as hell. So my question is do you guys think i should get the Mini S or stick with the Is300? by the way they would be both under 40k miles and 04's

I keep asking people and they keep telling me it's a chik's car I live in miami beach but this car looks fun but I don't know the reliability on this years model.... I know the Is300 is super reliable can any of you guys help or give me some advice plz? thanks ahead of time Happy New Years.

[sqmstr]

come on guys i need some kind of responce..... I am saying I like the car but i need to know how the 04's hold up the S series. Also being in Miami beach it looks like a fun little ride to tear the streets up with and reek some havok . But so does the Is300..... the only question im having is reliability issues.... and being auto or manual.

[DaFlake]

Welcome to the forum! You need to relax as many of the folks here are in the UK and it is late at night for them. As for the MINI being a "chicks" car, I know many "men" that own them including myself.

The 04 MINI is a post facelift model that has been shown to be a pretty solid car. I would, however, avoid the CVT transmission like the plague. They have been known to fail early and will cost you 8K to replace as there is no way to repair them.

Also, most folks here will tell you to buy the MINI as this is a MINI site.

[sqmstr]

Hey thanks and sorry did not mean to come across as a dick so to speak i just have the IS300 on the way and I can change if i give them enough time i suppose...

thanks for the imput i guess just a question to what you said... avoiding the CVT transmission how do i know which one has this? I am looking specifically to buy the 2004 Mini cooper S if i do get it... does this have the CVT? can't be spending 8k on a tranny and is automatic or manual better for these cars?

[MINIAC]

The CVT was never used in the "S" model. An automatic transmission was not available in the "S" model until January 2005 builds.

[sqmstr]

Awesome information guys, allow me to pick yer brains.....

So i would imagine if i get the S 04 it only comes in Manual, is this clutch and flywheel pretty good? I have heard horror stories for the engine i just wanna be well informed i suppose

[DaFlake]

Thanks MINIAC, I totally forgot about that. So the 04 S would be a manual Getrag one of the best they have used. As for the engine, what "horror" stories have you heard. It is a Brazilian tritech engine (cast iron block) that is hard to destroy. Many people have gotten some big numbers out of it for a small engine.

[sqmstr]

wow DaFlake thanks, so far it seems that the 04S from what i'm hearing is the best early model they made.....

and the horror stories probably relate to the CVT you were talking about. Was not talking about the 04 S specifically.

But I like Mini's and yes since this is a mini forum i suspected people to vote for the mini i just wanted to know the diff & be sure that if i do go for it that it will be worth it.

[sqmstr]

Hey do you think a 04 S Mini with 34k miles extended warranty till 2011 Dec, blue (ill change it to red white or black) with 2 sunroofs which seems cool and bucket seats is 10k a good price?

[DaFlake]

Need more on the specs to say.... The 04 - 06 are the best build for the 1st Gen so you can't go wrong.

[sqmstr]

so what time is it in the UK?

hmmm...... don't have much specs to speak of.... just 04 S and the color, interior etc...
do you think it's faster or can out handle the IS by any chance? are you familiar with this other car?

[MINIcharged]

Buyers Guide this should tell you some information about the year you're looking at.

I don't really think the MINI and the lexus are in the same class... I'm not going to say one is better than the other they're just different.

rear wheel drive vs front wheel drive, medium size with 5 seats vs compact size with 4 seats, small boot (trunk) vs tiny boot, saloon styling vs funky styling. etc etc.

I think you need to decide what you want the car for as they are very different types if car.

I find the MCS to be great fun to drive and more than fast enough for public roads, it's comfortable enough to take on a long journey as long as you don't mind a firm ride and had amazing cornering ability.

I don't have any experience of lexi though so can't really coment on how they compare to drive, being rwd though it will be a different experience.

It's about noon here btw.

[Alfa Veloce]

If you want a FUN car that's quick, responsive, and has great corner handling you pick the MINI Like others have said here, it's probably not that easy to directly compare the two cars but I can vouch for the MINI Cooper S that it's one of the most fun cars you can buy

[Keano]

they are 2 very different cars Depends what you want from the car TBH...

If you dont need the space then get a mini, space is the only reason I would get the lexus out of the 2 options you mention.

Mini can be a bit of a girls car depending on how it is spec'd up and what look it has going but there are alot of very mean/agressive/manly minis out there, you just need to give it a mans touch

The tritec engine seems to be pretty solid by all acounts - some big numbers are coming out of these units.... anything over 200bhp from a mass produced 1.6 is quite impressive really IMO...

[MC's COOPER S]

Get the cooper s and enjoy life !