2003 MC vs. Facelift One

[Peartreeproductions]

After a trip to the local dealer for some minor warranty work I though I would share my thoughts on driving a '54 plate One instead of my '52 plate Cooper:

First of all drivability. The One seems to have far better low down and mid range torque than the MC. It pulls away cleaner and faster from the lights with moderate throttle. Overall it actually 'feels' quicker around town than the MC. Once full throttle is applied or the revs get near 4,000 it is obvious that the MC has more power and is ultimately quicker.

Ride and Handling. I have SS+ on my MC with runflats, whilst the One was eager and keen it didnt seem as much on rails as my MC. It didnt seem quite as fidgety as the MC but overall I prefer the keen handling of the SS+.

Cosmetics. There were some really neat touches on the One that I miss on my MC (and maybe will be retro-fitting!). The door pulls are backlit in orange and when the doors are open courtesy lights on the bottom of your door light the way. There is a power point in the boot. A sun visor on the window side of the drivers rooflining is a good idea too. I dont have the OBC on my MC and it was great to be able to use the display on the Tacho a bit better. There were some nasty plastics that had been used on the handbrake console though, but mostly the interior was unchanged.

After getting my MC back I was dead chuffed that I chose a MC over a one not least because of how much better they look. Although next time I upgrade to a newer model I will give the one some more consideration.

[Yeoda]

How about a chipped One then? Spend the price difference on further Mods and still have cooper performance! Not speaking through experience as I have a Diesel but definately worth considering after reading reviews of them. I borrowed a new One D and again found the subtle differnces to be worthwile. I,ll have to wait until November before I can enjoy the new options. It seems a long way away at the moment though.