Hello all. Just took delivery of my '05 Cooper. Hyper blue with White roof and white wheels. Traded in my '97 Dodge Ram extended cab pickup. (They actually gave me a pretty good trade in for my truck.)
This car is a blast. I am going out of my way to look for twisties. Every corner is just a new test to see how well this thing corners. Believe me, Rams are not made for fun driving. Doing most of these manuevers would have flipped my truck. I will miss the cargo room, but the grin factor outweighs any loss in load carrying capacity.
BMW really has made an excellent vehicle. Lot's of thought was put into this car. I don't have a lot of options.
*Spoiler
*Multi funtion steering wheel
That's it. I was really looking for good gas mileage and something fun to drive. I definitely found it!!
My 2 boys, ages 4 and 6, love the car. From their booster seats in the back they chime in, "Papa, why did you go around that curve so fast?" And the answer is always, "Because I can!"
A side benefit is, I now how LOTS of extra room in my garage.
Pics of my new Cooper and the Ram I traded in.
Last edited by CajunMike; Mar 29th, 2005 at 08:41 PM.
Wow, now that's a drastic change in vehicles! For the better!!!
Just remember, that once or twice a year you actually need a pickup truck? That's what friends/neighbors/Hertz are for. Now you'll be able to smile instead of cry when you pass gas stations and see the prices for the day.
Thanks for the welcome!! This is a great site and so helpful. I must say, reading the forum here helped me make the decision to buy my Cooper. I've been "lurking" about for some time now. This is an awesome community.
I'm off to find some more twisties!
Mike
One week update
First off, this car is so much fun. It is an absolute blast to drive. It makes you look for curves.
Specs:
Mini Cooper
Hyper blue with white roof
White wheels
Multi function steering wheel
Rear spoiler
Anthracite dash
Leatherette seats
Rubber floor mats
After one full week with my car, I would like to give you my impressions of it.
At 377 miles on the odometer I stopped for my first tank of gas. She took 11.8 gallons. This makes for almost 32 miles/gallon (US). From what I’ve read here, that is pretty good for the first tank. It did involve some spirited driving, although I did follow the break-in rules and kept it under 4500 rpm. This may have helped with the mileage I received. I am ready to reach the break-in mark so I can let it unwind. Even keeping the rpm’s low I have had absolutely no trouble keeping up with anyone on the road. Actually, I find most people are now going way too slow for me. Especially around curves!
Longer commutes with up to two people are quite comfortable. My commute to work is about 40 miles, one way. I sometimes ride with my boss who found the ride very pleasant. I don’t have the SS+ or the run flat tires, and I assume this makes the ride smoother than some of the Cooper S models I have driven. Interior noise is quite low. You can carry on a conversation without raising your voice even though the engine is running at over 3500 rpm’s.
This weekend I took my wife and two kids (ages 4 and 6) to the in-laws. It is a 1 ½ hour drive one way. We went there and back on the same day. Now the problem with kids is where your knees would be when sitting in my back seat, they have feet sticking out. For as small as they are, they actually take up more room than an adult. We negotiated a comfortable position for the front seats and took off. Aside from one stretch of road that was rough, the ride was at least as pleasant as my wife’s Toyota Camry. We did have a few things to bring home from the in-law’s. I found you do have to do some creative packing, but you can get quite a lot of stuff in the boot.
I had some reservations about getting a rather small 4 cylinder engine after having the low end torque of a Detroit V-8 for 9 years. Mostly I worried about how it would do in passing situations and merging into highway traffic. I need not have worried. With the gearing of the Getrag 5 speed there is power when you need it. As mentioned earlier, the motor is running at over 3500 rpm’s at 75 mph. Tap the throttle and you are doing 80 mph. I actually had to catch myself several times when running up an on-ramp to Interstate 10. I was doing over 80 mph by the time I reached the highway.
And talk about a head turning automobile. On the second day I dropped my oldest son at school, one of the mom’s stopped me. She said my new car was creating quite a stir at the school and that there were people all over the place lusting after my new Cooper. My wife has even said she thinks she needs a new wardrobe because of all the attention we get when driving around.
I hope that any of you who haven’t made the plunge yet and are still undecided about the Cooper will heed my advice and just do it. You won’t regret it.
Mike
Congratulations CajunMike! I've really enjoyed reading your update after the first couple of days driving your new MINI!
I hope that you keep enjoying your car and also that you keep sharing your experiences with the rest of us!
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Goodby Ram, Hello Cooper!! (Updated) 
Hyper blue with White roof and white wheels. Traded in my '97 Dodge Ram extended cab pickup. (They actually gave me a pretty good trade in for my truck.) 
