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After years of wanting a Mini (well I had an original Mini 16 years ago and loved it) I am finally getting one.
I test drove the Cooper, Cooper D and Cooper S on Saturday and am very very surprised at which one I have chosen.
I tried a Cooper manual and it was GUTLESS, yes handled like a go kart but it was so slow to accelerate. Very VERY dissapointed.
The cooper S was more like it, I liked the better acceleration. Yes this one for me I thought.
The sales guy said well you may as well try the D, I think you will be surprised he said. So laughing just to appease him I drove away in it.
Well I was completly blown away. Yes it sounds a bit like a tractor but what amazed me was that it felt like (dare I say better in some places???) a cooper S!! I had never driven a diesel before but now I know what they mean by torque. This thing just felt so gutsy, it would pull away in any gear and seemed to accelerate with the urge of the S.
Driving back to the dealer, my wide mouthed expression said it all. Wow that was incredible but... its a diesel, diesels are crap aren't they... I know worthy but I want a Mini for fun. To me this was the more fun of the three. What was going on, have the laws of physics been turned on their head?
The dealer then explained that it has the same torque as the S and accelerates faster by a considerable margin when over taking than the cooper and virtually the same in real everyday terms as the S. Yes the S is faster and will go from 0 to 100 faster but in everyday driving you spend more time going from say 40 to 70 than 0 to 100. This is where the torque comes in and why the D felt so lively.
This sounds a great explanation, especially when the specs confirmed the torque figures. Sure enough 240 Nm same as the S and the overtaking speeds are a couple of seconds better than the cooper!!
So despite my initial reaction and the derision I know I will get from my friends, I am ordering a Cooper D.
Honestly this was a revelation and hey 4 l/100- how smug will I feel!! Shhhh don't tell everybody
get the D mapped and its a great car, same could be said of the others I know but still get the economy and the 'green badge' oh and the cheaper insurance to go with it....
I owned a Cooper D but then Went for the S.
The D really sounds like a tractor- the S has that feel good factor that only a petrol can offer. Foot down to the metal and the noise is make is glorious- well a lot better than a diesel.
Don't get me wrong the D is nice- but is more for everyday life, the S is if you're into cars I guess.
I made a compromise with the wife over the S versus D debate.
She wanted all the economy of a Diesel and since my last 4 cars have all been Turbo Diesel, I had no fear that the Dooper would have plenty torques to pull with.
I would have liked an S for the 'for folk who are into cars' factor but we purchased a D and we got one with a JCW body kit so we have the sporty look, relatively good power and great economics.
I like driving in my car, it's not quiet a Jaguar.
The Cooper D has the same maximum torque as the Cooper S, but like all diesels maximum torque is over a much smaller engine speed range. The Cooper S will pull cleanly and quickly from 30mph in sixth gear all the way to 140mph. A Cooper D certainly won't but at around 65mph to 80mph in sixth they're pretty similar. Diesels tend to feel quicker than they are but at the end of the day most of us are actually after feel and not road speed. The Cooper S is quicker over any lengthy test (noticeably so) but the additional fuel economy of the Cooper D makes it just as good.
Seriously I'd love a MCS but for the travelling a do the Doopers much more economical and the tax is due to go down again next yr to £20 for 12 months in the UK so I really have no complaints
Great post manofkent. Enjoyed reading it!! I could even picture you coming back beeeeammming away!
When I went for a reccie I had my eye on the Mni with the whole JCW + all the bells and whistles, etc but then...looking at it I just didnt think it was for me if you know what I mean. I had a whiz round in the cooper S and while I was driving grinning away saying 'Where do I sign?!' I was blown away too. I just love them. I would have been happy with any of the Minis tbh, they are great cars. For years I have always had my heart on a Cooper S, and after drving it, it lived up to my expectations and some.
I cant wait to get it!
Do you mind me asking whereabouts in Australia you are re your delivary time?
I ordered mine cooper s a month ago and I was told to expect Jan or it could even be Feb. But then they said you never know it might come in Dec.
Betting you cant wait, I still keep thinking I cant believe it. Its a dream come true.
I have comments (not on here though ) saying 'Its just a car' But its not is it, not for me anyway and I reckon I can speak for 99% people on this site. Hehe!
Sorry, wrote an essay!!! :b
Best of luck with it and congrats on your new Dooper! x
main difference is the diesel develops maximum power/torque over a narrow power band and you need to use the gears to keep it in this power band.
you soon run out of revs in the dooper, while the petrol cooper will rev to 6000 rpm and this is how it needs to be driven to get best performance, otherwise it will feel flat.
some people's driving style can be more suited to the diesel, while others may not take to it.....................personally I like both.
the dooper actually feels faster than it is, and is not any faster than a petrol cooper.................and a cooper S would blow both away no problem !!
if it's performance your after you need to go for the S.
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Blown away by Cooper D 
oh and the cheaper insurance to go with it.... 
