Cooper or Cooper S? Which do I go for?

[Taylor3]

Hi all,
New to the forum so be nice please!!

I had a fantastic Mini Cooper S on a 53 plate, bought from new and looked after like a baby until some F*&&ing B**&^rd pulled out in front of me and my car got written off. Wont go in to too many details but suffice to say it was completely the other parties fault and they were taken to court over it etc etc.

Anyway, I have finally been paid out by my insurance co, not enough sadly to get a new one again but I could stretch to a 4 year old. Now my questions are Should I go for a Cooper S again or maybe the Cooper?
Reasons are Cooper S, loved the thrill of the ride, handling, looks etc etc but now not so sure as was sick of the run flats running flat round here due to the worst pot holes in the universe and the cost of replacing said tyres is insane, also the fact that the dreaded steering pump went, out of warranty, typically, I have been told that's not an issue on the newer models but that was by a dealer so pigs might fly, I have read that the issue most dreaded on the new S is the timing chain going and knackering the engine?
If anyone can enlighten me on anything else I should be aware of on the new shape turbo S I would appreciate it so I can interrogate the dealership when I go back.

Other issue is running costs, the Cooper is appealing to me at the moment due to lower running costs, insurance, tax etc, not so much the ride, but I have taken out a Cooper and an S at a dealer a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised with the Cooper, all be it a brand new one, it went well ! Also after the accident I do feel that my driving style has changed I am so much more cautious and although I would not say nervous I don't enjoy driving as much as I used to, which is sad but the accident was pretty traumatic and I didn't realise what an impact it has had on me. (no pun intended!)

I am not saying I want an S so I can go fast everywhere, I just loved the initial power thrill from pulling away and the fact that it has the grunt if you need it, will I get that from a Cooper? And sadly yes looks do come into it I just think the S is a nicer looking car!

I still need to get insurance quotes so off to the comparison sites now, but just want some opinions on what I should go for and if there's anything major I should be concerned about with the newer models!

Thanks for reading thus far!!

[iain cooper]

the cooper is very mild in comparison to an S, but as you say it is economical to run and still a fun car to drive.

maybe a cooper would be a good idea for you at the moment, and allow you to get your confidence back, while saving some cash on the running costs !!

Iain

[StokeyMax]

i would go for just cooper, however im my opinion the cooper s does look smarter and the performance is far superior

[andyandrews@btintern]

Had a Cooper....nice car but had to change it for an 'S' - great car! It will cost you if you get the decision wrong.

[sad61t]

I've had an R56 Cooper for 3.5 years after test driving the One and finding it too slow out (i.e. scary in the middle) of junctions. The Cooper is a bit tardy from stationery so launching in a Cooper requires planning; three to four thousand revs and bring the clutch in sharply. Pull off within the eco-cycle (the change up nagometer pings at 2000 rpm) is truly slug like.

Reasonable once rolling; it will cruise all day at 70 on the motorway and still feels as though there's plenty in reserve.

I do have the Sport button, but seldom use it as the half-mile of national limit road on my commute has two blind corners (with regular spot the new hole in the fence competitions). [The car will take it at 50 easy, the brain says 30 as I've come round there to find walkers, horses, a herd of cows and even a fragging police woman stopping traffic on one occasion. The collection of skid marks to be seen on the way home that day would have made Pollock ecstatic.] I have heard that the throttle map is softer with Sport turned off than the non-Sport equipped model, but can't verify it.

[Macguyvic]

Cooper S! You won't be sorry. The automatic with paddle shifters is said to be slightly quicker than the manual shift. I love mine! The most fun car I have ever owned.

[hammo18]

If you have a set of ovaries the Cooper would match those perfectly, Man UP and get the S!

I understand runnning costs and rather ironically my R56 is in BMW for the timing chain to be checked out. Other than than and a few other niggling glitches which dealership sorted ASAP I LOVE my MCS.

Like you, I have bought mine and this month is its 5 year anniversary and at 40000 it (should be next week) running perfectly.

I had a 400 mile round trip last week returning 40 mpg which I was very pleased with at speeds of 70-90 mph (so hard keeping at 70 without cruise ) and that was including (trying) to keep up with an RS3, very bad move indeed :|

The Cooper S just stands out a hell of a lot more than the cooper which can very easily just look like a One. The 'S has a lot more standard, take the xenonx for example which make the car look instantly a lot superior, as well as the very fun (and expensive) sport button.

I must admit I wished I waited for one which has the multifuntional steering wheel which I beleive then comes with cruise control and the bluetooth option would have been handy. But you can buy a Parott bluetooth for £200 which is a bit more appealing than the £1800 quote I got off MINI for installing after factory!!

My vote is MCS

[Col c]

Hi Taylor
I have a cooper s 07 20,000 miles on the clock.Got it from BMW dealer less than a year ago. It's had £5000 worth of work done on it at the dealer (all waranty) timing chain 3 times, each time they assure me the new fix will work .steering column replaced, engine decoked.Won't bore you with the rest of the list.Be warned if the timing chain snaps it is expensive to repair.These faults are not uncommon.
Being more positive my brother has had 3 coopers (non s) with no probs .
My advice would be don't buy an S.I'm selling mine before the warrany expires.if you still want an S get it from an approved Cherished mini dealer for the warranty.

[KenL]

Quote: Originally Posted by hammo18 (original)

If you have a set of ovaries the Cooper would match those perfectly, Man UP and get the S!

So disappointing that a MINI owner could post a comment like this!

[KenL]

I have owned both r56 Cooper and S. Currently have an S and about to go back to Cooper.

Yes, the S has stunning performance but the Cooper is still great to own and drive. S definitely has more potential for long term expensive problems.

I averaged 38mpg in the S over 35k miles. Expect about 44mpg in a Cooper if that is a consideration.

Handling is the same in both. Runflat tyres are a lot harder though, especially in cold weather.

[hammo18]

Quote: Originally Posted by KenL (original)

So disappointing that a MINI owner could post a comment like this!

Correction Ken, ''a MINI Cooper S' driver ''

[SneakinHysteria]

@Taylor3:

I asked the same question but instead of focusing too much on C vs. CS I went for the car that had all the specs I wanted. HAppened to be a CS. And yes, I am very very happy that it went that way as it is quite a different car.

@hammo18:

I take the 18 in your username is your age. Restrict yourself to factual comments until you have reached the sufficient maturity to fully participate in any social context.

[Angib]

Quote: Originally Posted by hammo18 (original)

....Man UP and get the S!

I think it cuts both ways - if you feel you need to man up, you'll need an S to do so - but if you are already there, then you only need a Cooper.

[Hartge220]

Quote: Originally Posted by SneakinHysteria (original)

@hammo18:
I take the 18 in your username is your age. Restrict yourself to factual comments until you have reached the sufficient maturity to fully participate in any social context.

Definition for forum - Oxford Dictionaries Online (World English)

Just because you don't like what he said no need to try & belittle him in a very condescending manner .

Opinions are like ar5eholes, everyone's got one .

[hammo18]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hartge220 (original)

Definition for forum - Oxford Dictionaries Online (World English)

Just because you don't like what he said no need to try & belittle him in a very condescending manner .

Opinions are like ar5eholes, everyone's got one .

thank you Hartge220 - was only adding a little humour to the conversation with the ''man up and get an s''

SneakinHysteria - the gentleman aksed for our subjective opinions rather than ''factual comments'' which is what I gave. Whether that's if I'm (now 19) or 49!

Nice car Hartge220 saw your post last week with the timeline - sort of miss my old R50 now despite the R56 S is a lot more fun than a Gen 1 One!