MINI2

eyeslasher · Jul 17th, 2003, 03:53 PM

I have enjoyed reading the prvious posts.
But I have a question to people who own the base cooper. Now that you have owned to car for a while, do you ever feel that the car's engine is not powerful enough. In retrospect would you rather have purchased the cooper S? The reason why i ask is that i test drove both cars and the cooper s is definately faster. But sometimes during a test drive it is hard to get a sense about what a car is like to live with on a day to day basis. Perhaps the base cooper is fast enough when you havent just driven the cooper s? Do you feel that the base cooper is fast enought on a day to day basis?

AprilWhine · Jul 17th, 2003, 05:21 PM

I'm happy with my CVT Cooper, but the only person who can say whether you will be happy with the MC over the MCS is you. How important is straight line speed to you? Keep in mind, the MC handles slightly better in the curves.

stryder · Jul 17th, 2003, 05:22 PM

Welcome to MINI2.

There's several concerns on how much hp you need. first, an S costs $3K more, and is more expensive to insure, so you need to determine how much that speed is worth it.

Secondly, the main difference is how much you need to wring the engine out to get performance, in My cooper I'd keep up with S' by downshifting to 3rd gear to pass on the highway, ending up at 5-6k rpms. If you don't want to drive like that and hold the gears, you probably should get an S, if you like that idea, then get a Cooper.

Both of the car are adequately fast if you actually stomp on the gas, but personal preference will tell you what you want. The first rule of car buying is don't get a car faster then what you need, because it will eventually feel slow. So if you current car goes 0-60 in 9 seconds, you'll think a Cooper is fast, if you currently have something more in the 7 or 8 second range, you probably should look at an S. If you keep jumping just based on hp, you'll always want to be modifying the car, (which isn't a bad thing) but that's why people like the conversions which give 200hp in an S, and still want more.

S2000&CooperS · Jul 17th, 2003, 05:31 PM

Excellent question. I spent 13 months with a Cooper and it was a wonderful car, but I felt it was a tad underpowered for my 50-mile RT commute to work. I'm not really a fast or aggressive driver at all. Maybe I didn't put the pedal to the metal or didn't pick the right gear or something but merging onto the interstate was a little uncomfortable as were starts away from an intersection. Once you got it moving though it went very well and passing was fine. The extra oooomph from the MCS supercharger is apparent as soon as you start moving whether pulling in or out of your driveway or a parking lot - makes the car easier to drive (not that the Cooper wasn't easy to drive or anything) with smoother starts.

Sold my Cooper and bought a Cooper S with the same options merely to have the extra torque

.

The gas mileage so far is very close to that of my Cooper and the difference in insurance (I use Nationwide) was a mere $3.00 per month.

Naughty Magpie · Jul 17th, 2003, 05:46 PM

I have owned my MCS for two weeks now and love it to bits. On the narrow twisty English roads it will beat anything!

When I test drove the Cooper and S, I immediately chose the MCS as the supercharger whine convinced me that this was the car for me. My previous car was a 1991 VW Polo which did 0-60 in around 25 minutes

! zzzzz.
I reckoned that if I was going to buy a MINI then I'd buy the best! My boyfriend's S2000 now has a close call when we're out driving. Yeh, so he can beat me in a straight line, but round the corners? And in the wet? MCS all the way!!

jimskater · Jul 17th, 2003, 06:12 PM

I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers!

The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise.

Yes, a joyous noise that MOVES you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs.

Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED!

Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters?

:white:

At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen.

badboyzbadboyz · Jul 17th, 2003, 06:20 PM

Yesterday I test drove the MINI Cooper S. It is a nice and fast car. Feels real solid on the road but my only gripe was the gearbox. I know I prob would get used to it if I had the car but at times it was a real effort changing gear. This is also something you have to think about, a Cooper S isn't just a faster Cooper they are different in other areas too. I left the Cooper S thinking what a great car but insurance is tooooooo expensive for me and I prefer the look of the Cooper and didn't really like the whine of the supercharger. I then test drove the Cooper. I have made a post in the Cooper section about this. The salesman was a complete tit so I drove it for about 2 mins on busy 30 mph roads so I can't comment. I hope the Cooper is nice and fast. I will be gutted if its not. Obviously it will be slower than the S but I hope not by too much. Only the next test drive will tell

NordS · Jul 17th, 2003, 06:40 PM

Regrets, I had a few, but then again too few to mention!

On a serious note, just a very rattley rear door (now fixed), a squeaky drivers seat (fixed a couple of times now) and a jumping CD player (but only on very bumpy roads).

Not bad for the grin factor supplied!

jimskater · Jul 17th, 2003, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NordS
Regrets, I had a few, but then again too few to mention!

With liquid yellow, under black

I did it ... MY WAAAAAAAAY.

Cough, ack, can someone point out the teleprompter?

kenny78 · Jul 17th, 2003, 07:12 PM

My wifes got a cooper & I've just got the S & she's always lending mine because she says it pulls much better than her's from even low revs, so it's not just top end power where it makes them lovely 163bhp's count. Having said that when I rag hers around it feels quick so either way there both fun

AprilWhine · Jul 17th, 2003, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimskater
I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers!

The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise.

Yes, a joyous noise that MOVES you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs.

Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED!

Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters?

:white:

At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen.

AMEN Brother!

Hallelujah praise the Apex!

jimskater · Jul 17th, 2003, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AprilWhine
AMEN Brother! Hallelujah praise the Apex!

And all glory to the redline!

Willy · Jul 17th, 2003, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jimskater
I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers!

The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise.

Yes, a joyous noise that MOVES you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs.

Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED!

Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters?

:white:

At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen.

Amen Brother!!!

Great post!

xplode · Jul 17th, 2003, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kenny78
My wifes got a cooper & I've just got the S & she's always lending mine because she says it pulls much better than her's from even low revs, so it's not just top end power where it makes them lovely 163bhp's count. Having said that when I rag hers around it feels quick so either way there both fun

i think that's basically the whole point in day-to-day practical driving - the biggest difference between the two seem to be the low end grunt. i've got the cooper, and i have yet to test drive the MCS (conscious decision). i will say the cooper is definitely lacking torque in the lower register, but not so much that it troubles me. especially when the remedy is quite simple - keep the revs up when you need to and grin away... life begins at 4krpms, as they say.

cheeper to buy, cheaper to insure, better mpg, better handling (they say), better looks... that did it for me.

Moogy · Jul 17th, 2003, 10:59 PM

Hmmm, about 3 weeks into Cooper ownership now and I'm starting to feel the need for more power. It's not that the MC is underpowered or slow as such - far from it - it's just the chassis is so incredibly capable it feels seriously under-challenged. And I want to join those lightning quick corners with just-as-quick blasts down the straights

Yeah insurance and uh-huh running costs, but given the choice I'd take an S or better. Thing is I don't have a choice

Ah well

Jul 17th, 2003, 03:53 PM	#1
eyeslasher MINI2 Newbie Join Date: Jul 2003 Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 1 Offline	regrets I have enjoyed reading the prvious posts. But I have a question to people who own the base cooper. Now that you have owned to car for a while, do you ever feel that the car's engine is not powerful enough. In retrospect would you rather have purchased the cooper S? The reason why i ask is that i test drove both cars and the cooper s is definately faster. But sometimes during a test drive it is hard to get a sense about what a car is like to live with on a day to day basis. Perhaps the base cooper is fast enough when you havent just driven the cooper s? Do you feel that the base cooper is fast enought on a day to day basis?

Jul 17th, 2003, 05:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 06:17 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	I'm happy with my CVT Cooper, but the only person who can say whether you will be happy with the MC over the MCS is you. How important is straight line speed to you? Keep in mind, the MC handles slightly better in the curves. Global Moderator

Jul 17th, 2003, 05:22 PM	#3 (permalink)
stryder Sponsor/Moderator/Other Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cleveland Local Time: 07:17 PM Posts: 3,267 Offline	Welcome to MINI2. There's several concerns on how much hp you need. first, an S costs $3K more, and is more expensive to insure, so you need to determine how much that speed is worth it. Secondly, the main difference is how much you need to wring the engine out to get performance, in My cooper I'd keep up with S' by downshifting to 3rd gear to pass on the highway, ending up at 5-6k rpms. If you don't want to drive like that and hold the gears, you probably should get an S, if you like that idea, then get a Cooper. Both of the car are adequately fast if you actually stomp on the gas, but personal preference will tell you what you want. The first rule of car buying is don't get a car faster then what you need, because it will eventually feel slow. So if you current car goes 0-60 in 9 seconds, you'll think a Cooper is fast, if you currently have something more in the 7 or 8 second range, you probably should look at an S. If you keep jumping just based on hp, you'll always want to be modifying the car, (which isn't a bad thing) but that's why people like the conversions which give 200hp in an S, and still want more. Magic 8-ball was correct. All be in awe of Magic 8 ball.

Jul 17th, 2003, 05:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
Naughty Magpie The Naughtiest of Birds Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cambridge Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 306 Offline	I have owned my MCS for two weeks now and love it to bits. On the narrow twisty English roads it will beat anything! When I test drove the Cooper and S, I immediately chose the MCS as the supercharger whine convinced me that this was the car for me. My previous car was a 1991 VW Polo which did 0-60 in around 25 minutes ! zzzzz. I reckoned that if I was going to buy a MINI then I'd buy the best! My boyfriend's S2000 now has a close call when we're out driving. Yeh, so he can beat me in a straight line, but round the corners? And in the wet? MCS all the way!! Attached Thumbnails 2000 AC Cobra 3.5V8 in Yellow/Black: D20BRA www.naughtymagpie.com

Jul 17th, 2003, 06:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
jimskater 'til death do us part Join Date: May 2003 Location: San Diego Local Time: 04:17 PM Posts: 6,534 Offline	I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers! The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise. Yes, a joyous noise that *MOVES* you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs. Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED! Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters? :white: At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen. www.scmm.org GP 0101 Last edited by jimskater : Jul 17th, 2003 at 06:24 PM.

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Jul 17th, 2003, 05:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
S2000&CooperS MINI2 Master Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Glen Allen, VA USA Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 936 Offline	Excellent question. I spent 13 months with a Cooper and it was a wonderful car, but I felt it was a tad underpowered for my 50-mile RT commute to work. I'm not really a fast or aggressive driver at all. Maybe I didn't put the pedal to the metal or didn't pick the right gear or something but merging onto the interstate was a little uncomfortable as were starts away from an intersection. Once you got it moving though it went very well and passing was fine. The extra oooomph from the MCS supercharger is apparent as soon as you start moving whether pulling in or out of your driveway or a parking lot - makes the car easier to drive (not that the Cooper wasn't easy to drive or anything) with smoother starts. Sold my Cooper and bought a Cooper S with the same options merely to have the extra torque . The gas mileage so far is very close to that of my Cooper and the difference in insurance (I use Nationwide) was a mere $3.00 per month.

Jul 17th, 2003, 06:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
badboyzbadboyz MINI2 Jedi Master Join Date: May 2003 Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 1,238 Offline	Yesterday I test drove the MINI Cooper S. It is a nice and fast car. Feels real solid on the road but my only gripe was the gearbox. I know I prob would get used to it if I had the car but at times it was a real effort changing gear. This is also something you have to think about, a Cooper S isn't just a faster Cooper they are different in other areas too. I left the Cooper S thinking what a great car but insurance is tooooooo expensive for me and I prefer the look of the Cooper and didn't really like the whine of the supercharger. I then test drove the Cooper. I have made a post in the Cooper section about this. The salesman was a complete tit so I drove it for about 2 mins on busy 30 mph roads so I can't comment. I hope the Cooper is nice and fast. I will be gutted if its not. Obviously it will be slower than the S but I hope not by too much. Only the next test drive will tell

Jul 17th, 2003, 06:40 PM	#8 (permalink)
NordS MINI2 Regular Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Between Swindon and Oxford Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 254 Offline	Regrets, I had a few, but then again too few to mention! On a serious note, just a very rattley rear door (now fixed), a squeaky drivers seat (fixed a couple of times now) and a jumping CD player (but only on very bumpy roads). Not bad for the grin factor supplied!

Jul 17th, 2003, 06:55 PM	#9 (permalink)
jimskater 'til death do us part Join Date: May 2003 Location: San Diego Local Time: 04:17 PM Posts: 6,534 Offline	Regrets... Quote: Originally posted by NordS Regrets, I had a few, but then again too few to mention! With liquid yellow, under black I did it ... MY WAAAAAAAAY. Cough, ack, can someone point out the teleprompter? www.scmm.org GP 0101

Jul 17th, 2003, 07:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
kenny78 MINI2 Regular Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Manchester Local Time: 01:17 AM Posts: 133 Offline	My wifes got a cooper & I've just got the S & she's always lending mine because she says it pulls much better than her's from even low revs, so it's not just top end power where it makes them lovely 163bhp's count. Having said that when I rag hers around it feels quick so either way there both fun

Jul 17th, 2003, 10:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
AprilWhine Loves the Fuzzy One Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Gypsy Local Time: 06:17 PM Posts: 16,078 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by jimskater I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers! The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise. Yes, a joyous noise that *MOVES* you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs. Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED! Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters? :white: At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen. AMEN Brother! Hallelujah praise the Apex! Global Moderator

Jul 17th, 2003, 10:18 PM	#12 (permalink)
jimskater 'til death do us part Join Date: May 2003 Location: San Diego Local Time: 04:17 PM Posts: 6,534 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by AprilWhine AMEN Brother! Hallelujah praise the Apex! And all glory to the redline! www.scmm.org GP 0101

Jul 17th, 2003, 10:43 PM	#13 (permalink)
Willy MINI2 Master Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Running From The Law Local Time: 07:17 PM Posts: 2,452 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by jimskater I have no regrets, but a welcome to you from the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers! The Cooper goes fast enough, especially if you get up & keep up and move the revs up. If you keep your efforts on the up, always on the up, the motor makes a joyous noise. Yes, a joyous noise that *MOVES* you, to upshift, to downshift, to take a late apex and, yes, to sing the praises of the humble MINI 1; to raise up your voice in celebration of the Cooper; to shout "Hallelujah!" when the Cooper S supercharges your beliefs. Whatever you choose, just know that healing can be had. Reach out, reach up, reach for a MINI & BE HEALED! Can I get an amen, brothers & sisters? :white: At the Worldwide Church of the Twisty Bit Worshippers, we do not discriminate based on the size of your motor. We may look on in awe, or fall to our knees in prayer, when you drive by in your JCW MCS, but we don't discriminate. Amen. Amen Brother!!! Great post! http://billlawrence.blogspot.com

Jul 17th, 2003, 10:43 PM	#14 (permalink)
xplode minimalist Join Date: May 2002 Location: here Local Time: 08:17 PM Posts: 585 Offline	Quote: Originally posted by kenny78 My wifes got a cooper & I've just got the S & she's always lending mine because she says it pulls much better than her's from even low revs, so it's not just top end power where it makes them lovely 163bhp's count. Having said that when I rag hers around it feels quick so either way there both fun i think that's basically the whole point in day-to-day practical driving - the biggest difference between the two seem to be the low end grunt. i've got the cooper, and i have yet to test drive the MCS (conscious decision). i will say the cooper is definitely lacking torque in the lower register, but not so much that it troubles me. especially when the remedy is quite simple - keep the revs up when you need to and grin away... life begins at 4krpms, as they say. cheeper to buy, cheaper to insure, better mpg, better handling (they say), better looks... that did it for me. cooper s '05 x brg/white/chrome, cordoba/anthracite/chrome, flik wasp 17x7 x delivered july 26th 2005 cooper '02 replaced x brg/white, R83 white, chrome, cordoba x built june 21st, arrived july 15th on the traviata, delivered july 26th 2002

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Jul 17th, 2003, 10:59 PM	#15 (permalink)
Moogy MINI2 Regular Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northumberland Local Time: 12:17 AM Posts: 189 Offline	Hmmm, about 3 weeks into Cooper ownership now and I'm starting to feel the need for more power. It's not that the MC is underpowered or slow as such - far from it - it's just the chassis is so incredibly capable it feels seriously under-challenged. And I want to join those lightning quick corners with just-as-quick blasts down the straights Yeah insurance and uh-huh running costs, but given the choice I'd take an S or better. Thing is I don't have a choice Ah well MC CR/W, Anthracite, 15" 7-Hole, SS+, AC, SR, CD+HK, Fogs, Mirrors/Jets

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