Cooper D pics and questions/comments.

[ryanm8655]

So I've had my car a couple of weeks now and it's nearly done 1000miles in that time ::

Other than the turbo hose falling off within a day I've had no issues Oh and discovering my ipod doesn't work through USB without the £40 lead from BMW Other than that...Love the car, it's fun to drive, handles well, nice interior etc.

A few comments. It feels pretty nippy in traffic/at junctions etc. expecially as you don't need to rev hard to get it to go (I'm used to a petrol car) and initially I thought it was quicker but then when having a bit of fun with my mate in his 1.3cdti corsa my car didn't seem that much quicker It seemed to take a lot longer to overtake him than I would expect...He was driving it seriously hard but still...Has anyone else found it isn't as quick as they expected? My last car was a 1.8 Astra and it would eat the corsa for breakfast, as expected. Maybe it's where the mini hasn't completely run in or I'm not used to driving it. It is an auto and I wasn't using the steptronic mode but still...It's made me consider a remap.

Other than that, the other thing I am not 100% on are the brakes. For a start, when braking hard the car can snake a little which I didn't experience in my old car. Also they don't seem to stop the car as easily as my previous car either...it might just be me and may be a case of getting used to the car but thought I'd comment and invite response anyway...

The other thing is brake dust...the wheels seem to attract it like crazy, I guess it is just the brakes wearing in but even when I have been driving like a grandad to try out the economy I've found brake dust to be an issue...does this go after a while?

Anyone care to comment on remaps for the Dooper? I am tempted by one just to make it that little more fun...is it too early mileage wise to consider one?

Finally here are some pics.











Thanks.

Ryan.

[BigStuff]

Engine takes 10kish to properly loosen up.

Brake dust is always a biatch though!

[ryanm8655]

That long :wow:

Is it massively different when "loosened up?"

Going to have to invest in some wheel sealant to make it less of a biatch to clean off

[iain cooper]

I get the feeling from your post that you should have saved more pennies and went for the cooper S. ( even a cooper would probably have felt faster than your dooper )

the dooper is really all about economy not performance and I think you would end up spending a reasonable amount of money on it and still not be happy.

[saint2000]

oohhh pretty lil thang! I've had my cooper S for a couple weeks now and can tell you the following ; ditto on the usb not working with the IPOD/IPHONE even though the dealer said it would, your slowness is no doubt the fact its a Cooper D rather than an S, have you tried one? I used to drive an ST200 2.5l V6 that was 0-60 in 7.2s but so heavy going round town / roundabouts & 5% of them were fitted with 2.0l brake set instead of the 2.5 which mine just happened to be (confirmed with Ford!)

Snaking whilst braking... to be honest I noticed it too a little but thats to be expected at high speeds with a sensitive steering wheel (sports mode), did you bed them in properly i.e. no harsh braking for the first couple hundred miles? could it be that we're just used to the bigger car?

oh and totally agree on the brake dust thing! good thing the dealers thrown in the car care pack which includes the brake dust remover!

have you had any other issues with your motor? first day the fuel pump failed on mine, second day the replacement fuel pump failed as the "senior" tech fitted it wrong & now the passengers door has started rattling.. that's something to sort out next...when they fit the chairs I originally ordered! (black carbon instead of blue cloth leather)

Does anyone else have these sort of issues?

[ryanm8655]

Quote: Originally Posted by saint2000 (original)

oohhh pretty lil thang! I've had my cooper S for a couple weeks now and can tell you the following ; ditto on the usb not working with the IPOD/IPHONE even though the dealer said it would, your slowness is no doubt the fact its a Cooper D rather than an S, have you tried one? I used to drive an ST200 2.5l V6 that was 0-60 in 7.2s but so heavy going round town / roundabouts & 5% of them were fitted with 2.0l brake set instead of the 2.5 which mine just happened to be (confirmed with Ford!)

Snaking whilst braking... to be honest I noticed it too a little but thats to be expected at high speeds with a sensitive steering wheel (sports mode), did you bed them in properly i.e. no harsh braking for the first couple hundred miles? could it be that we're just used to the bigger car?

oh and totally agree on the brake dust thing! good thing the dealers thrown in the car care pack which includes the brake dust remover!

have you had any other issues with your motor? first day the fuel pump failed on mine, second day the replacement fuel pump failed as the "senior" tech fitted it wrong & now the passengers door has started rattling.. that's something to sort out next...when they fit the chairs I originally ordered! (black carbon instead of blue cloth leather)

Does anyone else have these sort of issues?

Ooh an S You got any pics?

I never actually tried the Cooper S, didn't want to as it wasn't really insurable for me . I've just turned 21 but the quotes were still nuts, despite no claims and one sp30 when I first started driving. Would have loved one!

I was tempted by the petrol cooper, but firstly the fact it isn't an S and the fact the D atleast had economy on it's side, put me off. Plus on paper they're not much different performance wise, other than the D being quicker in the mid-range. I think I'd prefer the petrol power band though. Initially I found the car deceptively, like when I was driving home on the M27 thinking I was cruising at 60 and then looking down to see it was more like 90...but I think it's where it runs out of guts at the top end that takes away the sensation of fast, even though it is, on paper, quicker than the Astra I had.

I did the first 300 miles on the first day of getting it and it was all motorway so no harsh braking I first experienced the snaking the first time I gave it a little beans. I was behind an old CRX and it wanted a little play so I attempted to keep up, it left me for dead initially, although I slowly gained only to come across an unexpected corner. I braked and the car snaked, the abs seems pretty willing to kick in too...I'm guessing it is to do with being used to a bigger/heavier car as you say. I was shocked it couldn't keep up with the CRX tbh, although it was basically a 0-60 sprint and then some twisties. I think I just expected it to be a bit quicker with all the torque in such a small car.

Other than the turbo hose I've had no other issues I do like the car a lot, it's just the diesel aspect I think I'm getting used to, don't think I'm totally accustomed with how to drive it either...would have absolutely loved the S!

[BigStuff]

Quote: Originally Posted by iain cooper (original)

the dooper is really all about economy not performance and I think you would end up spending a reasonable amount of money on it and still not be happy.

Bollox!

Dooper feels faster new and difference grows with miles on.
All about mid-range torque

[ASTON]

ive had my dooper remapped and it flys i am very happy with it

enjoy your car

a MINI is a MINI no matter what model you drive

[ryanm8655]

Where'd you get it done and how much?

I've done searches and read about P-torque but it's a bit of a mission

[caveman_dave]

My Dooper has now done a little over 4k and is still lossening up.
A dooper is never going to be a match for a S unless you are racing from Leeds to London down the M1, and then there is going to be nothing in it apart from the S will have used twice as much petrol.
If you compare the Cooper to the Dooper then the Dooper will be a match everywhere once above 30 mph and be easier to drive due to the torque level, if fact the in-gear acceleration of the Dooper is considerably quiker than the Cooper.
But at the end of the day one is diesel and the others petrol, but on the twisties a CRX would noy not get away from me, as you say you were running in and probably still getting a feel for the car.

[dogboltt]

Hmm, I think the problem here is that you opted for the auto transmision.

Until recently I had a Golf diesel GT 170bhp and that thing flew. top end ~155 to 165mph. My Dooper is almost on a par for acceleration, but not the top end of course.
I've found that my Dooper has better handling and much better mpg for similar driving styles.

If you want real performance, then manual transmission is the only way to go.

Lovely looking car BTW...

dave

[ryanm8655]

Quote: Originally Posted by dogboltt (original)

Hmm, I think the problem here is that you opted for the auto transmision.

Until recently I had a Golf diesel GT 170bhp and that thing flew. top end ~155 to 165mph. My Dooper is almost on a par for acceleration, but not the top end of course.
I've found that my Dooper has better handling and much better mpg for similar driving styles.

If you want real performance, then manual transmission is the only way to go.

Lovely looking car BTW...

dave

Not any more

[ripkord]

oooh ****, what happened - is everyone involved ok?

[tr1]

ryanm hope you and anyone else involved are ok.

[ryanm8655]

Yeah we were both fine! Not so sure about the deer though! Was in a bit of shock for a day or so but just waiting on insurance now. Surely that must be a write off though?