[Tracie]

Hi there...I have been reading around the threads and found them all very interesting, with lots of useful comments and suggestions...I am test driving a Cooper today for the first time, I love the look of these little cars and all the specs you can add look great fun.....I am slightly concerned about the problems some of you guys have been having with rattles, leaks, windows etc...I have a whole page of questions to ask the dealer when I see him later

I was also interested reading your views on the colours and keeping clean..I was considering Black, but may have the grey instead.

As a complete beginner to the Mini experiance any suggestions on the extras I should be having from your own experiances...a/c is a must, I don't mind spending £1500-£1700.

Thanks for reading this...best wishes Tracey

[shiredweller]

Tracey,
Hello and welcome. The only extra I got on my Cooper is the HK, as A/C comes standard in the US. I love the car as is and do not feel like i'm missing anything by not having a long list of extras.
Good luck and have fun.

[AidenL]

Hi, welcome to MINI2, and enjoy the test drive...

The niggles are minor at this stage, you only hear about the few that have gone wrong, so many others are totally satisfied. The driving experience and social side totally outweigh any small faults which may occur, and no car is perfect.

Get Chilli and A/C as a minimum in my opinion..........

I have black myself, hard to keep clean, sure, but looks when it is.........

[Martin L]

Welcome to MINI2

Definately get a/c, as for other options it's really up to you. The Chilli pack is good value for money
Colour wise if you do like black but aren't so keen on cleaning get Cosmos black. As it's metallic it doesn't look dirty so quickly

Have fun test driving

[Mini-Monkey]

Hi Tracie,
well Sandra and i had our first test drive last Saturday,and it was fantastic.
Such a great car to drive.We loved everything about it.It was a MCS but the cooper should
be the same just a little slower.
We had the car for 1.2 hours,got back to the dealer and put our order in there and then,great feeling,cant wait.
We were told delivery would be JULY..........but they had an earlier time slot because someone had cancelled.So we now get our baby at the start of May.Just in time for the bank holiday.
The spec we went for is.........
MCS
EB/WHITE ROOF
CHILI PACK
LAPIS BLUE LEATHER
AUTO AIR CON
MFSW
VIS PACK
AERO BODYKIT
BONNET STRIPES.

Hope you have great fun [i know you will]
Cheers,
Andy.

[Red Dwarf]

Hi there,

Hope you enjoy(ed) your test drive. I ordered my Cooper on Saturday, and now have to wait until just March 22nd..... I can wait... no honestly I can wait...

Personally speaking I would never have a black car again. They look great for about as long as it takes to wash them. Otherwise they look dirty to easily. DS is better, but I always think bright colours suit the Mini best. Mine will be CR/W.

Chilli pack is excellent value, but it really is up to you. It depends what you want from the car. I went for mostly safety based extra's, head air bags, Xeons, visibility pack, heated washers etc, but I do a lot of driving. (Have the multi function steering wheel too if you do drive a lot as it has cruise control, which is a god send on motorways & radio controls.)

Still, this is all the fun of it (and a little bit of agony too)

Enjoy!

[Chris A]

Hi Tracie - bit confusing, there's a Tracy in the ONE forum who's just ordered too!

Hope you enjoyed the test drive. In terms of colours, if you want it to look clean I'd recommend going for silver. Definately DO NOT go for Liquid Yellow if that's your primary concern - I washed mine on Saturday and it was filthy by Sunday evening. I think I'll take to hosing it down each evening.

In terms of extras I think the chilli pack is a pretty good deal and you can take manual air con as well. Definately go for TLC too.

The sooner you order, the sooner you'll get your MINI. Don't rush into it though.

[Tracie]

Well I have been for the test drive in the cooper and was very impressed, haven't ordered yet though as I need to sell my present car first......also in your opinions, is there a lot of difference in the One from the Cooper other than the spec....your all very helpful....thanks

[Chris A]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tracie

Well I have been for the test drive in the cooper and was very impressed, haven't ordered yet though as I need to sell my present car first......also in your opinions, is there a lot of difference in the One from the Cooper other than the spec....your all very helpful....thanks

Hi Tracie,

As I understand it the ONE is higher and lacks the sports suspension. I also don't think you can have a contrasting roof. It's slower but I believe you can chip it to give it the same performance as a Cooper.

Everything else can be added to the spec of the ONE like the rev counter, chrome exterior etc although I think if you add all that on it could end up costing just as much as a Cooper.

I think the ONE is several insurance groups lower, also.

EDIT: According to this site: http://www.bmwworld.com/models/mini/suspension.htm there are a few more things I wasn't aware of like the Cooper having an anti-roll bar on the rear axle. Not sure what that means, to be honest.

Here's a thread from these forums with more info about the differences: http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...per+difference

[Deadliner]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tracie

Well I have been for the test drive in the cooper and was very impressed, haven't ordered yet though as I need to sell my present car first......also in your opinions, is there a lot of difference in the One from the Cooper other than the spec....your all very helpful....thanks

Hello!

You didn't tell us which country you're at. As I know, in some countries there is a 1.4 lt One with 75 horsepower and an 1.6lt with 90 horsepower, so it depends. In Greece, where I live, my dealer only had the 1.4 and I found it too poor in performance compared to the Cooper (although it was ok when I test drived it).

But the main reason, besides the performance that made me opt for a Cooper, was the other stuff like the contrasting roof/mirrors. I think the car looks a lot different and more "Mini" with a contrasting roof, and I wanted it. Plus the Cooper has some more things as standard, like chrome details in the mask grille and other stuff.

But this may vary from country to country, so you have better ask your dealer about all the differences between the two versions.

As for the specs, I also suggest the Chilli pack since it contains many things you'd probably like anyways. The A/C was a definitve yes for me (Greece here!). I also like the cloth/leather combo for the upholstery, which you may find interesting, it gives the interior a better look. I would go for the sports seats but I ordered a Mini that was pre-ordered by the dealer (to avoid the long delay) that was without them. Oh well!

I also think you should get at least the ASC+T. Any decent car today should have at least an anti-spin, since other (cheaper) cars have ESP in standard. If you have the extra money and think it's worth it, consided the DSC but I DON'T know if it's worth or not, I guess the other people can give you insight about it.

Last but not least, consider the sunroof! I would go for it but the price would be going too high... plus I don't know if it would match the white roof well. But I always liked sunroofs, I think's it's nice to have daylight in your car.

Well, take your time to think about it while you're selling your old car, so you can order your new Mini the day after that, with no delay!

Good luck!

Panayiotis

[MarkL]

Greetings and welcome to MINI2!

1) One vs Cooper: the One has the same engine as the Cooper (in the UK), but its engine management program is different, so it produces 90 bhp cf. 115 bhp. for the Cooper. However, you will find most of the Cooper's extra power is above 4000 RPM. The Cooper's gearing is also lower than the One's which makes it feel somewhat livelier at all speeds. Sports suspension is an option (£150) on the One, but is standard on the Cooper, and you can also get Sports suspension plus on the Cooper (no cost option in Chili pack, £100 otherwise), which you can't on the One. The only other major factory option you can't get on the One is the different coloured (black/white) roof. A One + Pepper pack + sports suspension costs £850 less than a Cooper + Pepper pack. Also consider whether the difference between group 5 insurance for the One and group 8 for the Cooper would be significant for you.

2) Option packs: Pepper or Chili are strongly recommended for resale. Most Cooper owners have Chili (£1300), but if you don't need the half leather seats or the 16" run flat tyres then go for Pepper (£450).

3) Colours: by grey, I assume you mean dark silver? Only available on the Cooper S, I'm afraid! Black is notoriously good at looking dirty quickly (I should know having owned a Solid Black One and a Cosmos Black Cooper!), but if you like it and are prepared to either clean it often or not be bothered too much about it looking dirty then go for it.

4) Options: a/c is good! ASC+T (traction control) is considered good value at £100 and may save your life. tlc service pack at £100 is considered essential for resale in the UK.

[Tracie]

Thanks for all the advice folks...when I order MC I will have the Pepper Pk, a/c, Bonnet Stripes, sport seats and asc+t.....still thinking about the colour though but I am leaning more towards the Electric Blue, with maybe white roof,mirrors and 2 bonnet stripes...what do you reckon?.......whats the best colour for re sell value as I have heard that the pepper white is not very good for some reason.......I live in Dorset in the UK in response to the question earlier, so my local dealership is Woods.

[Deadliner]

Quote: Originally Posted by Tracie

Thanks for all the advice folks...when I order MC I will have the Pepper Pk, a/c, Bonnet Stripes, sport seats and asc+t.....still thinking about the colour though but I am leaning more towards the Electric Blue, with maybe white roof,mirrors and 2 bonnet stripes...what do you reckon?.......whats the best colour for re sell value as I have heard that the pepper white is not very good for some reason.......I live in Dorset in the UK in response to the question earlier, so my local dealership is Woods.

Hello,

the electric blue is a great color, maybe the best for the Mini, but as far as I know it's available only in the Cooper S and not on the Cooper, so check it out.

I ordered mine chilli red!

[Tracie]

Im not very well up on the colours for the cooper....I like the BRG as well...I've had a red car before so I fancy a change for the next one....Good news is that I have someone very interested in my old car (seat Ibiza '97) so hopefully all fingers crossed I will be ordering soon...watch this space....Im soooo excited!!!