[Wuxley]

I thought i would post a thorough review of my new 05 cooper to try and answer a few of the questions that have been popping up around here.

I picked up my brand new 05 Cooper on Monday the 20th September so i am now on my fifth day of ownership with mileage appraoching 500. I previously had an 02 One which i traded in for this new cooper.

Here is the full spec of the cooper that i ordered.

• Chiil Red 05 Mini Cooper with Chilli pack (chilli options listed below)
• White Roof and mirror caps
• 17" S-Spokes with Dunlop Run flats (in white)
• Sports Suspension +
• Red Cloth/Black Leather Sports Seat (Octagon)
• ASC+T
• Alloy Patina Trim
• 3 Spoke Multi-function Sport steering wheel (incorporates Cruise Control and Audio Controls)
• Chrome Line Exterior
• Chrome Line Interior
• Floor Matts in Velour
• Front and rear fog lights
• Interior Lights pack
• Manual Air Conditioning
• On Board Computer
• Rear Roof Spoiler
• Storage Compartment pack
• Heated washers jets and mirrors
• Radio Boost with single slot CD Player (incorporates MP3 playback)
• Xenon Headlights and Wash
• White bonnet stripes (factory fitted)
• Black Checked roof
• Checked mirror caps

The final price of this spec was £15,810. Addtional pictures of the car and the majority of its options can be found here (added later) or in my Personal Gallery.

Exterior

I was very impressed with the appearance of the Cooper. I felt the 05 changes really helped to freshen up the look of the Mini. I particularly liked the redesign of the front. The chrome line exterior really adds to the look of the Cooper. The elegant chrome surrounds on the Fog lights and the thin, bone like piece of chrome that runs across the black mesh grille nicely finishes off the already impressive design.

The new 'flat' appearance of the radiator grill with the 3 slats is also a very good redesign touch. It makes the front look less fussy and busy and nicely blends into the rest of the cooper. I felt that the chrome grille on the pre 05 coopers looked out of place and a little disjointed from the rest of the car.

The new headlights are fantastic, it is suprising how much of a difference they make to the look of the car. Whereas my 02 One had a bit of a gormless stare the lights on the 05 models look purposeful and aggressive (especially with the Xenon lamp fitment). The fat rear chrome strip is now far thinner and less chunkier which in my opinion looks better and makes the rear end less squat-like. The rear light clusters are very nice too, the LED effect is not as pronounced as i would have thought but they do look just as good as the prefacelift models. However i am not overly impressed with the change of the reversing light. Where the reverse light used to be the fog light is now there which makes the rear end look rather 206.

Interior

The interior on my 05 cooper is far improved over the interior of my 02 One. The Alloy Patina trim, chrome line interior and red cloth with black leather seats is a brilliant combination. The interior really is a place where i would not mind being stuck in for hours. The seats are incredibly comfortable and hold you in very well although i am not conviced by the lumbar support - i found it actually hurt my back more than it helped with comfort.

The radio boost with single slot CD player is a great improvement over the standard WAVE. There is a greater clarity and better bass sound and it does not distort at high volumes. The speed sensitive volume also works very well althought it took me a while to figure out how to set it. The MP3 playback on the new headunit is actually quite good. It can play VBR and set bitrates upto 320kbps. The unit does not display and song information such as artist or track name and folder navigation is quite simple by pressing the M button and the back and forward button, although whilst driving it can be a little distracted when trying to change the folder due to the smallness of the M button. The steering controls on the MFSW are very good, the increase/decrease in volume occurs quickly enough when you press them and the next track/previous track buttons are also east to press. However the lack of a change mode button is a little dissapointing as you cannot change between the CD and the Radio from the steering wheel.

Performance

Even though the car is still being run in the in gear acceleration is quite impressive. It certainly moves faster than i though it would and i have not even used the main power band of 4000-6000RPM. The pull in 5th gear is very good and it is acutally possible to accelerate from 40-70mph in a reasonable time when on the motorway.

The new Getrag gear box is very very good. I was a little sceptical when i first drove out of the show room as i really liked the weighty felling of the gearbox on the old ONE. However after around 200-300 miles the box loosened up a little and the gear changes are very swift and sharp. It is very easy to flick around the box. The only problem i have is that i find 1st gear is not long enough, i seem to find myself having to change very quickly off the line (this is heightened by the fact that i cant go about 4000RPM at the moment). Motorway cruising is not as refined as it was in my One. At 70MPH the car is running at 3500RPM where as in my One at the equivalent speed it would run at 2900RPM. I suppose this is the compromise for the extra grunt in 5th gear.

Build Quality

The build quality on my new 05 model is very good, far improved over the 02 One. However these is a slight rattle coming from the centre of the dash already but it is very negligable and i am not concerned about it at the moment. Everything else seems very sturdy and well put together - whether it rattles itself apart after a while due the SS+ is another thing but things are looking good so far.

Ride Quality

I know that this has been a big issue with many people one here. I have the 17" S-spokes with Dunlop runflats and SS+. The ride is VERY acceptable, at speed it is far more comfortable than my MINI One. Large undulations and pot holes do unsettle the car slighty and the is transmitted into the cabin and ultimately the seat. However i think that for the handling and extra fun that is acheived with this combination the slight trade off in ride is more than worth it.

Handling

This is quite a difficult one. The road holding is great and the chuckability of the car cannot be quesitoned. However i do find that the car has a greater tendency to slide when pushing hard compared to the more softly sprung mini one that i had. Whether this is due to the fact that the tyres may not yet be fully bedded in or just the combination of the tyres, wheels and SS+ i do not know. This ultimately knocks the confidence that i have in the car when trying to drive quickly cross country. Hopefully this will improve as the car gains more miles.


Overall though the car is very very good. It is a great improvement all round over the 02 Mini that i left beind. The design changes are great even the extra storage space in the door pockets and under the handbrake except they removed the shelf underneath the sterring wheel and replaced it with a little hole. The ride is great minus the slidy nature of the tyres at the moment, the performance seems to be impressive but this will have to wait for a definative opinion for another 800 miles yet. The build quality seems far better and overall the interior is possibly the best that i have ever sat in. I love it.

I will post all the pictures this evening and give you a detailed opinion and pictures of all the options that i have chosen.

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Excellent review Wuxley - thnaks for the time and effort you've put into it.

Great to hear all is well and you're happy with the changes. I went from SS to SS+ on my second Cooper and find that it does slide more than previously, but you're able to push it a bit more too. It's a case of getting the confidence as to how far you can push between slide and spin, once you get that balance you'll be laughing

Happy Adventures

[Rob.]

Great review
Agree with most of it
Enjoy your new car

[Tubby]

Wuxley,

Agree with the large majority of your review, having had my '05/54 Cooper for 2.5 weeks now. Comments are:

Suspension/Tyres: I am now at 1415 miles and the suspension has softened slightly, and the tyres have become grippier than at first.
Gear Ratios/Engine: These have continued to get better with the miles, and I am now surprised when I use the accelerator at how keen the engine is to rev. I am still not pushing it past 4000rpm as I am in the habit of watching the rev counter (but maybe this weekend at SCNM's WessexIII run...? )
Build Quality: I also have a rattle from the centre of the top of the dash, and also from the area around the drivers side 'top' window vent. I intend to take the car back to Scotthall for a look through, as the Drivers 'side-visor' is also making strange 'cracking' noises when I drive.
Interior: I also find the lumbar support painful! - I just cant quite turn it down enough...

Thanks for your time in putting this together and posting it up - nice to know that other people are finding the same cool things with the new car.

Enjoy the rest of the run-in!

[Rob.]

Wierd that Tubby. My new Cooper has a slight rattle in both the places you describe
Let me know if they fix it

[Tubby]

Will do Rob - likewise, if you get yours looked at and fixed, let me know, as I can then let my dealer know what was found if they don't get anything...

[160rav]

Hi

New to forums and need to decide on final spec prior to ordering,was wondering about SS+. You guys mentioned that there's slide when pushing car,apart from that is it recommended to add to spec.

Car will have chili pack with 16" 7 fin spoke tyres no ASC or DSC.

[Wuxley]

I have now uploaded the pics to my gallery. I will write my opinions on them later.

[lespurgeon]

160 rav - I'd say SS+ all the way. Car is that little bit tighter, less roll in the corners - more fun to drive.

[marrsbar]

You CAN change between cd and radio with the steering wheel buttons. its the middle button on the right hand side. My car is 04, but I doubt they would remove this feature for the 05.

[Wuxley]

Quote: Originally Posted by marrsbar

You CAN change between cd and radio with the steering wheel buttons. its the middle button on the right hand side. My car is 04, but I doubt they would remove this feature for the 05.

Which button - do you have the 3 spoke sterring wheel? These are the only buttons that i have



And these are the cruise control buttons: -



I remember my dealer saying that this was the only downside to the new MFSW - it doesnt have the mode button.

[Wuxley]

Here are my impressions of the different options with pictures





I opted for the white wheels to make the car stand out that little bit more - i wanted it to be noticed which i hope you will agree the car is pretty striking. However as you can see from the picture below they get dirty very quickly. This picture was taken after about 200 miles and they are already looking a little grubby but when they are clean they are fantastic looking and really set the car off.



Next up on my options list was the Xenon lights. These are well worth the extra £370 (in conjunction with the chilli pack i think). They are excellent, not only do they look great lit and unlit but the light they give off is fantastic. Night time visibility is brilliant.





Next up is the alloy patina trim and chrome line interior. It looks brilliant. The combination works really well and really adds that something extra to the interior. If you like chrome then this is well worth getting.



A picture of the centre console with buttons galore - the only one missing is the heated front windscreen. The only niggle that i have is that the LED on the front fog light switch is not bright enough when illuminated so i was unable to tell if it was switched on the other day when i needed to use them. I ended up flashing people needlessly as i switched it on and off because i didnt think it was working.



The new coin tray is definitely for coins only. You can't really fit a packet of chewign gum in there as it gets squashed when you lower the handbrake. The tray is made of quite a nice squishy plastic so it doesnt feel that cheap.



The new MFSW works very well. The cruise control is excellent although this is the first car that i have had it on. It maintains speed with no problems at all even with quite large varitations in road incline. The resume button brings the car back up to speed although i have noticed that the speed it brings it back to is usually 1 or 2mph less than it was set to but a quick press of the + button corrects it.



The new visors are acutally quite good as long as you remember to put the side one away beofe you get out of the car. The side visor offers quite good protection from the sun and is able to cover quite a large part of the window without reducing the important visibility areas.



The centre lights console does feel a little flimsy. When you switch one of the lights on the console moves and the whole roof pushes back against the metal skin. However the lights do work quite well and give out a nice orange glow at night.



There is now a 12v power socket in the boot which i think has been on and off the car over the years as my 02 One didnt have one. It comes with a plastic cover which you put over it when you are not using it.




This is the new position of the clock. You press the reset button on the speedo one to change between trip distance and clock and hold it to reset the trip distance. I dont like the position of the new clock as it gets annoying after a while having to swap between the two displays.



The new rear light cluster with LED effect. These are good although i did like the original light set up too.



And finally a picture of the new key fob. There are now three buttons. The mini wings locks the car, the boot button releases the boot but it doesnt 'pop' up and the other button unlocks the car and you can press and hold this button to open the windows and sunroof.

[gokartride]

As much as I love the original, pre-'05 look of Coopers, I have to agree that the '05 exterior updates can be seen as an improvement. The front end does have a much cleaner look overall (though not quite as cheeky as its predecessor because of those bumper strips) and the new headlights are simply fantastic. Beyond that, everything from the Getrag box to the interior lighting is a step up, imo.

[splashed100]

Hi

Great review
I would agree with most of your comments for my 05 Cooper (700 miles so far)

I didn't get the CD player, saved myself £200, got the visibility pack instead and had my old CD player fitted which blows the standard CD player out the water for quality of sound.

My car also has 17 inch S Spoke wheels and SS+, but I have the Pirelli tyres fitted. Although we are still running the car in I have not noticed any sliding at present going into corners or round roundabouts too fast.
Perhaps we are not pushing the car hard enough, but what fun!

I also find our car is very quiet at 70 mph for engine and tyre noise!

We also do not have any rattles so far, touch wood!!

It would be interesting if the different makes of tyres do make a noticable difference to the handling, ride quality and noise levels.

Splashed100

[TomUK23]

Nice review, cheers for taking the time and jotting down your views. I love the new bumpers and the more subtle chrome.

Can't wait to get in mine even more now

[robfenn]

Hi,

Great review and great car! My spec is near identical, except mine will be in black and the wheels will just be silver opposed to white..

I have to wait until January for my Cooper, this review has made me want it even more!!

-Rob

[Wuxley]

Trust me it is well worth the wait. I was lucky i at least had a mini to drive round in before whilst i waited for my new cooper. I can't imagine what it must feel like having to wait 4 months!

The car is already starting to loosen up - i have done 900 miles in a week. Took it for a blast to sheffield along Snake Pass that was great especially in the dark and then i was at Donington Park yesterday with him. He is a great little motorway cruiser.

[Tubby]

Same here - now done 1650 miles, and I've only had three weeks today!

Can't stop driving it!

Nice looking car Wuxley - mines v.similar but with silver wheels and no roof or mirror graphics. What great fun they are eh?!

BTW mine goes in on Thursday am for MINI to look into the increasing amount of rattling and shaking going on in and around the dash . It has also developed a 'cracking' sound from the front passenger door area when going over bumps, and the headlining around the drivers side visor has started to 'walk' away from the plastic fixings...

Can anyone tell me if this sort of degeneration is normal for a MINI (i.e. am I expecting too much from a car with SS+ and 17"s in terms of build quality and queitness in the cabin, or is this a Friday afternoon car??? )

[craigsyboo]

I picked up my new Cooper last Saturday and was impressed with the improvement in the interior of the car. A new car really is a joy to behold!

However, mine too has an annoying rattle coming from somewhere in the centre of the dash, just to the left of the speedo and today a much louder and even more annoying rattle started up further up the dash in front of the driver, almost up at the windscreen!

Thankfully, this stopped after a while but considering it took my 52-reg Cooper about 20,000 miles to develop it's first annoying rattle, this has kinda taken the shine off my new car!!

Hopefully it will all settle down soon....

[zgokart]

I do see some very nice improvements in the 05 MINI, such as side window visors (the front visors are pitifully too small), more integrated and front-mounted MFSW buttons (but where are the horn buttons?), coin tray, key fob, larger door pockets, etc.

I notice that there are two toggle switches for front and rear fog lights (MINI has finally listened to it's owners requests). Mine, being the older model, has a dummy button and I have labelled it "Reverse Thruster" (one up on you 05 owners)

Did your MINI One give you 2900 rpm at 70 mph? Must be pretty tall gears. My MC hits about 3500 rpm at 70 mph on level ground on 5th gear, so it doesn't seem to differ from the 05 model.

All in all, nice improvements, and I envy you.