Right, but having a sporty exhaust tone and looking not "cheap and lame" has nothing to do with WHERE on the back it's mounted.

 

'Cheap and lame' is just an unsubstantiated opinion, and should be evaluated on that basis.

If you wanna say that you dont like the look of something, thats fine, but putting a label on it, and identifying it as such, is not, fwiw.

 

I like the dual exhaust look myself. However, I think I like the dual exhaust layout found on the clubman the most, even though I would never want a clubman.

Love the more aggressive look of the hoodscoop but also like the classic look without it.

The power of the S is intoxicating and addicting. You have been warned.

At the time I had only driven a justa (mine). This guy told me to never drive the S because mine will go up for sell the next day. Well, my friend let me drive his S and lo' and behold. My R50 is going bye-bye to make room for my 04 R53 that I am picking up Monday.

It is also worth mentioning that I was completely content with the performance of my "Justa" as well.

 

I'm not say base minis are lame i was just saying putting a cheap exhaust on a sport model is lame. I don't see the big deal.

 

I was happy with my non-s cooper and then i went to bring it in for service last week and saw my motoring adviser, we got to talking and I ended up test driving an "S" he warned me before I did that I would want to trade mine in. I am now trying to justify to myself losing almost $3000 from what I owe on the car to what it is worth on the trade in.

 

Maybe I'm by myself on this, but I drove plenty of Cooper, Cooper S, and JCW MINIs, but ended up with a Cooper because I liked the smoother personality of the N/A engine, among other things (fewer problems, a *little cheaper, MC-only paint color, etc)

Point is, I've driven them all and I don't regret owning a Cooper, nor do I just HAVE to have an MCS, now.

 

Same here man. All said and done I paid like $10,600 or so for my Justa. 6 months later and I'm willing to trade it in for $7,500 to get an S. I still owe $6,900 so I'll be getting a $600 check but still...quite a hit I'm taking. However, I am getting a car with half the miles (39k vs 83k), a sunroof, and a more sturdy transmission
Plus, it's all worth it for the IB/W paint scheme

 

I agree with you. I am very happy with the N/A cooper engine. It feels much more balanced than the S. But strictly speaking 1st gen coopers. the Justas were cursed with a failure prone tranny. If my Justa had much lower miles, I would seriously consider swapping transmission (to the getrag 6 speed) rather than swapping cars.

For the same amount of money, I can get a Cooper S attached to that getrag

 

Which one did you buy???

 

What kind of mileage difference do you think there is? I went to the dealer bound and determined not to be talked into an S. Drove them both and came home with the S. Get about 38 with the summer tires, 36.5 with snow tires. Mostly highway driving to and from work. Talked myself into the S by reasoning more power gets you up snowy hills better...maybe...

 

I agree with your reasoning. It makes more sense to spend the money that would be spent swapping or possibly replacing a Non-S transmission in order to upgrade to the S. I was just saying that I didn't HAVE to have an S after driving one.

 

What kind of mileage difference do you think there is? I went to the dealer bound and determined not to be talked into an S. Drove them both and came home with the S. Get about 38 with the summer tires, 36.5 with snow tires. Mostly highway driving to and from work. Talked myself into the S by reasoning more power gets you up snowy hills better...maybe...

 

Thanks a lot!

I'm not looking/wanting all the packages, but some options are a must for me (i.e. Harmon/Kardon sound system, auto transmission, sunroof, iPod connectivity...)

 

The one I was considering from Bachman. Afterall, they are fixing what needs to be fixed. Everything else looks good on it. Runs fine (other than bent rims). But those are being replaced, courtesy of Prof.

 

Im doing the same. I dont own a cooper yet, but I am looking hard. It will be used, though. I am looking to replace a 2004 Acura TL to better my financial situation. I am used to the power, so I need something on par with that. I think I finally found the one I am going to get, it's just a matter of when... It's an 03. S all the way though, even if the gas mileage is slightly worse. It is still better than my Acura.

 

My opinion......the acceleration factor is minor. The base cooper is plenty quick and fast especially in the sport mode (I have a 2008 with six speed). Mini's are about cornering and handling. Nothing else comes close. Me...I have chosen to upgrade wheels and tires and hit some winding, scenic roads. Shifting through the turns the base does great. Zero to sixty times are actually very close between the two models. Don't discount the base Mini.

 

Oh yeah, for sure. Even my now stock-again R50 feels quick.

 

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

 

This thread may have changed my mind. I was looking at a used 2003-2005 cooper to better my financial situation (I currently own a 2004 Acura TL outright, with verly low miles - so I could potentially walk away with some cash). I want fun, practical and good gas mileage. I have drive both the S and the justa. I didn't really see THAT much difference in the drivetrains, although the justa I drove did have some upgrades to the ignition coils, CAI and exhaust. But it sounds like an S gets about the same gas mileage as my TL. I want to get BETTER mileage. I drive the PA turnpike everyday, so it's not like I need off-the-line power. However, I did feel like the S was much better responding in passing situations as well as merging situations.

The cars I have it narrowed down to - One is an 03 S with 85k miles and the other is an 04 justa with 64,000 miles. The discrepancy in price is actually $1k higher for the justa. Insurance would be about the same since the justa is newer (we're talking a couple of bucks difference on the year). Gas would be better in the justa. Tire replacement better in the justa. The justa has less maintenance items coming up soon. So to me, for an extra $1k now, I will save a lot in the next couple of years in ownership...

What say you? Do I sound like I am on the right track?

The only differences between the two cars are:
Lower miles in the justa
16 inch rims justa vs 17 inch rims on the S (no spare also)
5 speed in the justa vs. 6 speed in the S
Base engine vs. Supercharged engine.

Both have xenons, sport package, premium package and cold weather package, so they are setup exactly the way I want them. The S is red and the justa is silver (and I actually prefer the silver)... Before I read this thread I was leaning heavily towards the S. Now I am not so sure.

 

You're right, there isn't a HUGE difference in get-up from either, when both are stock anyway. Well, then again, the S is about 2 seconds quicker to 60 but Justa still feels quick.

If you're not looking for power and good gas mileage but still loads of fun to drive, the Justa would be for you. And yes, less parts to worry about going bad, i.e, super charger and its belts, water pump, etc.
Although, the 5 speed gearbox in the justa is not known to be a sturdy one. I think the average lifespan on those things is about 60-100k miles. When I bought my justa with 77k miles on it, it was already on a 2nd, maybe even 3rd transmission - hard to tell but it deffinately wasn't the original. Something to consider. If you can, find an 05-06 justa, it has the 5speed getrag - much more sound & sturdy.

Who knows, maybe you won't have problems? Just don't take it on the track or abuse it. You'll have to baby it to keep your peace of mind. If you do choose the justa, make sure you swap out the tranny fluid to Redline MT90. It's a little thicker and should help protect the inners better but that is all heresay.

 

As an S owner I agree 100%. Additionally, for the 2nd gen S at least it brings a slew of additional problems with it that are not on the Cooper "base". If you're not a power freak then the "base" Cooper is a better choice, IMO.

 

Thanks a lot for this post! This isn't sarcastic, either... But you just made my choice harder! I do prefer the 6 speed - so if it is a better gear box, that may put me over the top for the S. AHHHH decisions, decisions...

 

A consideration in my book is something said earlier....you drive the Pa Turnpike. I have done that ALOT. No spare would have me nervous if its the Northeast Extension. Even with the call boxes. For a good model I see where the '06 and '04 may be a good consideration. I also have friends who drive the S....I get 42 mpg with my six speed and they get 34 to 36. Nothing to laugh at by any means, just a difference expressed to me. Both are good choices. I love my base. It can be customized very well with all the goods too. It is a tough decision.

 

Lansdale to Valley Forge, every day for 7 years now.

It has run flats and they are newer, so it's not a huge concern. Can always get AAA.

 

Been on that route to Lancaster every week. Others call runflats "run rocks" and typically trade them in for regular tires. While runflats will get you fifty miles before flat, you have to end up somewhere where they have replacements. No standard size Mini tire is easy to find. So runflats will get you off the road... then what? This was a consideration of mine as I drive 60 miles round trip to work. This is another topic....sorry. Both cars are great and you will like either one. Best of luck to you. Have fun.