Every salesperson tells me I'm crazy, but I think I just might be a Justa driver.

In a nutshell: handling much more important to me than straight-line speed. I haven't had a speeding ticket in 25 years.

I had an 03 Justa and was delighted. I've been, okay with my 08 MCS. The sudden rush of the turbo, the mild torque steer, and the stiffness of the sport suspension are just a very different car.

I think I'm more a Grand Touring guy than a street racer.

Truth be told, I really don't get the fun of running my MCS up through the gears that much, because I'd be at jailbait speed in no time. The Justa "feels" fast, even when it isn't.

Has anyone else gone backwards?

 

I haven't gone backwards, but I kept my Cooper after test driving several S models. I just have more fun with it! Go for it, its your car! Plus, a justa won't burst into flames.

 

Keep the S and change the suspension. (even the sport suspension sucks...) The car needs more spring rate, and better shocks. (plus a 19mm rear anti roll bar)

The S is a better car than the Justa... Having driven both, there is no way the Justa feels fast. (if you are talking R56 vs R50, that's another topic)

An everyday (every time you drive it) improvment is the JCW leather/Alcantara steering wheel.

 

I can actually relate to that. I was getting frustrated with the ****-poor under 4k power of my R50. I shifted as I would an economy car, and enjoyed a consistent 34mpg. But was constantly scanning the classifieds for my next commuter car. Then I said, the heck with it. I run past 4k all the time. And as first gen owners know, once you get there, you keep in it for a bit, because it's so fun. So now the car is WAY more enjoyable to drive, I'm not attracting unwanted attention (the fuzz) and all it cost me was 5 to 6mpg.

 

I tried to go back after getting hit in my '08 MCS. It didn't work for me and after 3 months of a justa I traded it in on another S. When I first started shopping MINI I drove a justa and loved it. The MA suggested I drive an S before making a decision and I couldn't go back. I felt safer in the S. I felt like I could merge into traffic more safely and the car had hutspa. Everyone is different. Make yourself happy. Get what YOU like and like what YOU get.

 

My first MINI was an 04 MCS with some mods and my current MINI is a 11 Clubman Justa ( couple cars in between ). The main reason I went "backwards" was we were looking to replace our suv with something more economical. The justa fit our budget and it gets me back into a MINI.
No, it's not as fast as my old S but it is still fun to drive and I can have fun working on it.

Good luck and have fun

 

Every now and then I toy with the idea of trading in my justa for a S. Then I start thinking about reliability, mpg, runflat tires on the S, etc. and decide I'm very happy in my justa.

 

Maybe über stiff run flats are to blame in your '08 MCS?
Ever thought of swapping them out for a more conformable ride on your MCS? That may be the perfect sweet spot.

 

I went from a 230 HP car to my 121HP justa and couldn't be happier! As others have said, get what makes YOU happy!

 

Seriously considered the switch. A couple of test drives later I just couldn't do it. Maybe you can. Only you can make this decision. I'll cheer you on either way. You've already made the first decision correctly.... A MINI!

Good luck.

 

I have never considered it. If I were to make a change along the MINI continuum it would be a serious consideration of spending the extra coin for a JCW. I too haven't had a speeding ticket in over 25 years, but my MCS puts a smile on my face. I especially like making use of the full rev range and feeling my butt being pushed back into my seat as the turbo spools up and the torque kicks in.

 

I just traded an 07 MCS with Accessport tune for a 2012 Justa, manual gearbox. In 4 weeks I have 350 miles on it and I love it. It gets going quite well. I am really surprised. I have to make sure it is in a low enough gear when I need to move quickly. It has the 15 inch "holie" wheels with 175/65-15 tires. These are much lighter than the Crown Spoke with 215/45-17 tires I had on the Turbo. I think this helps with the sprightly feel.

They made me drive an S also before they would sell me the car.

 

Just curious, what made you trade your '07 S in for the justa? Reliability? I went from an r50 to an r56 S and it's night and day different in terms of speed. However with that being said, I do feel that I had more of a connection with the r50....could've been the booming exhaust and backpressure burbles though...I did love that car.

 

Yeah, I really miss my R50. I almost bought it back from the purchaser a couple of years ago, but it had a LOT of miles on it.

 

The warranty was over in 2 months on the 07 S. I looked around at other brands and came back to the MINI dealer. I thought the Justa would be more reliable than the turbo. I had previously driven a justa, so I knew I liked it. Manual gearbox of course. They had one on the lot that was acceptable, gave me full Kelly Blue Book for the 07, and 1500 off the new one and 0% on the balance and first payment in 90 days. How could I say no.

 

I got the justa based on price when I went to buy. I knew better than to look at the S because I knew the kid in me would have to have it.

I don't regret it one bit. Realistically I would never use that much power anyway, I don't even use what I have. And 89k trouble free miles later........

 

That's why they make Justa's, S's and JCW's. To each their own. But for me, next time it's going to be a JCW roadster... By that time, they'll figure out the tuning...

 

I went from a R53 to a R56 justa and it is suiting me fine so far.

 

My other car has 100 plus more horsepower than my Justa and will take out a stock JCW in a straight line, but I'm absolutely fine with the 121 hp of the standard Cooper. Plus, I don't have the R56 Cooper S maintenance headaches.

If I was to get an S, I'd go with an R53 from 2005 or 2006. That supercharger sounds awesome with a 15% pulley.

 

I for one like driving a slow car fast over driving a fast car slow. Most people don't get the concept.

 

Why not eventually try them all? They are like potato chips!

 

+1
I started with a Justa, and for my type of daily driving where I live, it is perfect. If I had an S, the poor fella wouldn't really get to use the turbo like it should. If I bought an S or a JCW, it would only be a weekend fun vehicle. As if I don't already put too few miles on my car, over a year old and not even 10k on the clock. But like said by someone else, to each their own. I love my Justa, but have a lot of respect for the S and JCW models as well, they just aren't for me.

 

Ditto minus the tire thing.

I was originally looking at JCWs, but after reading into everything, I think I want a base model for the simplicity and reliability of everything. MPG is an added bonus, and these cars are very competitive in HS - basically the only competitive car in the class at a national level

 

I've gone from the fire-breathing 210 hp STX Gollum to the tamer H Stock Gollum II, and no regrets at all.

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Lmao...
I didn't know MINIs were for straight line?

I bought my MINI cause they have great handling and fun. Otherwise I would have gotten a 370Z, Mustang GT, or an Audi TT-RS.

No MINIs will ever be for straight line, and I believe everyone on NAM would agree.