She thinks why spend the extra money. I told her I'd ask the people in the know, so lets hear it people. We need to order this week!!!!

 

Drive the non-S and then drive the S. That will tell you if you want/need the S model.

It may have changed for the newer cars but I do remember that non-S cars got regular seats and S models got the "sport seats". a better looking design with a little more bolstering. You can add sport seats to a non-S as an option.

 

I got both. A cooper S.

Should I buy a mustang or a 5.0? :P

 

If she is more driving oriented, test drive both back to back. My money would be on her picking the "S". If she is more feature oriented (creature comforts, interior looks, nice stereo, etc), then go for the Justa non-S.

 

The non-S has had far fewer reliability problems, can be had with non runflat tires, and is most certainly a driver's car, especially if equipped with a manual transmission and the sport suspension. The S accelerates faster.

 

Cooper S. Tell her you saved $ by not buying the JCW

 

I, personally, feel that the Cooper is woefully underpowered. Cooper fans sometimes get defensive when people say that, but in my opinion it is. I realize both cars handle the same, and both cars can be fun to drive, but merging, passing etc. with a Cooper is much more challenging than a Cooper S. So in my opinion, The Cooper S is worth the extra money. All that being said, the only way to decided if you are comfortable with the power of a Cooper is to drive one. I would suggest doing a test drive with multiple mergers onto a freeway or interstate and see if your comfortable with the performance. Very many are, but I was not. This was confirmed once again when I had a Cooper yesterday as a loaner while by Cooper S was at the dealer. I should add that the Cooper's, in the hands of good drivers, have no problem keeping up with the Cooper S's and the JCW's on our SCCM.org runs.

 

I would only buy the S -- but I am not your wife and marital bliss trumps auto purchases. I agree with 6th Gear, she should drive both and I think she'll want the S. Have you checked your local marketplace for used cars (craigs list, autotrader, cars.com)? In my area, there is a lot of inventory for non-S. Since people don't sell the cars they like, I am thinking the S is the way to go.

 

I'll echo Juan A's comment that the Cooper is still a fun and capable car as far as driving. If you and/or your wife dont have the time or desire to go test driving, you might be able to answer the question without the testdrive, although I REALLY dont recomend that.

I would have a serious discussion with your wife to see what the main reasons are for the interest in a MINI hardtop. Is it the looks? The fuel economy? Driving experience? etc? For example, if she is mainly drawn to the MINI because of looks and fuel economy, then hands down get the Justa MC because it has a better MPG and doesnt require 89+.

 

I have a 2012 "Justa" and couldn't be happier. Manual provides plenty of opportunities for fun and sunroom provides wind in my hair. I'm usually going too fast anyway. Take the money you saved and put it towards your favorite cause.

 

Other than an added cost (not large really) there's no negatives of having an S over a base.

Depends if you like speed really. Both handle great.

 

When I test drove the base model it seemed pretty normal to me as far as power goes compared to the other cars I've had previously (astra, volvo sedans, etc.). The only thing that was really different is it had a lot more deceleration when you let off the gas. I was going to order a base model but there was an S which was essentially what I was going to get. I couldn't deal with driving the car I had at the time (horrible impala) for another month an a half so I got the S.

 

Last year my wife wanted a MINI so I took her to our local MINI dealer and let her test drive a few. After an afternoon of driving cars she feel in love with a nice lease return Clubman S - but she always had a lead foot.

 

Except for the host of reliability issues.

 

I've never leased personally, but I am leaning toward that being the way to go - especially since I rarely hang onto a car more than 2 years these days. Cars in the USA are so cheap by comparison to Australia. If you buy it and don't like it, you'll end up selling it. But if you lease it and don't like it, you just give it back at the end of the lease, right?

 

As for power, I don't think I would drive anything slower than my R50 (non-S). Thankfully it's a manual so I can downshift and prepare for needed power. It would need a good auto to be acceptable to me.

My other car is a BMW318ti which is 138HP and about 2650 lbs. the published 0-60 times are about identical - high 8.x range. I do feel the BMW will rev to the power band quicker (3,500+ RPM), and I've found myself taking more turns in 2nd gear with the MINI whereas I would take them in 3rd in the BMW. This actually had made the MINI a more engaging car to drive though. You need to flog it and be proactive with gear planning.

So I'd say give the non-S a good test drive and if the power is acceptable to her, go with that one.

 

I agree the more electronis options you have the more reliability issues one may have. I can promise you I will never have any sunroof problems with my 2013 Cooper S; because I don't have one.

It's all a matter of opinion. You could be a horrible owner and have not changed a "justa's" oil for 15k miles while a cooper S owner is changing his synthetic every 3k miles. Since I've bought my car in January I have 8k miles on my car. Changed my oil at 5k miles with mobil 1 synthetic and only drive it to work and back.

I've probably checked my oil(almost impossible to do anyway) over 16 times. I don't doubt the dipstick never gets pulled for Cooper S owners until the first oil change and maybe not even then. It's all a matter of owner specific circumstance.

 

Well crap. I haven't run into any yet. Mine's a 2009 with 33K.

Although unless this car costs me $2,500 to randomly fix, it's more reliable than my previous RSX-S.

 

There are plenty of S owners who have good, solid cars. There just seem to be a lot more problems overall with the S, on average. I hope your luck holds out

 

I had a Justa and now own an S. In my opinion the Justa is a great city car, but if you want to go out and run the interstates you will find it lacking. Think ahead before trying to pass, especially on a hill. The S on the otherhand, just stand on it and go.

 

If your wife is not interested in performance, the Justa might suit her just fine. If she has a bit of the speed demon in her, she will require the Cooper S.

 

I have an 11 clubman S and I absolutely love the car but hate the turbo lag so much I'm thinking of selling!

 

I love these "seriously lacking in power" comments. I'm 67 years old.

0-60 mph times:
1971 BMW 1600) 11.6
1989 BMW 325i 7.5
1992 BMW 525i 8.5
2004 Dodge Ram 8.4
2010 MINI Cooper HT 8.5

 

My 08 Non-S does not leave me wanting more power. Is it the fastest thing on the planet, no. Is it entertaining and satisfying, yes. I have a fully loaded Non-S with a 6 speed automatic with paddle shifters which I bought with 37000 miles. I now have 94000 and truly love this car. I have the sport package with a Sprint Booster installed. This car with 17" Challenge wheels and Bridgestone RE11s leaves me smiling all the time. I have several other cars, all 350 -450 hp and while they are incredible to drive, the daily life in the Mini is a love affair of driving. I know there is always those who say "S' or nothing, but I needed the limitation of not being able to spend money on making it faster, as I do always, paired with reliability. I intend to keep this car indefinitely, not trading up to a S. My daughter gets her license in 7 years. She is going to get a very safe 300000 mile Mini as her 2nd car. I love it that much.

 

I'd stick with the justa (non-S) - my reasons are: reliability, fuel economy, and comfort - but in an affordable car which is still plenty of fun to drive.

When I bought my 2010 justa, I really didn't know much about the brand, reliability, or anything else. I just knew I wanted a MINI, it had to be a manual, and I didn't want a hole in the roof. And I didn't want to pay $30k. The dealer had only one new vehicle meeting my requirements, and that's the one I bought. Base model, no upgrades of any kind - was less than $20k in 2010.

Since then, I've learned a lot more about the cars, and I feel very lucky to have bought the car I did, mostly by chance. Google "MINI problems", and you'll quickly find two or three (maybe 4) known issues that are well documented - but justa models are not affected by any of them.

Do I sometimes wish I had more power? Sure I do. Would I trade 36 MPG (average) and reliability to get it? No, thank you. And then there are run-flat tires. Don't have them, don't want them.

I've never driven the automatic justa, so if she wants that, be sure to test drive one. Not sure how the base engine does with the auto. Oh yeah, the base radio on my 2010 sucks. One minor regret was not getting the audio upgrade, although from what I've read the 'upgrade' back then was only marginally better, and - like ALL MINI upgrades and options, obscenely overpriced.

One other regret - why didn't I get one of these 10 years ago?