I have been looking at a mini Cooper S, but I have heard a lot of good things about the normal mini. Here is my question.



Is the normal mini quick?

You all know what I mean by quick, like being fairly alright off the line, and quick in turns where you can accelerate high in rpms (manual).

Is it like unbearably slow where it isnt fun?
Does it get a LOT better mpg than the S?


Thanks, and it looks like a great car.

I just fancy the air intake on the s. makes it look for masculine (not that the normal is feminine

 

Thanks to anybody who posts here!

 

It's not as quick as the S, but just as much phun!

 

you need to test drive both to make the decision for yourself!
don't go by what anyone else says. it's gonna be you flipping the bill!

 

So it's still fun, or is it so slow you can't push it or do anything fun?>

 

There are literally dozens of threads about this question. In fact here are several good ones from the past couple months:

MINI Cooper or MINI Cooper S

The Cooper and the S

To S or not to S

 

Welcome Badandy...I can't speak on the Cooper/CooperS difference because I own an S, and have never driven a Cooper. I've heard that they're fun...

My advice is to take some long test drives of both and you decide... :smile:

 

I love my little Cooper-It is very tight in the turns-much better than my Miata-it is also very quick off the line-doesn't seem to have the lag that S drivers talk about. And once totally by accident I was doing 90 in it & probably could have done 120
Lois

 

The Coopah' is Supa' fast and Supa' Phun.
and gets better MPGs to boot.
(Don't mention the better looks to the MCS folks) :smile:

 

I can scare people in my regular Cooper. And recent mods I have done to it have quelled the S - envy I had sometimes felt. There are some that prefer the Cooper in auto-x situations due to the gearing. And truthfully, there are other cars that will rip both models at the stop light. In the twisties, I am more than happy with the handling of my car. I would bet that I don't get close to it's limits.

 

As several have suggested, test drive both. Regular Cooper- reasonably quick from a start, won't press you back in your seat, but a ton of fun in the twisty bits. Check the threads Gabe linked. I didn't even bother test driving the S, because it was going to be a year (or more!!) wait, and that 40-some horses of extra power wasn't quite enough for me. For an extra $3000 and a year's wait, I'd need more incentive than the bit of extra pull and slightly higher top end. I also like the looks of the regular Cooper quite a bit better than the S. These are all opinions, and your decision should be based on all these things and more. You'll enjoy either.

 

I likely should not be posting a reply.
There is nothing Normal about my DaMINI.

The car is a blast to drive and a pleasure to own. :smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

 

Test drive both. Also check out the CVT if you want to have a truly fun experience driving an auto tranny.

 

sorry, I would get manuel (more hp, better mpg)



dandp- Is that your cooper? It looks GREAT!

 

I've actually had both, and I prefer the Cooper to the S. It's plenty quick and I can keep up with S in real tight twistes. If this is going to be a daily driver for you, overall driveablity IMO is a bit nicer. It's a quieter and smoother ride (unless you get the sport+ suspension) and gas mileage is remarkably better. I've averaged 35MPG for the last 10 weeks in my MC, 28 in the S. I drive no less than 120 miles everyday (have over 9K miles so far), and it just makes those miles a bit easier.

But, if you want speed, razor sharp handling and the ability to have 200+ HP for a reasonable amount of money, get the S.

[EDIT]BTW...dandp, those new wheels are SHARP! I really like the way they look![/EDIT]
_________________

 

What kind of gas should you put in the normal cooper?


So is it really fun on the turns. Sounds so good!

 

A couple weekends ago, a bunch of us here in Phoenix had a chance to run around the road course at Phoenix International Raceway

See thread about get-together

:smile:

Is there a difference in accelleration? Yes. :smile: Is it as noticable as I thought it should be? No.

 

I have a regular Cooper with the sport package and finds that it handles just as well in the twisties as the "S" although it obviously has less horsepower off the line. Having a bad back, I simply found the suspension to be too hard in the "S" but found the upgraded tires and wheels in the sports package to do the trick as the "base" Cooper wheel/tire combination rode too softly.

As noted by others in this thread, you need to test drive both and make the call - you really can't go wrong with either.

 

Test-drive both and see which you prefer. They are both great cars! I wish I could have kept MINIclo also, but couldn't quite swing the $$$ to do so. I have been on the road in Wanda since 4/11 (738 miles on odometer when I left home in L.A.), and now have almost 8,000 miles!! And I still have to motor back home...am currently in Birmingham, Alabama! She has been the most comfortable and fun roadtrip vehicle imaginable! Good luck with your choice...keep us posted!

Cheers!
Clover

 

Great!


Does anyone know the 0-60 times on the MC.


I know the MCS is 6.9-7.4 but how does the MC fair?

Davenc-When I built my MC on miniusa.com, I added the sport package
better wheels, tires, dsc, sport seats, spoiler, what a great deal! I also added xenons and the on board computer.

That is well equipped for me. Dont have enough $$ do get EVERY option. I like how I configured it though

 

>>Great!
>>
>>
>>Does anyone know the 0-60 times on the MC.

2002 MC tested in R&T Feb 2002
0-60 8.5s
1/4 16.6s @ 83.5
0-100ft 3.4s

 

Such helpful people around here.


I will go for testdrives, but it looks like the general concensus is that the normal MC is fun to drive! Great, as long as it is fun, I'm all for saving 2,000 dollars.


Can anyone say British racing Green with white top!



Best color

 

I just took out the stock air filter and put in an aftermarket one...instead of an MCS with the supercharger whine, I've got an MC that rumbles quite healthily. Between my Rogue Exhaust and the filter, it's something else.

Normal Cooper takes Super!

FWIW, my Cooper dyno'd above factory spec.

 

Rogue Exhaust. I'll have to search for that.

 

Rogue Exhaust. I'll have to search for that.

Also, what kind of gas can you put in yours? Regular, medium, premium?