Easily alleviated with a $40 shifter extension btw.

Just keep in mind that if you are running on snow tires the handling isnt going to be all that great.

 

IF u can get an s, get snow tires, get an 05 06 if you can but i love my 03. They are solid, reliable, so much fun, extremely moddable, and destroy anything out there so long as the road isnt straight, and somtimes even when it is. 1st gens the bomb, and make it look unique itll be an eye catcher. chicks also dig minis for some reason, mayb cuz they all no no one is compensating and driving there hummer around to prove something. Modding is fun, ull love it as much if not more than ur z. just my thoughts....

 

05-06 MCS

 

Yeah, I'd definitely be modding the Mini if I got one. And looking around here, it's much cheaper and easier than modding the Z. Only reason I don't have Headers on my car yet is cuz you have to pull the engine out to install them... A bit ridiculous.

 

Exactly. I just installed a Front Strut Tower Brace and my MINI handles like a dream i can take corners very quick and smooth.

GOOD- 6 SPEED is the only way to go!!!

 

The standard Cooper calls for premium as well. You can use regular if you choose in a non-S, but you'll sacrifice power and fuel mileage. I tried running mid-grade for several months and 6-8 tankfuls, and the mileage dropped enough to counteract any savings from the cheaper gas.

We've averaged 33 mpg with mixed driving for the four years and 34k miles we've had our '05 Cooper, with a high of 41 mpg on a long trip and only had a couple tanks below 30 mpg. Does great in the snow with the stock skinny all-season tires, and the power isn't bad at all IMO, due in large part to the minimal options, manual transmission, and lightweight 15" wheels.

 

My 03 mini in liquid yellow was the best car i had

anyways i now own a 07 cooper s and well its been in for more things then i can remember

my 03 i traded in with 120k in 07 for a new one

120k regular service not 1 thing was ever changed ever

well tires brakes wipers but not one thing ever went wrong with it EVER

my new 07 the list is almost 120k long HATE IT !!!! i want my 03 back

 

That I didn't know.

That's the thing with a reliable car... one shouldn't let it go unless it's absolutely necessary. In college I bought an '81 Audi 4000 with 118k miles and I kept driving it till the end (355k miles). An ignition gremlin took over and occasionally there's no spark when the engine is at operating temperature.

I try to avoid buying the first year and first year of a new generation of any German car. Third or fourth year seems to be better.

 

I got an 05 MCS about a month ago. Paid a little more than I was hoping and was originally looking at 02's and 03's but decided it was worth the piece of mind for the newer first gen's.

I had an 04 350Z Roadster until a few months ago--had to reluctantly let it go because the 2 passenger thing wasn't working out and traded it in on a Jeep Wrangler. Missed the "fun" factor so sold my DD Tacoma and explored a lot of different vehicles to fit the bill for commuting to work and good gas mileage. Had an "Ah-Ha" moment and discovered the Mini. Was not expecting it to replace the Z...but you know what? That little sucker is FAAASSST...and I've tried the MCS on a few hard core curves that I would often run the Z on to see how fast I could go without breaking loose (and the Z was lowered with stiffer sway bars and wider tires--ran like it was on rails), and the MCS merely chuckled at me at said "is that all you got?" Serious...I never thought the MCS would be a comparable 4 seater replacement for the Z, but it fits the bill pretty good (it does however have a Dinan Stage 1 package...but still ). Very different (i.e., torque, styling, feel) but I'm happy with my new ride

Oh and the clutch...I love the clutch in the MCS. Way better than the Z IMO. The shifting I would give the edge to the Z, but the clutch in the MCS makes up for it.

 

Nice! Keep the stories coming guys.

Yeah, the Clutch ain't my favorite part. But the 7500rpm redline is fun. So is the exhaust note. And the tire screeching takeoffs. Ah I luvs that car.

 

[/quote]Yeah, the Clutch ain't my favorite part. But the 7500rpm redline is fun. So is the exhaust note. And the tire screeching takeoffs. Ah I luvs that car.[/quote]

I miss those things about my Z. But I think you definitely need to go for an S and not a base Mini. It will still give you that amazing fun factor but be entirely different all the same. With the Dinan package my MCS redline is bumped up to 7300. If I shift at 6000 RPM, by the time I get to 4500 RPM in 3rd gear...I'm already almost to 80 MPH. Pretty impressive. I find myself "accidentally" going 100 MPH on the freeway all the time--that never happened to me with the Z. Love the sound of the supercharger too .

 

A MINI as a winter beater?

How about a Subaru RS? AWD, decent gas milage, and a lot cheaper than the MCS.

 

I think it's pretty short, but there are aftermarket short shift kits available. Probably the best one is from Helix: http://www.helix13.com

I chose NOT to go with the short shift kit, and instead I installed a stainless steel Whalen shift ****. The extra weight in the **** gives it a nice feel.

http://www.whalenshiftmachine.com/

Yes, it would have been cheaper to do the short shift kit. But I like this better...

 

I'm gonna start looking into Mini's about now. I'll be reading this thread over again and looking at the "Stock Issues" section. Any other advice you can give in addition to what has been said, please feel free.

Will be looking for an 05-06 Mini Cooper S Coupe with Less than 60K miles. (Gonna try to find one in the 30K mile range). 6 speed. No Blue and no Green.

Guess I'll also need to research about Used Car buying as well...

 

If your going to go for 1st gen, do research on the mushrooming strut tower issue and get yourself some strut tower reinforcement thingies. Most are easy to bolt on yourself and can save you a lot of money in repairs as I found out the hard way since I didn't know this was an issue until one of my strut towers cracked Since the repair I ordered some reinforcement plates and have been worry free