Hello everyone. This is a great website so i figured I would make an appearance. I have been looking at buying a mini for over a year now and am really close to making it happen. This website has been a great research tool. I have just a few questions that I haven't yet run across on the site, if you don't mind. Mini's come with the free service, buy my nearest dealer is 100 miles away (and I am not sure if I will buy there anyway), am I able to take him to any BMW dealer for work or does it have to return to a mini dealer? Also, I am currently driving a Mustang with 190 hp and am worried because I see the the Coop comes with 115 hp. Do you have any insights that I may be missing?

Butch

 

Butch,

I, too, am getting closer to pulling the trigger on ordering my MINI. My advice to you is not to get too hung up on hp numbers. Astronomical hp ratings and belief that "more is better" is a purely American thing. Europeans have been building smaller, 4 cyl cars with more than enough power and great handling for decades. And their drivers seem to be pretty happy with them.

I currently have a 97 Maxima with a V6 and 190hp. The car is very quick in a straight line but not very nimble in the turns. And I have the "sport" suspension. A few months ago I had a chance to drive a Cooper S. I found it to be just as quick but about 10 times more fun to drive. And the Coopers S motor has half the displacement, 2 less cylinders and 27 less hp. I never missed it.

The best thing to do would be to go to that dealer 100 miles away and take one of each for a spin: a Cooper and a Cooper S. My guess is that you won't be disappointed with either.

Alex

 

Hey Butch,

Much like you, I spent many months researching stuff on MCO and elsewhere before ordering my MCS.

As far as I know, you do have to go to a MINI dealer for service. BMW dealers don't work on MINIs, and some of them might even give you some attitude about it. People generally complain about the reception they get from dealers that sell both MINIs and BMWs; the MINI only dealers seem to be a little more friendly. Again, that's a generalization.

As for the HP thing, the Cooper makes 115, and the Cooper S makes 163. Having test driven both, I went for the S. It has a lot more power, especially at the low end. And if you want more, either the Cooper Works kit or the aftermarket can get you up to 200 pretty quickly. And remember, you have to think of the power to weight ratio. A Mustang is doubtless heavier than a Cooper. On the other hand, as they used to say in auto shop, there's no substitute for cubic inches. A four-banger won't pull like a V-8. But the 115 hp Cooper will likely beat the 190 hp Mustang through the slalom!

Anyway, it's a matter of taste and your own driving style. But if you want more power you can definitely get it.

Welcome to the club! :smile:

 

AFAIK, only certain BMW dealers also sell and work on MINIs. By all means, do test drive both the Cooper and the Cooper S. I own an '03 MCS and I love it. I just wish I could afford the JCW kit.

"Too much is not enough!"

 

Welcome, new guy! Take it from the people that have already given you advice...they said it better than I could have.

Cheers...

L.Mini

 

:smile: Nothing I can add to the advise that has already been stated above...

Poke around in here through all the topics - you'll find lots of good info. Good luck!
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

Thanks alot everyone. I have looked at the power to weight ratio, my mustang and the Cooper S are equal. However, I am setting my sites on the Cooper for the CVT because of the traffic in So. Cal. I was going to test drive the Mini on Mon, but the fires changed my plans. Maybe next week.

I was also thinking about getting the sunroof, but am concerned about the black interior and sunroof combination with me living in the desert. How well does the auto A/C handle the hot summer sun? Anyone notice any problems with the black interior?

Thanks again.

Butch

 

Butch, let me be about the seventh to say: WELLLLCOMMME! I've the sunroof and the black interior (leatherette). Love it, but I'm in the midwest. Closest we've to desert are the sand dunes around Lake Michigan. :smile: :smile:

God speed.

 

>>Thanks alot everyone.

You're welcome.

>>I was also thinking about getting the sunroof, but am concerned about the black interior and sunroof combination with me living in the desert. How well does the auto A/C handle the hot summer sun? Anyone notice any problems with the black interior?

I live in Florida and I went for the sunroof. You'll find a wide range of opinions on this issue. I would suggest that you use the search function, and search for "sunroof." You'll find several threads that discuss this issue at length. I know they helped me decide! :smile:

Also, a couple of different aftermarket suppliers sell graphics that you can put on the outside of the sunroof glass to cut down the light. There are threads on here about those, too.

 

Welcome, welcome, welcome! My opinion on this subject is that the longer you wait to place your order, the longer you will wait for your delivery - unless you find one in stock somewhere that suits you. I live in SoCal and I have the MCS. Sometimes it can be a pain navigating traffic with a stick shift but when I get a clear road it justifies the reasoning behind the 6 speed. I also have the sunroof and I like it alot. There is a shade that cuts down on the direct sunlight which helps, but it can still get a bit warm. Again, personal choice. Many have said, drive both and see what works for you. In either case you will not be disappointed!

 

If you can only get it worked on by the dealer, is living more than 100 miles away a bad thing? For me it would be Fresno Cali to the nearest dealer, is that to far? What if something goes wrong with the car, would it be really bad to have to get it there?

 

Dear butchcassidy,
Aloha and welcome to MCO,
For southern California the wait might be a long one so don't limit your search to your nearest dealership.
If you have to drive in urban traffic the MC with CVT is a good choice. The MCS is happier when given more room to fly.

The key to being happy with the MC with CVT is:
Learn how to drive the CVT- it's not just an automatic.
Keep the weight of the MC down to a bare minimum which means think long and hard before you add more than 50 pounds on the roof with a sunroof. (in a hot environment the sunroof has no solid interior shield so much of the heat will enter the cabin but many owners do enjoy the sunroof immensely)
Try to keep the wheel options basic with the 16" lighter rims a good choice. Run flats are not really better.
If you are into nimble handling consider the Sport suspension plus option for the MC which upgrades the stock suspension to that of an MCS. If you know you are going to add aftermarket springs and rear swaybar already then don't bother with the Sports Susp Plus. If you know you are going to add light weight rims and non runflat tires later then just get the cheapest most basic wheel setup that you can live with on the stock MINI.

>>Thanks alot everyone. I have looked at the power to weight ratio, my mustang and the Cooper S are equal. However, I am setting my sites on the Cooper for the CVT because of the traffic in So. Cal. I was going to test drive the Mini on Mon, but the fires changed my plans. Maybe next week.

Take a long time to test drive the MC and MCS if needed.

>>I was also thinking about getting the sunroof, but am concerned about the black interior and sunroof combination with me living in the desert. How well does the auto A/C handle the hot summer sun? Anyone notice any problems with the black interior?

In any case, to fight back the heat you can tint the windows and even tint the sunroof. Further if needed, you can put a vinyl transparent transfer on the sunroof outer surface to cut down on the heat. The bad part about sunroofs besides the heat and weight is that they can rattle (there is a fix-velcro), they can cause wind noise as you drive faster than 35 mph, and they can eventually leak over time-hence more to go wrong and more to fix and maintain.
It is a very open and nice interior experience for driver and passengers alike when there is something to look at outside.

Glad to hear from you.


_________________
ALOHA

 

Thanks again anyone. I was shocked to find out that the sunroof added 50 pounds. I can't wait to drive one and see what it is like. Hopefully next week. You are right about the longer I mess around the longer it will be for me to play. The wait should almost be over. I can't wait.

Butch