Hi all:

I am trying to decide between the Mini or Mini S. I can pick up a Mini in October or wait until January for the S. I don't mind the wait, but am not if I really need a supercharged engine. If any of you don't mind replying (especially those of you have been driving one a while), I would appreciate it.

Here's the details:
* I live in SLC, UT so the winters here are not exactly mild
* Climbing up canyons and mountains around here can tax almost any engine (except for the Peterbuilt SUVs everyone drives here!)
* I plan to get the Sports Package and multifunction steering wheel on either car (maybe the Cold Weather Pkg too)
* I am looking for a good (though fun) commuter car for a lot of highway driving

Any thoughts out there, sports fans.

 

If you don't mind the wait, I think that the S is a better choice. You will definitely get better performance with the supercharged engine. I've driven both, and chose the S for it's power.

I'm currently in Germany, where the winter is similar to what you get in SLC, except for a lower altitude.

Don't have a long track record yet because my car gets here the end of the month.

Hope this helps you.

 

My Two Cents........by L.Mini

I am getting a Cooper and this is why....
I can't drive stick to save my life and wanted the CVT....I also wanted the CVT because 75% of my life is spent stuck in traffic because I live in a city and I would rather have an automatic option for that reason.

Unless you prefer the way that one looks over the other, you could really go either way. If I could drive stick I probably would have considered an S more....but I am also one of those rare people that would rather not have the intake on the bonnet...not that I don't like it....it's just not for me. Cosmetic stuff aside, if you are going to do alot of highway driving I think an S could potentially be more fun to drive if you really have a chance to open it up. Also if you plan to add several different packages and price is an issue, the S would be more expensive than the Cooper (unless you are me and got Premium and Sport options with the CVT, hence making my Cooper more expensive then some people's S's.)

For where you are.....I would vote Cooper S. It sounds like you could have alot of fun with it out there!

 

My Two Cents........by L.Mini

I am getting a Cooper and this is why....
I can't drive stick to save my life and wanted the CVT....I also wanted the CVT because 75% of my life is spent stuck in traffic because I live in a city and I would rather have an automatic option for that reason.

Unless you prefer the way that one looks over the other, you could really go either way. If I could drive stick I probably would have considered an S more....but I am also one of those rare people that would rather not have the intake on the bonnet...not that I don't like it....it's just not for me. Cosmetic stuff aside, if you are going to do alot of highway driving I think an S could potentially be more fun to drive if you really have a chance to open it up. Also if you plan to add several different packages and price is an issue, the S would be more expensive than the Cooper (unless you are me and got Premium and Sport options with the CVT, hence making my Cooper more expensive then some people's S's.)

For where you are.....I would vote Cooper S. It sounds like you could have alot of fun with it out there!

 

>>* Climbing up canyons and mountains around here can tax almost any engine (except for the Peterbuilt SUVs everyone drives here!)

That's all you need to consider really - go with the S

 

Here is a vote for the Cooper. I have a Cooper and a friend has a Copper S. The S is great, I have driven the S a couple of times and it seems to me to be a better weekend car or second car. The supension is stiffer as is the clutch and the Gertrag 6-speed is more mechanical feeling and not as fluid as the 5-speed. These are not faults, just the nature of the sportier car. It is definately a driving enthusiasts car. A car for someone who prefers to work a little harder for more fun. On the other hand, the Cooper is smoother and probably easier to drive on a daily basis. The Cooper rides better on a bumpy road or cement highways with ridges or cracks. The clutch and gears are smoother and easier to use in traffic and of course there is an automatic available. The Cooper will leave you wanting a little more power passing or up hills but if you drive it right it is a blast also. Best bet is to drive both at a dealer and decide what you are going to use it for. Having driven both, there is more of a difference than just hp. There is my $0.02. You'll love both either way so you can't loose.

Damon

_________________
Damon

BRG Cooper

 

Here are 6 good reasons NOT to get an S:

1. You want/need automatic transmission for whatever reason (heavy urban traffic is the best reason for the CVT). Or your driving style is not the type that demands the 6-speed Getrag. (I DON'T recommend the 5-speed manual. If you want the Cooper, get the CVT.)

2. You don't plan on adding a lot of extras. If you do (Premium + Sport + Cold Wx + leather + wheels + ...) then you can afford the Cooper S because you've entered its price range anyhow.

3. You want a MINI now but are budget-challenged (see reason 2 above) and/or plan to upgrade to a Cooper S when the mania subsides and/or your finances are better.

4. You dislike the Cooper S styling and color choice restrictions.

5. You want a basic fun, around-town, economical, zippy car but don't need the extra muscle.

6. You couldn't care less about status-conscious "It's not an S" remarks.

 

My take is this:

For a daily driver that's lots of fun - Cooper
For weekend driving fun - S

I have a Cooper for a daily driver and am planning on getting an S for weekend and autocrossing some time next year. (Once the JC Works package is available)

motor!

 

Hey Lefty!

I too live in SLC, SugarHouse to be exact.

I had a regular MINI Cooper here back in April and May. I drove it up to Park City and up the Canyons. It had enough power to back it up no problem. I did end up selling this car later though.

I am now waiting on my MINI Cooper S which will be here in mid August. Test driving it, it had more power and I like the looks of it more. So I will definitely be keeping that one!

All in all, either should work fine out here. But for raw driving fun, I think the S will be more fun for you with that's what you're looking for.

 

>>Hey Lefty!
>>
>>I too live in SLC, SugarHouse to be exact.
>>
>>I had a regular MINI Cooper here back in April and May. I drove it up to Park City and up the Canyons. It had enough power to back it up no problem. I did end up selling this car later though.
>>
>>I am now waiting on my MINI Cooper S which will be here in mid August. Test driving it, it had more power and I like the looks of it more. So I will definitely be keeping that one!
>>
>>All in all, either should work fine out here. But for raw driving fun, I think the S will be more fun for you with that's what you're looking for.


Thank you for the reply. Just two questions if you don't mind:

(1) why did you decide to sell the MC?
(2) when you drive Parley's Canyon up to PC, can you make it at a reasonable rate, or did you have to settle with chugging along like many of the other sedans out there?

Thanks again for the input!

 

To make a long story short - I drove the S 6 times and was not really impressed with the torque band - I drove this car quite a bit just to see if I had a dodgy car, but each S was the same. Now, I am not saying that I do not like the S, but I am a bit bias as I have a supercharged Miata that fixes my fancy.

In addition, my Miata was much faster than the S - but that is a moot point.

When I drove the Mini - I was impressed by its close relationship in torque to the S (by the seat of my pants test) - it was fun and peppy and $3K less - so what I did is turn that $3K into cool items on my Cooper that I wouldn;t have gotten on my S.

I am quite happy with my Cooper and I love seeing the S on the road.

The only thing that matters is what makes YOU happy.

-Peter/Rspeed

 

For the Altitude, I'd get the S. I have had my S up to 12000 ft and the supercharger was a real champ.

Also, consider that once you add the Xenons and the Sport Plus Suspension to the Cooper the price difference is more like $2000 and not $3000. Plus you get the more robust 6-speed... to go along with that extra 50 HP.

 

Tell that to people where there is a massive mark-up on the S and see what kind of response you get. $3000 is more like it.

>>Also, consider that once you add the Xenons and the Sport Plus Suspension to the Cooper the price difference is more like $2000 and not $3000.

 

>>Thank you for the reply. Just two questions if you don't mind:
>>
>>(1) why did you decide to sell the MC?
>>(2) when you drive Parley's Canyon up to PC, can you make it at a reasonable rate, or did you have to settle with chugging along like many of the other sedans out there?
>>
>>Thanks again for the input!
>>

I actually gave the MC to my brother in Seattle. He's off to get his Masters so he needed a car.

Did drive it up Parley's. It did ok, I wasn't the fastest car, but wasn't the slowest either. Haven't driven an S up Parley's yet... so I can't compare the 2. Will let you know in mid August though.

 

>>Tell that to people where there is a massive mark-up on the S and see what kind of response you get. $3000 is more like it.
>>
>>>>Also, consider that once you add the Xenons and the Sport Plus Suspension to the Cooper the price difference is more like $2000 and not $3000.

If you want to pay MSRP then you'll pay MSRP. I flew to New York and purchased from Westchester MINI to get a Cooper S at MSRP sooner (even though Schomp MINI here in Denver sells at MSRP).

The point being that regardless of where you go, you would still have to pay $1000 to MINI to get the sport suspension and the xenons that would be standard on an S with the Sport Package. And you would still have a Cooper with a 5 speed that John Cooper Works says is limited to ~135 HP. Nothing agianst the cooper, but if you want to do a fair comparison you have to include the $1000 for the cost of the sport suspension and the xenons.

 

I think the S is worth every dollar you spend on it! I put 157 miles on it today, and if it wasn't for the fact i had to get up early tomorrow, i'd stillb e driving right now!!

 

I luv my Mini S-- Electric Blue, sunroof, six on the floor. The best fun driving I've ever had!

 

Hi there, i would suggest you get the S simply and plainly because its a better can in everyway, plus you'll get bored of the cooper pretty quickly because it lacks power and 'FUN' factor. Power should be an important issue in your case since you are going to be going up and down mountain roads.

>>Hi all:
>>
>>I am trying to decide between the Mini or Mini S. I can pick up a Mini in October or wait until January for the S. I don't mind the wait, but am not if I really need a supercharged engine. If any of you don't mind replying (especially those of you have been driving one a while), I would appreciate it.
>>
>>Here's the details:
>>* I live in SLC, UT so the winters here are not exactly mild
>>* Climbing up canyons and mountains around here can tax almost any engine (except for the Peterbuilt SUVs everyone drives here!)
>>* I plan to get the Sports Package and multifunction steering wheel on either car (maybe the Cold Weather Pkg too)
>>* I am looking for a good (though fun) commuter car for a lot of highway driving
>>
>>Any thoughts out there, sports fans.

 

Hi there. This is my first evening here at this really interesting site. I have spent the whole morning in a dealer where I am intending to buy 10 Coopers in the next year. I compared the 'S' with the Cooper, but here in the Netherlands the price difference is staggering. For the base Cooper you are looking at 20,000 euro and for the base 'S' 27,000 euro. I think the Euro is about the same as the dollar at the moment. The 'S' is more of an enthusiasts car and really great, but the Cooper does the job just fine. I would tell you why I am buying ten Coopers, but I think that is not allowed in a forum (advertising) and I am also a real fan and want to continue speaking with you all. For my own personal car I am still undecided, but think I will go for the Cooper. ps we do not have a hill anywhere around here, consider yourself lucky enough to have challenging roads, on which you can drive.

 

I just took my new MCS home this week (7/23). I ordered it back in early April. I test drove both the Cooper and the Cooper S before I ordered, so my preference is obvious. The blower makes the car much stronger, and I like G-forces any way I can get them, whether from accelerating in a straight line or cornering, so positive manifold pressure was the only way to go for me.

Other reasons to buy a Cooper S vs. a Cooper? Check out what they're reselling for. The S is the first car I've ever owned that was worth more when I drove it off the lot than what I paid for it (of course, you have to buy one at MSRP to be able to make that claim). Can't say the same for the base model.

And I think the hood scoop looks great, and the exhaust note is sweeter.

But... the Cooper is about $3k cheaper, probably costs less to insure, and while it doesn't accelerate like the S, it corners the same. And if you don't feel like mastering the fine art of manual shifting, the S doesn't come with an automatic transmission (CVT).

So, you'll just hafta take the taste test yourself. But be warned, once you have an S, you may not want to go back....

 

For my $.02 I'd suggest you just get as much car as you can afford. Certainly the S has more guts. I have the Cooper, though, and it's fast enough. Couldn't go faster without getting a ticket. Found, to my surprise, no difference in the insurance rates. Also, if you're in a big city and doing a lot of stop and go driving, performance isn't too big an issue. Bottom line, the S engine is simply one more option to decide putting on the car. If you like it and can afford it, life's too short to sweat it. I just couldn't justify the cost, plus I have a teenage son sharing the car and putting a kid behind the wheel of an S struck me as a baaaaaaaaaaaaad move.

 

I never even testdrove the standard model. The S is an absolute BLAST to drive, it's also giving me 24 mpg. If you can deal with a car that small doing 24 mpg then goferit. :smile: :???:

 

Had the "S" for a month, but sold it.....if I ever bought another one, I'd buy the regular Cooper....the performance on the "S" was better, but not as much as you would think, 50 HP more, but it weighs 175 lbs more or so...the times I saw at the test track in California, the Cooper was faster around the cones than the "S" because of the weight advantage....the "S" you can notice at the upper end, but low end torque is no big difference when I drove the Cooper.....I prefer the ride of the Cooper, not as harsh and punishing ride with the extra stiff suspension and 17" tires that I had on the "S"...maybe my body is to old to take the pounding ride the "S" dishes out..now if it was 225hp, then that would be a different story, laugh! But with so little difference in performance, I'd opt for the Cooper without the extra stiff suspension but with the Sport Seats and 16" wheels which give a smoother ride..Actually maybe a few years down the road, they will give the mini the real HP it deserves....I'll take another look then..fun car and great runabout for town, but across country, a little too harsh a ride for me...cheers!

 

I was totally in love with the Cooper, untill I drove an MCS... and well, look at my sig to find out what happened after that...

Rocketboy_X