HI to all.
Many of you have had your cooper or cooperS for some time. I am researching the Cooper. I just bought a subscription to MC2 magazine.

I want to know if in general most are happy with their Car-maybe 2 reasons why.

Also do the cooper owners dream of owning a "S" instead of the cooper, or vice versa...

thanks-Kelly

 

Just test drive both. I did and chose a Cooper and am very happy with it.

 

We went for the JCW Cooper S.
We LOVe our car!
2 reasons:
1. It litterly brings joy to you if you love driving...and if you don't think you love driving you may be surprised after you buy one! to find out that suddenly you DO!
2. It's great in ALL weather - summer/winter/snow/rain/sun - gets me everywhere with no trouble - and gets me there safe (and fast!)

If I couldn't afford the JCW or the MCS I MIGHT have gotten a Cooper....but then I am into performance and would need to see what else was available for the same price (that had some style). I don't know if I (personally) ever would be completely content with a Cooper...I would probably save up for the S. I test drove both and liked the extra Zip!

 

Reason 1: The MINI is one of the most fun cars on the road. 20k BMW. Not bad.

Reason2: The looks can't be beat.

"If I couldn't afford the JCW or the MCS I MIGHT have gotten a Cooper....but then I am into performance and would need to see what else was available for the same price (that had some style). I don't know if I (personally) ever would be completely content with a Cooper...I would probably save up for the S. I test drove both and liked the extra Zip!"


Not true. Maybe a handfull of people didn't buy the S because of the price, but not most of us. Trust me, that extra $2000 isn't a big deal when you're financing a new car. We buy the Cooper because we simply like it better! There is a purity to the car that we love. Plus, the low end is more aggresive than the S.
Basically, your car is a reflection of who you are. Get the car that suits you best. Don't let a measly 2k get in the way. The Cooper has a style that the S will never have.

 

in my experience, the cooper and the S have very, very different "feels" to them.... as suggested, test drive both, then go with your gut.



with that in mind... it appears as though there's a bit less of a difference between the cooper and the cooper S in the 07 lineup than in the current lineup... especially if your considering an automatic. further, the 06 cooper is the last car with CVT, if your interested in that sort of thing....

 

My dad offered to buy me an MC, but I made a deal that he would pay the price of an MC and I would cover the rest to get the MCS. I wanted the basically because I'm a total car nut and wanted the performance, in both power and handling.

 

Two comments related to my 2006 S-model:
1. very peppy (especially with larger air box and smaller supercharger pulley)

2. handles great (especially with larger diameter rear sway bar and strut tower brace)

 

We have both a Cooper Cabrio and a Cooper S JCW...and we did have a Cooper S.

Depends on how you drive and where you live.

We love our Cooper and it can still zip. We like that it gets better gas mileage. My wife drives the Cooper more, it suits her driving habits. She doesn't need the added horsepower because she doesn't drive fast.

Me, on the other hand, loves to drive fast. I enjoy zipping in between traffic and shooting off the line. Although I can do the same with a Cooper...it's definitely more fun with a Cooper S...you can feel it in the butt dyno. Two bad sides: 1) gas mileage is worse; 2) modding a MCS is a slippery slope.

You can have fun in both...but having a more aggressive MINI adds to the go-kart mentality. One thing...you can't do a lot of mods to a Cooper for performance gains...but you can do a lot of modding to the Cooper S to feel more hp from butt dyno.

 

The MINI LOOKS fabulous and is unique. And yes, cute. :-)
The MINI DRIVES fantastically and handles like a go cart (my '05 Sport does).
As mentioned, it handles ALL weather. You don't need no steeenking SUV!
It's not a BMW (thankfully) but having that parent company isn't a bad thing either.
Cooper vs Cooper S? How do you normally like to drive? Laid back or a little aggressively? I went with the S knowing I could do both when I wanted or needed to. Around NYC you sometimes need aggressive/"offensive" driving to get there. ;-)

 

Many view the mini as a dinky car. I went with the MCS because to me the Cooper hood slopes more than the MCS and for some reason to me, make it look even more dinky. The hood on the MCS with scoop just make the car look a little more aggressive. IMHO.

Oh and also, does the cooper really have a better low end than the S? Its the same engine correct? I would think it may feel like more low end because the high end is so much less than the MCS.

 

You should be getting the idea by now, but if there is any doubt left, I LOVE my car, too. And, unfortunately, I now know how safe it is. I walked away from this w/o a scratch.

 

I've had my Cooper for just over a month and I love it! I find that is perfectly zippy for me and a blast to drive. If you're used to driving V8's then it won't be powerful enough for you. I've wanted a MINI since they came out and at first I had to have the S. But as the years went by, my priorities have changed. My MC is my daily driver and only car - not a toy - and I plan to keep it for a very long time. So I wanted something that was ultra fun but could still get me decent gas mileage.

Two reasons I love my Cooper (it was hard to just choose two):

1. It's so much FUN to drive and zippy!
2. It gets good gas mileage when I want it to!

Of course, test drive them both and weigh the pros and cons that YOU see for each with your own priorities.

 

I really do find it odd that someone actually thinks that someone that owns a Cooper secretly might desire and S. No I don't desire an S. If I wanted something faster I'd have saved my money for a Porsche.

I bought the MINI for it's looks and handling ability. Since I don't drag with anyone getting an S would just mean higher cost for gas/tires/insurance and lower mileage. Not a good trade off for my lifestyle.

 

We started with a MC, loved it, handled great, got good gas mileage we just loved everything about it, then when it was in for service and minor problems, the dealer had to keep the car and gave us a loaner MCS, well, being as my husband also rides sportbikes, he fell in love with the "S" so to make a long story short we traded the MC and got a MCS.
I wouldn't say we made regret trading because we love both cars, they are so much fun, but there is advantages and disadvantages to the "S".

Do take the above advice and test drive both .

 

I will echo this. I got out the door with my Cooper for $19K. I get 30MPG and that is with zero highway driving and driving back roads in a "spirited" fashion very often. People can argue Cooper vs. S all day long, all I know is you ain't gonna find a more fun or better looking car for under $20K than a Cooper. Nothing really comes close in it's price range.

 

The Cooper is (IMHO) a much better daily drive than the 'S'. It has much better off-the-line 'grunt', it is way more economical, it is cheaper to buy and insure and as has been said it has a certain 'purity' that the 'S' cannot even get close to acheiving.

The 'S' is a little awkward from a standstill, the low compression engine is fairly gutless below 2.5K, then the power-ramp-up after that is a little crazy (fun but wearing at times). The battery location prevents you from carrying a spare wheel, so they run harsh run-flats, economy is in the 20's (mine has averaged 24.5 over the last 30K miles). Servicing is expensive once you break out of the factory warrenty and it eats brakes too.

All that said, I prefer the 'S', just for the times I can let loose on the track in it and the times when I am sitting on a high-speed freeway on road trips. As I am an old git I can afford the extra insurance and the gas costs are not a big thing for me. It is a better 'high speed' car than the Cooper, but unless your intented useage includes cross-country dashes and track days, I personally would buy the Cooper every time.

 

1. After 2.5 years, I still look forward to driving every time
2. It's the only car I need for anything

IMO, the S is a no-brainer given that the minimal price difference is more than compensated for by the extra power and other features. Having driven both, my opinion of the the Cooper is that it is a great, well-balanced cruiser, but overall it lacks excitement and feels very sluggish.

You'll definitely hear many, many Cooper versus S arguments here. They are both excellent cars - only you can determine which is right for you based on a test drive

 

Have owned the Cabrio S for a few months now and still get a kick out of it. Reasons I like the car:
(1) I love the go-cart handling
(2) I love the looks of the car.

 

I test drove a bunch. Every time I'd drive the MC first, and think "this thing is way more peppy than I remembered, great car".

Then I'd drive the "S" and say (best Keanu Reeves voice) "whoa..."

All I can say is drive both. Both are fantastic, but have slightly different personalities...

 

I agree...that's why I said PERSONALLY It's all a matter of your own needs and wants.

 

The MC is far from "dinky." It performs quite well and is fun to zip around town in. I think some people just don't have a want or need for a supercharger and they'd rather have the better fuel economy. Coopers are far from being a high performance car but they are great for everyday driving and they are still really fun to drive. My next car will either be a JCW or a Volvo C30, but I have thoroughly enjoyed my Cooper so far and I hope to be able to keep it around even after I have bought a higher performance replacement for it.

 

I wouldn't let the price difference affect your decision unless you're really really tight on what you can afford. ~$3400 finance over 5 yrs is "only" $56 more.
Test drive both but go with a mix of your gut feeling and what fits your driving needs better.
Our MC is our daily driver road warrior and my evening and weekend wheels.
We got a very well optioned MC that is quite zippy. An MCS would probably get me in trouble.
1. Good gas mileage for it's performance level.
2. Availability of high end options.

Warning: You probably can't custom order either anymore. They are getting totally redesigned for '07. As long as you don't live on the west coast you should be able to find something on the lot that fits your needs.

'06 PW/PW MC, JCW SK, Premium, Conv, DSC, Sport Seats w/Cloth, Xenons, Fr/Rr Fogs.

 

I'm extremely happy with my MC.

Firstly, I got a great car under 20K with exactly the options I wanted.

2nd, when we're in the twisties, there's little difference between the MC and MCS. **

** some might disagree, but that's my perception when I've driven both.

 

According to your sig:

06 MC Astro Black JCW SK, JCM HEAD, Premium, Cold, Leatherette, Anthracite Interior, MFSW, LOTF Engine Damper, Parcel Tray, 4th Brake light, Cibie Tango's

Some of those mods were after market, I'm sure. But still... you got that MINI for less than 20 grand ? Did you have to sleep with the MA to get that deal ??

 

I had a 2002 CR/W MC for 6 weeks .... just long enoughto realize that it was a little underpowered for my style of projectile piloting.

It was a beautiful car for these reasons.

1. The price as I was on a fixed budget.
2. A boyhood dream come true.

I now drive a 2003 CR/W MCS with lots of 'enhancements' and I love it because

1. The additional power that it has over the MC.
2. The ability to mod it for what I want to do ... auto X