For us the S was the only way to, which came into play on Saturday when my wife blew by a modded 1st Generation Cooper S with a young male driver, trying to show how fast his car was between lights. Our mileage is good and we do not drive slowly 28-30 which is 40% freeway and a good deal of traffice to and from work. We get 35 last time we went to Vegas. When you need some power every once in a while (or all the time for us) the turbo is awesome, along with a manual it is fun and zippy.

 

Another .02 worth.......
I have an 'S' with manual and love it.
When I did my test drives, (on a Saturday, on US Rt 1 in Princeton NJ (totally insane road - like the Sunrise Highway) ) the Justaclub with auto had enough power to merge into the traffic without having one of the local 'courteous' drivers running up my butt. But the 'S' was way too much fun to pass up. In retrospect, the Justaclub would have been as good a choice (there are no regrets about my choice). Also, my 'S' is rated by my insurance carrier as a "wagon", so the rates are good. While the price for the car may seem high, it is effectively a small (MINIature ) BMW and if one was to similarly configure any of the competing models, their prices would likely be the same or higher.
With either model, you should be happy with the space. I spent several hours in the back seat during a recent trip to Florida and I (5'11", 230lbs) had no problems.
Of course, both of you will have to be happy with the choice. You won't go wrong with either model. Best of luck with your decision and welcome to the insanity.

 

I am closing in on one year of driving a Justa Clubman. Which was just fine...until I started hanging out with the S crowd. I find it a little hard to keep up sometimes- until we get to the twisties where I can occasionally hold my own. I do enjoy the additional mpg and a wee bit cheaper insurance from the Justa. Also I'm extremely stoked to get back into a manual trans after years of being without. Don't get me wrong, my Clubman is great but if I knew then what I know now...

I guess what it comes down to is whatever you feel suits you best. I know you will certainly be pleased, no matter which you choose.

 

Don't worry. Remember it is subjective and also that the majority of posters on here are S addicts so they are prejudiced. I've driven them both and honestly have no problem with the regular Cooper Clubman - 95 mph on the highway is already too fast for me. Seriously. Sure if we were at a standstill with an S and non S, the S would be faster off the block.

Been driving over hill and dale, in traffic on the super highways and on twisties...still love my Cooper Clubman.

This will has always been a never ending topic of discussion.

Enjoy yourself and make the best decision for yourself! You'll be happy.

 

This debate reminds me of a saying one of the sales managers for a large, well-known firm used to tell us new salesmen to say when our clients balked at the price of our premium products "No one ever regrets buying the best..."

Buy the best, get the S...

 

Otra, the day you spend quality time with the S I think you will become one of us...

 

I completely agree with you. I have driven both the clubby S auto and the clubby cooper auto and felt with my comute everyday I would never use the S to its full advantage. Plus after owning a turbo car (audi 1.8t A4 quattro) I am leary to own another ( my A4 would eat half of its oil capacity before it was due for an oil change). The Non turbo clubby was more than adequate for my commute. When I wanna romp and hit the twisties the cooper clubby was a very willing partner. The test drive i took in the cooper clubby had some nice back roads to really get a feel for the handling. The final reason is I can get all the options I want without compromising for more hp. And the clubby never to me felt slow.

 

I heard this before from others and never undestood it; unless you are hanging out with a very "spirited" crowd

I can appreciate the extra juice of the S, but for my city driving, I can bang out the power from my Justa with enough to have left over. I never felt the Non-S to be "slow"

i think most of you deeming it so, must have come from much higher HP cars than even the S.

 

If you really know how to drive, it's no contest - the S will steal the regular Clubbie's lunch money and send him home to momma crying. If you can possibly afford the S, get it.

 

Then you made a big mistake,because you should have bought the JCW.

 

6-speed manual S...sooooo much fun...amazing. I frequently find Audi's, BMWs, trucks, and others trying to race me...and although in the end they could be faster/more horsepower, I am able to get up and go so quickly...they often times can't react fast enough to catch up.

I test drove both...more than once and I would not have it any other way than with an S. SSSsssssppeeeedd .

 

True that!!!

 

Again, you will have greater fun in an S. Read the forums and that may come at more of a price than just the higher sticker. Cold weather problems and higher than average oil consumption just to name a couple. Many will still say that they don't have those problems or any other problems. That could be because they don't "dog" out their vehicle like you know people do. I've looked at used MINI's on the lot and I have seen they have really been abused. The bottom line is get EXACTLY what you WANT or you will always be kicking yourself.

 

Agree 100%

 

= nail on the head!

 

the key words here are "if you know how to drive" ... and it goes both both ways as I have seen many Coopers dust S'

 

Here's my thoughts for what it's worth, as i just went through the same dilema (S or non-S). The S is definitely more power and definitely faster, no question - but you have to ask yourself do you NEED the power. What are you buying it for -- a race car or a grocery getter? Maybe both. I found that I didn't need the power for my particular needs, but if you want a fast car -- buy the S. I actually would have liked a car half way in between -- I think MINI is missing the boat here with a higher hp NA engine that notches between the non-s and s.

 

They're both great.
Has anyone gone from the "S" to the non-S?
If so, for any particular reason?

 

I disagree completely. I don't understand why they make the Justa for the American Market. I can understand Europe where there is premium on fuel economy, but besides price, why even sell a Justa here. If they could get price down, I bet they would quit selling that engine here. I drove one and I felt like I was driving a Hummer off the line.

 

I think the Justa looks funny from the front without the hood scoop. For some reason to me, the justa does not seem like a real mini.

 

They sell the MINI ONE in Europe which is even less power -- selling that here would make no sense. I wouldn't have bought a MINI if they only made the S. The torque steer isn't worth the extra power, for me.

That's what I was getting at though - you obviously wanted the speed, I did not. To anyone who is undecided about which car to buy they need to decide what they really want out of a car.

 

You mean a "real mini" like this one ... I don't see a hood scoop on there.

 

I had a feeling someone would post that. I think we all know a real Mini is the old version and the BMW version is well, a totally different car.
The new Mini does not look nearly as sexy as the old one .

The Austin Mini looks fine without the hood scoop and the BMW does not , obviously this is my personal opinion and would not want to offend any Justa owners. I think the Mini is meant to be a sporty little car and without the hood scoop it looks very much the opposite.

 

because not everyone has the same driving needs as you.

 

Thank goodness we all have different opinions and different needs, eh? I LOVE the look of the regular Cooper's bonnet/hood and think its design is perfect, while I find the hood scoop and front of the S way too aggressive and almost angry.

Viva la difference! And thank goodness they sell both kinds here in the USA!