Ok,

Now just realizing that as I look at everyone's pics, it seems everyone is driving an "S". Advantages/disadvantages? I don't think power is an issue for me, but I guess I should drive both. The fuel economy is not much of a difference...So do I pay the extra $$ for or not? Some of the standard options on the S are extras on the justa that I would get, but not sure on which would be better. How about resale, not that I want to ever give back....

PS I think i like the chrome grill better than the black. Any and all feedback appreciated!

 

I drive a Justa and, in my personal opinion, it has sufficient power. It gets to speed quickly and is a blast to drive. The S is more powerful, but is also more expensive and more prone to breaking. If power isn't a big thing for you, I'd go with the Justa.

 

Note, I have been driving an Automatic 04 Element, so anything will feel faster than the big box.

 

Do a "blind" test drive with each and make your choice.

 

I bought a Clubman S at the beginning of the summer (new, '09). I drove both the Justa and the S, both manuals. I didn't drive the automatic.

For normal driving, I couldn't really tell the difference. For me, that's probably 95% of my driving...just going back and forth to work, through town.

I did end up buying the S. The money difference wasn't huge and didn't really factor into my decision. I also didn't consider the maintenance issues. It's a 2nd, fun car for me, so was more of a casual decision that buying a new car sometimes is for me.

I don't think I use the turbo very much.

But when I do, it always makes me smile!

 

I bought the 'S' for the turbo, all the extras (black grill, sport seats, spoiler, fog lights, silver wavy checker interior, and hood scoop) were just sprinkles on my ice cream. So I definitely recommend the 'S'.

 

Just drive both and you will be able to decide. I drove a non-s first. It was great, had plenty of pep, and was awesome to drive. I planned on buying a non-s.

Then I unfortunately test drove an S. It took about 15 seconds and I knew I really wanted the S!

 

I have had an "S" for eighteen months and used an "non-S" loaner from the dealer for a week. There is no comparison. The "non-S" was always downshifting on the open highway on hills and it felt like it had a lead weight attached compared to my "S".

In my book, it's no contest. The "S" wins big time!

 

all NA minis should die. TURBO AND SUPERCHARGERS FTW

 

LOL I can't tell you how many clients when I was selling MINIs did the EXACT same thing...I always used to say to take the Cooper out and if you liked the drive and performance from it don't drive the S. For mileage I bet there is a good 5mpg difference between the cars. I have a 35 mile commute one way and my Clubman S gets about 30mpg on average. When I had a cooper last year I was MUCH closer to 36 on the same drive.

 

Relatively new owner. Put around 1600 miles on my 09 Cabrio justa before it went in the shop. Now have put 1000 miles on the S loner.

The S is an automatic, my justa a stick, so not a fair comparison. I certainly have not been convinced I made a huge mistake. Maybe it's the auto vs stick thing that more than compensates for the Hp in terms of enjoyment. Just not in awe of the S at all. I do notice torque and especially bump steer MUCH more with the S. (Maybe I am just beating the loner a little. Ya think?)

I needed one off the lot and all the S cabrios I could find were loaded automatics. The choice was easy, a $27,000 justa, or a $35,000 S with the wrong transmission? No contest for me.

If you are ordering, and the $2k isn't a huge deal, you certainly would be taking no chances to order an S. I have not driven a justa automatic, but I can see that might not be a terrific choice.

 

I love these threads!

 

You should definitely take a blind test drive. Tell the dealer to let you test drive both the non-S and S, but make sure they don't tell you which is which until after. You probably know the difference if you know what the car looks like, so make sure they blindfold you or something before you get into the car.

Just kidding about the blindfold, but since both cars look the same in the interior, you can test drive them both against each other to see which one fits you best.

I would want an S mostly for the extra options and aesthetics, but probably won't ever need all that power. We'll see when the time comes though.

 

If you don't know, a MINI First and the MINI One are considered base models but are not marketed here in the US. Like the original Mini, the Cooper was a performance upgrade, like an SS or Z28 option for Camaros. So, if you get a MINI Cooper, even though it is a base model here, it is still a Cooper. The Cooper S is the performance upgrade above the Cooper and the JCW above the Cooper S. I didn't want the possible long term problems of forced induction(turbo) so I got the Cooper. I was at MITM08 and did pretty good staying with the Cooper S's in the twisties but the turbo and supercharged S's pulled away hard in the high altitude air where forced induction helps so much. If I motored a lot in a hilly and/or at high altitude area, I would go for the S. The Cooper suits me just fine even though I would love the performance of the S. Just something to think about.

 

There is NO answer to this question. It's been asked thousands of times over the years. It all comes down to personal preference.

Maximum fuel economy? Get a Cooper
Tempt too easily with plenty of power on tap? Get a Cooper
Afraid that you might be burning a bottomless pit in your wallet doing power mods?? Get a Cooper.

I had both. A Cooper and a Cooper S. Both were fun for different reasons. In the Cooper, I was always downshifting and working to drive it smooth for max performance to keep up with stock MCS's.

In my first gen, I drove it without the AC, put on 15" wheels, removed the back seats. In the Cooper S, it's more laid back to go fast, and I've spent more that the cost of my car in mods already. The 2nd gen Coopers are much more powerful and easy to drive over the 1st gens.

I'd be happy in either one. I recently bought a 20 year old car...a Toyota MR2, and after driving that for a couple weeks, the MINI feels like a luxury car even with something as simple as power steering.

Richard

 

One more thing, my Clubbie gets up to top speed of middle 120's and it doesn't take too long to do it. Oh, the S is more performance/aggressive looking with the grill, fake scoop, and gas cap while the Cooper's chrome is more retro/traditional. I would love to see MINI come out with some type of Cooper upgrade that involves a better breathing engine from the factory. That would probably include some type of aftermarket or better CAI and performance exhaust system.