I currently drive a 2006 WRX and am thinking of trading her in for a 2009 Cooper S. I've been lurking here for some time, but I'm curious to hear what things you DON'T like about the 2nd Gen S. What are the gotchas I should be looking out for?

Potential Specs:

• Sport package w/ crown spoke wheels
• Comfort package
• Nav Package
• LSD

Torque steer, takes some getting used to off the line.
Long throw of the shifter, third and fifth are not natural positions for my arm.
Crappy speakers in the "HiFi" system.
Runflats.

Other than and despite all that I'm most unhappy with the fact that I have to sit in an office all day instead of out driving the snot out of it every waking moment.

I don't get to see that cute girl at the corner gas station as much anymore.

Fine if you get your car with everything you want when you order the car.
If after you have your car and want such things as a CD 6-pack changer be prepared to pay almost $1,000 for item and installation and updating the car computer so item will function. Same with Sirius radio,($988.00 installed) Driving lights a little less pricy but still over $800.00 installed.
Dealer charging $124.00 per hour to install stuff on a car you bought from them is a little MUCH.
They got you because everthing has to be programmed into the cars computer to work.
Other then that I don't think of anything about the Mini Cooper I don't like. I would still buy the one I have but I would have negotiated a couple of things to be added when I purchased my Mini.
Ronnie

my only real complaint is that the sun visors are too short to be useful

The only major defect in the Gen 2 MINI as offered is that the OEM wheels are hideously heavy. Together with the - very heavy and stiff - runflats, this makes for a wheel/tire ensemble which typically weighs in the upper 40 lbs per corner. This amount of unsprung weight on a vehicle as light as the MINI detracts seriously from suspension performance, ride, handling, braking and acceleration. The MINI benefits hugely from lighter weight aftermarket rims and sticky non-runflat tires.

My suggestion is this: Save your cash and forego the sport package. The standard suspension is quite competent and if you want more sporting capability you will be better off with aftermarket coilovers. Get the standard 16" wheels with all-season runflats, then invest in a set of lightweight aftermarket wheels and tires. Use the OEM wheels and tires for wintertime motoring only for a few months each year, and enjoy significantly enhanced handling, ride and performance on your aftermarket rims/tires the rest of the year. A very cost-effective mod.

i am going to assume that you already know the perks, so i will spare you, but the only gripe i have with the car is that it costs quite a bit to maintain... i have a 2007 mcs and i have taken my car in for maintenance 5 times in the last year and a half(in right now as we speak for bleeding/replacing the rear brakes). if i were to have to pay for all of it out of pocket it would have been quite substantial. an extanded warranty could be critical to longlife ownership...

Going from a WRX to a MINI will be a shock as far as storage compartments are concerned. I hope you don't keep a lot of junk in your car, because all we get with the MINI is a tiny *** glove compartment and door slots that you can fit a pair of gloves in

i suggest you take one for a spin... going awd to fwd im sure will be some transition

*chuckles*

If this is true, it certainly makes you wonder how there could possibly be 889 threads (and counting) comprising the 2nd Gen "Stock Problems/Issues" forum...

Nav? $$ better spent elsewhere

Go with the 16" bridgespokes, they are the lightest OEM MCS wheels (and FREE) and the easiest to keep clean, just dont get white

Sport package? nah. Get the standard suspension and throw on a JCW rear sway bar, about $90 (not inc install) A real bargin.

I have the hi-fi uprgrade and love it. but Im not bippin and boppin and hippin and hoppin with enough bass to blow over a small building, nor am I a hypersensitive/critical audiophile

LSD? Cant tell you, I have an automatic

Comfort package? I hate the OEM MINI armrest, it is cheap and goofy. if this is still part of CP RUN!

Quite honestly, there's nothing about my R56 I do not like, save for some very sharp edges on the forward seat rails that make mat removal kind dangerous, and the torque steer gets getting used to, might be a shock to you coming from AWD

Oh and if You need adjustable lumbar supports for yr front seats, you have to get the leather/cloth or full leather option.

Bi-Xenons make driving lights unecessary bling IMO. Good buy for $500, and one of the few options that's actually gone down in price over the years. the illumination is fantastic!

And +1 on what Ronnie said about dealer option installation costs: just avoid everything after step 4 on the MINI-USA configurator. they really getcha bad, and U dont need all that extra shiite.

That's not a defect, they've always been like this, save for the old 15" holies and the 16" r84s

The only things that I don't like about my mini are things that can be fixed or really don't matter. The first is the front brakes create more dust than I would like but I will be getting new pads soon to fix that. The other is the Ipod navigation throught the stock stereo. If you want to search by artist you have to start at the top of the list and scroll through your whole library. This is a pain if you have a large library but I have to be a little more creative with play lists and such to fix that. Over all I love the car it handles great and is very fast for what it is and gets great mileage.

My biggest complaint is the stereo and lack of a quality upgrade that can be ordered from the factory. I'm a little uneasy with tearing apart the car to install new speakers.....but I will do it...eventually.

Actually, the S-winders are the lightest OEM MCS wheel. They are a few lbs. lighter than the Bridgespokes. I think they're ugly, but they ARE light [for an OEM MCS wheel].


The '09 Sport package has nothing to do with suspension. It seems one of the other posts above suggested that as well, but it's not the case.

The main "sport" item in the '09 Sport Package is the DTC, which allows you to turn off most of the electronic nannies and use the EDLC (or eLSD), which is an electronic LSD system, which most of the Euro magazines have praised on the JCW (no one has taken delivery of a non-JCW with the DTC/eLSD system yet, or a 2009 w/ Sport Package for that matter).


From what I've read about the DTC/eLSD, it works quite well on the more-powerful JCW, so if you've got DTC in the Sport Package, the mechanical LSD may be redundant. I would suggest driving a car with the DTC (which leaves you with just JCW's, at the moment) to see if it works well enough for your liking.


It's not... but I agree... it's flimsy, overpriced, and useless unless you just HAVE to have a special place for your phone or wallet, because that's about all you're going to fit in there.


Yeah, my dealer wanted ~$120 to install Mirror Caps... which take about 2 minutes from what I understand.

Doing it this weekend, looking forward to spending some good quality time with the MINI.

MINI referral cards, change (though it rattles a bit), chapstick, and some gum fit rather nicely as well.

The front seat belts are mounted so far behind the seat you need to do warm up stretches before you get in the car just to reach them.

Yeah, it's always nice to have a closed place to put stuff like that... my biggest compaint (maybe "fear" is more correct) is that I always feel like I'm going to break it off when I lean on it!


THAT'S IT!

I'm cancelling my order!

my arm rest is a $7.99 15-jewel cd case in anthracite and pewter from my local Target; had it in my R53 also. Fits perfectly between the seat belts and doesnt get in the way of the ebrake, plus it is movable for yr tastes.

I will gladly take a few lbs of bridgespoke over those buttfugly s-winders sheesh what crackhead thought up that design? yecch >smilie vomiting<

and I mixed up the observation about sport pak/sport suspension. I meant for a compliant highway ride yet firm in the twisties OP should go for the standard suspension, but throw on the beefed-up JCW rsb. best of both worlds.

I have no idea what the new sport pak will be, it was not available for my car when ordered, but Ive always avoided them in the past (paks in general) and just went alacarte

i would say stick with awd...but the mini is something else

Dont pay extra for sport suspension...it is truly a joke. Use that money toward a decent set of coilovers that will lower the center of gravity of the car, improving handling, and upgrade to an aftermarket rear sway bar. Get base wheels and upgrade to some that are lighter as a second set and you wont be sorry. Save the base wheels with all season tires for winter use.

i have a question. sorry to steal your thread.

on the sport package is the only difference the sway bars? are the shocks/struts and everythign else on the suspension the same?

im also gonna get an automatic so is there no point for the limited slip>

**** if my mini was AWD it would be the last car I ever owned. That is the biggest downside compared to the wrx, but obviously the positives still got me into a mini over a wrx. ITs a great ride, I love it to death!

I agree... the S-Winders are pretty homely. I've seen several sets on cars at my dealer, but it seems like nobody on here has them.


Yeah, I haven't heard a lot of good reviews on the Sport Suspension.


I wouldn't normally buy packages either because they usually include items I'm not interested in, but in the case of the 2009 SP, I wanted most of the items anyway (DTC, Fogs, Stripes, Sport Seats), so it ended up costing me just $400 extra to get the rear spoiler and 16" Bridgespokes. Bear in mind, the Sport Package is notably different for the Cooper than the Cooper S.


From what I've read, this is still up for debate.

MINI's description seems to suggest it's just sway bars, but others say there are different part numbers for the dampers, too.

You would THINK that MINI's description would end the discussion, but they also say NOTHING about the underbody tray that *is* included in the JCW Aero kit.

So, just because MINI doesn't state that something is in a package, doesn't mean that it actually isn't in there... if that makes any sense.

It seems silly to leave out extra items they are giving you, but they've done it before.

only thing i regret not getting is seat warmers. ....and maybe the auto wipers if they work good.

there are only 3 wiper settings and that blows.

other than that i love it... in retrospect i guess i should have not gotten the better wheels..tho they are pretty nice. I want summer wheels, but that extra money in pocket, with intent to get summer ones would have made them seem more 'necessary' i guess

also have come across one or two little problems with the non-jcw Aero Kit... the front grill is different so i couldnt get the jcw black one (will there not be aftermarket parts as readily avalable?), and the whole bottom of the car is 2 plastic panels...for aerodynamics i guess. The panels and nice painted side peices made it scary to jack up the car and i worry more about the road debris chipping up the paint (hate mud flaps)