Anyone got a Mini Cooper S?

SteveP":8kscdx0q said:
We had a 03 plate Cooper S for from new for 3 years. They are fun cars, but completely impractical if you intend to use it for a mode of transport to do any decent mileage or if you intend to have anymore than one passenger or carry any loads.
It got some hard use, but in the time we had it the PAS motor failed and the loom powering the motor had a electrical fry up, it pop'ed two heater matrix's, supercharger belt tensioner failed and gearbox was replaced as lathe shaft bearings were clattering away.
MPG is not great 33mpg was the best we achieved. If you accept that you are going to be filling it regularly with fuel and fixing niggle problems then you can appreciate the car for its fun factor. You have to screw the engine to the redline to get the car hauling at any pace as they really don't feel that torquie compared to other superchargered cars. What they lack in engine grunt they more than make up for in their ability to out handle other vehicles and carry momentum along twisty roads and the brakes inspire confidence. The brake system is exceptionally powerful whist retaining exceptionally good pedal feel and progression.
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Thats not good.

Just a note - we did not make the mini PAS system. The Gen1 was a rush job as first supplier failed to deliver.
 
SteveP":1ga2siob said:
We had a 03 plate Cooper S for from new for 3 years. They are fun cars, but completely impractical if you intend to use it for a mode of transport to do any decent mileage or if you intend to have anymore than one passenger or carry any loads.
It got some hard use, but in the time we had it the PAS motor failed and the loom powering the motor had a electrical fry up, it pop'ed two heater matrix's, supercharger belt tensioner failed and gearbox was replaced as lathe shaft bearings were clattering away.
MPG is not great 33mpg was the best we achieved. If you accept that you are going to be filling it regularly with fuel and fixing niggle problems then you can appreciate the car for its fun factor. You have to screw the engine to the redline to get the car hauling at any pace as they really don't feel that torquie compared to other superchargered cars. What they lack in engine grunt they more than make up for in their ability to out handle other vehicles and carry momentum along twisty roads and the brakes inspire confidence. The brake system is exceptionally powerful whist retaining exceptionally good pedal feel and progression.
Click to expand...

Jesus sounds like you got a lemon.

My mini adventure is completely opposite; had mine nearly 4 1/2 years no problems, I did wait till the facelift model before purchasing one.

The petrol tank could be bigger; it's a pain in the arse on long journeys.

I would try and get a late Cooper S\JCW, after Jan 05 and before the turbo. You get a different supercharger to the pre facelift and LSD was fitted as standard. Also with a factory built JCW, they started fitting the JCW brakes as standard.
 
Looks like i'll be picking this up on Christmas Eve :)

Mini Cooper S with the following extras:

6 Disc CD Boot Changer
Black Bonnet Stripes
CHILI Pack
Chrome-Line Exterior
Darkened Glass
Harman Kardon - Hi-Fi
Leather interior
Radio BOOST
Roof&Mirror Caps in Black

MiniCooperS.jpg
 
gump":q61e204n said:
Thats not good.

Just a note - we did not make the mini PAS system. The Gen1 was a rush job as first supplier failed to deliver.
Click to expand...

Yes, I've chatted to quite a few of the other engineers in my office who worked on the packaging of the Mini who said a lot of the aspects of the 1st gen cars were a little rushed and some decisions on component design being down to the item being aesthetically pleasing or for creating the correct acoustics rather than out and out function.
The car did get used hard and as with all things, if you own a early model you have to accept there will be flaws. I'd buy another as I know now that with later models issues were addressed and the issues that were not are now common knowledge so you know what to check regularly and that little noise is x,y or z just about to fail so you can address it before it becomes an issue. I'd only ever buy one as a second 'fun' car though as they are impractical as a general sensible form of transport.

That looks a nice car Paul. You will enjoy it!! Take advantage of Christmas day morning where the roads are dead and Traffic police are on skeleton staff.
 
Best car i've ever driven :)

Supercharger whine is as evocative as the VTEC wail on my old Civic VTi and it's more fun than the AX GT i had when I was 18, plus it's faster point to point than my remapped A3 Turbo.
 
I've joined this a bit late and am car clueless but I've had a new Mini Cooper for 5 years and really like it (including the super distinctive whine of the steering when parking). I can also fit a bike and everything for a weekend in the back without removing the back wheel, an achievement as all my bikes are gates (trick is remove the front wheel, slide the passenger seat forward and tilt it at the same time).

Here's a photo of mine with some POS in the foreground
 

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god newer cars have got cheap, 8995 sticker price for a cooper s.

mind you, until that says £500 i wont be buying one anytime soon.
 
Here's mine.. slightly too new for some peoples tastes and not an 'S' but I love it, proper fun to drive.. and it fits a bike, although i've got to try it with the back wheel still in.. :shock: :D
 

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