Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

MINI Cooper

1232426282952

Comments

  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    I was driving to get dinner, (in 55 degree weather with the windows and sunroof open and seats warming, of course) And thought of the other two really cool things about my car.

    A. Its like joining a club of really friendly really happy car loving people, with a rather expensive membership fee, but open to anyone. The flashing lights and waving at other MINIs, the history of the car are all just a part of the experience. No one buys one as transportation, its way more then that.

    B. It spoils me. My roommate says I can't drive anything else, because I get fed up with all the features of the MINI. I drove a Neon, it had nice seats, but they didn't height adjust, so my head was nearly hitting the roof. I drove that kia, and got annoyed its lights didn't dim, etc, etc. People are always excited about features in their cars, my rommate's mom bought some Acura, and commented how neat it was that it had steering wheel audio controls. Roommate said yeah, but they're not on the back of the wheel, right where your fingerips are. Its all of the little luxury things that just make the car a great value. Driving around in the smallest luxury car is way better then driving around in the biggest economy car, I never find cool things on rental cars that just work but are expensive, like the hood struts, or the fog lights that turn off when you turn off the car, or the follow-me-home lights.
  • JingleJillJingleJill Member Posts: 120
    Has anyone been to the San Antonio Mini Dealership? If so, what was the experience like?

    I have had bad experiences with the their BMW dealership, however I want to go look at the Mini's.

    Thanks,

    Stacy
  • dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    Reading all these stories are making me envious. After two weeks, our new Mini S (British racing green, white roof, White bonnet stripes) is still sitting in New Jersey. The truck won't leave for Wisconsin until it has a full load. My wife, who is normally patient, no longer is.

    In reality, we are to be wed next week Saturday. (I call her my wife because it is easier to type and I can never spell fioncee/fancy/fiunci correctly).

    Thought it would be cool to drive out to our Honeymoon. Looks like we will have to settle for the Saturn Vue. I guess I could drive with the sun roof open and try some ebrake maneuvers like stryder, but it won't be the same..and a rollover probably would ruin the moment. -sniff-
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    I test drove a Red Mini CVT Cooper today in San Francisco. What a great car! I was supposed to test drive the S version also, but after driving with the CVT, I decided not to. Why not have the best of all worlds, an auto and manual? Just seems to make sense to me especially given the traffic and hills of San Francisco. However, dealers here on the West Coast are still charging a markup, $1995 on the Cooper and $2995 on the S. We are considering purchasing the CVT we drove which has been the demo for the dealer. It currently has 500 miles on it. As I said, it has the CVT,plus the Premium Package, 6 CD Changer, Alarm, Sports seats and the extra chrome on the bumpers and tailpipe. They want $24k for it. We priced out the Lease and Purchase option, tell me what you think:

    Purchase: 60 months @ 6.99% with 5k down, $445 per month

    Lease: 36 months, $1157 drive off, $419 per month. 10k mileage restriction (which is fine for us), $14080 Residual Value at end of lease

    Also, despite the markup, the salespeople in SF are great, no pressure, laid back and they know their product. Apparently, the markups are worse in LA still.
  • mattrichtermattrichter Member Posts: 19
    1) 2002 Chilli Red "S" with 12,500 miles to date. Bought in Early OCT 2002. I bought mine in Salt Lake (even though I live south of SF, CA) because they didn't charge markup, had shorter waits, and would do factory orders. They were wonderful.

    2) I beat the doodee out of my little car (~95 on the freeway, really pushing it in turns) and the milage is a pretty constant 24.8 MPG (by the odometer.....) The MPG has come up by one or two since new, but I wasn't really paying too much attention.

    3) I got the leather, directions control, Nav system, the Xenons, the Sport Package, the cold weather package, MutliFunction steering wheel and the trip computer. I think that's it. I haven't added anything aftermarket, but the John Cooper Works set up looks sweet.....

    4) For maintenance, I've been really happy (less one item). I did have a loose "S" badge, replaced under warranty. There is one issue I'm fighting. My trip computer keeps saying I'm getting 34.4 MPG when the odometer is telling me 24.8. This is wayyyyyyy to much of an error to be acceptible. Peter (service manager) at Mini of Moutain View seems to think that's working fine, so this has yet to be resolved to my satisfaction. They wanted to charge $40 to rotate the tires, and that was too much so I did it myself. I did get a real big crack in my windshield (the windshield is pretty verticle, so rocks going at 100 mph make a real big WHACK) but the CA DOT paid for replacement because it happened someplace they were doing construction. (FYI, it was $603 for the new windshield). Since theres a lot of weight on the front end, the tires pretty much were down to the wear bars at 12K miles, but the rears looked brand new so maybe I'll get another 12k out of the set. Overall, the tires don't impress me much (I have the Pirelli's). The run flat is nice, but they're SO HEAVY! And Mini of Mountain View wants $300 a tire (~$170 at Tire Rack) so I won't be getting any tires from the Mini dealer.

    5) The first interresting trip was from Salt Lake to my home in Woodside, CA. I wanted to take the senic route, so I entered "Tuolome Meadows" into the Nav computer and it directeb me accross the Nevada diagonally. Talk about stares! I filled up with gas at some town that wasn't even on the map (about 20 buildings with a Gas Station) and everyone stopped what they were doing as I drove by. Also, even during break-in, 6th gear at 4500 RPM is well over 100 mph. I rested a little while past Yosemite, and was home a bit after that. 17 hours total with 11.5 of that driving. When I pulled into my driveway the average speed indicator was at 75, and that included crossing the bay on one of the bridges. I too have used my car to get stuff at Home Depot. I bought some Pergo on sale to do a new floor for my kitchen. I got lots of suprised looks when the whole lode of crap when into the back and I drove away.

    6) Pros: Handles like a slot car. I live up in the hills above the bay, so every day I drive I hit the windies! The car handles so well that I really push it pretty much all the time (hence the wear on the tires) . There's a very interresting benefit to the DSC system. If you hit a turn too hot or with the weight set wrong, Mom (I call the DSC system that) will break individual wheels or cut the throttle to keep you from crashing. I've found that if you set up the turn just right, the computer can't really do anything and it won't intervene up to and including very slight four wheel drifts (not full slides, but you can feel the tires starting to go). So it's been a really grat coach for cornering.
    CONS: the cup holder suck. They're really only good to hold my cell phone and some change. There isn't really anyplace to put anything, the way I drive it just rattles around the footwells. My wife leaves everything she owns in the car when she drives it, and when I get it back, all her crap flying around is pretty distracting. The lack of low-end torque is a problem, until you get used to a two gear downshift. If the revs are over 3500, it pulls just fine. That's about all I don't like.

    Some other comments. I have quite a stable of cars. An Acura MDX, a modified 65 Mustang convertable, a 99 Civic SI and a 75 Fiat Spyder. The wieght distribution is like the MDX, (too much weight up front) but after driving the Mini for a while, I find myself scared that the MDX will roll over. So high and heavy with body roll. But setting the two vehicles up for turns is pretty similar. The Civic SI is another front drive car on steroids (160 HP VTEC) but that car needs to be at 6000-8000 RPM to really dance. It has better weight distribution, but it doesn't handle as well. Those 17" wheels and the (relativly) large wheelbase for the Mini really pay off. The Fiat is on jack-stands, but when I do drive it, I'm really suprised at how mushy the car feels. And it used to be my nimble little plaything. It's about the same weight, but it's old and sloppy now. The Mustang is fun, but in very different ways. It has a 5.0 FI motor and 5 speed from a 92 CHP car, 13" breaks with PBR calipers up front, 11" rotors in the rear and other toys and tricks. It's top goes down and the Mini's doesn't. It has real torque (any gear, any time) and that's very different than the Mini. They weigh the same, but the mini is much more rigid. They're really different driving experiences. (I got the Mini as a winter commuter, no way would I put my restored and modified Stang through all the winter crap). But I've put more than a couple Mini's worth of money into my Mustang, so in value for dollars, the Mini is wayyyy ahead. I

    I also noticed something in the back of the last Road and Track (or Car and Driver, are they really different magazines?) Look at the 700 ft slolom times in the table at the back of the mag. You need a Porche Boxter S or a Viper Competition Coupe to do it faster. No Ferrari, no Corvette, no Lotus or Jaguar or Infinity or Nissan or anything else will do the slolom as fist as a Mini "S". So now I know how I keep on the tails of all those motorcyclists up near where I live.

    Overall, I really reccomend the car. Great utility, great fun, and really low costs.
  • mattrichtermattrichter Member Posts: 19
    Hi everyone,

    Has anyone started to modify their Minis here? If so, what have you tried and what was your experience. I've seen some neet coil-over set-ups, some camber/caster plates, a nice Borla exhaust, Cold air kits and a few blower overdrive pullies. Any experience out there?

    Matt
  • minime5minime5 Member Posts: 41
    I've also made up my mind on which car I'm getting, and I'm going with the MINI also. Red Cooper with black top, 5 sp, combo #1 plus cold weather (need those heated seats in Chicago), DSC. I guess this is one climate that is better in Chicago than SF - the MINI car buying. I got $500 off MSRP, plus a 4.9% interest rate.
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    Nice work, Minime. Like gasoline and houses, popular cars are inflated in price. Oh well, what can you do. We are getting the white top on our Red MINI. I usually don't like red cars, but the MINI red is really very nice, especially with the extra chrome on the bumpers.
  • tombaskintombaskin Member Posts: 2
    I've long ago decided that a cooper s would be my ride of choice. Even had a chance to drive one here in boise. I'm considering placing an order, but have this nagging concern about being so far from a dealer. The closest warranty service is some 300 miles away in Murray Utah. I'm not really a car enthusiast, and wonder if I'm just asking for trouble if I do this. Am I crazy for considering a Mini this far from the stable?

    tb
  • minime5minime5 Member Posts: 41
    Went to the dealer to take home the red, and found a Pepper White w/black top, 5sp with combos #1, #2 and #3. Took it home yesterday, and haven't stopped driving it since! It's the smoothest car I've ever driven - me and the wife will be fighting over this "extra" car.
  • croy4croy4 Member Posts: 14
    Be careful of that demo with 500 miles. Those 500 mi. are all driven a few at a time on a cold car = lots of wear/tear. I know from the 3 test drives that I've gone on, nobody drives the mini easy during testing. The dealers tend to push the car to demonstrate the great handling. Not all Southern Ca dealers are marking up. Irvine and Long Beach have no mark-up, and lots of Coopers in stock. Irvine had a large mark-up in prior months, but they recently started MSRP on existing stock and orders. Good luck.
  • ozone1ozone1 Member Posts: 87
    Thank you for the advice, croy. The car has only been a demo for less than a month, but I certainly can see your point. As of today, we're still going to purchase it, but this could change. We have until Saturday to make up our minds.
  • ugly1ugly1 Member Posts: 52
    Have test driven the S once and the Cooper twice and have to say how impressed I was with the Coopers power. I know part of the sensation comes from the size of the car but still very impressive. I currently drive a 225TT and am seriously considering the base MINI. My only dislike on the base model is the chrome. Has anyone been able to do anything with it yet? Like remove it or paint it. And does anyone have a real date for when the 04's will arrive?
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    I like the chrome but which parts do you dislike? The bumper inserts don't have to be chrome, they can be body coloured. The grill can be changed for a black or stainless steel one. That leaves the light surrounds and window/door top trip -- do they bother you as well? For a bit of money I'm sure you could easily get the window/door trim done but the lights will be more difficult. Anything can be painted for a price.
  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    The '03's arrived in October, as September production, I wouldn't expect much of a change from that, it seemed to be 'standard' for BMW to run model years like that.

    Changing the bumper inserts is really cheap, they can be ordered in black or body color and you don't pay extra (they're a $150 option I think), otherwise they're reasonably cheap to get the black ones after the fact. Or you could get the aero kit, which doesn't have the chrome, (that'd also be where you could get the black grills from).
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Being that you know the problems I'm having with my current car, I was wondering if you think the Mini Cooper would be a good choice for me? I love small sporty cars that are reliable, economical, handle good, and have a firm yet comfy ride. How would you say the Mini compares to the Miata and Rabbit GTI (both of which I own and love dearly)? I'm interested in the base Mini since I doubt I could afford the S. Does the Mini feel spunky in city driving without having to rev it all the time? The Miata isn't considered fast but its low gearing and quick to rev nature gives it a spunky quick feeling to me even though I rarely rev it beyond 3000 rpms. Do you think the Mini would provide a similar driving experience? Also, how is the turning radius on this car? I seem to remember it having a largish turning circle. Can it flip around relatively easily or does it turn wider than you think it would?
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Are people still encountering outrageous prices on the Mini? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my local Infiniti dealer's price on a used Mini S. They had a sticker on the windshield proudly displaying their "slashed" price of 23,400, down from 26,400. It was a BEAUTIFUL electric blue/white top S. I fell in love with the color and it sucks it is only available on the S. Anyone know whether electric blue can be special ordered on the regular Mini? Anyway, this car was priced higher than a new one! It didn't have the premium package because there was no sunroof. No navigation. It may have had the sport plus package. The car had 2600 miles. What do you guys think is a reasonable price for this car?
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    I haven't driven either a Rabbit or a Miata so I'm afraid I can't offer a direct comparison.

    My MINI has been quite reliable -- it has had repairs but nothing that couldn't have waited. For the features you get I think it is quite economical but it certainly isn't cheap to buy; it is cheap to run if you take it easy, good on gas if you don't race it all the time. Performance tires don't last long if you flog them but if you take it easier on all-seasons they'll likely last a while. It handles amazingly well and while the ride is meant for good handling I don't find it uncomfortable (mine has 16" runflats but it is a bit more comfortable with stock 15" non-runflat tires, though doesn't corner nearly as well).

    I think the MINI feels spunky in the city but it doesn't have much power under 3000 RPMs. You can shift fine at 3000 RPMs with the rest of traffic but to move fast, you'll definitely want to shift higher. It is quick to rev but 1st gear is pretty tall so you'll want to stay in first for quick take offs (can shift at 35MPH in 1st and 63MPH in 2nd).

    The turning circle is decent but could be smaller. They had to limit it a bit to fit 17" wheels with 205mm wide tires in there sans rubbing so the circle with 175mm wide 15's is not as tight as it could be. Still easy to park though.

    I'm in Canada so not sure what a reasonable price is down there. They aren't exactly flying off the lots here.
  • arkytectarkytect Member Posts: 12
    Here's my update for what it's worth:

    I purchased my 2002 Cooper S from MINI of Hawaii in October of 2002. I've got 6000 miles on the odometer (I'm on an island, after all...). I use the car to commute to work about 4 days a week (average commute = 26 miles round trip), ride my motorcycle the 5th day. I go through the Koolau mountains every day (mostly considered "city" driving) and have been getting 25-26 mpg per the odometer. The computer says I'm doing much better at 28 mpg. It seems as though I'm getting a little better mileage than when the car was first picked up, but only by 1 or 2 mpg.

    I bought my car from the dealer's inventory. I was prepared to place an order when my salesperson mentioned nonchalantly "oh, we've got 5 more in the back..." I paid MSRP, which is rather surprising given the MINI hoopla on the west coast, but initial demand here in the land of Honda seemed moderate at first. My car has the 16" rims and tires, the premium package (the sunroof's a must in Hawaii), the fog lights (no fog here...hmmm), electric blue paint top and bottom (love it), the DSC, and factory alarm. Xenon's would have been nice, but I really don't drive that often at night. To be fair, the halogens/fog light combination does a good job.

    I haven't added anything to the car yet, but I'm interested in how the simple addition of a BMP air intake would affect how the car feels... I feel the 16" rim and tire combination offer excellent handling, while providing a touch more insulation from some of our rough city roads.

    I've had excellent service from MINI of Hawaii, part of BMW of Honolulu. The buying experience was terrific. The actual purchase took less than an hour since they said "MSRP, take it or leave it." What a bargain! I had the car in for one service appointment so far. Items covered: two nuts securing the "bonnet" air intake were missing. I had a cracked turn signal bezel in the front bumper, passenger side. I had a rattle in the rear hatch. My radiator coolant reservoir was leaking at the middle seam. I also asked the dealership to program the key remote to open the windows and sunroof when I hold the open button down for 4 seconds. The dealership needed the car overnight, but they had all things repaired (bezel was backordered, it's being installed on Friday), they washed and vacuumed the car and covered all requested service on warranty or gratis. They actually replaced the rear hatch striker with a new, highly polished (almost chrome) one per a service bulletin.

    Interesting cargo experiences...hmmm. I teach for a community college here. We had a computer-aided design demonstration to do away from the main campus. I fit several PC computer main units (4 or 5, I think) 2 19" monitors and a digital projector in the car with me. Don't want to do that again.

    My overall impressions reflect those of my MINI comrades. I love this car! For me the driving position is perfect, the build quality is top notch. The stock CD stereo cranks. I love the little tech touches and features. I enjoyed the initial attention given by non-MINI drivers, but am also thankful that it is diminishing. An analogy that comes to mind is this car is like a 4-wheeled sportbike. I might get into some serious trouble if the thing had more power than it does. It feels good, smells good, sounds good, looks good... Down boy!

    I only have 2 nits and one isn't even the MINI's fault. In my first week, someone dinged my passenger door and I'm entertaining hiring a professional "dent masseur" to rub it out for me.
    Second, since the day I brought the car home, the doors panels have had a minor buzz near the reflector/door jamb that I've not done anything about. It's such a small thing on such a wonderful car.

    Aloha!

    Mike
  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    MSRP seems the norm for most places, though a few people have started reporting saving a few hundred off it in the ocasional random place. The west coast is still pretty popular, so that's the exception.

    Electric Blue is an S color only, as is Dark Silver. It can't be ordered on a Cooper.

    I would say whatever the price of that 2600mi S, don't buy it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if it was a demo car, in any case, a car with such low milage seems very sketchy to have been driven 'nicely' Electric Blue was also one of the first colors to arrive, so the car's probably pretty old as well.

    If you are interested in pricing it, just take the MSRP for all of the options, (it can be difficult if you don't know what you're looking for, since the leatherette looks like leather, etc...) and then discount it a bit, like 5-10% for such few miles. Sports is easily noticed by the Xenon lights on an S, (they have little headlight washers on the inside trim of the lights) or the 17" wheels. Heated seats (for the Cold Weather pack) are buttons below the e-brake. Of course that assumes its an '03, if its an '02 I'd expect a higher discount off MSRP, but its still a very poor deal considering you can get a new one at MSRP with exactly what you want with a bit of a hassel finding a dealer, in electric blue.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Thanks for the thoughts. That sucks they don't offer the electric blue on the base Mini! I absolutely love the color, but can't swing the price of an S (plus I would prefer not to have the expensive runflats). The color would work great for where I live too since my road is dirt and I only have a carport, not a fully enclosed garage. The other colors I like would look like crap all the time (indi blue, velvet red, british racing green). The one time I prefer a color besides black and I can't get it :(

    On another note, has anyone tried to trade in a car for the Mini? Did they give you reasonable prices since you were paying full price for the car? I probably won't even attempt to trade my car in for another 6 months but it's good to know if they treat you ok in this respect or are like every other dealer.
  • markjennmarkjenn Member Posts: 1,142
    You should expect book wholesale or a little less. With the current market value of the Mini at MSRP, the fact you're paying full price for the new car doesn't really affect the trade-in price. They know what the market is for the new car (MSRP) and they know what money they need to get for the used car to make it worthwhile to take it in (wholesale).

    Good luck with the negotiations.

    - Mark
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    I was seriously considering the Works S retrofit but they want your old parts in addition to the outrageous price. It's the straw that broke the camel's back. Forget it. If I need something faster I'll trade the MCS for the new WRX STi. ;)
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    To Everyone - We appreciate your insights, however please be aware that attacking others for their opinions is not allowed in our discussions. It's okay to take issue with someone's comments, however we ask that our members keep the debate civil/friendly.

    For further clarification on this matter, you can refer to the Member Conduct section of our Membership Agreement. Also, feel free to email me if you have any questions/comments regarding this matter. Please do not address this matter with me here. Thanks!

    And let's get back to the subject of the Mini Cooper! ;-)

    Revka
    Hatchbacks & Wagons
  • arkytectarkytect Member Posts: 12
    Has anyone tried replacing their new Cooper or Cooper S air intake to use BMP's or other manufacturer's aftermarket air intake? Saw the BMP unit at the MINI dealership and found some literature on the web and BMP claims a 12 hp increase. No indication or torque increase, nor if measurement is at the drive wheels or not...

    Anyway, wondering if the $170 is worth it. Only saw a Cooper S version. Cooper version is supposedly "coming soon."
  • idletaskidletask Member Posts: 171
    EU will get a Diesel version of the Mini this year :) The engine will be an extrapolation of the one found in the Toyota Yaris.
  • astraltastralt Member Posts: 1
    I have been researching MINIs for about a year now and have not lost my interest in these marvelous cars. I last tried to buy one in the 1970s (from Canada) but discovered they were "illegal" in US.
    Now they're legal. I am already trying to customize "my" MINI's paint job...but I don't know if the dealer handles that or I will have to take the car to a paint shop. Any advice? I am so naive...I just want the car delivered to the dealer the way I want it to look...unique! Thanks for any input.
  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    Depends on your dealer I think. Since the MINIs have a rust warranty, most would probably be leery of repainting one, but people have done it overseas, and clearly they repaint them all the time for accidents.

    Certainly your dealer would be the one to paint it, I can't imagine MINI would deliver it to your dealer in anything besides the factory options. It can't hurt to ask.
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    Though I'm not sure about paint. If you just want a colour on a Cooper or Cooper S that isn't normally available then it might be possible. I'm not sure about a fully custom colour.

    A repaint would certainly void all paint and rust warranties, though you'd get some sort of warranty on the new paint job.

    What are you looking for?
  • dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    We took delivery of a Mini Cooper S, (British racing green with white bonnet stripes) with premium, sport and cold weather packages. So far we have been driving it 2 weeks and my wife and I thoroughly enjoy it.

    We actually were able to drive it on our honeymoon, and after scraping the right rear rim on the first day (I was driving through a construction zone) my wife is allowing me to drive it again.

    So far our complaints/concerns are minor. Such as the totally useless cup holders. And my wife doesn't like the metal gear shift knob (too cold in winter...like I said "minor"). We have nicknamed the car "Badger", not because we actually live in Wisconsin, but because it is small, low to the ground and just plain mean
    ;-) .
  • drivinisfundrivinisfun Member Posts: 372
    There are unconfirmed reports (MINIUSA is expected to announce equipment changes and prices for the 2004 model year in August) that the current Electric Blue metallic color will be available for the first time in the regular MINI Cooper and likewise, Pepper White (A cooper only color) will be available for the first time in the Cooper 'S' model.

    Someone hear wanted an Electric Blue Cooper....well wait until September/October. In fact you can put an order for a new 2004 MINI from now. Just make sure that Electric Blue will in fact be available in your "base" Cooper.
  • hileatushileatus Member Posts: 10
    Hi folks; new to the list. I, like dwabid, live in Wisconsin and am thinking of getting an S. I would like to know if anyone has had experience w/ these cars in snow and ice, something we have an abundance of in Wisconsin...actually not bad this year. I presently drive a 97 Mustang GT and run Blizzaks in the winter and have had no problems. I have a couple of LBC's (Little British Cars) which of course do not see winter. Always wanted a Mini but the original were a little on the small side for me.
    Great forum!
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    Check back a few pages. I've posted a few times about my MINI in snow. With snow tires on the car, it is a great snow car, never even close to getting stuck and able to drive quite quickly even in deep snow and on sheer ice. With summer performance tires, you don't want to do that -- some friends who didn't bother to swap were doing 360s. With all seasons it sounds like they do OK but still better with snows. The car is well balanced and the road clearance was never an issue for me.
  • mgreene1mgreene1 Member Posts: 116
    Mine replaced a WRX as a winter driver and did fine on the stock 16" Dunlop A/S runflats. We got over 100 inches of snow. If you need more, Dunlop has a "performance snow" runflat (Winter Sport). My only problem all winter was when the MCS was parked facing downhill on a sheet of ice and the tires lost traction backing up the hill. A slight push from the parking attendant was all it needed. From then on, I was careful to park facing uphill when there was ice on the ground.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    and congrats on your new Mini Cooper S! We look forward to hearing about your ownership experience.... Happy motoring!

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    Are what I had on my MINI this past winter. Great snow and ice tires, IMO, and H rated runflats too.
  • hileatushileatus Member Posts: 10
    Hey Dwabid! Were you folks headed toward Madison on I94 today? Saw a green S w/ bonnet stripes!
    I knew I was going to like this site! Thanks folks!
    I've been to TireRack and was looking at the Dunlop Winter Sports...didn't realize they were runflats.
    Intended to get them when the time comes. Expensive but so are the Blizzaks for the Mustang. I live on a hill and always walk right up...people don't understand how i can do that in a rear drive car. I'm old...I learned on rear wheel drive. My 65 Mustang never got stuck....nor did my MGB, except once when I tried to blast thru a 3' drift, youthful ignorance, sigh.
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    The M2s are not DSST (Dunlop Self Supporting Tire) runflats but the M3's are. The M3's have a different tread pattern too. Around here I got mine for a reasonable price, less than tirerack ($125) and about what I'd pay for regular winter tires in the same 195/55R16 size. 16" winter tires are out of the same league as the cheaper 15"ers.
  • dwabiddwabid Member Posts: 36
    Actually we were driving 94 from Milwaukee to Madison on Saturday. Certainly could have been us...
  • hileatushileatus Member Posts: 10
    Anyone else checkout the Works S on MiniUSA?
  • crcoxecrcoxe Member Posts: 72
    I've been hearing about it for a few months now -- it almost makes me wish I had gotten the S instead of the regular Cooper. It's amazing that they can squeeze 200 hp out of something that small! Peak torque still does not kick in until around 4000 rpm, so there is still some weakness off the line. But once you get it wound up, that must be one kick in the pants!

    They are eventually going to offer the works for both models (or so I hear), but if I were going to go with it, I'd probably just trade up for the S instead.
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    The Works package for the Cooper has existed for some time. MINI USA doesn't plan on bringing it over, I hear, as it has less HP than the stock S and the conversion may end up as more expensive. In the UK you can get it and I'm told it may be available in Canada as well.
  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    crcoxe-

    The current MSRP for the works package on top of an S is $4500, plus installation, so you're easily adding nearly $10K to the price of your car. Might make you feel better about your cooper.

    Clearly, as Harry has pointed out, the Cooper package, even if it cost half as much as the S (because it didn't have the supercharger upgrades, but still had exhaust and heads) would easily reach the $3K difference between the two models, and you don't get the other upgrades on an S. There just isn't the insurance and tax issues with cars in the US so it doesn't make sense for a JCWorks Cooper.
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    Most people feel the Works packages are overpriced. In the case of the Cooper, intake, exhaust and chip are most of it and you can get by without the chipping. The S adds a pulley upgrade. Many of the Works parts aren't even custom -- the Cooper intake is just a Pipercross. It is cheaper to do it piecemeal -- the only thing you don't get is a MINI warranty on those installed parts, though even there you can get your dealer to install them piecemeal with a warranty.

    The JCW stickers seem to be the only thing you can't get without the big price tag...

    There are even turbo kits for the Cooper if you want 200HP+ with your current car. The gearbox won't hold up to it but then again, it probably won't hold up anyways (had my 5-speed replaced last month and everthing is stock, even the paper air filter).
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    Woah! You had to replace your transmission?? What happened to lead up to the replacement? I haven't heard you mention anything in here about tranny problems. I hope you have better luck with your new one. Has the problem hurt your confidence in the car's reliability?
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    The car started making a banging noise when under heavy load in first gear. At first it only did it under very heavy starts but it got easier with time. First visit I took it in they said it was wheel hop and asked if the ride felt OK (implying the rear struts were worn, letting the front wheels break loose). I told them they were nuts but they sent me on my way. A few days later I was back as it was getting progressively worse and I told them there was NO WAY it was wheel hop. The same tech who told me it was wheelhop was embarrassed to discover that 1st gear was shot -- they had trouble even getting it around the shop (I guess most people give lots of gas to a clutch they don't know which made it clang like hell's bells). Collars and/or teeth were broken so under load the gears were slipping, making loud banging noises when they caught the next groove/tooth. My original guesses were loose clutch springs, broken engine mounts or loose exhaust parts but it turned out it was 1st gear.

    The new tranny came in the next day and it was finished by the morning after. They have to drain the coolant and take out the battery to do the fix so there was some collateral damage (needed another battery box lid and a coolant top up a few days later) but the new gearbox seems fine, so far.

    I hear they originally wanted to put the 6-speed Getrag in all the MINIs, not just the S (and now the diesel in europe&UK). I've heard of some problems with the Getrag too but I've heard of many replacements of the 5-speed from Midland Powertrain. Seems it can't handle even 110lb-ft of torque.

    I had lock problems last month too. Car was locking itself first, then unlocking itself. Replaced and fixed a bunch of parts.

    Has it hurt my confidence? Yes. I'm leasing the car and if it was up anytime soon I'd be returning it for sure. As it is I'll be sure to keep the mileage within the warranty for the duration. To fix anything in the tiny engine bay they have to take half the car apart so out of warranty this baby will be expensive to keep running.

    12th month of ownership was rough after 11 great months. Car has just over 14K miles on it now so long term I'm not sure how it will hold up. Still the most fun car to drive I've ever had but at this point it is becoming the incarnation of the old joke, the only guy who can come home at 3am without getting in trouble with his spouse is the owner of a British sports car! It isn't that bad yet, never having left me stranded or anything but I sure hope that is the end of the problems for a while. If it is fine now until the end of the lease I'll consider buying it out but at this point I'm definitely keeping it clean, maintained and under mileage with intent to return it.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    Sorry to hear about your vehicle problems. We appreciate you sharing this information with everyone here. Also, if you have a chance, you may want to copy/paste your message into our Mini Cooper Problems & Solutions discussion.

    Fortunately, it seems transmission problem was resolved quickly..., and the worst is behind you now. Hopefully things will go smoothly from this point on. Please keep us posted. And thanks for your participation!

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
  • hpulley4hpulley4 Member Posts: 591
    I copied my message to the P&S discussion.

    So far, knock on the flywheel (figuratively of course, no knocking sounds yet ;-> ), the new tranny is working well. They put the new battery box cover on and the coolant level has been fine since the top up.

    It is still so much fun to drive that I can nearly, almost, forgive it for letting me down.
  • stryderstryder Member Posts: 140
    So over on MINI2, in the general forums under annoucements, it seems that paramount's inviting MINI owners to RSVP for a free drive-in premier of the italian job.

    I'd like to put my vote in for whoever has the edmunds.com long termer (and didn't another editor buy one?) go to it, and report back. I'd sure go to it if in was anywhere close, so you know, its worth reporting.

    Just another example of cool things that happen due to the car.
  • revkarevka Member Posts: 1,750
    That sounds like a great idea! It's also possible they may already know about it. Perhaps you'd like to submit your request to our editorial department. I could also, but I think it would be more effective if the request was coming directly from their readership or from other mini owners/enthusiasts.... Thanks. ;-)

    Revka
    Host
    Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
This discussion has been closed.