Mini cooper s
03-28-2011, 08:56 PM
#1
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Mini cooper s
Has anyone ever played with the 2002-2004 mini cooper s? I'm thinking next year it will be time to get rid of the miata, and I've been looking at replacement alternatives. I was checking into the Honda Fit because I wanted to play with the kraftwerks kit, but didn't realize they only come with like 90ish hp stock, and the $3000 kit takes it to like 130... I want another small car, hoping to pay $10,000ish, and need back seats this time. An $1800 upgrade which includes intake, exhaust, new supercharger pulley, and ECU reflash would put the mini s at around 200hp at the crank which I think I'd be more then happy with.
But yah, any impressions on them? Reliability? I was also looking at 2000 Audi tt's, but I've heard their pretty numb to drive and not terribly reliable.
But yah, any impressions on them? Reliability? I was also looking at 2000 Audi tt's, but I've heard their pretty numb to drive and not terribly reliable.
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03-28-2011, 09:04 PM
#2
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Buy Meg's for cheap. Trade in value is only like $5k maybe.
Coopers are garbage overall, but fun when pushed hard. Handle well and are pretty torquey if you keep your foot in it. Needs the supercharger to go byebye and a 2554 added to be a good car.
Coopers are garbage overall, but fun when pushed hard. Handle well and are pretty torquey if you keep your foot in it. Needs the supercharger to go byebye and a 2554 added to be a good car.
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03-28-2011, 09:22 PM
#3
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Don't forget Mazda 2 and Ford Fiesta, not sure on aftermarket power adders though. Cheaper, just as well built if not better, just as fun, and just as fast as the standard Cooper.
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03-28-2011, 09:30 PM
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I daily an 03 MCS.
I love it. Yes it can be a pain to work on, but it handles awesome, is great in the snow with my snow tires, and has decent pep. Build quality is decent, not great. The 05's are the best quality of the first generation.
Oh yeah...and did i say it handles AWESOME.
there are a few things I dislike:
seats arent great
hi-beam light is anoyingly bright
stupid german canister style oil filters
Other stupid german car quarks
I just did my brakes this weekend and they were simple. worst thing is the rear calipers are designed to be pressed back in with a special tool that twists while it compresses. With some patients you can do it with plyers.
Check out northamericanmotoring.com
Its a bit like m.net, but there are a few smart people on it.
For reference, I payed 13k for my '03 decently loaded in PERFECT shape with only 33k single owner. You can get them from 8k-15k depending on year/options/condition. The turboed ones go for 15k +
I love it. Yes it can be a pain to work on, but it handles awesome, is great in the snow with my snow tires, and has decent pep. Build quality is decent, not great. The 05's are the best quality of the first generation.
Oh yeah...and did i say it handles AWESOME.
there are a few things I dislike:
seats arent great
hi-beam light is anoyingly bright
stupid german canister style oil filters
Other stupid german car quarks
I just did my brakes this weekend and they were simple. worst thing is the rear calipers are designed to be pressed back in with a special tool that twists while it compresses. With some patients you can do it with plyers.
Check out northamericanmotoring.com
Its a bit like m.net, but there are a few smart people on it.
For reference, I payed 13k for my '03 decently loaded in PERFECT shape with only 33k single owner. You can get them from 8k-15k depending on year/options/condition. The turboed ones go for 15k +
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03-28-2011, 10:21 PM
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the 2 things that make the MINI worthwhile are the handling and the somewhat acceptable pep. Get a base model and you will be rocking a SLOW car on 185 tires
the S is a MUST.
the S is a MUST.
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03-28-2011, 10:46 PM
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If I do it, it will definitely be the S version. It would be too much of a shock to the system to go to something gutless. I have my motorbike now for my go-have-fun requirement, and now I need something slightly more sensible that I can take my wife and daughter out in if necessary.
I wish Mazda would go and build a higher powered version of the Mazda 2 - something like the Mazda 323 GTX. What I really want is a suzuki swift sport, but for some reason Suzuki doesn't feel it would sell in North America:
I wish Mazda would go and build a higher powered version of the Mazda 2 - something like the Mazda 323 GTX. What I really want is a suzuki swift sport, but for some reason Suzuki doesn't feel it would sell in North America:
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03-28-2011, 11:15 PM
#11
I saw something from an Aussie site about an upcoming Mazdaspeed2 (2L turbo fwd) but not likely that you'll see them here. They have torsion beam rear suspension like most other cheap cars these days.
My cousin had a standard cooper when the first came out and it was all around bleh and very pricey.
My cousin had a standard cooper when the first came out and it was all around bleh and very pricey.
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03-29-2011, 04:49 AM
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If I do it, it will definitely be the S version. It would be too much of a shock to the system to go to something gutless. I have my motorbike now for my go-have-fun requirement, and now I need something slightly more sensible that I can take my wife and daughter out in if necessary.
I wish Mazda would go and build a higher powered version of the Mazda 2 - something like the Mazda 323 GTX. What I really want is a suzuki swift sport, but for some reason Suzuki doesn't feel it would sell in North America:
I wish Mazda would go and build a higher powered version of the Mazda 2 - something like the Mazda 323 GTX. What I really want is a suzuki swift sport, but for some reason Suzuki doesn't feel it would sell in North America:
The adjusters for seat rake are shockingly poor quality though, they feel like they're they're about to snap every time I use them. They also seem to eat lower wishbone bushes, but seeing as the part is £50 (~$90) it's not too bad.
Apart from that though it's a brilliant little car.
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03-29-2011, 07:31 AM
#19
You'll want the 2005.5-2006 S if you're serious. They revised the gearing and it makes the car a completely different beast. My GF had a 2005.5 S with a pulley, springs, intake and swaybar and it was a pretty damn fun car to drive. Fuel milage wasn't a strong point, averaging 23-25mpg for daily commuting....but it sure did get up and go. I can't tell you how many Mustangs that car ate on the highway...I destroyed a E46 M3 in the mountains (OK, so the driver was more show than go) and roasted a Mach1 Mustang from a dig a few times in a row. I was driving it in the mountains once and forgot to turn the DSC off and the car tried to kill me lol. I always drove with DSC off because it was fun to get the car to lift-throttle rotate on hard corners. It was the first FWD car I had ever driven hard and I liked it. Her car with the intake and pulley put down ~190whp....with a tune and exhaust it would have been well over 200.
Last edited by Doppelgänger; 03-29-2011 at 07:42 AM.
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