mini coopers s r53 help please!
Discussion
hi,
been getting some hard earned money together to get my first performance motor and im a little bit nervous. my cars up until now have all been shopping trolleys (fords) which are relatively easy to look after. im worried about getting a perfomance car and the maintenance cost associated with them but think ill just take the plunge!
my worries are things like mpg. i've heard they can drink fuel when you use the perfomance? which i expect of any car but to what extent is this is true and what can i expect mpg wise day to day? also the superchargers will they need replacing or will they last the life of the car as again these can be expensive to put right if something goes wrong? i understand they should be good for 100k?
tyre wise i know they use run flats are these really as bad as people say they are and how easy is it to replace them and how much? is there anything i should be aware of coming from "normal" tyres?
when will things like bushed need to be replaced?
finally how much would i need to get a nice reasonable mileage example reasnable speced with the obligatory chilli pack? there seems to be huge variances in prices for similar specs when i look online at them!
ps knowing pistonheads and the smart so and so's on here i would like to stress the reason i'm asking about cost is due to the fact i've graduated recently and so student hardship is still fresh in the mind!i will run my cooper s like all cars before it ie regardless of cost and properly! i just want to know what im letting myself into with mini ownership!
been getting some hard earned money together to get my first performance motor and im a little bit nervous. my cars up until now have all been shopping trolleys (fords) which are relatively easy to look after. im worried about getting a perfomance car and the maintenance cost associated with them but think ill just take the plunge!
my worries are things like mpg. i've heard they can drink fuel when you use the perfomance? which i expect of any car but to what extent is this is true and what can i expect mpg wise day to day? also the superchargers will they need replacing or will they last the life of the car as again these can be expensive to put right if something goes wrong? i understand they should be good for 100k?
tyre wise i know they use run flats are these really as bad as people say they are and how easy is it to replace them and how much? is there anything i should be aware of coming from "normal" tyres?
when will things like bushed need to be replaced?
finally how much would i need to get a nice reasonable mileage example reasnable speced with the obligatory chilli pack? there seems to be huge variances in prices for similar specs when i look online at them!
ps knowing pistonheads and the smart so and so's on here i would like to stress the reason i'm asking about cost is due to the fact i've graduated recently and so student hardship is still fresh in the mind!i will run my cooper s like all cars before it ie regardless of cost and properly! i just want to know what im letting myself into with mini ownership!
Driver Rider said:
my worries are things like mpg. i've heard they can drink fuel when you use the perfomance? which i expect of any car but to what extent is this is true and what can i expect mpg wise day to day?
I run mine soley on 99-RON fuel, and it gives me on average 27-29 MPG, depending on the type of journey. The best fuel return I've ever had is just over 33mpg (which was on a 340 mile run), worst is around 22mpg. When I used to run it on normal unleaded, typical returns were around 25mpg. Road tax is £215 per year.Driver Rider said:
tyre wise i know they use run flats are these really as bad as people say they are and how easy is it to replace them and how much? is there anything i should be aware of coming from "normal" tyres?
This subject has been covered extensively on here. Have a look back through some of my older posts for my experiences. In short, in the interests of ride quality, wet handling and cost, runflats should be removed and disposed of ASAP.Driver Rider said:
finally how much would i need to get a nice reasonable mileage example reasnable speced with the obligatory chilli pack? there seems to be huge variances in prices for similar specs when i look online at them!
I saw a 52-reg at £5.5K a few months ago, but any S is likely to be pretty rough at that price. £7-8000 should get you a well cared-for example with a Chilli pack and sensible mileage.Driver Rider said:
my worries are things like mpg. i've heard they can drink fuel when you use the perfomance? which i expect of any car but to what extent is this is true and what can i expect mpg wise day to day?
Expect 28 mpg day to day, less if you push it, slightly more if you drive it very gently.Driver Rider said:
also the superchargers will they need replacing or will they last the life of the car as again these can be expensive to put right if something goes wrong? i understand they should be good for 100k?
Yeah they should be good for 100k miles, less if you put a reduced pulley on. They currently go for about £200 on eBay for a newish one. However the prices are going up as MX-5 guys and older R53's are buying them up. They're about £600 from BMW/Eaton IIRC.Driver Rider said:
tyre wise i know they use run flats are these really as bad as people say they are and how easy is it to replace them and how much? is there anything i should be aware of coming from "normal" tyres?
Yes, they are terrible, they completely ruin the ride. After you've replaced the car will feel so much smoother. Whatever BMW or the mongoloids at certain tyre places tell you, it is fine to replace them with normal tyres, just carry some tyre weld and a pump. Get some Yoko Parada's or similar, very grippy!Driver Rider said:
finally how much would i need to get a nice reasonable mileage example reasnable speced with the obligatory chilli pack? there seems to be huge variances in prices for similar specs when i look online at them!
Depends how much you want to spend, try and go for a facelift model if you can - mid 2004 onward I think. They've got slightly more power, closer ratio gearbox and most of the problems had been ironed out by then. £10k should get you a 2006 (the last of the R53's) with around 30,000 miles. You'll be hard pressed to find one that hasn't been spec'd up to be honest. Some will still have TLC pack left - free services and oil changes etc.Driver Rider said:
ps knowing pistonheads and the smart so and so's on here i would like to stress the reason i'm asking about cost is due to the fact i've graduated recently and so student hardship is still fresh in the mind!i will run my cooper s like all cars before it ie regardless of cost and properly! i just want to know what im letting myself into with mini ownership!
I bought one straight out of Uni when I got my first job, let's just say... once you start modifying them it's a very slippery slope 
thank you guys for very helpful info. im guessing the facelifted examples with more power 
have the different (newer looking) steering wheel? i take it you run your cars on superunleaded does this affect the running of your car?
i've got two months till i get my car im gettin excited already ive heard good things about the cooper s!!
ps im hoping im not going to get the modding bug!! this will be my present to myself for graduatinig from uni and getting a job! so chances are ill overspend i've seen a nice one going for 8.5K and it's only 8.5 miles away from me!
have the different (newer looking) steering wheel? i take it you run your cars on superunleaded does this affect the running of your car? i've got two months till i get my car im gettin excited already ive heard good things about the cooper s!!
ps im hoping im not going to get the modding bug!! this will be my present to myself for graduatinig from uni and getting a job! so chances are ill overspend i've seen a nice one going for 8.5K and it's only 8.5 miles away from me!
Edited by Driver Rider on Monday 26th April 00:07
Chr1sch said:
On the subject of tyres be careful. Our car insured through diamond and they said we had to run oem specific run flats. Brand wasn't important but they had to be rf's
wow thanks for that i'll be sure to check with my insurer when the time comes to insure the car. i think ill be getting the car insured with admiral do you know their stance with regards to tyre choice by any chance? i wouldn't have counted tyre choice as a modification but can't say im too suprised insurers don't like to pay out!!Driver Rider said:
thank you guys for very helpful info. im guessing the facelifted examples with more power have the different (newer looking) steering wheel? i take it you run your cars on superunleaded does this affect the running of your car?
The easiest way of telling is to look at the back of the car (at least if you are looking at on line adverts!!) have the different (newer looking) steering wheel? i take it you run your cars on superunleaded does this affect the running of your car? Edited by Driver Rider on Monday 26th April 00:07
The newer models have the reverse light incorporated into the brake light cluster and the fog light is at the bottom mounted centrally. The earlier ones have the reverse light where the fog light is...
HTH
Mike
With regards to MPG.
I've got a 240bhp R53, it's run exclusively on Shell V-Power and the OH regularly gets 44mpg out of it, i on the other hand get 18-22, you wont see greater than ~30mpg out of a standard/jcw r53 due to the mapping, because they're supercharged they use power all the time not like a turbo, conversely they are a lot more fun to drive because of it.
Superchargers don't wear out on a standard car, with a 15/17% pulley you might need to replace it after 50/60k miles if you want to gain another psi, but unless they start rattling they are fine, i know of a supercharger that's done 70,000 miles all with a 17% pulley fitted.
Some people went through a phase of fitting poly bushes, now they've realised they're not worth it, my car has done 100k and the bushes are still fine (checked them whilst it was on the 4 post lift last week)
Runflats are horrific, ditch them and fit some pirelli pzero asimmetricos.
IIf you drive them spiritedly the brakes are not that great, but they're fine for a car with anything up to 200bhp (such as the '210' jcws that are nearer 190), i've upgraded to brembos (the proper GT kit, not the smaller R56 JCW ones)
Tuning them is addictive, here's my non complete list of mods:
http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
As for money, aim for a '54 onwards car as it has the newer teflon coated supercharger and a host of other improvements, the only downside is the newer engine dampers fail and piss oil over your engine bay.
When you're buying one check the dipstick, they break commonly as they follow a pretty tortuous route, if it's broken check you can still see the end otherwise it'll be in lots of bits in the engine so run away, the cost of the stick is £7, but if it's broken it's nearer £200 to get the sump dropped off and have it taken out, not to mention the potential for damage. The easiest way to check is pull it out and if it's got a permanent bend in it about 4' from the top then replace it ASAP
Apart from that the only other common faults are the passenger seat pretensioner wires being faulty, they're too short so if someone slams the seat back it'll set your airbag light off, it's a free fix at the dealer but make sure that's the fault if the airbag light is on.
I've got a 240bhp R53, it's run exclusively on Shell V-Power and the OH regularly gets 44mpg out of it, i on the other hand get 18-22, you wont see greater than ~30mpg out of a standard/jcw r53 due to the mapping, because they're supercharged they use power all the time not like a turbo, conversely they are a lot more fun to drive because of it.
Superchargers don't wear out on a standard car, with a 15/17% pulley you might need to replace it after 50/60k miles if you want to gain another psi, but unless they start rattling they are fine, i know of a supercharger that's done 70,000 miles all with a 17% pulley fitted.
Some people went through a phase of fitting poly bushes, now they've realised they're not worth it, my car has done 100k and the bushes are still fine (checked them whilst it was on the 4 post lift last week)
Runflats are horrific, ditch them and fit some pirelli pzero asimmetricos.
IIf you drive them spiritedly the brakes are not that great, but they're fine for a car with anything up to 200bhp (such as the '210' jcws that are nearer 190), i've upgraded to brembos (the proper GT kit, not the smaller R56 JCW ones)
Tuning them is addictive, here's my non complete list of mods:
http://www.pistonheads.com/members/showcar.asp?car...
As for money, aim for a '54 onwards car as it has the newer teflon coated supercharger and a host of other improvements, the only downside is the newer engine dampers fail and piss oil over your engine bay.
When you're buying one check the dipstick, they break commonly as they follow a pretty tortuous route, if it's broken check you can still see the end otherwise it'll be in lots of bits in the engine so run away, the cost of the stick is £7, but if it's broken it's nearer £200 to get the sump dropped off and have it taken out, not to mention the potential for damage. The easiest way to check is pull it out and if it's got a permanent bend in it about 4' from the top then replace it ASAP
Apart from that the only other common faults are the passenger seat pretensioner wires being faulty, they're too short so if someone slams the seat back it'll set your airbag light off, it's a free fix at the dealer but make sure that's the fault if the airbag light is on.
Edited by Silent1 on Monday 26th April 13:11
Silent1 said:
When you're buying one check the dipstick, they break commonly as they follow a pretty tortuous route, if it's broken check you can still see the end otherwise it'll be in lots of bits in the engine so run away, the cost of the stick is £7, but if it's broken it's nearer £200 to get the sump dropped off and have it taken out, not to mention the potential for damage. The easiest way to check is pull it out and if it's got a permanent bend in it about 4' from the top then replace it ASAP
Nice advice mine broke in my hand fortunately. Edited by Silent1 on Monday 26th April 13:11
My standard R53 has just crossed 100k. Supercharger is making a new noise and front wishbone bush needs replacing. This should all be happening at next service in couple of weeks.
Its always been on non-rf tyres when I've had it. Some tyre fitters have refused to fit them because of insurance issue but I've cleared that up with my insurer.
Driving Leeds to Cheshire / Liverpool I'm getting between 36 and 40mpg depending on driving style. Around town I'd get 25-27mpg.
I've not got a multi-function steering wheel in mine, and quite jealous when others do. So get a MFSW if you can.
Eviltad said:
I've not got a multi-function steering wheel in mine, and quite jealous when others do. So get a MFSW if you can.
I know how you feel, before this 'S, i had a cooper without MFSW and it's a PITA.Now i've got MFSW and DVD sat nav, the only options i'm missing are heated seats and xenons
Gassing Station | New MINIs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff