Discussion
Hi, just wanted to gather some information from the 'Mini knowledgeable' amongst you !
My Mrs has just decided she wants a Mini (mid life crisis I think !).
I, or we haven't a clue where to start really, I've looked through the classifieds and decided she should get a Cooper S, she likes the idea but is coming from a Fiesta 1.6D Titanium lease car and loves the economy 55mpg she gets now.
But she wants something 'sporty' this time and can't really stretch to the 1.6D Mini, as she wants to spend up to £6k is the 1.4D a poor relation in performance etc ?
Also I gather there was a model change 2006/07 ? What exactly where the changes, anything major or just a slight facelift ? How do I spot the differences between R53 and R56 ......anything from the outside or inside that is obvious ?
How would a Cooper S be to live with day to day around 50 mile commute daily and what should she expect mpg (driven sedately of course) ?
Anything I should look out for on test drives inspections etc ?
Many thanks for any replies or suggestions !
Peely
My Mrs has just decided she wants a Mini (mid life crisis I think !).
I, or we haven't a clue where to start really, I've looked through the classifieds and decided she should get a Cooper S, she likes the idea but is coming from a Fiesta 1.6D Titanium lease car and loves the economy 55mpg she gets now.
But she wants something 'sporty' this time and can't really stretch to the 1.6D Mini, as she wants to spend up to £6k is the 1.4D a poor relation in performance etc ?
Also I gather there was a model change 2006/07 ? What exactly where the changes, anything major or just a slight facelift ? How do I spot the differences between R53 and R56 ......anything from the outside or inside that is obvious ?
How would a Cooper S be to live with day to day around 50 mile commute daily and what should she expect mpg (driven sedately of course) ?
Anything I should look out for on test drives inspections etc ?
Many thanks for any replies or suggestions !
Peely
Doing all this from memory so sorry if not quite accurate...
The R53 (Cooper S) goes from 2001 until about 2006. There was a facelift mid-2004 - easy way to tell when looking through classifieds is to check the position of the reverse and fog light. A few small cosmetic changes plus I believe the power on the Cooper S was increased. The Cooper S engine was Supercharged at this stage and you will get about 30mpg in average driving. Most I saw was 35mpg on a steady run. Supercharger whine is addictive and the cars were more pointy and direct.
The R56 (Cooper S) was introduced in about 2006. It is a completely revised car with different body panels, chassis, interior etc. Also the Cooper S is now turbo charged (instead of super charged). MPG is roughly 37mpg for normal tasks, and I have had 50mpg on a very steady run. Also cheaper to tax at £130 per annum.
Most the engines are sourced from other sources. The pre 2006 models were sourced from Chrysler in Brazil and the latter engines are shared with Peugeot.
We have owned three Minis now (2002 Mini One, Late 2004 Cooper S and 2007 Clubman S) and not had many problems. Heard good things about the diesel range (in terms of mpg etc) whilst still retaining some character.
HTH
Mike
The R53 (Cooper S) goes from 2001 until about 2006. There was a facelift mid-2004 - easy way to tell when looking through classifieds is to check the position of the reverse and fog light. A few small cosmetic changes plus I believe the power on the Cooper S was increased. The Cooper S engine was Supercharged at this stage and you will get about 30mpg in average driving. Most I saw was 35mpg on a steady run. Supercharger whine is addictive and the cars were more pointy and direct.
The R56 (Cooper S) was introduced in about 2006. It is a completely revised car with different body panels, chassis, interior etc. Also the Cooper S is now turbo charged (instead of super charged). MPG is roughly 37mpg for normal tasks, and I have had 50mpg on a very steady run. Also cheaper to tax at £130 per annum.
Most the engines are sourced from other sources. The pre 2006 models were sourced from Chrysler in Brazil and the latter engines are shared with Peugeot.
We have owned three Minis now (2002 Mini One, Late 2004 Cooper S and 2007 Clubman S) and not had many problems. Heard good things about the diesel range (in terms of mpg etc) whilst still retaining some character.
HTH
Mike
Many thanks Mike !
Peugeot eh, so where does BMW come into it then, do they just use other engines under their own name or is there a BMW unit in any of the minis ?
I would love her to get the later 1.6D but unfortunately budget doesn't really allow unless a mega mileage example is bought. I take it the 1.4 units are not the most desirable then ?
To be honest the Cooper S is probably much more than she would ever need with 175'ish BHP especially when she has been used to 90BHP in the diesel, so maybe a normally aspirated 1.6 might be the better choice and maybe look for one with a few 'sporty' add ons ?
Peugeot eh, so where does BMW come into it then, do they just use other engines under their own name or is there a BMW unit in any of the minis ?
I would love her to get the later 1.6D but unfortunately budget doesn't really allow unless a mega mileage example is bought. I take it the 1.4 units are not the most desirable then ?
To be honest the Cooper S is probably much more than she would ever need with 175'ish BHP especially when she has been used to 90BHP in the diesel, so maybe a normally aspirated 1.6 might be the better choice and maybe look for one with a few 'sporty' add ons ?
Again fro memory the 1.4 unit is the same as the unit in the Yaris, so should be reliable and economical.
Tbh, the coopers and ones are just as much fun as they feel better balanced than the cooper s.
Thr later cooper s, tends to snatch the wheel and torque steer fairly dramatically.
Mike
Tbh, the coopers and ones are just as much fun as they feel better balanced than the cooper s.
Thr later cooper s, tends to snatch the wheel and torque steer fairly dramatically.
Mike
The 1.4 diesel was pretty darn slow. Later models with the 80hp engine were better. In honesty I wouldn't want to be doing a. 50mile commute in a supercharged cooper s. huge fun but hugely expensive to run. For her 6k budget a nicely specked r50 cooper would probably be best. 40mpg if driven sensibly and can still be a barrell of laughs when you grab it by the scruff of the neck
My clubman cooper s will do around 350 miles on a full tank with a mixture of town driving and the odd long trip. It will do better when using the car for long journeys, the dash shows 40mpg when doing a long motorway/dual carriageway run. And more like 34 mpg average around town. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I would imagine doing a long commute you should get at least 350 miles from a full tank in a cooper s.
One thing to bear in mind, the cooper s can use a fair amount of oil, I can add a litre every 1000 miles, according to mini this is normal. If you buy the correct oil the cost can mount up.
Adam
One thing to bear in mind, the cooper s can use a fair amount of oil, I can add a litre every 1000 miles, according to mini this is normal. If you buy the correct oil the cost can mount up.
Adam
adsvx220 said:
My clubman cooper s will do around 350 miles on a full tank with a mixture of town driving and the odd long trip. It will do better when using the car for long journeys, the dash shows 40mpg when doing a long motorway/dual carriageway run. And more like 34 mpg average around town. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I would imagine doing a long commute you should get at least 350 miles from a full tank in a cooper s.
One thing to bear in mind, the cooper s can use a fair amount of oil, I can add a litre every 1000 miles, according to mini this is normal. If you buy the correct oil the cost can mount up.
Adam
In my R56 Cooper SOne thing to bear in mind, the cooper s can use a fair amount of oil, I can add a litre every 1000 miles, according to mini this is normal. If you buy the correct oil the cost can mount up.
Adam
I get a max of 340-350 a tank. cost me £67.00 to fill up yesterday!
Ditto on the oil front. Using it for the quicker journey's you'll need to keep checking the oil as it goes so quickly!
By far the funiest and best handling car with a classic shape IMHO in the price range
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