R56 Cooper S, thoughts, opinions, experiences?

[tyranical]

Just something i'm considering along with some other car's i've recently made threads about , would like to hear what people think of them and experiences etc, from the press stuff i've read they're an awesome little car and offer very good economy for the performance they give.

Cheers,

Matt

[tyranical]

Is that 39mpg driven carefully? Reason I ask is that i'm lucky enough to have a daily commute in the early morning when noones around on A/B roads and I love a good spirited drive at that time of the morning, the car I have now (a remapped ibiza FR) if driven hard won't see north of 25mpg, i'd like to be getting 30mpg minimum on that sort of drive.

[RedLCRB0b]

tyranical said:

Is that 39mpg driven carefully? Reason I ask is that i'm lucky enough to have a daily commute in the early morning when noones around on A/B roads and I love a good spirited drive at that time of the morning, the car I have now (a remapped ibiza FR) if driven hard won't see north of 25mpg, i'd like to be getting 30mpg minimum on that sort of drive.

I'm looking at getting one of these too, so would also be interested in peoples experiences.

[tyranical]

They look very tempting, I hate having MPG up near the top of my considerations but I just want something that I don't have to feel bad about driving quick, the MPG dropping to less than 30 really annoys me for some reason and then I feel like I have to drive slower lol.

And no, I do not want a diesel if at all possible!

[RedLCRB0b]

U

tyranical said:

They look very tempting, I hate having MPG up near the top of my considerations but I just want something that I don't have to feel bad about driving quick, the MPG dropping to less than 30 really annoys me for some reason and then I feel like I have to drive slower lol.

And no, I do not want a diesel if at all possible!

Same reasons here, I get mpg in the low 20s on anything other than long journeys and will soon be starting an 8 mile a/b road commute so the cooper s looks ideal.

[tyranical]

A bit of cheeky remapping and an exhaust to take them over the 200bhp/tonne mark looks a good idea too. Perfect for a car of that size imo.

[duckson]

I had an 09 Cooper S that i sold 12 months ago.
Enjoyable little car, 38-39mpg on a mixed drive to work, very little lag and picks up surprisingly well in any gear. Also a low tax band which is nice.

Mine had a JCW bumpers and sideskirts and a few carbon bits plus JCW 18's with non-runflat tyres. Ride quality was pretty good.

http://www.duckworth.myzen.co.uk/Mini/

[tyranical]

That one looks awesome mate, but how come you sold it after so much time if it was a good car?

Just a question

[duckson]

tyranical said:

That one looks awesome mate, but how come you sold it after so much time if it was a good car?

Just a question

I change my cars regular!
Had 2 Impreza's in the last 10 months since then, bought a 52 plate 1.8TDCI Focus today.....boring but cheap to run!

[andrew186]

we have one too

great car.. ours is averaging 32mpg as we do mainly town driving

pros :

-performance wise very nippy, plenty of torque

-comfortable on the motorway / long journeys

-cant comment on handling as i havent taken it to the track but driving on b-roads the handling is sharp and steering response is good

-practical too as the rear seats fold down so plenty of room for luggage etc

-start-stop really helps with fuel consumption esp in towns with loads of traffic lights!

cons :

-inside windows seem to mist up quite quickly (maybe they need a clean)

-torque steer on full acceleration (as with most sporty front wheel drive cars)

-cant think of much more than that! really like the car

[RedLCRB0b]

duckson said:

I had an 09 Cooper S that i sold 12 months ago.
Enjoyable little car, 38-39mpg on a mixed drive to work, very little lag and picks up surprisingly well in any gear. Also a low tax band which is nice.

Mine had a JCW bumpers and sideskirts and a few carbon bits plus JCW 18's with non-runflat tyres. Ride quality was pretty good.

http://www.duckworth.myzen.co.uk/Mini/

Very nice. My local mini dealer has one a bit like that, very very tempting.

[SteveS Cup]

Same engine as the Pug 207 GTI??

I've not driven either but I imagine you'd get a much newer Pug for your money but they, they may not be comparable.

I can't say I'm a fan of the R56's styling in comparison to the R53... looks too chunky but by all accounts they're great to drive.

[tyranical]

Same engine as the pug yes but its heavier and the handling is meant to be pretty poor, plus it only has a 5 speed box.

[tyranical]

hmm, reading alot about the death rattle now... is it something that happens to them all as it sounds pretty serious tbh, peoples engines blowing etc as a result of it???

[duckson]

Isnt that the timing chain tensioner fix?

I would of expected alot to have been done, mine was 6 months old when i got it and it had it done.

[Sam.F]

tyranical said:

hmm, reading alot about the death rattle now... is it something that happens to them all as it sounds pretty serious tbh, peoples engines blowing etc as a result of it???

I was told it was a non-issue when I had my Cooper S so thought nothing of it when the JCW started doing it, until it had a particularly rattly episode just before going in for its first service at which point they advised it needed urgent attention! AIUI the latest models don't develop the fault.

[tyranical]

The MINI forums seem to be full of people saying they have had it "fixed" several times and it keeps coming back due to poor design of the pulleys etc, several ppl have had the timing chain snap as a result of it and take the engine with it.

Has put me right off them tbh and I can't find a car that I like as an alternative -.-

[Matt80M]

I had one for two years.

It was quite a lot of fun, but there were a few reasons why I decided to get rid.

1. Suspension is just sooo hard. Driving around London was pretty uncomfortable given the number of speed bumps and poor roads.

2. Mine needed the timing chain changing twice, and it was starting to rattle again when I traded it in. God knows what internal damage was being done. The sound is really not very nice at all. sounds like - well - a chain clattering around in the engine

3. Seats are a lot less comfortable than they look.

4. The front valance is very low and scrapes over almost every bump regardless of speed.

Overall though, everything just felt a bit stretched mechanically - in reality it probably wasn't, but it just didn't fill me with confidence. I might sound a bit of a moaner, and I did really enjoy owning it, but I wouldn't have another.

[RedLCRB0b]

Sounds like the extended warranty I have been looking in to will be worth getting then, although I would imagine that the problem cars are a small percentage of the total number produced. I did question the dealer that I am buying mine from about the death rattle and he said that he had heard it on other cars, but that this one was ok. I guess he would say that when trying to sell someone a car, but he seems pretty trustworthy.

[tyranical]

From what I've read on the MINI forums its a case of when it happens to your car, not if it happens to your car. gutted as I had my heart set on one, maybe a warranty will be required.