MINI Cooper S

Before I start, let be begin by saying I'm one of the biggest Mini fans out there. I've owned 4 Mini's in my time. 3 old Classics including a lovely R reg Cooper, and the car reviewed below. I have grown up reading Mini books, attending mini shows, have Mini t-shirts. I am a PROPER Mini Fan, so for me to write the pro's and con's of a Mini is a hard thing for me to do so trust these are honest words!

I've owned my '52 Reg Mini Cooper S (Chilli Pack) for 18months now. When I purchased, the car had 45,000miles and since then I've done 11,000miles so having been through a cycle of MOT, full service, travelling long distances on holidays and work events across the country, plus the regular day to day of pottering around town, visiting family, doing the weekly food shop, picking up my other half from the train station etc etc, thought it was worthwhile sharing my experience living with a Mini Cooper S.

I have the Chilli Pack version which offers extras such as Auto leveling Xenon headlights, climate control, 17inch wheels, plus had Cruise control, full leather added as options, front spot lights, upgraded sound system. Its highly specced.

The car is LOVELY to drive on smooth a/b roads and motorways. Its got the performance to push you back in your seat, handle around corners that makes your passengers a little scared, the brakes are very good, the gear ratios from 1st to 5th are nicely spaced for quick shifting and close enough not to lose too much time waiting for the power of the next gear (Although 6th gear ratio a little high for motorway cruising. Runs about 3000rpm at 75mph..Bit high). Wind noise at 70mph (Even 80mph) is really low for a small car compared to others I've driven and the front seats are really comfortable for long journeys with full lumbar support top and bottom.

Street cred. is sensational. The amount of times men are envious of owning a Mini with a red "S" badge on the back in pub conversations is higher than I expected. Women also love the car, you never get any responses that I'm a tool or have an ego problem even though I drive what is essentially a sports car. When people sit inside it, they comment on how high quality everything is. Feels like a BMW/Merc quality when you touch most things. All good then.

People then ask me, would you recommend I buy one? HMM.....If you know what you are getting yourself in for, YES it is a very rewarding car both performance and socially. If you want a nice looking, dependable, solid, practical, easy to drive Supermini / small hatchback, I would say NO.

WHY? - Ok here are the downsides:

(1) Fuel consumption. Around the city (I live in London) driving on 30mph roads with frequent stop starts - I return about 21mpg. Driving 50% of this city driving and 50% cruising on 40mph/50mph A-roads, I return about 25-30mpg. If I stop at a services on the motorway, fill up, then drive a few hundred miles on 100% motorway at 70-75mph, I'll return 38-40mpg. All of this being VERY careful with throttle control, not going above 3000rpm. If I step on the gas more, you can knock 5mpg off all these figures. If you have the airconditioning on in summer, you can also knock off 5mpg from these figures. I think personally for a car this small, that is a 1.6litre (Ok its supercharged) is POOR, particularly around the city.

(2) Running costs. For a 1.6 litre engine, it sits at a very high tax bracket. Think I pay £245/year. Poor. Major service through a BMW specialist is about £270 without any parts (Just the inspection), and parts aren't cheap on a Cooper S. For example, my car with just 50,000miles on the clock has a corroded exhaust silencer box. Apparently you can only buy them as a pair and BMW hasn't released the patent to anyone else so you can only buy geniune. Quote was £700 fitted. OUCH. I said ermm... lets wait til it has a hole in it shall we....! In my last service, the bill came in at £900, just having things like gaskets replaced, brake fluid replaced, suspension bushes replaced, couple of new tyres. Ohh thats another thing, going over traffic calming humps in london has been awful on the front suspension. Tyres are £145/each at the moment for run flats with this unique combination of tyre profile , width etc. My last front set only lasted 6,000miles but admittedly due to the tracking issues with suspension. This has now been corrected, and I'm now 3,000miles into the next set and seems like they've hardly worn at all. Apparently you can still only expect 10,000miles tops. Now - My friends BMW 320d M-Sport with low profile run-flats, lasted 40,000miles on the rear (Rear wheel drive).... Hmmmm something not good here. Final one - Insurance! These things must often been written off by 20's something professionals because I'm 32 years old, perfect no claims record and had my license 13 years, never had a ticket or conviction and still pay astronomical insurance and it goes up EVERY year.

(3) Apart from smooth Aroads and motorways, the ride is HARSH. Really harsh. I've had an old classic mini which was better (Ok it was more bouncey, but not sharp harsh). I have to slow down to go over just about any speed hump when most other cars don't. You have to check your teeth fillings after going over a not so well covered trench dug by the council to fix a sewage pipe.

(4) Boot space / rear seat space. Right then - I knew this was poor when I bought the car and thought "Ahh it'll be fine, I don't have passengers very often and I rarely go on long family holidays, I'm unmarried and no children and usually fly to go on holiday".....Even if you just want to get your weekly food shop, or want to put a couple of sports bags in the boot for a game of tennis with a mate..... This boot will struggle to fit everything in. And if you then want to ferry more than one other passenger, its a little embarrassing. The third passenger has to cuddle their own suitcase. May as well have a two-seater. I'm only 5'11 and people over 5'6 can't really fit in the rear seat behind me. Getting in and out of the back is also pretty undignifying particularly for ladies with skirts and ladies are generally the only gender of adults who can fit in the back!

Would I recommend this car to a Mini enthusiast or true car enthusiast who wants a sports car? YES.

Would I recommend this car to someone who wants a practical runabout that is funky/cool? NO. If I had my time again I'd go for a standard Mini Cooper with a high spec which has much better fuel consumption, lower insurance, tax, and only slightly less performance. OR .... something like a sporty Golf or A3, or a 207 GTI which does HAVE A boot and does allow passengers in the back without folding their legs.

If you want something funky/sporty, but prestigious and good build quality image, has high running costs, fuel consumption, insurance etc that is as impractical as a Mini, go for something like an Audi TT Quattro, BMW Z4, Nissan 350Z or if less budget an Mazda MX5 or Mazda RX8. You get a proper sports car for all the cost and sacrifice! ;).

Hope this helps for anyone looking to buy a Mini Cooper S.