Mini Cooper S - an accurate and detailed review

Advantages: Fun to drive, sensibly fast, reasonable MPG, great handling, looks
Disadvantages: Cost of runflat tyres, space a little limited in the back

...I bought a 2003 Cooper S in gunmetal (grey) a couple of months ago and have so far been more than happy with my choice with no regrets. As a new buy you need to be prepared to spend a lot to get the extras you want and I should think the first owner of my car spent well over 18k for the car, so that's around 4-5k in extras. Mine has the panoramic sunroof, cruise control, digital climate, full leather, steering wheel controls, chili pack including xenon headlights - these are the sorts of things you would expect a fairly expensive small hot hatch to have so with this in mind, buying used is blatantly the way to go, particularly with the new car market as it is. When you step in the Mini you can't help but notice the attention to detail that BMW have paid with all of the interior. The huge dial grows on you the longer you own...

AddyT 27.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

MINI car, maximum fun

Advantages: Stylish looks, solid build quality, great driveability
Disadvantages: Can be expensive adding optional extras when bought new

..., certainly handles like a sports car. You'll get in, drive the car, and when you get out, you'll notice something different about yourself....a very big, possible cheesy grin will have spread itself all over your face... At £12100 the Cooper might seem tempting. But wait, what's this, the optional extras list!! You will almost certainly be wanting to option your Cooper up, and this does not come cheaply. The basic specification of the car is just that - basic. CD Player, air conditioning, security alarm and even floormats are all optional extras. Pricey extras at that. BMW have made it 'easier' for us to option our MINIs up though, with the oddly named 'Pepper' and 'Chili' option packs, containing such goodies as 16" Alloy Wheels and a rear spolier in the 'Chili' pack, and silver interior trim and front foglamps in the 'Pepper' pack. I am...

ndf9876 12.12.2002 (07.05.2004) · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

Mini cooper s John Cooper Works 200bhp

Advantages: Faster than the average mini
Disadvantages: tough ride

...From the outside the only visible changes are the 2 john cooper works badges and the larger twin exhasts at the back. Inside there is no change atall apart from the fact that the speedo spins up a bit faster than usual. at around £22000 new the Mini cooper s with the john cooper works kit is quite a large price to pay for a mini. i got mine for £18000 1year old from a bmw dealer. The 200bhp that the engine cranks out certianly makes a difference from the normal mini's as 100mph comes around in 3rd gear. it sticks to the road like a dead animal and is great fun with the traction control off. The ride is a bit stiffer than normal and it seems to bottom out when going to quickly along bad roads. No matter what gear you are in it will pull all the way around the rev counter and a bit more. Overtaking everything is fun as...

Muddymotox 03.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

A Mini - But Not As You Know It

Advantages: A vast improvement on the old Mini
Disadvantages: It's not the old Mini we know and love

...Introduction ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Through my contacts in the motor trade here in Dublin I got a sneak preview of the all-new Mini from BMW that is due to hit the car showrooms both here in Ireland and in the UK most likely some time next month. (July, 2001) The car I got a peep at is the Mini Cooper version, and is tagged to enter the Irish market at around the £15,500 (Irish Punts) mark. What it will retail at in the UK is anyone’s guess, but it will unquestionably be less expensive than here in Ireland. There is even talk of the entry level version being priced at less than the £10,000 mark (Sterling) ~ ~ The car it is replacing, the much loved old Mini, was (some would say still is) a British icon, ever since it was first produced way back in 1959, the brainchild of the great Sir Alec Issigonis. At the time, it set...

the_mad_cabbie 07.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

It's a Mini but not a Cooper

Advantages: Compact, well made with good connectivity
Disadvantages: HD Capacity, cramped keyboard

...This is something of a two-fold review. Mainly it will cover the Dell Mini9 netbook, which is after all the heading under which it is filed, but inevitably it will also cover the Vodafone mobile broadband contract under which it was bought. Computing has gone through a bit of an upheaval recently. Things used to be so much more straightforward; ever since I bought my first PC the standard domestic buyer would need to spend about £1000 to get something that could cope with all their needs, for a couple of years at least. When that machine began to show it?s age you?d buy another for the same price but with a specification to match the current needs. This was true of the first three or four PCs I bought and only the most recent allowed me to spend under £800 and stay current. The same was broadly true of laptops, prohibitively expensive...

brereton66 02.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Dell Inspiron Mini 9

MINI me

Advantages: looks very chic, great to drive, quick and handles corners well, durable
Disadvantages: expensive to run, stiff reverse gear, annoying lights!

...When I first saw the new minis I liked the exterior shape, very chic and what with clebrities such as Madonna and Charlotte Church owning one, I had to get my hands on one!!.. BMW have simply done wonders with this revolutionary model- the choice of roof colours/ roof patterns, wing mirrors, grilles, interior stylesis just phenomenal- what is so great about the mini is that you can customise it SO much that it means that you could have a completely unique car... or if you just want to fit in with the majority, you can keep it basic. I went for the silver body/black roof..but that was before all the funky designs had come out! I have owned my Mini Cooper for 5 years now and let me tell you...it's still in great nick!!and what's more....I still love it! It has never failed to let me down! So what's it like to drive?.. Well it...

funkyzi 28.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

It's a Mini adventure...

Advantages: smooth, quick ride!
Disadvantages: ...

...Mini Cooper Background of the Mini. The original Mini was designed by one man, his name was Sir Alec Issigonis, as was primarily released in the United Kingdom on 27th of August 1959. In its first 40 years of production, there was almost 5,300,000 Mini?s made, many cars have tried to replace the Mini, such as the ?9X?, however none have succeeded. After the Queen was sighted in a Mini in the early 1960s the cars popularity rocketed, with other famous stars such as The Beatles, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood all owning the British icon. The original Mini?s made by were just over 10 feet long and however with released such as the saloon and the van the Mini has become a versatile car, catering for many drivers. The original Morris Mini-Minor had an 848cc engine, and was produced by the British Motor Company, [BMC...

jack7hardy 09.07.2007 (19.07.2007) · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

Why should you buy a Mini?

Advantages: great miles for money, cheap insurance, good looking and comfortable. extremely reliable.
Disadvantages: only four seats, not the usual five.

...The Mini Cooper is the best car I have owned in my history of cars. Not only is it value for money as it is a quiet, powerful and comfortable car to drive, with great miles for value as a 1.6 petrol, it is also extremely reliable and durable. from behind the wheel you feel safe, as the car feels strong, whilst only being a small car you can feel it has power and class. The Mini is a classy and good looking little motor, with respect on the road as it is now owned by BMW, a leading car manufacturer. In my opinion, you can't get a more perfect car, with 4 seat its spacious from the back for a family of four or a young person and their friends, and you can fit into almost any parking space! so its handy when you're running late and there's only a small gap for you to sqeeze in! there's plenty of gadgets inside aswell to keep you satisfied...

meena7989 08.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper

The New mini...is great fun to drive

Advantages: You can definitely fit 4 people in this car...2 thumbs up !
Disadvantages: Could do with a little more horsepower under the bonnet

...Several incarnations later..we have the new mini. Now its engineered in Germany, but still built in Britain. The funny thing about a little mini cooper convertible its fun for so many other reasons than other cars I have driven. No it doesn't have 500 bhp, and no it doesn't go 0 to 60 mph in under 4s...but its still fun to drive, it is one of the most engineered, well thought-out convertibles I have ever seen. But first let's "pop the hood" as they say and investigate that very willing small powerplant. Under the bonnet it has a very technologically advanced engine, it didn't used to be that way back in the good old days, in those days when you got pulled over by the Police, they would carry extra spark-plugs, and maybe bulbs to help you change them. Now it has 115 hp and I could probably rattle-off a bunch of other numbers and stats...

joeyhey2007 11.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Mini Cooper Convertible

MINI - avoid like the bubolic plague!

Advantages: None
Disadvantages: Too many to mention

...I agree with previous posts regarding the MINI. I have a MINI One D and it is fine for short jaunts around town but get it out on the open road and the driving experience is a living hell. The noise inside the car has meant I have either had to wear a pair industrial strength earplugs or crank the sound system up to 11 to drown it out. The seats might be fine for someone who is 4' 2" and has plenty of natural padding on the rear ( ie: big buttocks !) but I find it absolute agony after driving for more than 30 miles. On long trips I have to stop every two hours to get out of the MINI , rub my backside and shake my leg to get the circulation going again. The firm suspension adds to the general discomfort and lousy driving experience when crossing the rough shod roads of the counties . There are no rattles in the car yet , I...

minimug 06.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of MINI Cooper