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

...'t have character as it does and it does everything very well - but you still get that cosseted German feel to it as where in the Mini you get a bit more of a "pure" driving experience. The driving experience: my favourite part to review! It's a 1.6 Chrysler sourced engine fitted with a Roots supercharger which puts out around 163bhp and 0-60 comes up in 7.4 seconds. It's a very smooth engine where the supercharger only really comes on song (and audible with it's infamous whine) at 3500rpm. Maximum torque comes in at about 5500rpm and from this point to 7000rpm is where it feels at it's most potent and pulls hard. This smoothness and silence beneath 3500rpm means that you don't notice the pokiness around town and it does get up to speed very quickly, much like a normal Cooper would. Fuel economy - on a 200 mile motorway run I see 42-44mpg...

AddyT 27.08.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of MINI Cooper

It's a Mini but not a Cooper

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

...the netbook itself meaning that you don?t need to carry around an extra piece of kit that is easily damaged and highly losable. The Dell Mini9 is, at the time of writing, only available through a Vodafone mobile broadband contract meaning shopping around is not an option. For 3g/gprs access with a 3GB monthly limit you will pay Vodafone £25 per month including VAT, based on a 24 month contract. Given that similarly rated access via a dongle will cost in the region of £15 per month this means that overall cost of the netbook is about £240 including VAT. The Dell Mini 9 ~ Weighing a fraction under 1kg this is noticeable yet unobtrusive. Similar in size to a hardback novel it is smaller and lighter than most text books. The 8.9inch screen has a widescreen aspect and a glossy finish. Corners may have been cut to build the Mini to the budget but...

brereton66 02.06.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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

...we see a high-tech, stylish dashboard - think Audi TT meets BMW, and you get the idea. Plenty of chrome trim, around the handbrake for example, and instead of buttons to operate windows, foglights etc, we have a neat little row of toggle switches. Good eh? Well, not really - nice idea, looks great, but excuse me BMW, that's not really the most practical place for my window switches now is it, down in front of my gearlever....? Now we're sat in the car, we might as well take it for a spin....one turn of the key jolts the 1.6 16v engine into life; this Daimler-Chrysler developed engine outputs 115bhp in the Cooper model. Fuel consumption isn't that bad either; returning a combined figure of 40.9 miles per gallon on the five-speed manual car, and 36.7 on the (slightly more expensive) automatic (CVT) transmission model Hang on...

ndf9876 12.12.2002 (07.05.2004) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of MINI Cooper

It's a Mini adventure...

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

...released in May 2002. The Mini continued as released until early 2007 when the Mini MK2 was released in the UK. Sticking with the 1.6 litre engine that is across the board for the New BMW Mini, with both interior and exterior modifications, changing the look of the Mini again, as it become a modern depiction of and motor vehicle. Prices. The Mini One, starting price is £11,595 The Mini Cooper, starting price is £12,995 The Mini Cooper s, starting price is £15,995 Overall view of the Mini Cooper This review will be related to a late 2005 Mini Cooper. I've driven a 3-door petrol Mini Cooper since I passed my test a little over 2 years ago, so I cannot compare it too any other car apart from the car I learnt in; a 'Peugeot 307 diesel', however at the age of 20 I could never imagine driving anything but a Mini. The car...

jack7hardy 09.07.2007 (19.07.2007) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of MINI Cooper

Rover Mini Cooper 13i

Advantages: Everybody loves Minis
Disadvantages: Rover are not an easy company to deal with

...I have always loved the mini, and as soon as I left full-time education and became employed, I bought a newish Mini Cooper. Having previously owned several Mini's including a classic Cooper and a cabriolet and other various 'rust-buckets', I couldn't resist a new one. I purchased it second-hand from a Mini Specialist in Padiham, Lancs for a very good price. After a year or so, I decided I had outgrown Minis, so went to a Rover Dealer at Trident Weybridge to order a Rover 200. There I saw a brand-new Mini Cooper Sports and couldnt resist. I ordered one for August 1st delivery and this is where my story begins though I wish it had ended. Rover offered me 4,300 GBPounds as Part Exchange in July 1998, and quoted me a price of 11,000 GBpounds for the new model. On July 31st, when it came to pay for the new model, my previous mini...

blockidge 12.12.2000 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Rover Mini 1.3

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

...that we have come to expect from a Mini. All the side pillars are tucked away behind the glass, making it look like it has a continuous window extending all the way round the car. The Coopers all come in a lively dual-tone colour scheme, with the choice of a white or black roof to contrast vividly with whatever main colour you choose. BMW have even gone a step further, and are actually going to offer the car with a “Union Jack” roof, to those of us who are patriotically minded!! (optional extra) An attractive set of either silver or white alloy wheels completes its very sporty image. Engine, Performance, and Roadholding ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The car I viewed had a Brazilian-made 1.6 litre, 16-valve engine capable of developing some 115bhp. The entry level car of the Cooper range will have...

the_mad_cabbie 07.06.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of MINI Cooper

Rover Mini Cooper MPI 1.3i

Advantages: Handling - Low running costs - Style
Disadvantages: Ground clearance

...No matter what anyone says about a Mini, they will have a smile on their face when they are speaking to you. The people who bad mouth Mini's HAVE NOT driven one, they do not like them full stop. They are a joy an absolute joy, and at the same time a nightmare, a bottomless pit for expenditure - some might say, but if you get the right one, it will look after you, if you look after it.(!) If it leaks little or no oil, does well on fuel and stops when you ask it to, you have a winner. They are prone to rust, but wash them every week and it will look better for longer. The Mini is a car with a big personality, it really is. I have owned several, some good and some bad one too, but through it all I can say I have enjoyed them all. Handling is superb, running costs are low, I am getting about 48mpg in my 1.3i! I have a later P...

jonescd76 15.01.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Rover Mini 1.3