Mini Cooper

[Miketow]

One more thing...

 

Girls love the Mini for a reason...they look better in the driver's seat.

 

Guys...more suited in the seat of a GTi or GTR....you know...MAN cars..

[Viceroymenthol]

3) Ford Focus feels better at corners!?!?!?! I find that very hard to believe...

 

5) Wonder if the turbocharged 1.6L Chrysler has any relation to the new Daimler 1.6L turbo that is going to be used in the new Merc C180

 

 

I drive a CooperS JCW (R53). Some Comments

 

1) Build Quality -Very Average for such an expensive car - but (imho) the current R56 Mini has a cabin that looks like a child's nursery and looks too "tall".

 

2) Handling - Very planted and "go-cart" like driving curves or straights. Fun Fun Fun. Just drive any normal car..and jump into a mini..and you can really tell after that. Never get tired of the fun factor.

 

3) Handling Part 2 - Somehow....my previous car, a (MKII) Ford Focus..feels BETTER & has more Confidence taking corners fast! (compared to the Mini - for real!)

 

4) Acceleration - The Cooper S is fast. The John Cooper Works goes to a 100 in 6.7 Secs. So its REALLY fast.

 

5) Acceleration Part 2 - The engine is surprisingly SMOOTH & QUIET for a 1.6 Chrysler Engine when driven at normal pace...and goes INSANE with a SCREAMING WHINE when you blast it through the 5000rpm mark

 

5) Fuel Economy. Not bad at all. I get about 450Km on 1 tank of gas. (50L/ Manual)

[Miketow]

Yeah. The Ford Focus actually does feel better round corners.

[Leech]

Yeah. The Ford Focus actually does feel better round corners.

 

cannot believe u fren. i was given the ford focus as a replacement car back then (when i sent my mini back to pml for complaints)... immediate reaction for me was that the focus drove like a van vs. the mini...

 

but the mini is overpriced.

[Angelinasoul]

Hi Kelfinity,

 

I own a 1975 Austin MKIII and a 2007 MINI Cooper S R56... What I would say the handling is superb, you will have to own one to know it by yourself.

 

A real full Mini Information:

Mini Cooper

Mini Timeline and History

Best Luck!

 

 

[Neoxenon]

Driving a MINI Cooper S Cabrio Sidewalk edition. I am attracted to the car for the following reasons:

 

1) It's a MINI - love the exterior design

2) It's a Cooper S - love the speed (not the fastest, but good enough for me)

3) It's a convertible - I always wanted to drive one, and the MINI is one of the best looking cabrio under $150k

4) Its a Sidewalk edition - the interior has chrome trimmings and baseball leather seats... I was floored when I saw it

5) It's pre-owned - When I first saw it in the MINI showroom, I was stunned at the price. Later I saw a pre-owned unit at a good discount. The rest is history...

 

I test drove the new MINI Cooper S Cabrio... the latest one with the turbo-charger. The acceleration is impressive... I can feel that it's faster and more responsive. But... the torque steer... hmm...

 

You won't go wrong in a MINI if you're after a lifestyle car, but just make sure you don't need to take practicality into consideration. Boot space and seating is at a premium, and the price lagi premium. Like what other bros are saying, look for a nice pre-owned unit if you wanna save some money. A new Cooper S cost the same as a Mercedes C180 or BMW 320i - no saying that it shouldn't be the case, but it's heart-pain thinking that you could have a star or propeller on your driveway instead of something that don't look expensive.

 

I love my cabrio - the feeling is priceless at night when the wind is cool and the traffic is sparse. In the day, it's a different story when the car is baked like an oven. Top down and the wind in the hair, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Even the towkays in their S-Class and 7-series slow down to see this dude who dares to be different by buying a MINI cabrio,

 

It's a lifestyle thing. Do your sums and decide if you wanna get it, and whether you are willing to settle for pre-owned. 6 months later, pre-owned or new, nobody can tell. Save some money for holidays!

[Neoxenon]

What the heck... might as well poison you a bit while I'm at it...

 

http://www.mini.com.sg/com/en/mini_cabrio_sidewalk/index.jsp

 

http://www.mini.com.sg/com/en/mini_cabrio_sidewalk/index.jsp

 

 

[Damienic]

One more thing...

 

Girls love the Mini for a reason...they look better in the driver's seat.

 

Guys...more suited in the seat of a GTi or GTR....you know...MAN cars..

 

but I have seen quite a lot of guys driving the Mini..

 

[Mezzanine]

Indeed. Just make a trip down to Sepang on weekends and bask in the amount of hot blooded males whacking their tuned MINI Cooper S cars around the track. Some done up pretty nicely with the works all thrown in.

 

And that's what I love about the MINI Cooper too, you can do all sorts of funky additions to it, customise it and it still turns out continentally-classically perfect.

 

yes you pay more, but end of the day, ten years down the road, you're going to find these little buggers still looking as shiny and as brilliant as they were on day 1, as opposed to other great racing hatches that you lose interest in once the new model is launched.

 

An icon - i'd say.

[Watwheels]

but I have seen quite a lot of guys driving the Mini..

That's still ok. Wait till you see guys driving pink Nissan March and yellow VW Beetle.

[Damienic]

That's still ok. Wait till you see guys driving pink Nissan March and yellow VW Beetle.

 

haha..that's quite a rare sight...

[Xtrocious]

We were also looking to get a new MCS last year but decided against it - way overpriced...

 

In the UK, the MCS is just a mid-tier car costing no more than 18k pounds...

 

If we do the maths, the distributor's mark up is close to S$30k!

 

But my wife still likes that car - we may consider a good used MCS in the future

[Miketow]

Actually, the MCS is also "expensive" the UK la. Dun covert 18K pounds into SG dollars please, not exactly a point of reference of what is expensive here and "cheap" there.

 

Perhaps a sampling of JC's review of the MCS will shed some light to Mini's price vs value disparity - or similarities.

 

"The biggest drawback with this car, though, is the price. If you want a car of this type, a not very commodious small city car that

[oomph]

I drive a 2007+ Cooper S Auto - and was previously on a BMW 532i and Passat 1.8T chipped.

 

1) Build Quality - structurally very good. you feel all the g-forces, meaning that the body doesn't flex. short chassis helps and its lighter by 22kg compared to previous R53

 

2) Handling - new turbo engine results in some torque steer but nothign uncontrollable, just sheer fun (of course need good tyers). sports mode - activated through paddelshifters for the moment, or engaged through a side throw of the gear stick - is fantastic sick of regular driving throw it into sports and its a totally new car. I use this in the wet and in traffic jams - both situations i get to overtake with confidence.

Not sure about the non S models, but the S model comes with stiffened roll bars and suspension so it starts sporty and gets sportier. funnily enough the

 

4) Acceleration - The Cooper S is fast - its sheer physics and for a 1.6 engine its fabulous. Bring it on while getting out off the corner, going uphill, or at the front when the lights turn green - have suprised many motorcycles along the way !

 

5) Fuel Economy. Still getting about 450Km on 1 tank of gas and I chiong everywhere ! best part about small engine turbo is guilt-free motoring.

 

6) comfort - my Passat 1.8t felt worse for the ride with coilovers compared to the MIni stock. also the mini is very well balanced, not as top heavy as the Passat (dips and bounces when braking) but not as good as the beemer (car sits flat when braking). due to short wheelbase going through humps can feel all of it however it eats up small bumps very well - go figure

 

7) fun-factor - this is a drivers car on a budget. completely stock, no further upgrades needed except to changeout the runflats to tubeless UHP tires and you're M Schumacher on the streets of Singapore where every turning, corner and traffic light becomes a playground.

 

8) very safe, very solidly built.

 

my best car purchase ever. yes its expensive, better get used, but I couldn't wait after test-driving was a must buy ! 2 years now and likely to keep this car all the way !