CooperS-One of the best cars I've owned.
Written: Apr 17 '03 (Updated Apr 19 '03)
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Pros: Great handling, Looks great in & out, Feels solid, Luxury car options for under $25K.
Cons: A few rattles, lots of plastic inside the car.
The Bottom Line: I think this is a great car for the price. It really has lots of BMW level amenities for a VW price. Well it is a BMW produced car...
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| andrewinla's Full Review: 2003 MINI Cooper |
***UPDATES TO REVIEW AT BOTTOM***
Just a note: I actually have owned this car for 6 months now and have 10,000 miles on it. I do not like reading reviews of cars from a short test drive perspective. I prefer a review from a person who has had the car for more than 30 minutes or even an hour just to get a more accurate opinion based on a length of time.
The car: 2003 MINI Cooper S with Sport & Premium package
I had a Subaru WRX before this car and an M roadster so I had been spoiled with some cars that had over 200bhp. This was a car I had a deposit on for a year and was waiting for impatiently. I sold the WRX to get the MINI and I thought it may be weak but I rented one for a weekend and just loved the flat torque compared to the WRX.
So power wise this car does not disappoint, it's not a good 0-to-60 car but downshift and raise the RPM's and you will be moving. Handling is even better which can be a double edged sword. On bumpy roads and day to day driving the S suspension with sport package can be pretty stiff. But once you go on some curved roads the payback is evident. The 16" wheels I hear are a better compromise toward comfort. I have taken this car to local track, racing events and I have really come to respect the performance and handling around a tight course. One thing about the short wheelbase, it can get bouncy over uneven pavement. I've been getting about 32MPG now that I have some miles on the car.
As far as the ergonomics, I find it quite enjoyable to be in the drivers’ seat of this car even on long drives. I took a drive to Vegas recently (about 4 hours) and using the cruise control I had a very easy drive. The auto AC is easy to set and the air filter really prevents the diesel fumes from the truck in front of you stinking up the interior. The dual moon roof (only 1 opens) really makes the interior bright an airy, with windows down and roof open almost feels like the Z3 convertible I had. The window switches are on the center console so they take some time to get used to the placement, but the toggle switches look great. An armrest would be nice, but I bought an aftermarket one and solved that issue. The sport seats in my car are very comfortable but the recline lever is a bit hard to figure out first time. I have had 4 people in this car with not too much of a problem. But we were all about average height (5'6" to 6'). I actually used this car to move! With the seats down the back is nice square opening and fit even my 27" TV. Oh one thing that I must have on all my cars now! Steering wheel controls for radio! This car has it and I love it!
I have only had issues with a few rattles that the dealer took care of. The brake dust accumulates pretty quickly but the brake pad compound is soft and makes this car stop so well that I don't mind the dust. It seems like most German brakes dust quite a bit from the friends I've spoken with, including the BMW I owned before.
***UPDATES***
I was asked to do some updates so here we go.
I had mentioned after the disclaimer in the first line that the car is a Cooper S which is the supercharged version which only comes with a 6 speed manual transmission. The transmission is very nice to shift I'd say much less vague than the WRX and even the BMW M Roadster which was a $43,000 car! Although for they guys who have driven a Mazda Miata, I have yet to drive a car with a shifter that precise!!
Interior noise level- The WRX is much quieter than this car. Since the suspension is so stiff in addition to the 17" wheels this car can get noisy around town. On the highway it's much better. The engine is pretty smooth around town and gets even better for highway cruising.
As far as working on the engine, I'd leave it to the pros. Although I have talked to a few MINI owners who have changed their own oil that is probably it as far as do it yourself. The engine compartment is pretty stuffed, not much room to work under there. But the car comes with 3 year/36,000 mile service warranty..Everything from oil changes to wipers is covered. With a 4 year /50,000 mile regular warranty. So you shouldn’t have to play with the car for a while.
I'd like to reiterate how this car handles. It's like a go kart! You turn the wheel the car goes there! Steering this car around curves is probably one of the best things you can do with it. One thing which takes getting use to is that you have an extra gear to play with. First 2 weeks I'd lose track of which gear I was in...But I'm the master of those 6 gears now.
By the way make sure not to pay over sticker price! There are dealers out there selling for MSRP so don't throw money away.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 23,500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2003
Model and Options: S with Premium & Sport packages
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Epinions.com ID:
andrewinla
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Location: Los Angeles, CA
Reviews written: 12
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