Mini Cooper S

[Norman Verona]

Tim, I have a look at that, thanks.

[Speed Freak]

no probs. really was a cracking car. Im actually considering having another one.

[Norman Verona]

Autotrader has a 24,000 miler for £5650. It'll almost certainly be sold by the time I sell the CTR.

 

They do look good but the feature that attracts me to the Mini is the brightness of the interior.

[Speed Freak]

mazda is a great all rounder. Has a good amount of space- boot is generous- power is enough- and as you requested very comfortable. The mini is a very different car. It does appeal to me some what, but I don't find it particularly practical for me, and the reliability I would question as well. Its all a question of what YOU need. Maybe you don't need a bit more space? Maybe you don't need a bit more power? Im pretty sure though that the mazda is more comfy though- Ive sat in the cooper s of an old friend of mine, and never though anything of the seat position; meaning that it wasn't bad but not particularly noticeably good. As mentioned earlier, I drove to and from Germany 3 times with the mazda and each time mentioned to my wife just how much easier the drive was due to the comfort.

[Norman Verona]

Tim, The mini is quoted at 170 bhp with a 0-60 of 6.6 seconds. Fast enough for me, if I want faster I've still got the 7.... 0-60 in 3.4 seconds.

 

The Mazda is quoted at 260 bhp with 0-60 at 6.1. Must be much heavier than the Mini.

[Speed Freak]

I raced my mates mini s in my mps. Upto 60 mph I was only about a car length ahead, but after 100 there was no comparison (german autobahn)- the mazda actually hits the speed limiter at 155, did it many a time, ( was about 25 years of age then, so was the done thing ;-)   )

youre right, the speed difference is negligible for day to day driving... but I think youll find, the turbo mps has a good amount of torque low down, (its in essence a 2.3 turbo duratec engine)- where as the supercharged mini, will need revs

[Norman Verona]

Tim, I only potter about these days, it's called being a wrinkly

 

I think if I had a Mazda I'd be hairing about all over the place and end up with zero points (I have 9 now). The FRench give you 12 and subtract them as you get caught.

 

The Mini's favourite at the moment but can change. I still have to sell the CTR.

[deanoecosse]

Norm, if you are looking for comfort, don't buy a Cooper S. I had a 2005 facelift one for a year and sold it a year ago as it was just too harsh. Now I'm an early 40 something but for someone eh hmmm of more advanced years, it will be incredibly uncomfortable. The ride did improve a lot when i ditched the awful runflats, but even so it was just too hard. Don't get me wrong, it's a car that never failed to put a smile on my face, it drives like a go-kart with a perfect driving position and the noise from the supercharger is just soooo addictive.

 

2005 facelift cars onwards are best. Build quality isn't brilliant and they can burn oil at an alarming rate. The panoramic sunroof option makes the car nice & airy inside but is very noisy when opened. If you are only going to use it for short journeys (sub 30 miles) it's an absolutely brilliant little car, but regularly doing anything more than that, then your Caterham will be more comfortable!  

[Norman Verona]

Dean, I've read about the runflats being harsh and most cars for sale seem to have normal tyres. I'm only looking at the mk 2 (2004-2006) supercharged model but some turbo's are creeping into the list.

 

I would like to get the sunroof, twin instrument, full leather and the 6 cd changer but so far I've only seen 3 out of the 4.

 

We do a few long journeys a year, one to Jean-Marie about 100 miles away, one back to the UK (Sheffield), the rest are no longer than 45 miles (Rennes, Angers, Nantes). 

 

I'm not after a comfortable drive only to have a comfortable driving position.

 

The search will go on, but got to sell the CTR first.

 

Many thanks