2007 Mini Cooper S: Blasting Past 15,000 miles

I can think of one potentially better small car, depending on the mission parameters. The Mini Cooper (non-S) should theoretically be more reliable (fewer moving parts), get even better gas mileage and yet is very nearly as fun. However, I'll readily admit that these parameters don't fit my mission profile; I'm willing to take the mileage and reliability hit to satisfy my addiction to speed. But I do believe S vs. non-S has already been discussed so I won't say any more.

A great car indeed, but its a rough riding lil car... rough enough to turn away potential buyers that like it 'cuz its cute'. (and have no interest in performance)
 
The VW GTI offers more cargo & people capacity, its fun to drive albeit toned down a notch, gets about as good gas mileage, and rides better. The reliability thing is really the only question mark. I've heard of many "phantom rattles" and unscheduled dealership stops for stupid things.
 
Perhaps you can add a GTI to the fleet...

"If there's a better small car on the market I'm unaware of it
 
What about the Civic Si and the Cobalt SS? Both are cheaper I believe, and more powerful and plenty of fun.

This is indisputably a great little car. The only negatives I can see are the relatively high initial cost of the car and high cost of maintenance if and when it may need it. But there is no arguing the fun factor is huge!

What? You mean to say this is better than the Focus?
 
Ditto on the MS3. Fun discluded, I'd say the Fit, Rondo, and maybe the xB would be competitive.

Discluded or excluded, bro? j/k I kid.²

"The VW GTI offers more cargo & people capacity, its fun to drive albeit toned down a notch, gets about as good gas mileage, and rides better. The reliability thing is really the only question mark. I've heard of many "phantom rattles" and unscheduled dealership stops for stupid things."
 
GTI is nice but it gets about 25 MPGs (wife has an A3) while the Cooper S driven hard gets 30 MPG (I have one). That's a big deal. Also, Mini/BMW services is 10,000 times better than VW/Audi service. I can't say enough venomous things about awful VW/Audi service (and we've had 3 VW/Audi products the past 8 years v. 3 BMW products the past 6).
 
The GTI does have great space and a really useful packaging for people/things. I was conflicted between the two but looking at my Mini's resale, it's an easy choice.
 
The Mazdaspeed3 is great fun but gets lousy gas mileage, has so-so dealers and always feels like a race car. You can tone a Mini down and it'll feel compliant and comfy (especially with real tires). There is no getting away from a Madaspeed.

"This car is dead reliable, stupid fun and it's averaging 26.5 mpg. If there's a better small car on the market I'm unaware of it."
 
You can say the exact same thing about my 2004 GTI, except I'm averaging just over 28 MPG and I have, in the past, spanked a JCW Cooper S (1st gen) on the racetrack in it, and it cost me less than $20k out the door (yes, with all taxes and fees) when it was brand new.
 
The Mini Cooper underwhelms me, mostly due to its stupid interior and frightening price tag. A Cooper S with a few options costs 350Z base money, and I wouldn't have to think for a second about which one I'd choose.
 
As for the resale comment, my GTI has lost only a few thousand dollars of its original value over 4 years. That's practically unbeatable.

blueguydotcom:
 
the A3 doesn't equal the GTI in gas mileage, as it is heavier. clarkma5 supports that with his claims of over 28 mpg on his GTI. Inside Line drives the Cooper S hard and they only get 26.5 mpg, so i'd have to take your 30 mpg with skepticism. If you drove a base Cooper, then maybe.
 
Josh Jacquot:
 
of course you'd pick the MS3! you are not the average consumer though. i've followed your exploits since the SCC days. (and apparantly we have some mutual friends, so i hear things too) its a cool car, but i prefer something i don't have to shift for the daily grind in stop and go traffic.
 
Regardless, we're all splitting hairs here... I don't think you can go wrong with either car. For my money, GTI for a daily driver.

huyracing, "sadbuttrue" is Josh Sadlier. Regardless, both "Joshes" are honorable men. Senior Road Test Editor (a.k.a. Edmunds' Drift King) Josh Jacquot's handle is "jjacquot."

Yeah, I was hoping the "Josh" signature along with the "sadbuttrue" alias would work out, but I see how there was some confusion.
 
I'll sign off with "Sadlier" from now on. Or perhaps "Lt. Pete Mitchell."

ah, apologies. i don't frequent enough to know there are two people named josh.

Forget using "Lt. Pete Mitchell!" We can just call you, "Maverick!"

Inside Line drives the Cooper S hard and they only get 26.5 mpg, so i'd have to take your 30 mpg with skepticism. If you drove a base Cooper, then maybe.
 
I drive my Cooper like a crazy man - wot throttle, shifts above 4-5k. I really don't know how they're getting such poor mileage out of it. If i behave I can easily stretch it to 33. Maybe LA traffic is that bad and they're running the AC too?
 
Which reminds me, I'm at about 370 miles on this tank, gotta stop for gas on the way in...
 
FWIW, the GTI and A3 are listed the same for mileage - 22/29. I have seen 30 in the A3 when I drive it on long freeway trips but my wife is too off/on the throttle to ever get that number. And the base cooper - when I have one - gets me about 33 mpg driven the way I push my Cooper S. The base Cooper's a steaming pile in my experience with it.

"You can say the exact same thing about my 2004 GTI...... and it cost me less than $20k out the door (yes, with all taxes and fees) when it was brand new.
As for the resale comment, my GTI has lost only a few thousand dollars of its original value over 4 years. That's practically unbeatable"
 
Hmmm, Edmunds list the TMV private party price for your car as $10K. So losing 50% of it's value is quite a bit more than a few thousand dollars. Unless by a few thousand dollars you mean ten thusand dollars.

LOL, Huss! =Þ

This has nothing to do with the Mini (which I think is one of the great cars of our time), but rather Inside Line. I really love this site and think you guys do a great job, but seriously why don't all your cars reach 20,000 miles? The point of a long term test is to test durability over the long haul, time means nothing for mechanical objects, mileage does. You should be more like Road & Track and test for mileage, regardless of how long it takes to reach that (in the case of that periodical it is a whopping 50,000 miles!). It would mean you couldn't test as many cars, but I think many would be able to get on board with that.
 
Just my two cents. Keep of the great work!

^ Because then they'd still have the Compass gathering dust in the corner.

Who designed the interior? Flavor Flav?

"^ Because then they'd still have the Compass gathering rust in the corner."
 
Fixed! :-)