towzer

After many months of waiting my wife's Cooper S has now arrived at the dealership. I got the call this morning from the dealer but haven't told her yet, I can't wait to drive it!

Apart from the normal taking it easy for the first 1,000 miles are there any specific things to be aware of with a new Mini? Has any body had any problems with the car?

Thanks,

Phil

Andy486

Start saving for the works package!!

towzer

I thought about the Works kits but as it's for the wife then I'm not going to bother.

zedder123

Mate,

Keep the revs below 4500 for the first 1250 miles if you want a good run-in period, or 650 miles if you want to get on with the fun part! visit www.mini2.com for the answers to all your questions. Enjoy the car, its a hoot to drive and recently won the accolade of the best handling car in Britain bar none. Amen.

Andy

TVR Gary

Im on the waiting list for a cooper S cabriolet for her indoors....gotta wait till mid next year at least though.

CooperS

Had mine 1 year now, niggly problems but nothing makes me like driving it less, keep it steady for 600 miles or so, then increase the revs til about 1000 and then gun it!!

Andy

towzer

Thanks guys. I think there's going to be a domestic argument over who takes the STi7 and who takes the CooperS each morning.

I'm sure there'll be a running contest between the Scoob and the Mini as to which is the best handling and point to point car. (mine had better win!)

I got final confirmation this afternoon that the car is going to be ready on Thursday afternoon. The only choice we now have is whether to have plain number plates or ones with the little English flagg or Union Jack.

Phil

druddle

Something you should be aware of is Clio drivers who want to race you. Oh, and dont have a curry the night before you pick it up.

PAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRPPPPPP.

Lol

CooperS

What spec did you go for mate?

Andy

zedder123

Clio drivers want to race, yes, but unfortunately all they get to see are the quad tailpipes and the roar of 240 horses bu$$er off pronto. Ahh, the joys of a Hartage conversion

Many Humbug Returns

Cups simply crush Cooper S's and the pathetic Works and Hartge lash-ups.

zedder123

Mmmm, give me a Cooper S any day over some flimsy foreign poo

Gary VR6

Cups rock. Cooper Ss are for girls. Whiney girls.

Rokerlad

I agree. Mini's are gay mobiles.

Hicky

Isn't a Cooper is foreign poo to?

V-techland

Quote

'Tin can vs a properly built car is hardly a comparison'

Erm.......neither of these cars are built properly!!!

Used to do some work with the new Mini's (about 18 months ago) and you would not believe how unreliable they are!!! Not just mechanical either, they have silly niggly problems IMO

OOoops sorry mate, that was not supposed to dampen your enthusiasm!!

However I've test driven a 172 and that bag of sh*ite just fell apart too. 6k miles and the bonnet catch broke, the air con wouldn't work and the boot wouldn't shut

I hope that the cup is better made, and I hope that '03 model Minis are better finished as well

Happy motoring mate

CooperS

All MINI's are made in Oxford.

Hicky

Thats a totally different world!

towzer

In response to Mr Ruddle's remarks then I'm certain there will be no contest between a silver Clio 172 and the Mini... I can drive Dave, you can't!!!!! And if you continue in this scathing manner then I'm sure Fiona can be persuaded to take Libby out shopping in the Mini this weekend and then you'll have to get Libby a Mini.

Andy - we've gone for the following spec:
British Racing Green, white roof and wheels
Chilli pack
Climate control
Parking distance control (the car is for the wife!)
Full black leather interior
Cruise control/multi function steering wheel
White bonnet stripes
Front spot lights
CD player

It cost a lot to add in all these options but we'll be keping the car for many years so I think it's worth it. I was quite surprised with the additional insurance premium, £80 extra for 5 months.

She still doesn't know it's arriving tomorrow... I'm going to be breakfast in bed and everything for at least two whole days.

Phil

CooperS

Nice spec mate,

You won't regret it one minute, I plan on having mine for another 2-3 years at least.
At some point in the next 2 years I'm having an upgrade kit too, theres a BBR 220HP one in evo at the mo that looks quite tasty.

Enjoy yourselves.
Andy

mnangrybeats

Who mentioned reliablity ? where do you think an extra 200kg's goes the Clio is built like they always have been ?? I was a design engineer on the MINI based at Gaydon and it was designed as a BMW would, they even used the QZ based BMW system to check quality..

They early cars were a problem agreed, mainly due to volume ramp up.Later ones are better...


What they all Cooper S suffer from is heatsoak, the intercooler is sat right on the engine not good...

You really feel a difference in power when it is cold, maybe a charge cooler is required..

Rich and Mini

I work with them all day. The early ones weren't made as well as perhaps expected from BMW, but they were still a lot more solid than a Clio. The newer models are MUCH better, and we haven't had many problems with Cooper Ss anyway.

If you've got white wheels and roof, then clear rear lights and side repeaters (if it didn't have them as standard) are a must! Totally transform the car

I've got a Saxo VTS, I'd swap it for an S tomorrow if I could...! Straight line speed is about dead even, and corner speeds too, but the S has superior "feel" and feedback, and the 'charger really whines with some very simple sound deadening removal ! Excellent!

Enjoy.

Rich

mnangrybeats

Don't think my car looks Gay

http://www.evoposters.net/caralbums/...ccy1.sized.jpg

Goes pretty well round the track too...

Rich and Mini

That looks gorgeous! I'd paint the wheels black, tint the windows and de-badge it...

Rich

druddle

Lol at Phil. Dont make me come over there. Whats wrong with the build quality of my Clio anyway, the silver gaffer tape holds it together quite nicely.

Dave (dont you dare let Fiona take Libby out in it)

hail-hail

My Wife has a 51 plate Cooper specced up to 14.5K Air Con / TC etc.

It's not the build quality that the is a problem, it feels well built and sturdy.
As an early version of a new car I expect some Warranty fixes, but it's the attitide of the BMW dealers that gets me.

Who the **** do these people think they are :angry:. If I take the car in it's fine, they very much have the "yes sir, yes sir" attitude.
But when the wife takes it in it's a totally different story, she is treated like a 2nd class citizen.
Last year I met with the Customer Services Manager at my local dealer and went through a number of 'issues' I had in the way my wife had been treated and also the fact theat it took 4 visits to get the ABS Warning Light off!

Anyway the wife took it back in last week for a couple of warranty issues and to fix the front of the car (pissed up neighbour reversed in to it). The following was needed:
Handbrake fix - Warranty
Seat broken - Warranty
Spot Light Fixed - reversing incident
Paint chip on from Bumper fixed - reversing incident.

Wife arranges to drop the keys in at 07:50 as she start work at 8, BMW garage opens at 8. Customer Service arrive as 07:45, ignore the wife, make coffee and chat, while wife waits looking through he front door being totally ignored.
Open doors at 8 take keys, no apology etc..

I decide I will pick up the car.

Hello sir <**** kiss *** kiss*> please wait for 5mins while we get the car valeted.
20mins later.
Car is ready.

Handbrake fixed - Woooooooooooooooohoooooooooooo
Sean not fixed - awaiting bits
Paint Chip - Totally ignored, denied all knowledge
Glass replaced on Spot light, but spots pointing in two completely different directions.

Pointed out the spots lights,
Them: "We replaced the glass, they must have came to us offset"
Me: "I didn;t ask you to replace the glass, I asked you to fix the spot lights"
Them: "Yes Sir"
Me "Do they look fixed?"
Them: No, ok we'll do that for you, can you book the car back in.
Me: "What about the paint chip"
Them: denial denial denial

Body shop guy eventually comes out, takes a photo and lets me know that we will have a quote within the next 5 days.

I can go on, but it's doing my nut in enough........

SiPie

Been hearing of a lot of gearboxes going boom

druddle

Bloody hell hail-hail, you sure youre not taking yours to a Renault dealer

SiPie

Lol @ Druddle...

Been there too and never will I buy a renault again due to brutal dealers.... still [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img] after all these years

towzer

I had a similar experience a while ago with an M3 but after changing dealerships the service improved dramatically. Do you ever get calls from BMW customer services? I complained to them a few times over this particular dealership and apparently there had been many complaints.

Phil