The mini girls (/boys) must be loving this thread. :lol1:

I'm not talking about keeping up with an STI around a track, just that it's quick enough to not be left for dead by one in normal driving circumstances.
I would probably be pretty pi55ed off if I couldn't shake one off on a circuit whilst driving my scoob.

spot on mate, but my experience is from a friend with a works

madisonmonkey,

I still cannot understand how you can say that the Cooper S would stick with an STi from A-B under 70mph and why are you saying that it is just quicker than a Cooper S in a straight line?

Is an STi an old fashion american muscle car that is good at drags and nothing else??

The Impreza and Evos of this world are famed for their cornering ability at high speed and overall handling are they not?

If we are talking about the previous generation of Cooper S with the supercharger then please direct me to some reviews where this car has outdone a Civic Type R (EP3), stats wise the EP3 leaves the Cooper S for dead, yes you have to thrash it to have any fun but that is where the fun lies surely....

If we are talking about quality and feel then yes the Cooper S outdoes the Type R (EP3) however, reliability wise the EP3 is far more reliable than the Cooper S.

G

End of the day if the chap who is contemplating swapping his STi for a Cooper S should think about test driving all of the hot hatches available and then make an informed choice.

One person may choose a Cooper S due to its 'style' and build quality whereas another person may choose a Type R (EP3) due to its raw performance and good handling. It all depends what you look for in a motor.

G

Aye, i'd like to read a few reviews, and some more info on these "works" mini's. If someone could post some links...

as usual, a thread turns into subaru bashing, if you could not pull away from a standard cooper S with your WRX either A) there was something wrong with the WRX, or B) your missus is a better driver than you. you should have been at least a second in front at 80mph or about 5 car lengths, as for comparing a well driven cooper to an average driven STi!!! WHY what is the point in that, im sure a well driven nissan micra will be quicker than an extremely badly driven porsche 911. and to compare a cooper S to an STi is even more rediculous, what most people seem to forget is that the STi (in particular) is far more capable than than the drivers who drive it, and therefore never go near the limits of the car, whereas it is far far easier to explore the limits of ANY FWD performance car..........however, i do like the cooper S, and would have one as a 2nd car, or for the missus daily driver, but realistically, stop comparing it to the STi, theres no point and no need......

Gallois,

I've been saying this for the past 2 days.

G

Andy-pay,

Another alternative to a Cooper S is the Mazda 3 MPS, worth a look for definite if you don't consider my other suggestions.

Subtle looks, well priced and very good performance.

G

With reference to the type R; great car but IMHO having to thrash a car to extract fun does not make for a good everyday car. Thats why we all love our subarus with bags of forced induction torque :D

gallois, I'm anything but a subaru basher. I've owned four of them!! and love my current one like no other car I've driven but Andy-pay asked for opinions and I gave them :brickwall

This pretty much confirms what I'm saying. In the real world you just can't make use of the STI's extra performance....

okay, thanks for the replies.

im not looking to directly compare an STi to a Cooper S, its just that im considering a more economical car, but dont want to sell out on all the driving fun i currently get!

having owned Scoobs for a number of years (WRX and 2 STis), i think im coming to the conclusion that the STi is v.fast on a clear road, where you can see around the bends and a long way down the road (so you can hurl around the bend), but on the majority of roads where I now drive, its blind bends and stuff. so although the car can fly along and (im sure) leave a Cooper S (and other stuff) behind, when your 'I dont want to die' alarm kicks in, do the the overall few seconds quicker on the journey really count?

I guess an S still has enough poke to be fun and get past lorries and stuff, but the mileage im doing now is about 200quid a month cheaper, which has got to count for something!

Im really after views on whether Id be really dissapointed, or whether I will just think 'hey, this is alright after all'!

I'm sure you would think its a fun car but I still stand by other alternatives, the 3 MPS for definite, a lot more economical with big power for a hot hatch.

G

the 3 MPS always come last in tests ive seen - too uncontrollable, apparently.

does look like a new Impreza tho'!

I wouldn't listen to all the tests, take one out for a spin before you make a decision, they are fairly impressive.

G

How about the Astra VXR? That is a quick FWD car and is better than a scoob on petrol. There is a new limited edition coming out too, in white. Very nice.

Have you also considered the Cooper S GP that I mentioned?

Both will be fun but you may be disappointed moving from a scoob. Not a bad compromise though, if you have to make it.

240 bhp thro the front wheels:lol1: loads of grip there mate:lol1:

funnily enough 1 of me mates has just bought a vxr,and he thinks its the fastest
car on the planet,cant wait for a race on twisty roads (hopefully in the wet) so i
dont just win him but a totally kick his arse:lol1:

Uh oh - has he heard of torque steer? The VXR has the power but can't control it and the handling is dire. The rest of the equipment on the car doesn't complement the extra power they have given at it.

[quote=gallois;7548220]as usual, a thread turns into subaru bashing, if you could not pull away from a standard cooper S with your WRX either A) there was something wrong with the WRX, or B) your missus is a better driver than you. you should have been at least a second in front at 80mph or about 5 car lengths [quote]

I am in no way bashing Subaru I own and have owned various models for over 5 years. What do you base this quote on :wonder:. Maybe I was dreaming it and it really didn't see/experience it. I apologise if you own a Cooper S but why do some people think they know better than those who have actually experienced it. Have you driven one? Have you gone head to head down a runway and seen the results for yourself? Did you swap cars and do it again to see if the results were any different?

A) There was nothing wrong with my WRX.
B) My other half is a very good driver and when we swapped cars the result was the same - THE WRX DID NOT PULL AWAY UNTIL APPROX 80MPH.
The Mini was supercharged = instant power available and had 6 gears so the in gear power was always there.

Andy-Pay sorry for going off topic. The Cooper S (don't know about the Turbo version) is a great little car. If you can afford the higher price over its competitors I think you'll be happy. It would be great to get your thoughts after you test drive your choices. Its the individual and their choice that counts not all our sometimes biased opinions. Life would be very dull if we all liked the same things, where would the fun be in that.

Wolfie.

Clearly the STi is significantly faster than a Cooper S - in a straight line, in the twisties - everywhere !

On the other hand there probably isn't a dramatic difference between a standard newage wrx and a Cooper S - consider their power to weight ratios and remember that those 0-60 times can tend to flatter our 4wd bundles of joy - they don't give an entirely accurate reflection of mid-range acceleration.

I think Andy will be jusat fine with the Cooper S. He is pretty realistic about it, realising that it won't be as quick but just wanting to retain that fun factor. The CTR would also be an excellent choice, but each to their own I say.

Anyway Andy : enjoy !

cheers guys, we seem to be back onto the general topic, not just a debate on how much quicker an STi is!!

anyway, if its not throwing it down, im off for a test drive tomorrow. we'll see!

:cool:

Let's have your report back in due course Andy. :thumb:

It doesn't have the low down turbo torque, but of course on any car the torque is spread across the rev-range, and the Civic's is a wide one.
The way I found the car I liked, was too test drive it, rather than just reading reviews, which I'm presuming you've done. Flooring it anywhere and everywhere isn't the only thing that extracts any type of fun from a car.

Aaron.

having an extended test drive weekend after next, which should give an idea.

had a quick test drive today (only a few miles) and need the longer time to really know. it did feel small, but thats why its called a mini i suppose!

Indeed ! :lol1:

I'm sure if you were impressed by the quick test drive yesterday we would know about it by now?

My Saab 9-3 Aero has 250 bhp and 288 lbs ft and has amazing grip considering what the front wheels have to cope with, its only in the wet if you boot it in second it spins a bit, in the dry or higher gears its not an issue so I dont think the VXR woukld be that much of a handful with a few bhp and a load less torque. My old one was only 150/177 and that was terrible so I think there are a lot of preconceptions about fwd cars based on experience of old fwd stuff, sure its still aproblem but most are much better contained than you would imagine, a lot of it is down to the design but a large part is down to having decent tyres.

Indeed, with every motor I have bought I have been amazed from the second I took it out for a spin, it didn't have to grow on me, at least thats what makes me buy a motor anyway.

G

After owning 4 classic Impreza turbo's over the past 8 years I got bored with the marque and bought a 2004 Mini Cooper S last October.
Apart from an induction kit its completely standard 167bhp. I have done about 5k miles in it and can say that over very twisty sections of country roads the mini is quicker than any scoob I have owned, including my old STI Type r V5. Virtually immpossible to unstick, even tearing into corners too hot there isnt a hint of understeer whereas the scoob would have you going straight on through the hedge!
Obviously on the straights the mini runs out of steam higher up the revs where the scoob would be starting to really fly but at those speeds your going to loose your licence very easily!
Instant power and strong brakes too all accompanied by a screaming supercharger! I do miss the scooby burble though.
Its reasonably economical, looks cool,chicks love it! and more impotantly doesnt have the same stigma that unfortunately subaru now has.
Overall I am very happy, just trying to resist going mad with the mods although 225bhp sounds like fun!:)

you may be right. the test drive was through built up area, speed cameras, traffic lights, so in some ways a waste of time TBH. just felt like a comfortable car. need to know what its 'really' like on roads well known to me.

if im honest, Im getting to the point where I cant be bothered to think about it any more, and am considering just sticking with the Scoob in any case!