Looking at an '02 MINI Cooper S tomorrow: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Dec. 10, 2010 6:36 p.m. Jeff Dork

Going to check out a MINI tomorrow. '02 Cooper S, has had the transmission replaced, had all service done at a BMW shop, was recently certified, comes with a set of snows and a BMW roof rack and box. 175000Km on the clock. These folks have owned it since new, and also have a 2004. They needed a bigger car and bought a Jetta sport wagon. Price is $7500 CAD. Seems like a pretty good deal. Wish the kilometerage was a bit lower, but that's not bad. I don't think it's been driven in anger from talking to the owner. Friend of a friend.

What do you all think? My first blush is that for that kind of money I can get something with fewer miles, but it won't have the grin factor of the MINI. What other small city cars for around the same coin should I be looking at?

As always, thanks.

Jeff
Dec. 10, 2010 8:47 p.m. Tyler H Dork

Surely they did the clutch while the transmission was out. Look at the strut towers. They should be flat on top, not domed/mushroomed. Make sure the windows roll down 1/4" when you open the door. MCS eat power steering pumps, windows motors, clutches every 85k, and mushroom the strut towers if driven with run-flats on potholed roads. Parts aren't cheap.

They are a lot of fun if you're willing to deal with a few nuisance repairs.
Dec. 10, 2010 9:47 p.m. kazoospec New Reader

Since you're talking KM's, I assume you are somewhere in the great white northland. If so, be sure you test drive it on snowy roads (unless you plan to drive it summer only). I drove a Cooper S a year or so ago and found it to be the worst vehicle I've ever driven in the snow, including my 74 Camaro. I'm sure decent snow tires would help a little, but its got a short, narrow wheel base, almost no ground clearance and doesn't weigh much. I'm sure it would be a hoot in the summer, but didn't seem to be an even passable combo in the snow.
Dec. 10, 2010 10:20 p.m. Ian F Dork

An MCS is fine in the snow with snow tires (I just installed them about an hour ago). Our MINI's have aftermarket skid plates which helps with ground clearance (ice chunks) and protecting the p/s pump. 90+K and still on the original.
Dec. 11, 2010 6:58 a.m. ZOO Dork

Seems like a good deal to me -- I haven't seen a Cooper S under 10K in Ontario yet (although I haven't looked too hard).
Dec. 11, 2010 1:13 p.m. Jeff Dork

It's mine!!!!! Great shape, as described, transmission and clutch were done 50km ago. One small rust bubble on lower edge of drivers side door, that will be the first thing to do. Strut towers looked good, the current owner never drove it much over 120 kph. Everything worked. Two of the snows look great, the other two are OK, they'll go on the back for tail out fun! Ian, got a link for skid plates?

Hope to have the paperwork sorted early this week. I'll post pics as soon as she's officially mine.

Thanks!

J
Dec. 11, 2010 2:16 p.m. Stealthtercel Reader

Congratulations! But... if this is a city car, you don't WANT tail-out fun, and I speak as a lifelong Toronto boy. (Well, Oshawa now, but whatever.) Put the good snows on the back.
Dec. 11, 2010 5:02 p.m. z31maniac SuperDork

Congrats! I loved the Cooper S I test drove a few years ago.

When I bought a new car in June it was between a Golf GTI, Cooper S and MazdaSpeed3. The Mazda won because of maintenance costs, but I still secretly lust after MINIs.