I past by the local Hyundai dealer and they had an 03 regular Cooper with 63k miles on it for $11,900 and it had no sunroof.. Very tempting..
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July 3, 2009 10:50 a.m. 92dxman Reader
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July 3, 2009 2:23 p.m. scottgib New Reader
Some amazing posts here. I have had 2 original S;s and now have a 2002 S that I bought new. It gets autocrossed 13-16 times per year.
- If you are not familiar with BMW's shifters, then you don't know the proper technique to get one into reverse.
- Back seat is small, but I have had four people in mine at an Evo school when the instructor wanted to use it as a training vehicle. The front passenger was 380# and 6'3". None of us were under 5'10. Not much room left, but the back seat folks had their feet on the floor. I think that is the only time I have ever used the back seat.
- It will haul a lot of stuff with the back seat folded down.
- It is remarkably easy to drive fast.
- You do have to have it in the right gear to go fast. v8 drivers don't appreciate having to get the rev's up.
- The non-S seems slow to me.
- After a couple of warranty covered problems (steering rack leak, coolant overflow tank leak, and ECU flash upgrade), I have had no maintenance expenses other that normal.
- Mine is an under-prepped STX car and I love it. Only three mods: adj big rear bar, camber plates, and a Quaife. Everyone that drives it at an autoX loves the way it handles.
- The OEM LSD on the newer S's is somewhat ineffective compared to a Quaife.
- Changing the oil filter element is somewhat of a PITA. There is a special technique needed to keep oil from getting everywhere (housing is upsidedown) and engaging the threads when replacing the housing is tough.
- OEM runflats are terrible and so are the wheels. Rota slipstreams and good ST class tires fix the problem. I carry a bottle of slime, jack, and compressor in lieu of a spare, unless going on a long trip in which case I throw one in the rear.
If this car were to be stolen, I might just buy another. For no muss, no fuss autocrossing it is a good car. Not the fastest, but a lot of fun. A WRX would also serve the purpose, but just not quite as much fun to drive.
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July 3, 2009 6:51 p.m. procainestart Dork
Some info on Minis...
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/mini-conundrum-does-quality-matter/?hpw
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July 3, 2009 7:27 p.m. Shaun New Reader
fwiw:
http://www.jdpower.com/autos/ratings/quality-ratings-by-brand/sortcolumn-1/ascendi...
yes, that would be last.
