2005 MINI Cooper User Reviews

A Fun Little Pocket Rocket —

As of the summer of 2005, my mom's A4 had racked up more than 100,000 miles. Time for her to switch out, my dad thought. And since it was her 50th birthday, and my parents' 25th wedding anniversary, he decided to get something special. Which is what he did. Since we lived in France and saw the iconic original Mini still roaming the streets in hoards, she always envisioned herself as an old lady in a Mini. Since she's not old, I told my dad to check out the Mini Cooper S, catering to her "Momma Leadfoot" nickname. Other "mandatory" options for my mother included the Premium pack (sunroof, heated seats, auto AC, Xenons), 6-speed manual, and harman/kardon stereo. The dealer, Mini of Fairfield County, had one in Red with White Roof and Racing Stripes, on order, and since Minis were a hot commodity, we snapped it right up. There were a couple extras, such as the Sport pkg, and driving lights, but all in all it was a very well-rounded sports car for $25k, a bargain compared to the MkII Cooper S. I'm not going to lie, the car looks ridiculous on first glance. People who don't know cars says its too girly, but how many girly cars do you know have racing stripes, driving lights (just like a 1960s rally Cooper), 2-piece wheels with 45-series run-flats, and a supercharged-4/6-speed Getrag manual combo that goes 0-60 in just over 6 seconds? I'm not trying to hit on my mother, but show me a 20-something girl with that kind of ride and I'll buy her dinner. The notion of a girly car is dispelled whenever you climb into the body-hugging seats. The car isn't terribly comfortable if you're over 6-ft, but that's not a problem for me. The diminutive 3-spoke multifunction wheel lets you know that you're driving 1/2 a normal-sized car. The upright windshield is definitely distinctive, as is the giant center-mounted speedometer. My advice: make sure the on-board computer, which resides in the tach housing in front of the steering wheel, is set to show speed, as you will quickly find yourself in trouble with the law if you're not accustomed to looking @ the center speedo - especially in an arrest-me red sports car. The car begs to be driven hard and fast. My attempts to drive it sedately are met with embarrassing jerkiness, and any attempts to go faster are met with a stern "Slow Down!" from my mother. Needless to say, the problem goes away if I am driving alone or with my dad. The ride is what you would expect of a short wheelbase car w/ stiff suspension, and 45-series runflats: harsh. And because of that, I am reminded that this $25k car was designed to be profitable at $15k, with a myriad of squeaks and rattles evident by 3.5 years and 30,000 miles of use. Fuel economy is supposed to be the point of a Mini, and the supercharger saps any efficiency that the Tritec had, which wasn't much. I averaged just 31 mpg on a trip to VT once in the summer time, barely better than the 10-year-old Audi I was driving at the time, which weights 700 lbs more with AWD and a 2.8L V6. And the short gearing of the car amounted to 3000 rpm at 70 mph, and you can hear the engine droning away all day long. Lastly, despite the snow tires, the throttle can be tricky in the snow, sometimes providing more power than intended, spinning the fronts and activating the stability control Still, not bad given the immense driving satisfaction that I get when I drive it. The supercharger whine and exhaust note are spine-tingling, and the steering and shift action both have a natural heft about their action. It remains to be seen whether or not I would consider getting a Mini of my own, but in the meantime I enjoy the drive whenever I get the chance to get behind the wheel of this one.

A Huge Lesson In Let Downs! — i was thrilled when i got this car. i was in love with it for over 4 years, but when that changed, it changed fast. i broke down 4 times during a 30-day period, and the dealership kept replacing the transmission. the panic attacks i had behind the wheel lead me to get a new car. i am warning everyone who has a mini or knows someone who does, get rid of it now. this car is a timebomb... google it! i've talked to tons of people who have lost their transmissions between 47,000 and 75,000 miles. it's ridiculous.

Everyones Gotta Mini — Acceleration, braking and handling will give any $100+ thousand dollar sports car a good run for the money. Know that if you ever purchase one of these cars you WILL EXPERIENCE CONSTANT RATTLES. Run flat tires can be a bit costly as any flat requires the entire tire to be replaced in most cases. The warranty and maintenance program on these cars are superb.

Most Fun Car I've Owned — My MCS is the more fun to drive than any of my previous cars. It handles like a go cart, has classic appearance, is extremely well built, and has been a great car to own. My only complaint is the gas mileage. Mini service has been very good and has taken great care of me and my car.

Love Me, Love My Mini — So far so fun! How can someone not like a Mini? Um, yeah, if you want a sweet ass ride, you'll definitely want to get one. But only if you can handle it... Have I mentioned it's fun to drive? Now if only I can make room in the garage...