F56 Mini Cooper

[Chestrockwell]

My girlfriend just bought a F56 Mini Cooper hatch and my god what a fantastic little car, it’s got me thinking about selling my 4 series and getting a Cooper S!

Her spec is as follows,

2017 ‘66’
Led lights
Chilli pack
Part leather
Cooper S wheels in black
Sunroof
Upgraded Audio
TLC pack
8k miles for 13 grand, bargain!

I’ve been considering selling my car, paging off the loan and buying a Cooper S cash and saving money on the payments, fuel and insurance. The Problem is with these cars is that they’re so spec dependant, it’s hard to find the right one, must haves for me would be the Xenons, Pro Media, HK, Privacy Glass and Part leather/leather.

None seem to exist with these, there’s a few 2014/15 examples with lowish mileage for 13-14, I’ve found a few I’d compromise for but none have the led lights, why don’t people just spec these?!

So my ideas and thoughts are out the way, I wouldn’t mind paying extra but that depends on how much I can sell my car for. My questions are as follows

Is the JCW worth it compared to the standard S?
Fuel consumption? Anything above 40 for me is good
Reliability? Her one is still under warranty but if I got one, it wouldn’t have it.
Any compromises on handling? The Cooper felt a bit, jumpy at speed, could the S be more resolved?

Thanks in advance,

[cerb4.5lee]

I get 40mpg out of my F56 Cooper S, I find the ride/handling to be nicely resolved on back lanes(its on 17" wheels without run flats). The ride can be a fair bit harsh around town though.

Mine has £5k worth of options on it and they seem to lose a lot of money quickly, so I guess buyers don't load them up with too many options for that reason. Plus it turns it into an expensive car, and you don't get much performance/car for the money compared to the alternatives out there.

I've been really happy with mine(had a E90 330i before it), I really wanted something smaller/lighter and something fun without needing to do silly speeds to get the thrills. I enjoy every drive and its really got under my skin.

[Hammy98]

IIRC the LEDS/Xenons are standard from 2017 onwards.

Before that they were a cost extra, so many were specced with packs (Chilli, JCW Sport) and the lights weren't included.

When looking for mines I ideally wanted the LEDs however a car came up in the correct spec bar the LEDs so I compromised. I've been tempted to have them retrofitted since taking delivery however the official mini units cannot be fitted due to a different wiring loom so the only option is a custom install.

I'd hang on and look for your ideal spec.

[The Cardinal]

If you're interested in saving money, would it work out to sell your car and then share the Cooper with your girlfriend? Now that really would make a big saving - and you'd have the time to consider whether replacing the BM would be worth it at all.

[Chestrockwell]

The Cardinal said:

If you're interested in saving money, would it work out to sell your car and then share the Cooper with your girlfriend? Now that really would make a big saving - and you'd have the time to consider whether replacing the BM would be worth it at all.

Well it would work however we don’t live together plus we both need the car at the same time, I’m in no rush at the moment so just going to keep looking for the right one

[Zetec-S]

Chestrockwell said:

None seem to exist with these, there’s a few 2014/15 examples with lowish mileage for 13-14, I’ve found a few I’d compromise for but none have the led lights, why don’t people just spec these?!

We were tempted to add led lights to the wife's Cooper SD last year. Glad we didn't in the end, a month after she got it a headlight got smashed - £300 per unit for standard as opposed to £700ish had it been led

[Deep Thought]

Hammy98 said:

IIRC the LEDS/Xenons are standard from 2017 onwards.

Before that they were a cost extra, so many were specced with packs (Chilli, JCW Sport) and the lights weren't included.

LEDs only became standard with the March 2018 facelift.

Edited by Deep Thought on Tuesday 2nd October 19:26

[Deep Thought]

Chestrockwell said:

None seem to exist with these, there’s a few 2014/15 examples with lowish mileage for 13-14, I’ve found a few I’d compromise for but none have the led lights, why don’t people just spec these?!

Because they were around a £700 option so a lot of people didnt tick the box.

[Deep Thought]

Chestrockwell said:

Is the JCW worth it compared to the standard S?
Fuel consumption? Anything above 40 for me is good
Reliability? Her one is still under warranty but if I got one, it wouldn’t have it.
Any compromises on handling? The Cooper felt a bit, jumpy at speed, could the S be more resolved?

Thanks in advance,

JCW over a Cooper S? IMHO - yes. Worth it for the bigger brakes / servo and they usually come higher spec'd. You can get the power up to JCW levels and well beyond with a tuning box or remap, but the brakes are the weak point.

The Cooper S isnt any more resolved. They're "bouncy" but handle well. Avoid the Sport suspension as it makes matters worse.

If your budget will stretch to a JCW its the one to go for. Also you might want to have a look at MINI approved cars, so you get a full warranty. No reason to believe they're unreliable but they're complex.