F56 - Cooper or Cooper S?
Discussion
Hello everyone,
Needing to change our second car in the next few months, and the urge to buy another Mini is strong!
Having previously owned 2 Cooper S, R53 and R55, my inclination is to go for another Cooper S as previously the Coopers had felt disappointing - however this new 3 pot Cooper sounds interesting and having driven a few of the Ford ecoboosts these 3 pots can be quite good fun.
So, I was interested in other peoples experiences and whether/why you went with the Cooper or Cooper S?
Many thanks!
Needing to change our second car in the next few months, and the urge to buy another Mini is strong!
Having previously owned 2 Cooper S, R53 and R55, my inclination is to go for another Cooper S as previously the Coopers had felt disappointing - however this new 3 pot Cooper sounds interesting and having driven a few of the Ford ecoboosts these 3 pots can be quite good fun.
So, I was interested in other peoples experiences and whether/why you went with the Cooper or Cooper S?
Many thanks!
I went for the Cooper S...but I did also consider the Cooper because everyone seems to rave about the 3 cylinder engine. A lot of reviews say that the 3 cylinder engine really suits the character of the Mini.
I've been really happy with the B48 2 litre engine though, and that engine was the biggest attraction to the car for me. I do often think about going for the Cooper when I eventually swap my S though. I get 40mpg out of mine...so it does offer a good performance/economy mix I reckon.
I've been really happy with the B48 2 litre engine though, and that engine was the biggest attraction to the car for me. I do often think about going for the Cooper when I eventually swap my S though. I get 40mpg out of mine...so it does offer a good performance/economy mix I reckon.
Thanks both - seem to be leaning towards the S then, I guess the trouble if you buy the std Cooper is the feeling of 'what if..' always in the back of your mind.
cerb4.5lee said:
I do often think about going for the Cooper when I eventually swap my S though. I get 40mpg out of mine...so it does offer a good performance/economy mix I reckon.
Interesting - what would be your reasons for swapping?CaptC said:
Thanks both - seem to be leaning towards the S then, I guess the trouble if you buy the std Cooper is the feeling of 'what if..' always in the back of your mind.
Just for a change and something a little bit different I think, and I've never had a 3 cylinder engined car. The general consensus from what I read is that a slower Mini is more in keeping with their ethos too. I'm personally really happy with the S though. cerb4.5lee said:
I do often think about going for the Cooper when I eventually swap my S though. I get 40mpg out of mine...so it does offer a good performance/economy mix I reckon.
Interesting - what would be your reasons for swapping?cerb4.5lee said:
Just for a change and something a little bit different I think, and I've never had a 3 cylinder engined car. The general consensus from what I read is that a slower Mini is more in keeping with their ethos too. I'm personally really happy with the S though.
Yeah, I get that. The OH had a 1.0 ecoboost Fiesta for a couple of years, which was not fast but could still be a hoot to drive and the 3 cylinder was eager and had a decent note to it.Had a r53 mcs for 10 years and a lot of miles 140k + with a lot of modifications along the way
Found the new f56 a bit boring in mcs guise so ended up with an SD, 50mpg mixed motoring, lots of mid range umph and now looking very cheap as a second hand purchase.
Only regret is I wish I had chosen the auto or at least test drove one 1st.
Sorry only other regret was selling the r53, l should have kept that as a “forever car”.
Found the new f56 a bit boring in mcs guise so ended up with an SD, 50mpg mixed motoring, lots of mid range umph and now looking very cheap as a second hand purchase.
Only regret is I wish I had chosen the auto or at least test drove one 1st.
Sorry only other regret was selling the r53, l should have kept that as a “forever car”.
If you want ultimate power then it has to be the Cooper S, however for a cheap to run 2nd car go for the Cooper, its a lighter front end because of the 3 cylinder, the spec on the Cooper F56 is better than you would ever find on an older R56 Cooper, a remap will also put it into Cooper S power levels.
Must haves are the sports seats, LED lights and Media XL, anything else is a bonus.
Must haves are the sports seats, LED lights and Media XL, anything else is a bonus.
We have a fully loaded 5 door Cooper S so a bit of a porker, but I am not overwhelmed by performance. But we haven’t really had the chance to drive it only picking it up early March. I think it will be a grower.
I wish we could have gone for a 3 door but needs must with future plans.
I would plump for the S, but the driving modes are a must. I’d be happy with that and the bigger Media XL screen. I think that’s a must to bring the interior up to date. We have leather but I do like the fabric seats.
What I miss from her previous R56 MCS are the silly exhaust noises when the sport button is pressed! Used to pop pop pop on overrun and was brilliant. This one does it to an extent but I think it’s so well insulated you don’t really hear it.
You can get a genuine JCW exhaust for a few quid on the auction site which I will look into when we can move around a bit more. A straight fit on a 3 door but needs a bit of extension on the 5 door as the floor pan is 70cm or so longer. That should make it sound a little tastier!
I wish we could have gone for a 3 door but needs must with future plans.
I would plump for the S, but the driving modes are a must. I’d be happy with that and the bigger Media XL screen. I think that’s a must to bring the interior up to date. We have leather but I do like the fabric seats.
What I miss from her previous R56 MCS are the silly exhaust noises when the sport button is pressed! Used to pop pop pop on overrun and was brilliant. This one does it to an extent but I think it’s so well insulated you don’t really hear it.
You can get a genuine JCW exhaust for a few quid on the auction site which I will look into when we can move around a bit more. A straight fit on a 3 door but needs a bit of extension on the 5 door as the floor pan is 70cm or so longer. That should make it sound a little tastier!
Edited by paultownsend on Sunday 26th April 17:35
Exactly! It makes the car. It makes is a mini!
So in the MCS you have to have the driving modes as it only does it in sport mode.
Next time in need to refill I will try VPower as the higher octane may help it pop more!
You can get the OE JCW exhaust off the auction site for £100 or so. New ones aren’t that much more as so many were removed after the pro exhaust upgrade, which for me, is too much.
So in the MCS you have to have the driving modes as it only does it in sport mode.
Next time in need to refill I will try VPower as the higher octane may help it pop more!
You can get the OE JCW exhaust off the auction site for £100 or so. New ones aren’t that much more as so many were removed after the pro exhaust upgrade, which for me, is too much.
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