Always looking & found a good looking, though high [180k] mile Cooper S near my office for a very decent price.
Have always liked the Mini, and have driven a lot of the variations over the years, with the R50 being the standout as a fun little runabout.

Any major issues on the S/C engined Cooper S?

Now that our youngest is no longer rear-facing in the car, a 4 door daily is less of a requirement [and her seat is usually in my wife's car anyway].

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P250UA5,

I had a black 2005 supercharged Mini Cooper S for 2 years, bought it in 2007 used from CarSense.

The thing was an absolute blast to drive but I had to give it up for a daily driver that was more reasonable on the wallet. These things have a pretty high cost of ownership. Tires had to be run-flats and were very expensive. Oil changes were $150 a pop at the Mini dealer in 2007, I don't even want to know what they'd run today.

180,000 miles seems like a lot for a car of this type, I'd be very wary. The previous owner may be trying to dump it for the reasons I listed. It's built by BMW so it's going to be expensive to maintain.

Good to know, the mileage is a deterrent, but really is only about 10k/yr

Running costs are definitely good to know, I'd sworn off German cars after my last Mercedes.
I did not use run-flats on it, opting for Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 or Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS HP All Season tires & carrying a plug kit [luckily only needed once].

This one is a 2005 or 2006 JCW [ad says both] dark blue over tan/black interior, not sure if that's a factory kit or a dealer option.
An Indi Blue [02-04] Cooper S, with white roof/mirrors & OE driving lights was what I really wanted when I was in college & they were most definitely not in budget

I've never driven this R58 but my wife loves it. 2014 S with 38k miles paid $12k about 6 months ago. No problems so far.

The coupes are neat, and likely a lot lighter without the hatch & back seat.
That would be a turbo Mini, 06 was the last year for the supercharged models

180K is a lot of miles, means lots of parts will need to be replaced, just general service items, ball joints, tie rod ends, shock/struts, does it have service records, when were any of these things replaced, like timing chain/belt and guides. That stuff can easily drain your wallet especially with a member of the Bring More Wampum club vehicle,

^ Good point. I haven't looked into it with any seriousness yet. Just an inkling, always an eye out for something different.
Looks like it's only a few miles from my office, may try to at least take a look at it.

I’m looking forward to your reporting back after you test drive it.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Good to know, the mileage is a deterrent, but really is only about 10k/yr

Running costs are definitely good to know, I'd sworn off German cars after my last Mercedes.
I did not use run-flats on it, opting for Michelin Pilot Sport AS3 or Bridgestone Potenza RE980AS HP All Season tires & carrying a plug kit [luckily only needed once].

This one is a 2005 or 2006 JCW [ad says both] dark blue over tan/black interior, not sure if that's a factory kit or a dealer option.
An Indi Blue [02-04] Cooper S, with white roof/mirrors & OE driving lights was what I really wanted when I was in college & they were most definitely not in budget

JCW's are factory, supposedly, but I was also told you could chip a S into a JCW performance wise,

never looked much into it,

had a 2010 S and a 2013 S,

the 2010 was a fantastic car, and the 13 that much better,

10 was traded in on the 13 and then it was totaled (rear ended) in 2018 at 75K miles,


I had the service warranty on both, so I basically paid up front for maintenance at a good discount,


FWIW, wife's besty had a 09 standard hardtop, and it was a very good car till it hit 100K , then it started to nickel and dime her a bit

Right, but back in the 1st gen [from what little I've been able to find], the 05 was a dealer add for the JCW & I think 06 was the first factory offered JCW, so I'm not sure what this one is, depending on if it's a 05 or 06.

The GP was 2006 only, JCW's could be ordered much earlier as standalone trim models or also added as dealer packages.

The R53 will not match a JCW or GP with flash alone; they're mechanically driven superchargers so an underdrive pulley and tune to match is the ticket.

Issues with R53's..the Eaton M45 is only good for 100k mi or so. At 185K miles, I'd be surprised if it's the original blower. Not a hard swap but not a cheap one if it's time.

There was also the peanut butter problem...coolant would get forced into the oil a wonderful emulsion could kill the engine. I forget the cause...perhaps bad head gaskets? I recall owners dealing with that but my R53 has been gone a long time now. It was FAST AF....243whp with a LOT of work done to it. A friend with a 500whp Subaru STi drove it and was shocked at how hard it pulled.

This one is definitely not a GP, just listed as a JCW, either 05 or 06.

I've driven a pretty modified R53, a long time ago. At a 70mph cruise, there was constant S/C whine & it was a little rocket.

Good to know about some of the issues & things to look into.

We had a 2007 S. Always put a smile on your face to drive.
Got rid of the runflats for performance tires. HUGE difference. Picked up a extra tire/wheel and kept it in the back.
Oil changes are expensive. Kinda miss it but not a NE winter car.

What specifically makes the oil changes so pricey? Impractical to DIY?

PGT, any way to check for the PB issue?

Just pop the radiator cap. No way to tell if it will happen, only if it has.

Thanks, thinking I'm going to pass on this one.
Ran a few variations of build sheet & none are pulling it up as a JCW & one of them had a potential Harvey flood flag on it as well.

If I didn't have the Midget & wanted a toy, maybe.

I was HUGE into the MINI culture. I’ve owned an ‘05 hardtop, an ‘07 Clubman, a ‘10 hardtop, and an ‘11 hardtop. I went to England in ‘09 for the huge Mini/MINI birthday at Silverstone Circuit, was on MINI forums for hours a day, and went to many meetings, runs, and MIINI sanctioned events.

I’ve met the US MINI head and the head designer of MINI on different occasions, and they actually remembered me amongst all of the other MINI/Mini enthusiasts. I even met John Cooper’s son there in England. Yep, I was into until I was wronged by BMW USA. I instantly sold my ‘11 hardtop and gave all of my related gear and trinkets to the head of my local MINI club.

So…personally, I’ll never own another BMW product, but I can tell, driving my MINIs, especially VERY spirited through the high mountains of Colorado with several other MINIs was one of the most fun times I’ve had. Loved driving them all!

That said, even though I’ve had 4, especially 1 1st gen and 3 2nd gen’s, I’ve never had one problem with any. Yes, I didn’t have a bunch of miles on any but my 1st gen Cooper(normally aspirated), but I did drive them all in a ‘spirited’ manner.

People on the forums claimed problems like timing chain or CVT problems, but again, nothing for me. Still, I don’t think they are long term cars at this point. I can’t say anything for the fugly 3rd gen’s since I left the hobby right at the time they were about to hit the streets. Good luck!

Curious, what happened that soured you so badly on the brand?

Still wouldn't mind a R53 as a non DD toy & have seen them blast an autocross course, which would be fun, especially with SC over the turbo on such a tight run.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Curious, what happened that soured you so badly on the brand?

Still wouldn't mind a R53 as a non DD toy & have seen them blast an autocross course, which would be fun, especially with SC over the turbo on such a tight run.

Sorry, I will keep it personal as with my boycott of BMW products. The situation was particular to me and not necessarily something that would happen to other customers.

A little OT: The 1st gen MINI engine was a Mopar and the 2nd was a Peugeot. The 3rd, I believe, was finally all BMW. Also, the 3rd gens were a departure from the British-inspired roots, turning to just another BMW model. Also, 3rd gens lost their 1st/2nd gen quirkiness which was a major draw to them.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig: It's built by BMW so it's going to be expensive to maintain.

This is a very true statement. My wife had a couple. They aren’t easy on the wallet.