Hey We Bought A BMW This Weekend

"Patrick George" (pgeorge)
12/02/2013 at 10:16 • Filed to: Mini, Mini Cooper S

Just a really small one.

The soon-to-be-Mrs. PG and I picked up this 2008 Cooper S on Friday. It's in fantastic shape outside, inside and mechanically considering it's five years old. We got a great deal from the folks at Mini of Alexandria, who were among the most straight-shooting car dealers I've met.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! over their weird product decisions and newfound love affair with crossover SUV-things like the Countryman and Paceman, but I've always found the Cooper S hatchback to be a first-rate funmobile. This thing makes you drive like a hooligan for sure. It's surprisingly quick, handles extremely well for a front driver, comes with some decent equipment and is pretty practical. It's also absurdly easy to park and returns great fuel economy, which is also kind of nice.

It's also great because for the first time in a year, I have my own car again. Mrs. PG and I moved to the District from Texas last year and sold our cars (including my beloved old WRX, sniff ) thinking we could depend on D.C. public transportation, press cars for Jalopnik and car sharing services like Zipcar to get around. That plan failed miserably for a lot of reasons. Now we own a car again and it's fucking awesome.

Anyway, I can't wait to get to know the Cooper S — whom Mrs. PG has named "James Hunt" — a little better. If anyone has experience with these cars, I'd love to hear it.

DISCUSSION (61)

E30Joe drives a Subaru > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:19

Keep an eye on the power steering and take extremely good care of it, I work at a BMW/Mini dealership and 85% of cars we get in are Minis.

André - Volvo4Life > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:19

I kicked some tires on a 2006 Non-S this weekend, but it wasn't in nearly as good shape as this one! Congrats!

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:21

James Hunt, so it will get around a lot?

/Can be taken many different ways, especially if you auto-x it.

nafsucof > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:21

i drove one with my best friend from ct to austin tx down the tail of the dragon in the middle. We were moving my friend down there so he had most of his stuff save for furniture and bedding. With a 40" tv, a complete high end surround sound system in addition to the alpine sub and amp in back this car was weighed down. It even had a roof rack on it, anyways, we hammered the tail of the dragon relentlessly in october with no other traffic. Cooked the brakes up after 4 runs, but never killed them, averaged 26 mpg the whole way. Awesome car. no issues what-so-ever. Nice choice...i almost bought a countryman before buying my focus st instead.

SaabStutz > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:22

Dude! Welcome to the club! (I believe it's actully a club, aren't we supposed to wave at other MINI owners?) I can attest to the handling, although not the power, as we have the standard Cooper. That said, cloverleaf interchanges will be so much fun and that engine, even for a four-banger, has a great exhaust note! Enjoy it!

Jagvar > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:25

Are you going to bring it to Cars and Coffee? It may not be a Countach, but hey, I'd check it out!

Patrick George > Jagvar
12/02/2013 at 10:26

Hell yes I am. Very much looking forward to that.

Tom McParland > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:27

Congrats Patrick! Excellent choice. I had an '04 Cooper S and loved it. (Sadly it was totaled in a flood) Is yours "Indie Blue"? because it is very similar to the color I had. (not my picture)

Kinja'd!!!

Anyway, I believe this generation has the turbo motor whereas I had the supercharged mill. My experience was that I went through tires much faster than I expected (as you are aware this thing just screams "Maximum Exit Ramp Speed!"). Fuel economy was better than expected, I could get 36mpg at 75mph in 6th gear with cruise control. With the back seats down it could really swallow a lot of stuff including my wife's wheelchair and a whole load of groceries. So if just treat it like a two-seater it is very "practical." I will say that it is not the best vehicle for long drives. I once worked a job where I had to drive 2-3 hrs a day visiting different locations. After the first hour I wasn't too comfortable. Anyway enjoy it, we look forward to reading your adventures with Mr. Hunt!

For Sweden > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:29

Does it baby?
Hint hint, fiancee.

Leadbull > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/02/2013 at 10:30

"Autocross, the breakfast of champions"

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:32

You need this as a bumper sticker.

Kinja'd!!!

Matt Brown > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:35

I bought an 08 Cooper S brand new, and I loved it, probably my favorite all around car I've owned. Only problems I had were the water pump went out twice (you can change it yourself in an hour or two) and it burned through a quart of oil a month, which I'm told isn't uncommon for these cars. if the engine sounds like a set of silverware in the drier when you start it cold, it probably just needs more oil.

Depending on how early of an 08 it is, you might need to put in a longer cam chain tensioner; they installed a cam chain that was too long in the early ones, and the fix is just a different CCT. Ask Google for all the specific info. Though it may have enough miles at this point to have (need?) a new cam chain.

EL_ULY > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 10:36

Bring it to Houston's C&C, I'll give ya a Hotwheels :]

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Hooker > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 11:03

Congrats on the car and the impending nuptials!!

William Byrd > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 11:04

Outstanding! Your creds as an automotive journalist are restored! haha Great choice, I test drove a new one from that dealership a couple years back and was also very impressed. Parking that in DC shouldn't be too bad, now you just need an Oppo sticker for it. :)

Patrick George > Matt Brown
12/02/2013 at 11:15

Great to know. Thanks!

Patrick George > Hooker
12/02/2013 at 11:15

Thanks on both!

twinturbobmw > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 11:27

Wish to own one someday. Heard they're great fun.

Patrick George > For Sweden
12/02/2013 at 11:28

Let's hope we won't have to find that out for several years. Or ever.

f86sabre > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 11:57

Enjoy it. They are pretty good cars. OK power, good handing, easy to park and OK on gas. They do pretty well in the city and on the highway. We have an '05 S with 95k miles. We had to replace a leaking engine mount and I had to reseal the rear hatch handle as water was getting into the bottom of the door. Our's took car seats for the kids just fine. It is actually pretty easy to deal with kids as once they can get in the seat you just have to reach behind and latch them in.

Louros > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 13:17

Kinja'd!!!

Congrats, good luck with it. I have a 2010 S and other than it using a bit of oil (normal) I've had no issues with it. Bought it 6 months ago and put about 10k miles on it since, averaging over 30mpg without even trying. Do you plan to black out some of that chrome?

sdiver > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 13:46

Awesome, enjoy! Having owned a 2003 MINI Cooper S, and now a 2013 MINI Cooper S Clubman, they are great cars, and the community around them are great as well. There are a few great forums/communities out there (that you'll find quickly with Google), with lots of good information.

As someone else mentioned, the timing chain tensioner is a weak spot on the N14 engine, and it isn't unusual that they will burn a bit of oil. Speaking of oil, using a true synthetic is important (not the "synthetic" stuff you find at your local auto-parts store). MINI recommended oils are not so easy to find off the shelf, so be prepared to buy oil from the dealer if you cannot find what you're looking for.

Since it's a direct injection engine, at some point, the intake manifold will need a walnut shell blasting to clean things up...generally north of 65-70k miles it seems.

Otherwise, it's a fantastically fun car to drive...and there are lots of great mods to make it even more fun. Enjoy!

Patrick George > sdiver
12/02/2013 at 14:02

Awesome. Thanks for the tips.

Doug DeMuro > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 15:47

Congrats!! Very cool!!

Stef Schrader > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 16:39

Kinja'd!!!

Really small BMW scoffs at your gargantuan size.

Patrick George > Stef Schrader
12/02/2013 at 16:50

I should have bought an Isetta! I bet one will fit in the trunk of a Countryman.

Stef Schrader > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 16:55

YES.

YESSSSSSS.

colorfulyawn > Patrick George
12/02/2013 at 20:19

My aunt has an '06 Cooper S she bought new, and since moving out here I've had a few chances to drive it. It's a fun car, but the way it goes about things is almost completely opposite to my Miata. It feels heavy, both in its weight and the weight of its controls, but not always in a bad way. It's more like the feeling of weight you get from a nice Mont Blanc pen, a sense of heft and solid quality. Kind of reminiscent of the way my old W123 felt, now that I think about it. Still, the first time I drove it, that sense of heft took me by surprise.

It corners flat and has nice grip. Despite the somewhat heavy steering, steering feel and feedback are good. I'm not a huge fan of the interior styling, but if it were my car I'd learn to live with it. Utility is nice, but it's no Honda Fit. I'm not entirely sure I could fit a half-stack in the back of one, but it'll carry a lot more than my Miata will. Hers seems to have been reliable, for the most part. She's had issues with the dual-mass flywheel, but I never keep a stock flywheel on any of my cars, personally, so it didn't seem like that big of a deal to me.

somedudeontheinternet > Patrick George
12/04/2013 at 16:05

hooo boy... we finally got rid of our 2008 R56 JCWa... was a hoot to drive but the breakdowns finally got to be too much. I hope you have more luck than we did. I woulld have steered you toward an N18 powered vice an N14.. tell the good folks at NAM hi.

somedudeontheinternet > Patrick George
12/04/2013 at 16:05

Burt > Patrick George
12/04/2013 at 18:20

That's awesome. Little turbo hatches do turn you into a hooligan, don't they? I normally try to be a peaceful, productive member of the motoring community, but my wife bought a Fiat 500 Abarth last week, and when I get behind the wheel of that thing, I drive like my hair is on fire, frothing at the mouth and blithering on about boost.

Speedmonkey > Patrick George
12/06/2013 at 18:15

Excellent choice. I had a Cooper (no S) for 6 months and sold it due to slowness. The S would be much better.

But you really need another car as well. May I suggest a Porsche 924S (because that's my current car and it's ace)

mercedesuberalles > Patrick George
12/06/2013 at 18:57

Kinja'd!!!

Congrats Patrick! I bought my '06 Cooper S (manual) back in January 2011 with 32k miles. I live in Arlington, VA and don't drive it a whole lot (have 47k on it now), but it hasn't skipped a beat and is a blast to drive. My father bought one of the very first 2002 Coopers (manual as well), has 65k miles on it. A few hiccups but nothing major. Couldn't think of a better package for living in an urban area. Easy to park, fast, economical and with the rear seats down, commodious. Good luck with it!

scourtaud > Patrick George
12/06/2013 at 19:08

I had an MCS Convertble for a few years, never should've sold it, I've missed it ever since and will buy another one, juste waiting to see the new gen to choose.

My Brother had a MCS for a few years too, feels the same

My mother had a MC for many years, tried to replace it with Series 1, fiat 500 and wants another mini now.

I have many friends who drive all sorts of mini and the only one who want bigger more expensive cars want them for posing, not fun... Its such a great car. I hope the new one delivers the same amount of fun.

I would recommend you add the works front strut bar (I think its the name in english, it goes over the engine and links the top of the shocks). It transformed mine and is reasonnably cheap (around 250€ if memory serves)

Patrick Shea Laking > Patrick George
12/06/2013 at 22:53

She should have named it "Michael Hunt." ;)

Oh-bees > Louros
12/06/2013 at 23:11

More pictures please.

somebrit > Patrick George
12/06/2013 at 23:32

thinking we could depend on D.C. public transportation, press cars for Jalopnik and car sharing services like Zipcar to get around.

Having tried that in London, home to one of the world's best public transit systems, I feel your pain. Public transit is great until it's either broken or you need to go somewhere not on a route. Zipcar f***ing sucks on so many levels (admittedly many of them relating to the uselessness of other people, rather than the service itself) I can't imagine why anyone who could own a car would ever bother.

Aldairion > Patrick George
12/07/2013 at 01:00

New feature: "Will it Isetta?"

Stefan Tomalik > Patrick George
12/07/2013 at 01:54

Need.

More.

Torque.

At least the non S does. Not sure how the clutch is on the S but expect a replacement if you drive it like the common Jalop!

Peter314 > Patrick George
12/07/2013 at 01:55

Congrats on the car and welcome to the family.

I just had a HUGE write up about things to look out for and to look forward to but then my wrist grazed my trackpad and clicked on the picture of your car and brought up a new comment window so now you get the short version.

Bad: two big things; Timing chain and Carbon Build up (S only)

-Timing chain rattle; Not the end of the world just top up on oil or bring it by the dealer for warranty coverage. Must be said though in 6 years I haven't seen one MINI have major issues from a bad tensioner.

-Carbon build up on Intake valves; Inherent flaw of the early Direct Injection motors due to the recirculation of oily air from the crank into the intake manifold hitting hot valves with NO solvent (gas) to clean them. Dealer charges about $300 for a walnut blasting. BTW These cars respond to being spanked ;) They love a good ol' Italian tune up.

-Oil consumption; More then most cars but apparently normal for the Turbo motor MINI's, Just check often.

-Waterpumps apparently go: I've had one at 60k but those were city traffic, highway storming, full road course track day miles. 72k now and still strong

Good:

-Fast and Great on Gas

-Wonderful community of people who are always friendly

-Amazing cross country road trips arranged by MINI every few years (I expect to see you at MTTS 2014)

-Excellent two seater car that you can actually fit two people in the back if you need to.

-Amazing two seater car if you delete the rear seats and get a kit or make a Rear seat delete deck like I did. I made a rear deck with flush mount tie down rings to secure luggage or large items with. I made it for the MTTS 2012 trip and thought I would only use it for the two weeks; Instead I ended up keeping it in for over a year because I loved the amount of space.

Kinja'd!!!

www.NorthAmericanMotoring.com Is the MINI forums (MINI's NASIOC really)

I'm sure I'm forgetting things but you'll find out on your own.

OH! And don't forget to wave!!!
and I'll leave you with a shot of mine before I go

Kinja'd!!!

pollenstein > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/07/2013 at 03:35

must

have

that

where, where??

Patrick George > somebrit
12/07/2013 at 06:53

Fuck Zipcar indeed. The worst part is how you get hit with a $50 late fee here if you bring it back even a few minutes late. I bought a car when I realized how much money I was just giving away to that company when I could own something instead.

Patrick George > Peter314
12/07/2013 at 06:53

Thanks for the tips! And yes, these are all the reasons I love it too. It's freaking awesome to park when you live in a city, too.

liquid_popcorn > Jagvar
12/07/2013 at 09:26

Agreed!

Aside: didn't make it today, had to do a dealer exchange and drove it straight to the dealership this morning. :/

Next week I'll be there though.

Craig > Patrick George
12/07/2013 at 09:27

I have a 2007 Cooper S- love it to pieces. The only thing I had to change was the stupid run-flats. They're too expensive, too noisy, and too uncomfortable on the road. I live outside of DC, but drive into the city every day- the only hour and a half I wish for an automatic transmission.

Jagvar > liquid_popcorn
12/07/2013 at 10:09

Too bad, the XL1 was there this morning!

liquid_popcorn > Jagvar
12/07/2013 at 10:29

Damnit.

PARTS+ACCESSORIES > Patrick George
12/07/2013 at 14:17

And the 1.6 = cheap insurance. If you can spring for the JCW engine/exhaust it provides a little extra kick and makes a tasty sound. Enjoy!

In_Sweden > Patrick George
12/08/2013 at 12:02

I bet you're going to love it.

I learnt do drive in my mother's Clubman, and while her diesel wasn't the fastest thing on the block, they are really nice cars to have if one lives in a city. Sure, they might be a bit loud sometimes, but they feel great going around town. Even the 1.6 diesel with a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of over 10 seconds with a manual, it felt nippy going around town.

But then again, the 50+ mpg makes you feel better again.

valvashon > Patrick George
12/08/2013 at 12:56

Congratulations, Patrick, but just a reminder: You bought a MINI, not a BMW.

Kinja'd!!!

markphd1967 > Patrick George
12/08/2013 at 22:16

I had a brilliant little 2010 Mini Cooper S, fine little car right up until it pooped it's Turbo at just north of 60k miles, fortunately the 100k service contract covered that. It really is like owning a junior version of a BMW. Serviced at a BMW/Mini dealership you are treated extremely well just like the people who shelled out more for a BMW. Inside the car it has a BMW feel to the build quality, mine was quite nice, and it was just dead reliable for the most part. It wasn't perfect, however, sure the 16 valve Peugeot engine was just fine and the Getrag gearbox was certainly competent, but the suspension was a mess. Sure it handled well enough, but bumps were bone rattling! Worse than the Ferrari F355 that replaced my Mini Cooper S, and even worse than my track toy, an MX-5 with 500+ lb spring rates. It's a solid car though and perfect for DC, and you should be pleased with your purchase.

Rootsmanuva82 > Patrick George
12/09/2013 at 00:52

Congrats! I bought an '08 Mini Cooper S 6-speed in May and I love it. I agree you can't help but drive like a hooligan in an MCS. It's tightly wound and likes to be pushed. It also has an extremly balanced chassis, understeer is non existant, amazing considering its FWD. I average 31 mpg with a heavy foot and Reliability has been excellent.

Louros > Oh-bees
12/09/2013 at 09:23

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7413929…

Oh-bees > Louros
12/09/2013 at 11:11

Oh mama.

synchromesh1 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
12/09/2013 at 17:02

There is very little British about those piece of junk. They're just your average German cars. Very overpriced, underpowered, complicated and unreliable. You wouldn't catch me dead in one.

EtrnL_Frost > Patrick George
12/10/2013 at 00:01

Congrats on the new MINI! She's beautiful and we deserve more shots of Mr. Hunt!

EtrnL_Frost > Patrick George
12/10/2013 at 00:05

I just want to point out that - I persuaded the wife to pick up a Cooper hatchback (2003) what feels like ages ago (moved to a Countryman for the baby seat - Of course I got the S and sport suspension!), and I will third the whole "just drop the rear seats and consider it a practical 2 seater.

What was I pointing out? Oh, yeah, this is one of my justifications for crushing very hard on the Coupe S. It actually gets rid of the 2 seats without needing to spend a hojillion dollars on a GP variant or something. But I'm a little not right in the head.

EtrnL_Frost > twinturbobmw
12/10/2013 at 00:06

Do it. You know you want to. Second hand, make sure to watch for common problems (stated in some other comments), you can grab one pretty cheap...

Seattle Car Guy > Patrick George
12/10/2013 at 01:42

Better handling than my "real" BMW, but half the horsepower... and double the gas mileage! Can't have it all.

Darthtoad > Patrick George
01/07/2014 at 15:13

Welcome to the MINI community. Don't forget to join us on NorthAmericanMotoring