We recently took a Mini Cooper from the dealer as a loaner car for the weekend. It was an interesting experience, and I can wholeheartedly say I'm a advocate of the push button starter. That being said, there are some interesting differences between the Cooper and Cooper S that I will outline shortly.
2006 Mini Cooper S
168-hp, 1.6-liter I-4 Supercharged
25 mpg City – 32 mpg Highway
2008 Mini Cooper
118-hp, 1.6-liter I-4
28 mpg City – 37 mpg Highway
The biggest difference between the two models is that the base four cylinder engine has been supercharged in the Cooper S. Initially that difference isn't even noticeable. Acceleration out of the blocks is nice and responsive, and the difference at low throttle is noticeable but small. It's once you floor it that things change.
The Cooper S has a ridge in the pedal that requires additional pressure to push through. This basically means that you can floor the pedal and get a certain amount of acceleration, but if you apply a little more pressure, you can push the pedal through to its real floor and get peak acceleration. This is an interesting engineering feature, and one that I enjoy. On one hand it prevents additional wear on the engine by preventing it from maxing out in everyday use. And on the other hand, you feel like you have additional power when you do max it out. Roll up ramps and floor it on highways, and the difference between the base engine and supercharged one is evident.
The Mini Cooper is a fun car. It's tight through turns and very responsive. The Cooper S is a step up. It pretty much embodies the soul of the car. It has tight steering and a stiff suspension to grip the road. The suspension is so stiff that on long roadtrips with bad highways, I have gotten sick from the vibrations coming through. The Cooper S is built like a sports car. When I turn the wheel, I cannot leisurely turn it with one hand. The steering ratio is too low, and I need to grip the wheel with two hands to make it up our parking garage.
The Mini Cooper is a great car. It has ample horsepower for its size to zip around. It's incredibly maneuverable with a small turning radius. Everything a casual driver should expect in a Mini. The Cooper S is a marvel of engineering design. It sacrifices comfort for performance; and although it is a little underpowered compared to similar sporty cars, it packs more than enough punch to rule the city streets.
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