MINI ONE v MINI COOPER

hewhoisnotintheknow

if you have to ask what the difference is, you dont need the cooper

Doozergirl

It's not streetcred - the more powerful engine in the Cooper makes the Mini driveable for someone like me - there's not a lot of oomph in the ONE at all.

I agree with vansboy on his points on speccing up a lower grade car but the pain with the MINI is that air con isn't standard and then by the time you've bought it, you might as well upgrade to a PEPPER pack - it's all 100% designed to make you spec the car up. You very end up with a car that's more expensive than the base of the next model up, which doesn't have air con either. :wall: So you don't win in the way that a Ford Focus comes with all sorts of variations on spec - you have to make your own at great cost!

I bought my Cooper 9 months old and saved about 3000 on it's price new. I still could have bought a Cooper S with nothing on it for about the sineame price.

I disagree that the ONE looks more basic - it doesn't come much different to the Cooper, it depends on how people personalise a car that really makes it look different. Mine has a black roof, chrome mirror caps - it would have cost the same to do it to a ONE.

If acceleration isn't your thing then you may as well go for the One. Don't make the mistake of test driving both because that is when you notice the difference! You can give it roof and mirror caps for about #150 which is cheaper than a more powerful engine if that's all you see in the difference. You will find yourself comparing the minutae of your MINI to other people's and wanting what they've got anyway :rotfl:

If you're looking new with little spec then it's worth leasing it and getting a new one every couple of years. I don't think it really matters on resale what spec you buy - MINI seems to have many different audiences, whether it's a ONE as a first car, or a Cooper S because you want sporty but want to save on petrol and road tax.

pegginout

Thanks Doozergirl
At moment I have a 1.2 corsa so even 1.4 will seem fast compared to what I have!

bclark

Pegginout to answer your question there are a few key differences between the two. Firstly cosmestically the Cooper has a few touches around the bodywork that make it look nicer and also the performance is better. This may not sound like its important to you but you will appreaciate the more sporty response.

I would suggest that you have a look at the Mini website and compare the equipment lists from each one http://www.mini.co.uk/html/model_range/mini_cooper/equipment/completeRange.html

I think that the differences inclide things like sports seats and lots of chrome toughes inside and out.

hewhoisnotintheknow

pegginout wrote: »

Thanks Doozergirl
At moment I have a 1.2 corsa so even 1.4 will seem fast compared to what I have!

That logic does not always follow!

vansboy

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

That logic does not always follow!

CORRECT!!

MINI is a heavier/bigger car, so the Corsa already has 'good' engine, at 1.2, for the work it's got to do.

Small engines in bigger cars, don't always save £$£$, or fuel - they work harder, to get you where your going!!

VB

itsnever2lateisit?

There is very little difference in the 2 prices there OP. I would go for the Cooper, but if the ONE was a good bit cheaper than the cooper I would buy that and have the ECU remapped.

Both cars share the same underpinnings and road manners, it just a diff in engine size (and power) and a few bell and whistles

pegginout

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

if you have to ask what the difference is, you dont need the cooper

No need for that.

pegginout

http://www.mini.co.uk/html/model_range/compare_models/tech_spec.html

Thanks bclark....found it !

maple41

Check insurance costs between a One and a Cooper. My wife had a One from new, wanted to add DD when she started to drive, not too expensive sub £400 extra on fully comp. named driver. Daughter's friend also started driving at same time, her mother had a Cooper and insurance refused to add a 17 year old female. Your circumstances may be different, but ... you can buy a One (debadged) that looks like a Cooper.