As above, we are looking at getting a car...
kinda narrowed it down to fiesta st or mini cooper s...
Ive never had either before-
just want to hear peoples views and opinions on either of the two.
What are they like to drive?
What to look out for buying second hand?
Insurance and running costs an that.

CheeRS Fraser

 

I've owned both. Much prefer the mini,
2008 mini cooper s, done 45000 miles in it and still love it. Never let me down, returns 31 mpg. The fiesta never really felt nippy plus the mini has great resale value

 

Here's the st I owned. It wasn't a bad car, just not as good as the mini

 

The missus has had a mk7 fiesta zetec s for some time now, she was after an ST but struggled to find a clean decent one. The ST's are great to drive but think they look a little dated now. I do like the mini's as well but too many about now! My missus' Zetec S (58 plate) is up for sale but not sure of your budget (see cars for sale section!)

Chris

 

I have had both the Mrs mini cooper s is ace returns good mpg dont buy the supercharged type as plagued with problems r56 new shape from 56 onwards much better eat tyres and there expensive other than that good better re sale values but i think its a girls car. Loved the st though dont think much goes wrong with them.

 

Love both but the problem is the ST just isn't quick enough. Even with the Mountune 185 conversion on there they only feel luke warm.

Mate of mine has been doing a 52 Cooper S and with the recently fitted JCW supercharger and smaller pulley it goes very well indeed and sounds mad

 

Having driven both a Cooper S and an ST150 I agree with the above. The Mini is a better car, but that's by no means putting the ST down.

I'd be choosing the Mini all day.

 

Clio 172

 

Personally Mini as a girl, i personally wouldnt have one, but thats just coz i have small car syndrome and would prob loose my license, but all my friends LOVE their minis!!!

 

Fiat 500

 

Mini is a perfect birds car from a style angle, My sister has one, must admit I found it a bit notchy and sluggish, the misses has an ST and was very reliable but underpowered for a 2.0l in a small car imo.

The misses now has a mk7 fiesta zetec S and I like it, easy to drive, decent size, cheap to run, looks the part.

 

My sisters boyfreind has a 55 reg mini cooper s and he has nowt but bother with his.The pas stopped working.He has gone through 3abs sensors and has just a rear crank shaft oil seal done.

 

Mini Cooper S all the way, only thing to watch is the gearboxes on the Mini other than that good quality cars.

 

Abarth? had a go in one really liked it.


Out of the Choices above, Would have the Mini after driving both.

 

we have had a couple of brand new focus st's a year old mondeo st220 and now a mini cooper s
my misses drives it all the time and even though the mini is a 2004 car she says its the best car she has had
so much fun to drive and we test drove a brand new fiesta zetec s and it was boring to drive and noisy as anything inside
our mini is running a grs intercooler 17% pulley and modified airbox and makes 212bhp which makes for a fun little car and tons of spec as well

 

Cooper S. I had mine a year and a half and gave it death every day. Only thing that went wrong was the PAS pump, which was sorted under warranty at BMW (Cheers Carlo!)

My mate had a 180bhp ST done by Pumaspeed and it couldn't come close to my mini with a smaller pulley

Mini seems built better also, and I always felt as if I was sitting high up in the fiesta :/

 

My girly has a fiesta st and I think it's massively dissapionting.
Breaks were crap so gone up to st170s all round.
Lowered it on eibacks to try and cure the cronnic body roll.

It's noisy, bumpy, poorly built, shocking on fuel she gets 28mpg, I get about 23 out of it lol.

And the gear box has started jumping out of second gear on over run ( common problem)

Saying that wouldn't have the mini either, plagued with issues.
I agree with chip, that or a civic type r.

 

I wish i could say the st but tbh but a john cooper works mini would be the one to have

 

Think i'd have a clio aswell tbh.

 

The wife has a 57 plate Cooper S. Great car IMO, great handling out the box, scope for much cheaper tuning than the ST, much higher residules. The list goes on... The boot space is sh*te though. They are all about spec also, if going for a later turbo model make sure it has had the revised timing chain tensioner warranty recall work

ST's more grip than power, bout it really IMO.

Oh the wife 57 plate loaded car with low miles will be forsale soon. Dont want to sell really, however we are due our 1st child in April and its just not practical.

 

oh no i got a girls car LOL

 

Mazda 3 MPS if i was buying it..

 

Mini cooper s for me.

If I'm honest the 52-06 cooper s (supercharged) has a very strong gear box. It's the coopers and one that suck.)

If I had to choose the above or the current s I'd go for the current because they are alot better on fuel.

Things to watch out for are top end engine rattles, the chain stretch after 30,000 and start becoming noisy. Also as the are direct injection there with be some de-coke needed with some mileage.

Both are very cool to tune.