Two of the single most fun to drive modern sporty cars I have ever owned were a pair of first generation MINI Coopers. The first was a MINI Cooper S, and the second was a MINI Cooper John Cooper Works car that I was somehow able to get in the U.S. despite the standard JCW spec Cooper not being for sale here.
I drove both of my cars on many rallies, car tours, and on two cross country trips to Monterey Car Week. The MINI makes taking any trip, either a short trip to the supermarket or a 2,500 mile drive a competition event, fun. In my opinion the MINI is the very essence of a fun to drive enthusiast car. They also deliver great fuel economy and are not horribly expensive to service. In addition, the MINI has an incredibly strong owner’s community. All of these things are as true in 2024 as they were when the car was launched in 2002 and are likely to remain that way. In fact one of the best upcoming MINI events out there, and one of the most fun driving events I have ever attended, is the 2024 MINI Takes the States tour that will be held on the west coast.
I have had the opportunity to drive every generation of the new MINI, and to this day my favorites are still the first generation cars sold from 2002 to 2006. The newer models are still amazing cars, but the overall size and simplicity of the first generation models, know as the R52 and R53 models, are my absolute favorites. As a result of the MINI being so fun to drive, many of these first generation models have tons of miles on them and tend to be seen as only used cars. I interpret this to mean that the first generation MINI is one of those scarce bargains in the enthusiast car market.
My Pick of the Day is one of these first generation cars, a 2005 MINI Cooper S that is located in Rowlett, Texas.
The seller describes their MINI Cooper S painted in its original color of Hyper Blue Metallic with a white roof, white racing stripes and an interior in Blue and Black soft leather. It has covered only 77,000 miles from new and is described as, while not a perfect car, one that is in very nice condition that has been well cared for.
The exterior of the car looks to be in nice condition and the interior colors combined with the blue carpets make for a nice combination especially with the other interior pieces in what MINI calls Alloy Patina. Yes, there is some bolster wear on the driver seat but it does not look like it has any serious leather cracks. This car also features Bluetooth, a factory optional Harman Kardon AM/FM stereo with a single CD player and a sunroof.
Like all stock 2005 MINI Cooper S cars, it is equipped with a supercharged 1.6-liter inline four cylinder engine with 168 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. This allows the car to accelerate from 0-60 in 6.8 seconds which feels much faster than that behind the wheel of these fun little cars. This car is happily equipped with a 6-speed manual, as the optional automatic takes some of the fun away from the MINI.
The best part about the MINI is how affordable they are on the used car market. The asking price for this 2005 MINI Cooper S is only $7,770 making it one of the best buys you can get. If you are thinking of something like a Mazda Miata for your next sporty modern car, you might want to first drive this car and then decide. Personally I would pick the MINI 10 times out of 10, as it is just that much fun.
And fun is what these cars were designed to be! If you decide to add this to your garage all I can say is Happy Motoring.
To view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com, see the listing here.
I have a 2007 Cooper S, the first of the turbocharged R56 cars. I bought it from a friend who took good care of it. He lowered it with coil overs, fat sway bars, and 17″ wheels. It’s a good looking little beast. The automatic definitely isn’t as fun as manual, but the Sport button changes the entire dynamic, and then going to manual mode with the paddle shifters is another step into fun.
The problem I have with the car is the problems I have with the car. It’s just awful to work on and whenever it is working well, I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. The engineering under the hood leaves me scratching my head every time. Alternator? Yeah, take the front end off first. Tensioners, friction roller driven waterpump, leaking coolant pipes, thermostat, oil leaks galore . . .
It just wears a man down.
I took it to dinner the other night, got on it hard on the on-ramp heading back home, and immediately noticed something not right.
By the time I got home five minutes later, I was certain the transmission is toast at 120,000 miles.
That’s a bridge too far for this old man, so it’s going away for a pittance to someone more optimistic than myself.
I can’t imagine ever owning another one unfortunately.
Still say, the first & last of a production is worth more money. bought our 2002″ S” in 2001. Insured under collector insurance with our two Morgans.
Insurance company said we could go as high as $50K.