172 MK2 vs Cooper-S

[rt172]

To be specific, versus Cooper-S Boy aka James (nice to meet you by the way!). Went for a blast round some excellent Peak District roads. Would love to say that I stuffed the Cooper-S, but both driving flat out we were dead equal. Went up to about 115mph and nothing in it. Im sure many will disagree, but Ive seen and now I believe!

The "S" is a really nice car, the supercharger sounds excellent and, best of all, its handling is amazing. It can be chucked at corners at silly speeds and it feels so stable and adjustable, and this is just from the passenger seat! Im not saying its any better than the 172 - it is totally different. In fact, it does the same thing as a 172 but in a totally different way.

Rhys

 

[m@thew]

must be down to your underpowered 172

 

[teady172]

Id have no fear taking on a Copper-S! Anyone with a good 172 been up against one??( BTW!) I would have thought it would have had an S!

 

[geoff_clio182]

I still look at the price difference between the S and a 172! I think James paid around £19000 for his after all the extras. I paid £12500 for my 172 and I get the same performance or so rhys says....thats an extra £6500! Just think what you could do with a 172 with that extra cash.

I still like the look of the S though; much better than the standard Cooper or One.

 

[telford_mike]

Yeah, a guy in our street has one and its a nice car for sure. No faster than my 172 - probably a bit slower in fact, but it does handle nicely. But the price??????? Another 2 or 3 grand and youre in Scoobyland!

 

[James Palmer]

Rhys & James, nice to meet you both - sorry to bail so early!

James - Your Cooper S is sooo nice! One thing though, I just cant justify the extra ££s. My car cost £11,899 OTR - Yours was £19k? or something close to that mark.... You can buy a standard Scooby of trade sales for £17,699 - I think I would plump for the Scooby any day!!

Let me know if either of you fancy a run out this weekend (Sunday)? Would love to go!

 

[rt172]

mailto:M@thew">M@thew - bugger off!

teady - hmph "a good one". **** *** Ill have you know I got 136bhp @ wheels which is, with about 20% transmission loss, 170bhp. 2 more and I really will have a 172, unlike most people!

James P - yeah, an early run on Sunday would be good while the roads are still clear. Bakewell to Buxton on the A-something-or-other is a brilliant road for a razz!

Rhys

 

[rt172]

Oh yeah, about the price business, the S is a solid feeling car. It seems well bolted together, the ride is really smooth and it seems to handle superbly. I bet theyre really fun to drive.

The 172 on the other hand (and Im thinking as my experiences in them as a passenger rather than a driver) feels completely manic in comparison. I know for a fact it is fun to drive and fun to be a passenger in one.

So, totally different types of driving experience, different approaches to everything but both really good cars and seemingly identical performance. Doesnt matter that the one thats been screwed together tighter costs more. Seems fair enough. Im happy with the 172, but I reckon that, from what Ive seen, the S is up there with the 172. I just need to have a ride or a drive in a Civic Type-R now...

Rhys

 

[wilf]

From my experiences with the Cooper they arent any more reliable than the Clio. So wheres the extra dosh going.

Im not surprised you couldnt lose the Cooper. On a twisty road its much more about driver skill than anything else. It would take a much faster car to easily out run you.

 

[RSTDL]

Cooper S - Nice Car, but not for me - lets be honest here guys - theres not a lot in it between a Cooper S, 172, 172 Cup, CTR, WRX, Seat Leon Cupra S, Focus RS, VW Golf R32, V6 4Motion - now is there - were talking 0.1s of seconds!!!! its down to personal prefernce, budget, likes and dislikes - am I finally maturing in me old age? But seeing as this is a cliosport site I feel it my duty to bum up the little french fancies especially me Cup which still isnt fapping here - I would imaging if u guys havent got yours in England yet, then Im not likely to see mine here across the water in Northern Ireland for ages............ oh the grief!

 

[Dafthead]

Hi , Its Andy (had the Cooper S with white roof)

Was nice to meet you all last night, sorry I couldnt come for a razz but my missus was pestering....you know the score

Was the first time Id had a look in a 172, Nice cars.

Andy

 

[geordiepaul]

There is a cooper s near me that I see just about every day just been waiting to get him on an open stretch of road! I have to day though when I drove a cooper s it did not feel any where near a quick as mine but perhaps it wasnt run in!

Ill just have to wait and see!!!

 

[RPM]

I have just read a 172 vs Cooper S in the Swedish edition of the German Magazine "Auto Motor und Sport" Sad reading.

0-62mph: Cooper-7.7sec 172-7.5sec

0-100mph: Cooper-19.2sec 172-23sec!!!

Standing start 1000meter: Cooper-28.5sec 172-28.7sec

I feel good knowing everyone reading the magazine will buy a Cooper S not a 172, then i will be able to toast them in my well run in Mk1...

 

[paddymph]

Hmm 0-100 of 23 secs for a 172? I dont think so, a VTS could do quicker, I ran 17.4 with me and Joe (Captn) in the car with an AP-22....?

I reckon the CooperS would do 0-60 quicker than 7.7.....

Paddy

 

[rt172]

Even on my rubbish runs with the AP-22 I got 0-60 in 7.2 seconds also with Joe as a passenger. Theres no way that any of those magazine times are even close for either car!

 

[toolmantim]

well guys came up against 2 s the other day and they both left me standing but only because im 1750 meters above sea level .but got my own back today at the coast got the upper edge up to 200 kph then the 172 falls short quickly.but also crap fuel dont help...

 

[RPM]

I agree with you. At our 172 meet here in Sweden everyone got 0-62mph times around 7.5s in the wet. The car used in the test may not have been run in properly or just driven badly. Would like to send the mag. a correcting mail...