[Dave at Pelican Parts]

I would suggest staying away from the "S" models. The standard Cooper is still plenty of fun and is less expensive, so you should be able to find a better one in your budget. It really isn't slower in the corners, which is where these little cars are fun anyway.

Plus everything is less stressed because it makes less power, there's less heat under the hood to cook things, and fewer systems to go wrong.

They can still use oil, and there are still some things that are problematic. It's a European car, so generally more maintenance-intensive than most other cars, and it's a BMW so any work on it will tend to be on the expensive side.

I really like my 2012 "Justa" Cooper. The only significant problem I've had has been with the oil pump solenoid; it has leaked into the wiring harness a number of times, requiring the solenoid and sub-harness to be replaced. All under warranty, but still...

--DD