Ryan... said:

GF owns a Cooper S, supercharged. 

I like it a lot, fun to drive, the 6 speed feels really nice. However, the ride is quite bumpy, decent amount of road noise, obvious lack of space, etc... In the future I'll likely own one myself.

Literally wrote exactly what I was going to write.

Girlfriend has an '06 Cooper S, supercharged.  Has a smaller pulley, intake, exhaust, and a few other bits.  Very nimble and fun to drive, with the power to back it up.  HK sound system is very nice, hers is fully loaded with all kinds of options. Factory HID projectors, integrated GPS, etc, and it all functions flawlessly.

If I wasn't used to my 240whp Miata, I'd be very impressed with her car.  Feels like a refined go-kart.  Like Ryan said, the only downsides are the bouncy ride, road noise, and lack of space.  Technically being a BMW, it also carries the horribly sagging headliner. Trunk might be smaller than that of my Miata, but at least you can fold down the rear seats.

I never would have even considered a Cooper S... until driving hers.  Now I'd definitely rock one.

I'm very close to having her buy coilovers...

Before painting rims and all trim black:

Snap said:

I see that the Kirbys have multiplied   

I like it a lot, fun to drive, the 6 speed feels really nice. However, the ride is quite bumpy, decent amount of road noise, obvious lack of space, etc... In the future I'll likely own one myself.

patsbimmer1 said:

E46 330ZHP- Absolute blast to drive and all of the niceties of an E46 and only a few ponies short of E36 M3 Horsepower.  Can't really say I didn't like anything about driving it.  If you like driving an E46 you will like this.

Mini Cooper S-  The supercharged model is fun but the turbo model gives you a bit more.  The shifting is direct and the steering is like being in a go-kart on steroids!  The interior is roomier than you would expect.  I wasn't really impressed with the interior materials but I understand that it is meant to hit a cheaper price point.  Overall, it was a great drivers car and I would definitely recommend one.

The reason I prefer BMW over all of these is the interior quality is better, the ride quality is nicer while still being sporty.  The engine sounds gorgeous, and has power when you need it.  BMW never fails to put a smile on my face.  

I agree with Pat on these, I've also driven a 2.0T GTI. They are fun in a straight line but that is it, handling just isn't as good compared to the Mini.

I will burn my car and erase all knowledge of you.

Mini Cooper S-  The supercharged model is fun but the turbo model gives you a bit more.  The shifting is direct and the steering is like being in a go-kart on steroids!  The interior is roomier than you would expect.  I wasn't really impressed with the interior materials but I understand that it is meant to hit a cheaper price point.  Overall, it was a great drivers car and I would definitely recommend one.

Mustang V8-  Depends on the year.  the S197's have a much nicer interior than previous generations but still very plasticy.  Any of the generations are great to pound on and cheap to modify.  I would never go any older than the New Edge Mustangs which started in 1999.  Great as a second car but I wouldn't want to daily any Mustang.

Evo - I drove an Evo 9 MR and it was FAST.  It was stock and at the time was by far the quickest car I had ever driven.  It will plant you in the seat at the thought of dropping a gear and flooring it.  The ride was stiff and the interior was cheap, noisy and uncomfortable.  With that being said, I understand this car was made to go fast and that's what it does well.  Another one that I would own as a fun car but not daily.

Forester XT - Surprisingly quick.  I believe the one I drove was an 04 and I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at until I popped the hood for my inspection.  I did a little bit of research after that and I got a little giddy.  The interior is typical Subaru of the time and by that I mean it works... but it's not pretty.  I would definitely recommend somebody buy one of these that wants an AWD vehicle to daily.

The reason I prefer BMW over all of these is the interior quality is better, the ride quality is nicer while still being sporty.  The engine sounds gorgeous, and has power when you need it.  BMW never fails to put a smile on my face.

Snap said:

E46 330 ZHP

Mini Cooper S

Focus ST (hatchback)

GTi 2.0T

Mustang (V8)

Evo

Forester XT

How did you like them?

What did you dislike about them?

In what ways do you prefer your BMW to them?

I am not really in the market for a new car, but I havent driven any of these cars (drove a 330 a long time ago but cant really remember much about it)  and was wondering how you like them?

I sometimes think of selling my E30 and getting a new FARTUS ST or something that would attempt to satisfy the practical and enthusiast desires simultaneously but I have a hunch that I would be missing the E30 if I did that. 

There, fixed that for you, the problem with those is that the engine is in there sideways...

On a more helpful note I have driven a 2008 cooper s, it was a soft top, which I didn't care for.  The 6spd was great, plenty of power, handled well, but back to the sideways engine driving the wrong wheels again.