Cost of ownership, reliability and daily practicality. Is a Cooper S for me?!
 

So I figured where better to get some real info than MCF >.<. Been looking into getting a new car to replace my '04 6MT TL. Idea is to sell that and my B5 S4, get rid of all my payments buy something under 8k in cash and put the rest I have saved on a apartment/condo/house etc. My questions to you guys is the following,

How reliable has your car been through the years? Do you drive it hard?!
Also curious to know how the components take abuse and hard driving. Example, B5 S4's have a 1-2 shift collar that breaks frequently leaving you with a 12-1500 dollar repair. Is the 6spd any good? Engine reliable?

I've read people say they're not cheap to maintain and own blah blah, well take into the consideration I will do all my own work, including clutch swap, all accessories, etc. so long as its not internal work. With this in mind, would you guys recommend a Cooper for me? Also, putting down a good 180whp/200wtq will the car still be relatively reliable?

Thanks in advance guys and gals!