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Driven any models lately? What did you think?
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I kinda like these newer Minis, but be prepared to pay BMW service rates at the dealership.
For example, if you do your own minor maintenance (oil & filter changes etc.) ask the dealer how much he's gonna charge you to turn off the "oil change is due" reminder light in the instrument panel.
Warning - standard OBDII scanners don't interface. BMW holds you captive with their own incompatible version.
We got one as a loaner when having our 3 series serviced (same dealership), did not drive as nice as our BMW, but a fun little thing none-the-less.
Due to poor reliability / maintenance buzz, I'd tend to avoid.
IMO, the incredible option list is NOT a recipe for high quality, either.
Too much is never enough
I love the way Mini Coopers look but I think the VW GTi is also a very fun car and probably more practical with it's hatch. Not quite the same cool factor though.GTi also has a more powerful engine vs Mini Cooper or Cooper S and unlike many small cars, the interior materials, fit and finish is a cut above. It's not known to be the fastest pocket rocket for the buck but it strikes a good balance with the nice interior, practicality, and performance.
I had the original VW Rabbit GTi in 1983 as well as the 2003 VW GTi 20 years later. They are fun cars.
Me and my 1983 VW Rabbit GTi 33 yrs ago
Here's the 2003 VW GTi I owned 13 years ago
Edits: 08/22/16 08/22/16 08/22/16 08/22/16
Neat car. He auto crossed his and did well.
As you say, very practical with the hatch. I am a big fan of hatch backs. My first was an '82 Civic S.
I agree, the insides of the new GTIs are far more impressive than the MINIs, which have only gotten worse over time.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Wife's niece bought one. 2010, I believe. Engine had problems from get-go. Was in shop, a lot. She sold it and got a Honda Civic.
This is what I would consider.My cousin bought his daughter a Mini Cooper and now she has a Jeep Wrangler..She grew tired of the MC fast.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
Edits: 08/22/16
A Focus RS is not going out the door anywhere for less than $5k to 10K over list. So $44K to 50K..
Way off "$32K".
Those cars make me laugh.
Whats that stupid little wing supposed to do other then make you look like some racer what -a -be.
O K, when you pull into the parking lot at work, OOOOH.
What ever.
Here is a test result from 2014.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
;-)
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
That little car makes 350hp and a little tweak gives it 400hp..Carbon fiber brakes and a host of other upgrades.Like I said if I was going to drop 30 grand on a small car,it would have to have some serious bite like this one.
"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong" H. L. Mencken
Edits: 08/22/16
I'm guessing that it was around 6-8 years old when it was parked all the time. He told me that it was some weird problem and the dealer tried fixing it a few times to no avail. A few months later, it disappeared and an Audi was in its place.
-Rod
They are good at a lot of things. By the time you get the performance models I'd rather have something else for that money or a little more. They all handle well. The wagon is sacriligeous to me. They seem reliable. I have three friends with then, one for almost ten years with 230K on the clock.
ET
"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936
Having driven the original Mini-Cooper S in 1275/1310 CC 'Series Production' racing form I wouldn't want to spoil that feeling.Marvellous car and a considerable contrast to an SUV roll-wise! ;-)!
Warmest
Tim Bailey
Skeptical Measurer & Audio Scrounger
Edits: 08/22/16 08/23/16
...but would not buy another, unless I could find a very low mileage '06.
2006 was the last year of the supercharged "S" ...after that they changed to turbo. 2006 was also the last year of the lower belt line and a bunch of other body changes that made the car more bulbous looking. Back then it was a two-car line ...the "Justacooper" and the "S". Now they make all sorts of goofy looking things.
North American Motoring (link below) is the AA of the MINI world. Poke around there a bit and see what folks are saying about the various newer models.
My car has 110K miles on it, which is about 300K in Honda miles. MINIs are not known for long term reliability. Nevertheless, I plan on keeping mine forever, by taking it off the road soon and buying something else as my daily driver.
I've never owned a car that was nearly as much fun to drive ...it handles really, really well. I've surprised the crap out of guys in some pretty exotic cars by hanging with them on back roads while they did their best to leave me behind. The ride is pretty stiff, which I happen to like.
Best of luck in your hunt.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Price wise, I find it hard to beat a Mazda 3 for value, though.
Is it fun to drive around town, on the freeway, or just on twisty roads? It seems like one would need three cars to do all three well.
...neat car.
As for the Cooper, for me, its as at home around town (nimble, easy to park and hauls more than one would imagine) as on the freeway (comfy and plenty of torque for fast passing) and of course its a blast on twisty roads.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Hmm, supercharged instead of turbo and the lower belt line. I had no idea. I would imagine the supercharged S is quicker off the line w/o turbo lag. I'm guessing they went with a higher belt line to meet stricter safety standards?
In any case, I love the way yours looks. A cool looking car w/o being over the top in color, stripes, and other flashy 'look at me' add-ons. I've seen some that remind me of cartoon cars! Not yours though.
Here's a side-by side of the R53 (left) body verses the newer R56 ...
The nose was made taller to comply with UK requirements for accidents involving pedestrians. The higher belt line went all the way around the car. The black trim got wider, the grille changed dramatically, the side markers got goofy looking, the curves around the headlamps were lost, the wraparound glass in the rear changed to standard C-pillars ...for many MINI enthusiasts it was the end of an era.
I agree that many MINIs look cartoonish. They come in some really awful colors.
Mine is all one color (dark silver) which is rare to see on a MINI as they usually have a white or black roof, or sometimes the Union Jack.
I love the way mine looks too, Abe. Thanks.
Just don't call it cute ...its cool.
;-)
Here's another shot. I wish I had taken the plate off first.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
Edits: 08/23/16
(nt)
I think they are cute and too small for me. I'm 6-4. Also, avoid collisions. Almost everything else will win in the force = mass x acceleration argument.
I have heard from some friends that own them- not quite all that they could have been-
Lots of plastic parts (though this is hard to get away from in a new vehicle), reliability is good at the outset and tapers off-
it will be mostly the features and options that fail - over the engine/drive train...
Happy Listening
(nt)
I am sure they are just fine but all of those permutations of the basic car with the variety of protuberances (could not resist) makes me think of putting the nose in the ear hole.
are you thinking of buying one ?they dont hold their value very well when they get into any moderate accident .
tires arent cheap....
Edits: 08/22/16
Was thinking that I might like to own one but after reading some of the comments here I'm pretty sure that I'd much rather own an old, refurbished Cooper S. I love little go-carts.
...but have been told by some who own them that they are best suited for guys who do their own wrenching.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
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