UKC

Yes, I'm back to the forum with a totally none climbing related question. Why come here for opinions on random things? Well, I like to get the opinions of those who I know I share at least one thing in common with. Makes sense to me.

So I am about to buy a new car and I keep coming back to the Mini cooper. Only other thing that really gets my attention on the road at the moment is the Nissan Juke, but that is just because I like the look of it. They however are way out of my price range, that being around £4-5,000, with the hope it is going to get me through the next 10 years.
Just me and my daughter, lots of long drives for weekend camping. A trip each year over to France. Country roads pretty standard. School runs and buzzing about, sometimes up to 3 kids in car. You get the picture.

Why should I buy or not buy a Mini Cooper?
What would/did you buy?

In reply to Dominicandave:

Why not? i'm a big believer in just buying the car you desire as opposed to one that "makes sense" as you'll never enjoy it.
Having said that, having kids myself the only negative aspect is the lack of 4 doors - which could in time tick you off.

I'm a small-Fiat fan and we might perhaps have preferred a 500, but went for a twin-air Panda mainly because it has 4 doors and we'd had one before, bizarrely this was to replace a Nissan Patrol which is at the opposite end of the size scale

In reply to Dominicandave:

One of my friends has a Mini Cooper (and previously had a Juke). Where the Mini falls down for me is that there's very little boot space - depending on how much camping-rubble you take with you when you go away, and how many people there are in the car, it might prove frustrating.

In reply to LG-Mark:

I'd agree with that - I think three doors is fine if your rear seats are only going to be used occasionally, but if people are getting in and out lots then five doors is better. I say this as someone who used to have a three door Fiesta and now has a five door one.

In reply to LG-Mark:
Good point, my daughter sits along side me at the moment as I have an MX5, and so there are no back seats. Not sure what the law is when it comes to kids in the front seat if you have a back seat. Need to look into that, qualifying front seat age.

In reply to Dominicandave:


You should get the car you like, they're all pretty good and reliable these days unless you get a lemon which is mostly down to luck. You can always add a roof box or pack a little lighter as I'm sure you've figured out running an MX5.

That said... long country drives in the Cooper... I've only been in one once a while ago but seem to recall a really harsh ride and loud droning exhaust. Might be worth an extended test drive, see if your spine enjoys it as much as you do.
jk

In reply to Dominicandave:

If you want practical, reliable and bigger than it looks, may I suggest a Toyota Yaris. I drove one for 170,000 miles. The only failed parts were one CV boot and light bulbs.

The back seats fold completely flat, and you can then put a bike in the back without taking the wheels off. If you take the front wheel off, the front passenger has full leg room.

It did 50mpg at 75 mph. Air conditioning and comfy seats. Big enough for two adults in the back (three at a squeeze). Space saver spare wheel, and a big compartment under the boot floor.

It is not, however, a Mini Cooper, and not quick. On the other hand, with snow chains on the front it will easily out-drag a land rover up hill in the snow.

We had a Nissan Qashquai once - put me off Nissans for life

In reply to Dominicandave:

Honda Civic 2.2d, loads of space, with magic back seats, fast and good!

In reply to Dominicandave:

My girlfriends got a mini countryman and whilst bigger than the normal mini the boot space is still leaves a lot to be desired. We've never been away in her car always preferring to take my pick up.

At the end of the day though you'll never enjoy it as much if its not the car you want; go take a few for a spin.. you'll know after an hour whether its the one for you!

In reply to ChrisNaylor:

Just realised, its a paceman not a countryman

In reply to nniff:

If you take the front wheel off, the front passenger has full leg room.

Won't it just go round in circles?

In reply to Dominicandave:

Minis are too big, they should be renamed Larges.

In reply to Siward:


I think the latest version could reasonably be called the "Mini - My eyes, my eyes they burn" it's so fugly.
jk

In reply to Siward:

Austin covered that with the Maxi.

In reply to Dominicandave:
Against many odds but unresistable persuasion by Mrs Ratty and a test drive I ended up with a Honda Jazz. It is a brilliant little big car with 5 doors, huge space via ingenious rear seats, great economy, good road holding and enough oomph to overtake on scottish country roads. If it only had speed camera invisibility it would be perfect.

In reply to Stu Tyrrell:


I'd considered one of those for a while, but sitting in the back seat would be a miserable experience. Look to the side and you're staring into the rear pillar. The reviews I saw and read suggested road noise was also an issue, can you verify?

In reply to Dominicandave: used to know someone with a Mk 1 Cooper and she had loads f trouble with it, she didn't even work it very hard. Her (non franchise) mechanic described it to her as a "soft" car, meaning that it needed lots of costly maintenance to keep going. (I think that was after she paid for a new radiator and water pump at about 50k miles, and just before she sold it for a Corsa which was much duller but much tougher)
For a ten year service life? I wouldn't.
BT W where are all the Skoda fans today?

In reply to Dominicandave:

I normally buy a car with a dent in it already. It saves time.

In reply to Dominicandave:

I had a juke hire car and it was rubbish, the wheelbase is really short so driving over road humps bounce you all over the place the cabin isn't very spacious for the overall vehicle size and in the dark you can see light from the headlights which I found really annoying. On a plus note it really stopped well when I didn't notice that tha priority had changed at a junction and there was a farm truck coming.

In reply to colinakmc:

Well I certainly couldn't consider a Mk1, that would be insane. However I have been and test drove a few today and am quite taken with a 2008 Cooper S.
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/long-term-tests/mini/mini-cooper-s...

Now believe it or not my headache is about colour. With a Mini I think it is very easy to get the colours wrong and end up with a girls car. They seem to have made well over half ( or most) of the colour schemes for very girly woman, and that is perfectly wonderful if indeed you are a girly woman looking for a car to suit your taste in life and personality, but I don't really fancy a baby blue car, or a yellow one or etc etc. I've pinned it down to having to be either graphite on black, or the white with a black roof, but never have I noticed before in buying a car that the colour decision could be a massively bad choice if in the wrong mood when buying. I saw a red one with white alloys white roof and it looked lovely, then I saw the salesman driving it out of the show room and he all of a sudden looked like he was driving his wifes car, instantly. Then I started noticing this on all of them, they are either colour schemes for men or women, there is not real scheme for both other than the royal blue, the silvers or the whites. Maybe it is the shape or the size I dunno, but this has now given me a massive headache. I'm sure you know what I mean. Never been here with any other car. I'm making too much of this aren't I? haha!

In reply to gethin_allen:

That's really good to know as I was really into them after I saw a mat black one, it looked lovely. I asked a few people and they weren't as taken as I was, probably because they know much more about cars then myself.

In reply to Dominicandave:

I feel I'm reasonably qualified to offer an opinion here. I have owned a Mini Cooper D for just about a year and have totally fallen in love with it.

My cooper D has been used daily for about a year, having coped fine with multi day Scottish Winter Climbing trips (two people was comfortable enough, definitely not comfy with three). It has been faultless so far (as it should be for a 59 plate with 75000mls). It surprises people speed-wise regularly, especially on twisty roads, so if you like an occasional 'spirited drive', it can be a real laugh. Saying that, it will do 55 miles per gallon while I'm flogging it and as much as 85 when you're steady away on the motorway.. Also, my road tax/VED is £20 a year.

Space-wise it isn't the best, but compared to an MX5 (which I've also had) it is a limosine. If you fancy a bit more load carrying capasity, the 'Clubman' is slightly more practical and equally fun.

One thing to watch is the R56 Cooper 'S'. The N14 engine from 2007 to about 2011 (1.6 turbo) is notoriously unrealiable (have a search for 'Mini owners group' on facebook if you have it). They tend to have countless issues, particularly with Timing chain tensioners (which can be a disaster if they let go altogether). The N18 engine (starting about 2012ish) is notably better (but naturally more costly). If you are insistent on the fun factor, the 06 cars (R53) with the Superchargers are considered more realiable (but obviously age is starting to come into effect to an extent).

A test drive will probably have you convinced either way. Well worth testing the Cooper Diesel in my opinion.

(Worth baring in mind, my family/friends/girlfriend/colleagues/neighbours/etc all think I have terrible taste)

In reply to Dominicandave:

Stop being embarrassingly macho. I don't feel less of a man driving our shared yellow Audi S1 (direct rival to the Cooper). And I doubt my wife cares that our estate is black.

In fact the onlookers who stare enviously at the S1 are all boy racers.