Test Drove a MINI Cooper

[BeatMaster]

Just went to the Silverlink today and whilst there, had a visit to the MINI garage Been looking for a new car for a while and since I'm on my uni placement thought I'd have a look and see what the new MINI is like. Had a look around and had a seat in the mk2 in the showroom which was really nice although the dials for controlling the vents and such were a bit plasticy but other than that was really nice.

Got chatting to the salesman and asked for a test drive of the mk1 MINI Cooper so off he got the trades plates and away we went. I've had a test drive of a Ford Focus 1.6 and a TDCi (the previous Focus, not the new one) and the 1.6 wasn't very willing, quite bland really and didn't seem to want to go. The TDCi was better but after ruling out diesels as I won't see the benefit, I'm after a petrol. The interior of the mk1 I think was a lot nicer than the new one, the dials were nicer and the speedo seemed to be a nicer size. The whole dash was very funky and a lot of thought and attention to detail throughout. The car handled really well and was much more responsive than the Focus. It also felt it had a higher build quality, the door shutting was very solid and just in general, the whole driving experience was fantastic. The car also stopped as quick as it accelerated with having discs all round.

I've looked at the Golf but if it isn't a TDi or GTi it doesn't seem to be worth it. The 1.6 is quite slow and guzzles fuel compared to the Focus/MINI. It's now just a case of building up my placement money and looking for a one around Feb/March time I really can't wait but don't think PCP is worth it and my current car still runs... The problem is:
a) Needs taxed at the end of November
b) Needs an MOT at the end of March

I'm just trying to work out the best solution in terms of getting 6 months tax or 12 months. Also whether to get it MOT'ed in March and sell it privately or try and get it part-ex'd but that means I couldn't buy a car privately. The car is a 1998 Peugeot 306 LX Diesel with 105k miles. It's quite nice in terms of having electric windows, sunroof, mirrors and so forth but whether it is worth spending time and money putting it through its MOT probably needing discs and pads, perhaps more come March time. I can't see many wanting to a buy a car with 1 month MOT, maybe could sell it to a garage but probably get hardly anything considering it not having much MOT. Any thoughts?

Would it better to buy a MINI from a main dealer vs buying from an owner? Benefits?

I await Matblack with his beautiful MINI Cooper S Works....mmm!

Cheers,

BeatMaster

[Matblack]

Mini 'Cherished' does give you the peace of mind of one years MINI warranty which comes with the rescue service and other bits and bobs and MINI dealers are pretty fair with trade ins, despite the fact they don't have to be. As you have seen MINIs sell themselves, whether that's because their style makes people want them or as you have found out they love the go-kart handling is academic but they don't stay on the forecourt long and they really hold their value.

That said buying privately shouldn't be too risky as most people with have taken 'tlc' when they bought the car which is 3 years servicing for £150 inclusive, this can then be extended year on year. If a car has been 'tlc'ed' then its been serviced by a BMW/ MINI dealer, and everything should have been taken care of.

Your best resource for MINI information is www.MINI2.com where you'll find everything you need to know

I hope you do embark on a MINI adventure, of all my cars I've enjoyed driving Minnie the most, even going slowly its always a pleasure to clunk the doors and look at the retro speedo

MB

[BeatMaster]

I shall definately embarking on a MINI adventure and hopefully not in the far distant future! Mini 'Cherished' does sound rather good and seems to offer some peace of mind although you seem to pay for it although if they do offer a decent price for trade-in's then they'll be perhaps worth a shot. According to the sales rep, they don't normally discount the cars on the forecourt but surely they must do something to entice people to buy such as throw things in such as TLC?

What does the TLC actually include, is it your yearly service but paid for in advance at a cheaper price?

I'm stuck with the different types of alloys and according to honestjohn the Suspension PLUS isn't too good? Perhaps you can shead some light Matblack?

I *LOVE* the Cooper 'S' spokes but how do you find them for handling and such? £130 per corner for a runflat tyre seems rather pricey, can you get normal non-runflats for cheaper?

Will check out www.MINI2.com

BeatMaster