Yes, yes, yes I know its not an Audi but sometimes its nice to see what else is out there and get out of the Audi bubble.
Firstly, I had a quick test drive in one yesterday and liked it and luckily at work we work closely with a local BMW dealer and managed to get my hands on a F56 JCW for a few hours this afternoon. The car itself was one of the first dealer demonstrators so had every option box ticked except pan roof.
So pro's.
The noise is just amazing, not everyones cup of tea and annoyed a fair few pedestrians with it but oh well. That was with the car in sports mode, 'mid-mode' sounds similar minus the pops and bangs.
The interior is a nice place to be, it feel quality and far from cheap. The driving position is good and although low down, the seats aren't too bad.
I really like the 3rd generation Mini shape, yes I know its not 'mini' but is a decent size, the front feels light and spacious.
Good steering, not too heavy round town but feel good at speed. Handling isn't too bad either.
5 years or 50,000miles servicing is only £350.
The gearbox isn't double clutch but it's quick and able to shift off the line or junction very quickly even when not launched unlike a s-tronic/dsg.
Cons.
Firm, sports suspension combined with run-flat tyres do not make for an uber comfortable ride but I'm pretty sure you can spec standard tyres as a no cost option.
The hand break is a traditional one that hits the centre arm rest (same as the 8p).
Some of the options are a bit of a joke e.g. £110 for an armrest.
The entertainment system isn't as quick as the 8V mmi, it takes a good few seconds from selecting a song on your phone before it starts playing, also after a phone call it again takes a good few seconds to start playing music again. Spotify/Soundcloud works well with album artwork.
The price, it's around £29/30K with average options and residuals don't seem great £10,500 ish after 48 months.
Overall.
I really liked it and will consider it for my next car for sure. Its point and shoot ability is great round town, mpg isn't too bad I averaged 26mpg and it put a huge smile on my face.
Firstly, I had a quick test drive in one yesterday and liked it and luckily at work we work closely with a local BMW dealer and managed to get my hands on a F56 JCW for a few hours this afternoon. The car itself was one of the first dealer demonstrators so had every option box ticked except pan roof.
So pro's.
The noise is just amazing, not everyones cup of tea and annoyed a fair few pedestrians with it but oh well. That was with the car in sports mode, 'mid-mode' sounds similar minus the pops and bangs.
The interior is a nice place to be, it feel quality and far from cheap. The driving position is good and although low down, the seats aren't too bad.
I really like the 3rd generation Mini shape, yes I know its not 'mini' but is a decent size, the front feels light and spacious.
Good steering, not too heavy round town but feel good at speed. Handling isn't too bad either.
5 years or 50,000miles servicing is only £350.
The gearbox isn't double clutch but it's quick and able to shift off the line or junction very quickly even when not launched unlike a s-tronic/dsg.
Cons.
Firm, sports suspension combined with run-flat tyres do not make for an uber comfortable ride but I'm pretty sure you can spec standard tyres as a no cost option.
The hand break is a traditional one that hits the centre arm rest (same as the 8p).
Some of the options are a bit of a joke e.g. £110 for an armrest.
The entertainment system isn't as quick as the 8V mmi, it takes a good few seconds from selecting a song on your phone before it starts playing, also after a phone call it again takes a good few seconds to start playing music again. Spotify/Soundcloud works well with album artwork.
The price, it's around £29/30K with average options and residuals don't seem great £10,500 ish after 48 months.
Overall.
I really liked it and will consider it for my next car for sure. Its point and shoot ability is great round town, mpg isn't too bad I averaged 26mpg and it put a huge smile on my face.
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