My new mini!! impressions

[sat1983]

Here it is in all it's glory!

It's a Mini Cooper D, only 110 bhp but boy does it fly! 110 bhp? I hear you say, what a pile of cack.
It has replaced my September 2006 A3 2.0 TDi ( 140bhp). It genuinely feels more powerful than the A3, in fact it’s not of course but the power delivery is miles ahead of the A3, there is no turbo lag whatsoever, none at all!! It just pulls strongly from 1000 rpm.
The A3 was a pain in the **** in 1st gear and wouldn’t pull at all until the whack of torque kicked in when you were in 2nd at about 30 mph.
Don’t get me wrong, I miss the A3, very much so, the boot space especially!!
So to sum it up the engine is the gem in the Mini, very quiet with 260nm it has has much torque as the Cooper S and the engine pulls strongly from 0 mph! Lets hope it won’t brake though as you’ll all know it’s been co-developed with the PSA group.
I can say that as noisy and thirsty it was for oil the 2.0 tdi lump never let me down and it felt like it probably wouldn’t either for a long time. Only time will tell if the mini’s lump will stand the test of time.
The Mini's interior feels solid and not **that* much of a step down from the A3 but it has more plasticky bits for sure.
It handles beautifully and sticks to the road like glue, defo more fun to drive than the A3.
As a bonus ( and no, I didn’t buy it for this reason) tax is £35/year, £20 from next year and the TLC pack offers 5 years servicing for £150 which really is a great thing.
Overall very impressed so far!!!

 

[S3 SAF]

congrats mate sounds like a clever motor...!

 

[MarcQuinlivan]

happy motoring... could do with losing the fried eggs though!

 

[a3norwich]

happy motoring... could do with losing the fried eggs though!

Think that's a Mini design "feature" as it's not the bulb!

 

[sat1983]

Hehe I like that, fried eggs!!
I hear ya, but with mini's everything is an extra including the doorcards, keys and windscreen wipers.. I really didn't want to spend much at all, just wanted the go kart experience the mini offers.

 

[cliveywolves]

Nice motor mate,,,Good Luck with the baby...!

My wife has got a 2007 mini one in the same colour as yours, just waiting to pick up her new mini in about 2 weeks time,,, Mini Cooper S in Dark Silver 175bhp and 260Nm of torque should be super super quick !

You say your mini has 260Nm i thought the Cooper D was 240Nm ???

 

[Ash B]

good luck with the new car.
Really nice car:thumbsup:

 

[biggiep]

Wow is it a new diesel since the one shared with the yaris? when i test drove that i thought they had miseed out the engine haha!

Seems like they have sorted it now, i love how individual the mini's are never see two exactly the same.

Sounds like your a3 had some sort of issue if it didnt pull smoothly? They do say every car is different tho, I know it was like that with my 3 fabia vrs' one was twice as good as the other two!

Happy motoring stay safe!

 

[boggysv]

Liquid Blue,18" genuine RS6's,

There's your problem. 18" wheels on a 140bhp car = incurable slowness.
Not to mention the A3 weights more.

Anyhow, enjoy the new car! Nice to see a mini owner acknowledging the PSA or rover influence. Many owners I know either dont know or just plainly refuse to admit that their car has got french blood, only favoring the BMW side of things.. OMG....I IZ DRIVING A BIMMER PRODUCT!!!

 

[TDI-line]

Very nice.

 

[sat1983]

Nice motor mate,,,Good Luck with the baby...!

My wife has got a 2007 mini one in the same colour as yours, just waiting to pick up her new mini in about 2 weeks time,,, Mini Cooper S in Dark Silver 175bhp and 260Nm of torque should be super super quick !

You say your mini has 260Nm i thought the Cooper D was 240Nm ???

Thanks!
Ahhh the Cooper S!! I did test drive it, what a fantastic all rounder and the economy for the performance is amazing!!
You're quite right the Cooper D has 240nm, I quoted the 260nm it produces in overboost!

good luck with the new car.
Really nice car:thumbsup:

Cheers Mate!

Wow is it a new diesel since the one shared with the yaris? when i test drove that i thought they had miseed out the engine haha!

Seems like they have sorted it now, i love how individual the mini's are never see two exactly the same.

Sounds like your a3 had some sort of issue if it didnt pull smoothly? They do say every car is different tho, I know it was like that with my 3 fabia vrs' one was twice as good as the other two!

Happy motoring stay safe!

Cheers for the comment.
Yep, the old diesel one was from the yaris. Never drove an old one but it was very gutless from what I heard. Trust me you would never guess the new PSA diesel had 110bhp, it feels like a lot more and bear in mind i've only got 60 miles on the clock!
My A3 didn't have any issues as far as I'm aware- the power delivery was just poor until the torque kicked in.

There's your problem. 18" wheels on a 140bhp car = incurable slowness.
Not to mention the A3 weights more.

Anyhow, enjoy the new car! Nice to see a mini owner acknowledging the PSA or rover influence. Many owners I know either dont know or just plainly refuse to admit that their car has got french blood, only favoring the BMW side of things.. OMG....I IZ DRIVING A BIMMER PRODUCT!!!

Thanks for your comments!
To be honest I don't think the 18s slow it down much. I stuck the 16's back on 3 weeks before trading her in and it sure never felt any quicker!

I'm no snob when it comes to telling people the engine is developed by Peugeot- The engines they do are great lets just hope the electrics are BMW's!!

Very nice.

Thanks!:icon_thumright:

 

[benw123]

Smart purchase, and a great car to boot - plus that's the frst 58-reg I've seen this year!

 

[Spin140]

Nice motor !

I get tempted by a mini at least once every 12 months, a nice Cooper S works for me would be just the right side of sensible, the residuals on the Mini are outstanding so good choice especially in white

 

[S3 SAF]

Am i right in saying that the old mini cooper S is supercharged and the new ones turbo charged...?

 

[sat1983]

Smart purchase, and a great car to boot - plus that's the frst 58-reg I've seen this year!

Cheers!! Can't see I've see many 58's either!

Nice motor !

I get tempted by a mini at least once every 12 months, a nice Cooper S works for me would be just the right side of sensible, the residuals on the Mini are outstanding so good choice especially in white

Cheers, never thought I'd ever own a white car but it definitely seems to suit a lot of modern cars and the mini is the best of modern/retro so looks great! I think the residuals will continue to be quite good too, which was another reason for this purchase. I test drove the R56 JCW as soon as the dealer had one on the forecourt and that car is perfection, proper quick!! Just a shame that it's the wrong side of £20k and for a mini it's a tad hard to stomach!

Am i right in saying that the old mini cooper S is supercharged and the new ones turbo charged...?

You're exactly right!:icon_thumright:

 

[sat1983]

Just found this:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=84487

Isn't she a beauty!!

 

[PaulAr]

The missus fancies a new mini, TBH Im not a big fan of the looks, bit too `cutesy` for me but I wont be driving it so it makes no difference.

Never heard a bad report on one yet, so might have a look about, of course her Yaris will be the p/x and my S3 will be going nowhere !!
Probably start with a Petrol Cooper or even the One if its got some nice bits on.

Enjoy.
Paul

 

[cliveywolves]

Yep new one is Turbo Charged cant wait going to see my wifes new Cooper S tommorow, but not picking up for another few weeks yet !!!!
They are great cars the new mini never had any major problems with the last two minis my wife has had....
And the residuals are just amazing my wife has a Mini One at the moment and wanted just a cooper but the deal we got on a brand new Cooper S was MAD and worked out better than the Cooper....

 

[sat1983]

It is cute Paul agreed- but with the aero kit (bit like the S line) and in black can look meaner. They are fantastic little cars though- and do stand out from the crowd even though quite a few are on the road.

 

[Amchlolor]

My wife would be driving around in a Cooper D right now, were it not for the derisory offer the dealer made on her Clio.
Much as I wanted her to have one, I was being dry-humped over it.
What size wheels are on your one?
We spec'd the 17's, as I think Minis look daft on anything else.
Fate/Karma obviously had a hand in us cancelling the deal though, as we subsequently found out she was pregnant.
Which would have left us with 2 kids and a 2 door car, which I simply won't entertain.
Did you buy or lease???
A friend of ours leased a Mini One for his wife, for £150 a month.

 

[S3 Rav]

congrats bowfer

 

[h5djr]

Yes many congraulation to you and Mrs Bowfer.

Perhaps you need the new Clubman version of the Mini. 5-doors, two at the back, two on one side and one on the other. The only problem is that BMW have chosen not to make a version for the UK so the side with two doors is the drivers so when parked normally against the kerb they are on the road side rather than the kerb side. Still quite useful for the rest of Europe.

 

[benw123]

Congratulations bowfer!

 

[Amchlolor]

Thanks.
I thought I'd mentioned it before, my bad (she's due in 6 weeks).
The clubman has to be one of the ugliest cars on the road, David, so that's non-starter.
We've actually decided to keep the Clio, given that money will be tight(er) for a while and it's been 100% reliable in it's 2.5 years.
It's replacement hovers between a Mazda2 and Mazda5 (bit of a difference, I know!).
Either way, it'll be leased.
I've had it with this buying/selling lark!

 

[NHN]

2nd that the clubman is a big mistake full stop, ugly as hell just ruined any positivity I had for the mini overall.

 

[h5djr]

Thanks.
I thought I'd mentioned it before, my bad (she's due in 6 weeks).
The clubman has to be one of the ugliest cars on the road, David, so that's non-starter.
We've actually decided to keep the Clio, given that money will be tight(er) for a while and it's been 100% reliable in it's 2.5 years.
It's replacement hovers between a Mazda2 and Mazda5 (bit of a difference, I know!).
Either way, it'll be leased.
I've had it with this buying/selling lark!

Personally I'm not over keen on the current Mini at all but the Clubman is, as you say, just plain Ugly. I'm old enough to have had two 'real' Minis and they were OK in their time. The first was a Minivan and then a white Mini Saloon. If fact I had the Mini Saloon when I got married and still have some photos with all sorts of streamers etc on it after the wedding.

 

[sat1983]

What size wheels are on your one?
We spec'd the 17's, as I think Minis look daft on anything else.
Did you buy or lease???

Mine must look silly then as I've got 15s! I just thought that small wheels did work on a mini, and personally think it looks ace!
I P/xed the A3- leaving a balance of £3k to pay. It seems I did ok as I did the deal in June and the price A3s of the same vintage as mine are going for very low prices right now.

Personally I'm not over keen on the current Mini.

'Tis a great wee car honest! Not hugely pratical though, did my first weekly shop in it today and that was a real eye opener!

 

[GlasgowRangers]

Nice one Bowfer mate

 

[edition]

Well done bowfer!!!

As for the mini i had a old shape bmw mini d and did 65k in it and lost 3k on purchase price hehehehe!

Awesome car now got a 3.2 A3 and still miss it!

 

[sat1983]

Well done bowfer!!!

As for the mini i had a old shape bmw mini d and did 65k in it and lost 3k on purchase price hehehehe!

Awesome car now got a 3.2 A3 and still miss it!

Cheers-That is sod all depreciation! Let's hope it continues this way!!

 

[marriedblonde]

Thanks.
I thought I'd mentioned it before, my bad (she's due in 6 weeks).

Congratualtions matey

...you did mention a while back that you were driving from Ellon to Brighton with you your pregnant wife

J.

 

[marriedblonde]

Well I am going to be the odd one out, I had a MCS back in 2003 and hated it. Couldn't wait to sell it. It was shockingly bad, when I went for a blast down the B-Roads bits of trim would pop off and end up in the foot wells. The interior squeaked as if I was driving over a field of mice. Awful, awful, awful car! And to make matters worse it was terrible on fuel, on my commute to work it would only return low 20's.

I did have a new coper earlier this year as a courtesy car and it was better screwed together with a much nicer interior. I can't comment on the drive of it as I couldn't get over the fact it was gold. I was driving around ina gold car... So, so, so wrong.

J.

 

[sat1983]

Well I am going to be the odd one out, I had a MCS back in 2003 and hated it.
I did have a new coper earlier this year as a courtesy car and it was better screwed together with a much nicer interior. I can't comment on the drive of it as I couldn't get over the fact it was gold. I was driving around ina gold car... So, so, so wrong.

J.

The old R53 Mini wasn't really screwed properly at all from what I read-
The new R56 is supposed to be a huge improvement, and with only having had the thing for a week I can't honestly say wether it'll age well but for now it really does feel great and very solid. It's only a mini but it feels special, something that the A3 (admittedly an SE) couldn't provide me with. On the plus side too, it seems to be noticed more! ( but thats maybe due to the fact that a guy is driving it!)

 

[marriedblonde]

If you've had it a week and it feels well screwed together it already is a massive improvement on the earlier model I had

I had a 2003 version which was supposed to be when they made a massive improvement in build quality...

The one I had earlier this year was a lot nicer to be in than mine apart from the awful colour!!!!

Japper on here is on his second MCS and he's had nothing but good things to say about them. And obviously 99.9% of the people on the mini2 forum share the same feelings. Perhaps it was just a case of me and the mini not being compatable.

And my post wasn;t meant as a downer on your new car, I do genuinely like the look of the mini and it's one of the few cars I can see not being a fad in white!

J.

 

[sat1983]

And my post wasn;t meant as a downer on your new car, I do genuinely like the look of the mini and it's one of the few cars I can see not being a fad in white!

J.

Cheers. Yep, never thought I'd ever buy a white car, but on a mini it looks so damn good!!

 

[Kontraband]

nice one... will keep my eyes open around Sheff for ya!

 

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Thanks.
It's replacement hovers between a Mazda2 and Mazda5 (bit of a difference, I know!).

Bowfer :
1st. Congratulations on the impending event :thumbsup:

2nd. Have you looked at the Mazda 3, my Step-Father has just got one and I must say he and I are very impressed with it.

Sat :

Very nice car mate - enjoy it. As others have said though personally I'd loose the Fried Egg effect (if you can).

Regards,

Paul

 

[Amchlolor]

2nd. Have you looked at the Mazda 3, my Step-Father has just got one and I must say he and I are very impressed with it.

I do like the Mazda 3 actually.
It would be near the top of my list if I were opting out of the company car scheme, especially the MPS one.
The wife doesn't like it though.

 

[Japper]

If you've had it a week and it feels well screwed together it already is a massive improvement on the earlier model I had

I had a 2003 version which was supposed to be when they made a massive improvement in build quality...

The one I had earlier this year was a lot nicer to be in than mine apart from the awful colour!!!!

Japper on here is on his second MCS and he's had nothing but good things to say about them. And obviously 99.9% of the people on the mini2 forum share the same feelings. Perhaps it was just a case of me and the mini not being compatable.

And my post wasn;t meant as a downer on your new car, I do genuinely like the look of the mini and it's one of the few cars I can see not being a fad in white!

J.

Hi J,

Late 2004 was when the quality improved when they facelifted the car. My 2006 MCS was well screwed together and my only complaint was wet weather front end grip with the crappy runflats. My 2007 MCS JCW tweaked to 225hp has no such issues.

The Clubman ( or rather the designer ) should be shot..........it's wrong, so wrong.

Just back from Spa and had a 1.6 Ford Focus for 4 days. Build and plastics had not improved since i had a 'w' reg plate. Maybe i'm getting older and can't live with rattles like i used to in my clio williams days.

BTW: Don't get me started on the FIA fiasco.

 

[Kontraband]

Can I just take some issue with this being called White tho...?