Should I buy a mini?

So, I obviously don't want to keep the 118d BMW when I get it back after the carnage of the deer and it sucks in the winter anyway.

Here's the question. I am being offered a brand new Mini Cooper with pepper pack for £110 a month cheaper than the BMW. All it will cost me will be £150 deposit.

Firstly, anyone got one, and do you like it?

Secondly, do I sign the dotted line??

[JamesMio]

Sounds like a no-brainer to me...?!

[squirrel_hunter]

Firstly it is not a Mini Cooper. It is a BMW.

I don't own one of these BMW's but a mate of mine does, its a couple of years older but still relatively current.

Make sure it comes with a warranty as when stuff goes wrong it will be expensive and unsurprisingly BMW labour charges are not known for being on the budget side.

The engine sounds like a diesel even if its a petrol, and uses some strange oil if I remember correctly.

The car is full of crap that amuses the masses, like mood lighting, to many computers, and other things that serve no value but to distract from the fact you are driving a fashion statement. Make sure you are happy with that statement.

I'm not sure what a Pepper Pack is but if that means run flat tyres avoid at all cost. The ride quality on these are appalling and they are very expensive to replace.

All of this is just a mixture of my opinion and a friends experience with his car and based on that I know nothing. Just be happy with the car you buy.

[Bibio]

local driving school had them, local driving school got rid of them, enough said really.

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

Firstly it is not a Mini Cooper. It is a BMW.

I don't own one of these BMW's but a mate of mine does, its a couple of years older but still relatively current.

Make sure it comes with a warranty as when stuff goes wrong it will be expensive and unsurprisingly BMW labour charges are not known for being on the budget side.

The engine sounds like a diesel even if its a petrol, and uses some strange oil if I remember correctly.

The car is full of crap that amuses the masses, like mood lighting, to many computers, and other things that serve no value but to distract from the fact you are driving a fashion statement. Make sure you are happy with that statement.

I'm not sure what a Pepper Pack is but if that means run flat tyres avoid at all cost. The ride quality on these are appalling and they are very expensive to replace.

All of this is just a mixture of my opinion and a friends experience with his car and based on that I know nothing. Just be happy with the car you buy.

Steve, already driving one as a courtesy car and it certainly doesn't sound like a Diesel engine to me. It's not rear wheel drive either. And it's nice to drive, feels so stable in corners unlike the twitchy 1 series with its rear wheel drive and cramp handling.

No pepper pack doesn't include run flats. I refused them on the 1 series and would refuse them on this too!

It's a brand new car. It comes with a 3 year warranty as standard. It also comes included with service pack so I need not worry about oil prices.

[DJ123]

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

So, I obviously don't want to keep the 118d BMW when I get it back after the carnage of the deer and it sucks in the winter anyway.

Here's the question. I am being offered a brand new Mini Cooper with pepper pack for £110 a month cheaper than the BMW. All it will cost me will be £150 deposit.

Firstly, anyone got one, and do you like it?

Secondly, do I sign the dotted line??

My sister has had her Mini Cooper S (52 plate) for about 3 years now. Absolutely loves it. Gets good MPG from it (in the 40's) and the running costs of it are low too-stung with the higher road tax, but insurance and servicing well priced.
She got rid of the run flats and has standard tyres on it. keeps a can of tyre weld and a compressor in the boot.
Great quirky little car. Not entirely practical if you need to carry things/people around on a regular basis though.

[andrewsmith]

Not my cup of tea!
Much prefer the Alec Issigonis ones

Make sure it comes with the BMW warranty, they are not cheap to fix!
Back seats... Bibio might just fix
It'll work a bit better than the comedy 1 series

Originally Posted by daddyjob

My sister has had her Mini Cooper S (52 plate) for about 3 years now. Absolutely loves it. Gets good MPG from it (in the 40's) and the running costs of it are low too-stung with the higher road tax, but insurance and servicing well priced.
She got rid of the run flats and has standard tyres on it. keeps a can of tyre weld and a compressor in the boot.
Great quirky little car. Not entirely practical if you need to carry things/people around on a regular basis though.

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for! Have you driven it? If so, what did you think?

There is only me and a dog so there's not much worry about the size of the car. And I'm looking for something a bit more economical with respect of insurance and stuff.

[DJ123]

Originally Posted by Milky Bar Kid

Thanks, exactly what I was looking for! Have you driven it? If so, what did you think?

There is only me and a dog so there's not much worry about the size of the car. And I'm looking for something a bit more economical with respect of insurance and stuff.

I went out and test drove a few. They were all the Cooper S so great fun (love the sound of a supercharger) great handling little car and the ride is a touch on the hard side (again, this is probably because of the S). Driving position was good enough as were the controls. In the time she has had the car there have been no major mechanical faults. One exhaust box strap went, and the rocker cover is weeping oil-that's it!
Well worth going for a drive and seeing which you prefer. TBH I think you'll have more fun in the S, be surprised how economical it is & cheap to run, plus it'll sell better than the standard petrol version.

[NTECUK]

If you like the way it drives,can afford it and its running costs ,Why not.
Not my thing .
But you only live once