I am looking for a new car to replace my ageing Golf VR6. I want somthing fun, with a boot, and well built.
So I thought about a Mini Cooper S. I?ve seen one for sale 2005 (05) with 75k on the clock for £7299 + £91 admin at CarGiant. Does the price sound about right, and what do people think of the car?
My main concern is the depreciation of it over the next few years, and that I may look like a hairdresser in it. I?ll only be doing about 6000 miles a year and would look to keep it for 2 or 3 years.
Any views appreciated.
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>>I may look like a hairdresser in it.<<
Do you a) have highlights b) visit tanning salons c) wear your shirt open to the chest d) go by the name of Andre
Any of the above and it's a dead cert.
Fun yes but I'd suggest the joke may fade after a surprisingly short time especially if you're used to the dour interior of the Golf. It'd be a bit like switching from a Gordon Brown speech to Graham Norton.
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Speed humps?
Rough roads?
Potholes?
If so, watch your fillings, your wig and your false teeth. Friend of ours sold it after 6 months as roads round here made it a very unpleasant drive.
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Image apart, a Mini Cooper may seem a bit restless and bumpy in its ride after a Golf, especially a V6 Golf. So try one to make sure you can live with it long-term.
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I am looking for a new car to replace my ageing Golf VR6. I want somthing fun with a boot and well built.
I hope you are not expecting to put anything of size in a Mini boot, (or back seat). A floor standing hairdryer wont fit in the boot or rear seat. :-)
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Make sure you try it on the motorway. I tested one and it put a big grin on my face but I knew that I couldn't live with it on the daily commute.
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You mention a requirement of a boot. The boot space in the Mini is very small.
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I dont have highlights (unless you count the numerous greys coming through), or go to a tanning salon!
With regards to the boot - I dont carry much, but sometimes need to carry a smallish box with hard hat, site boots, tape measure for when I'm out on site, or the occasional bit of shopping. For the longer journeys and carting big stuff around we have an Avensis (yawn).
I need the car to do a short 8 mile round trip commute on good roads, with only 2 speed humps, so I think I could put up with a harsh ride.
However, I asked about the price, as if I can't get on with it I dont want to loose too much cash when I sell it.
PS I really dont want to sell my VR6, but spending money to sort the paintwork/rust/suspension out just doesn't make sense anymore.
I'm just off to apply some spray on tan....
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VR6, minis are notorious (or famous, depending on where you're sitting) for their slow depreciation. Less so now than a few years ago but demand for good 2nd hand examples is HIGH. You're likely to make back what you spent minus a few hundred quid based on what I've seen. Other, more knowledgeable contributors may well differ.
They look great imho and I enjoyed a test drive in a Clubman recently. Perky and very endearing I thought but not practical enough for me as my only car (which is where your Avensis comes in of course). I drive a Focus and I loved the way it drove.
Perfect second car I reckon. Well built, funky, nice corporate image etc. They're dead cool imo.
The only down side is that whenever I see a mini I expect a young or middle aged woman to be driving. But this is hardly on the scale of the Puma or Tigra. The Mini still has huge appeal to all.
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My wife has a 2004 Cooper S, and I do not like it, looks good though. An would be fun to drive if the local roads were not so potted. Ours has the big wheels and low profile tyres, which probably do's not help, and the boot is useless.
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as clarkson himself says a suzuki swift sport (or even a glx) would be better
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Nothing against the Clarkson Retgwte, but the Suzuki Swift has a quite tacky dash. I'm using "imo" too much but, imo it ruins what otherwise looks completely stunning - especially the Sport version which is confectionary for the eyes. I wonder if an owner can put me right? If so, then I'd be interested to know.
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Thanks for the input Jaffa. I've read the 17" wheels to make for a harsh ride, but most of the ones I've seen have 17" wheels. My sister used to have a Seat Arouser - now that was a useless boot.
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Absolutely loved my Cooper cabrio and regret getting rid sometimes. But ride was too firm on 17' alloys to the point that you couldn't drive it some places at normal speeds. Bouncing all over the place. Absolutely brilliant on smooth roads but there aren't many round here. The boot was carp aswell.
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... My sister used to have a Seat Arouser...
A Seat Arouser, sir?
Where did she get that from - Ann Summers?
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Mini Cooper, hard hat, work boots.......
If you need to stay away overnight you might fit right in at the YMCA.......
;-)
Only kidding !!!!!!
Nice cars.
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Oh...maybe I should be driving a Mini then ;)
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Arouser - That was our nick name for it!
I may drop by a YMCA, I've heard they are fun.
I drove past 4 minis this morning on my way to work. All of them were driven by mid 30's blonde women. I guess I'll have to grow a beard to appear more manly, but that coupled with a hard hat and site boots brings me right back to the YMCA.
Thanks for all the comments, I guess I need to buy a good one to stop it depreciating too much over 2 years. And it has to be the right colour - either dark grey or dark blue, and not yellow.
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I would have thought the main thing you will miss when swapping a VR6 for a Mini is that wonderful 6 cylinder growl from the VR6. The Mini sounds like a hairdryer by comparison;-)
Do hairdressers in the UK drive Minis? Here they seem to drive SUVs, mainly X3s with running boards.
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look at a swift sport instead, go on
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I will miss the V6, but just cant think of a replacement car with a V6 that I like which is within my budget of about £7k.
Swift Sport - not too sure, maybe a bit slow for what I want.
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I loved my MCS, like a skittish go-cart so make sure you have a good test drive to make sure you like it. Not sure what VR6 petrol consumption is but the Mini gulps fuel - or at least mine did.
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How about a late model Golf V6 4Motion? I had one about a year ago, and it was immense. Grippy, quick, comfortable, and not much slower than an R32.........
Mine had Sat Nav, Xenons and leather, and I only paid £7500 for it on a 53 plate from a franchised dealer............
Or if you fancy something wild, how about an Alfa 147 GTA.......3.2 V6 si the best engine this side of a Ferrari apprently.......
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Pardon the predictability, but......Autotrader is showing a few Spec B Legacy's on 55plate for under £8k, including tourers.
Getting your workboots out of the back of that wouldn't raise eyebrows and all the performance you could wish for
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NickS- a Golf V6 4Mo would be the natural progression, but I'm on my 3rd golf now - one Mk2 and a couple of Mk3's. Never owned any other cars. I think I need to move on from Golfs, and I dont like the MK4 too much.
As for fuel consumption - my current golf manages an average of 24mpg and 33 on a long run.
Now then, that Alfa sounds interesting.
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I nearly bought a 147 GTA beofre I bought my 4Motion last year, only the deal on my part ex swayed me. Its back on my shopping list again now though, as I have a company car for weekday motoring....... :-)
250bhp, and they look incredible, especially in the pearlesent white. The sound they produce is out of this world, and there are plenty of 53/04 cars available for under £8k. Definieltey worth investigating if you will miss the V6 in your Golf. Future Classic too, so might not depreciate too much more.
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