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Have you seen the new Mini 'FIRST'? (on HJ's home page). I've never understood the mass appeal of the Mini, mainly on account of it's price. However, this looks quite good at £11k and five years servicing at £185, 53 to the gallon, but what a shame it's only 75 h.p. That's really miserly and just plain underpowered. Surely they could've squeezed the 1.6 Diesel in. It'd be more economical, faster and tax for £35. Would have been hot cakes for sure. Anyone care for a jolly good argument about this??!!
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i was going to say it wouldnt have been offered if the fiat wasnt taking their thunder then i sawq hj"s lead in
New MINI For FIAT 500 Money
so he knows the crack......
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Minis are much better value bought new than they look, as they hold their value so well.
SWMBO's first Mini (an '06 Mini One) was worth 80 % of its cost after nearly two years against a new Mini Cooper. She wasn't expecting to be able to afford a Cooper, but she could, and did.
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Funnily enough I was in friends' house today, they've owned one (one of three cars - 325, Ford KA and a Cooper S ) as a "fun" car for the last three years only last week he was considering chopping it for a new Cooper S. He saw the FIRST ad in one of the dailys today and was mummering about its VFM as opposed to other cars - Mrs P owned an early one until we bought the Golf in April 07 - she piled the miles on it in her tenure - she sold it privately for a very, very tidy price. People take against them for illogical/unfathomable reasons (perhaps connected to the venom directed at the X type) but they still sell by the bucket full - and deservedly so. The soft top is horrible looking though !
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Oddly enough we're looking at a Mini convertible tomorrow, since the dealer has invited SWMBO for a test drive. I don't rate the looks either - maybe spoilt by having a rather more graceful Z3 in the garage - but I might encourage her to think about one when the Cooper's PCP is up, simply because if she has a convertible I might not miss the Z3 so much when I flog it next year to pay for younger daughter's wedding!
One thing in its favour is that the windcreen isn't too steeply raked. With some modern convertibles the top of the screen is almost above your head, thus reducing the open-air feeling which is the whole point of having a convertible.
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There was a very good three way test in CAR last month between the MINI and A3 soft tops and an MX5 - the MX5 was a clear winner - mind you each to his own Avant - People thought the 5 series was hideous and I loved mine :-(
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so did ladas
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I've never driven one but I always like to think of Lada's as great cars. The reason being is for the time you got so much kit as standard you got rear windscreen heaters on a Lada when even a door pocket was an extra on a Fiesta.
My biggest problem with the Mini is I see it as a fashion accessory rather than a serious car.
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My biggest problem with the Mini is I see it as a fashion accessory rather than a serious car.
Ah well I would possibly disagree, having borrowed my brother's Mini One D for a week I can say that it's a very serious small car. It's not very fast (1.4D vs. 2.5 V6 petrol never would be!) but it's fully kitted out with Climate, Cruise, Quickclear screens, multi-function wheel, CD changer, tints, comfortable sports seats and decent handling.
Having spent some time with it I decided that the fashionista bit is in addition to the serious car bit.
Granted I still wouldn't buy one, but that's only because I consider a Focus as border-line too small so a Mini is never going to cut it really!
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> I've never driven one but I always like to think of Lada's as great cars.<
That's because you've never driven one...
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That's because you've never driven one...
Or worked on one...the heater cables would come adrift behind the dash, i helped a mate fix his.
You can get your hand through the small gap, that's when you discover the stamping was never fettled so you don't get all of your hand back.
He bought it for his wife brand new, didn't like the feeling of the steering, i had a look in the steering box, no oil, topped it up and it leaked straight out.
She left him not long after, i don't think the car was any influence.
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