09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE?

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Fri 11 Mar 2011 20:44
09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE? - Council Worker

Be grateful for any help. About to but a car for my wife to run around in - she will probably do about 10000 miles a year and use it mostly for ferrying our 2 grandchildren around. Have a bit of a quandry - she really likes the new shape Fiesta and the Mini Cooper and can't make up her mind which one to go with - she has driven both and lkes them both !!! Most of the reviews I have read don't really favour one or the other except for the residual value of the Mini. Anyone out there got an opinion? Thanks.

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Fri 11 Mar 2011 21:46
09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE? - Avant

It's that residual value that's making you look at an older Mini. The Fiesta (unless it's had a harder life) could be the better bet as it will have some of its warranty still to run.

Questions you could ask to help you and your wife to decide:

Which engine does the Fiesta have and how does it compare for perfomance with the 1.6 Mini Cooper?

How old are the grandchildren? Is it a 5-door Fiesta? This will be more practical if the children are small and have to be lifted into the back.

How convenient respectively are the Mini and Ford dealers?

Is rear visibility an issue? (Good in the Mini, appalling in the Fiesta)

Can she live with the haphazard, needlessly retro, Mini dashboard? Mind you, the Fiesta isn't much better as its stylist decided, doubtless for some excellent reason, that it would be 'cool' to pretend it was the front of a mobile phone.

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Fri 11 Mar 2011 22:46
09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE? - Pat L

I recently bought an 08 MINI Cooper D for my wife and having owned and driven it for a couple of months here are my thoughts:

great looking car, especially on the 17" wheels

love the handling and lack of roll

good build quality

quirky in a ncie way

good economy and £20 a year car tax :-)

But ...

harsh ride that's now starting to annoy both of us on the local pot-holed roads

agree re dash/controls - I tried to locate the heated rear window switch the other morning whilst on the move and gave up

Performance is not brilliant, but better with the sport button selected

Overall, glad I bought it. I never thought I'd say this but it's a fun car.

I've never owned a Fiesta so can't comment, but if the MINI appeals go for it, it's got real character.

hth

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Fri 11 Mar 2011 23:43
09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE? - Avant

SWMBO is on her third Mini - this one a Cooper convertible. We'd never think of non-standard wheels: the ride is firm but acceptable on the standard wheels, and the handling is brilliant - just like the original Issigonis Mini.

Presumably the previous owner fitted the 17" wheels - maybe (s)he was someone who spent longer looking at the car than driving it!

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Sat 12 Mar 2011 09:56
09 PLATE FIESTA OR 57 PLATE MINI COOPER - WHICH TO CHOOSE? - sandy56

MY wife had the same problem. She had driven the MINI and liked it.

After a test drive in the MK7 Fiesta Zetec it was no contest.

Fiests is a very good small car.

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