Looking at buying a Mini...

spikey57

spikey57

spikey57

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23 Sep 2008
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Location
Sunbury-on-Thames
TLDR; Car needs some repairs, not particularly cost effective...changing to a mini, something more fun...

Currently drive: Mark 4 Golf 1.6 2002. Currently has a few issues where the central locking mechanism in each door is on the fritz. Been quoted approx £175 per door (parts + labour) to fix.

Car is worth about 50p...also incredibly boring to drive - 1.6 FSI. Heavy, boring, but relatively practical.

Thinking about a Cooper S as a replacement. Going to look at it on Sunday.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifi...---fantastic-condition-throughout/5534598?v=b

Looking to pay around £3k if I can, maybe a bit less with Part X.

I currently do mostly short distance with the odd journey to Cornwall, or the Isle of Wight. I don't tend to lug large things around other than a bike every now and again.

Average mileage is around 3-5k a year.

Suggestions, thoughts, advice welcome.

Thanks in advance.

:)
 
I'm not totally clued up on the R53, but the main things to look at on a Mini are:

  • Full steering lock - any weird noises, usually a problem with the pump or diff' bearings on an S
  • Smooth gearbox - not jerky or difficult to get into gear, reverse is an exception as it has no synchro - a whine in all gears could be a sign of low oil or having been starved
  • Suspension bushing - a clonk at the rear (usually) but also sometimes the front
  • Engine - top or bottom end rattles - bottom could signify a lack of oil in its life or top end might be tappet/tensioner related
  • Kerbed wheels or a damaged exhaust system also are signs along with paint and interior to how well they've been looked after. The exhausts don't rust, but can be damaged off bottoming out. Windscreens, front of the bonnet and front of the roof are all easily chipped by stones too.

They can use a fair bit of fuel, but low annual miles and the occasional blast won't damage the wallet too badly. Example you've posted is pretty good - only a test drive will tell though! :)
 
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there's a few buying guides on total mini/minitorque and mini2 which will help you find out what to look for - 3k would be as high as i'd go tbh although not been keeping up with prices in the last year...
see if you can get a good look underneath and poke about - bushes will probably be tired at that kind of milage if they haven't been replaced yet and dmf might be a bit rattly
 
I bought a 2003 Mini 1.6 cooper last October off my dad.

96K, he was the only owner, Full mini SH. Paid £1250 which was a bit of a bargain IMO.

Not a S and to be fair it's a bit slow and heavy. However, it's loads of fun. I have an A4 Avant 170TDI mapped to over 200HP and I've used it twice in the last month!

I bought the mini with the intention of giving it to my eldest when she passes her test but I might keep it :)

It's a PITA getting into reverse. Doesn't really rattle that much, seat creaks a bit. Oh the doors don't have that thing that holds doors open a jar - not sure what it's actually called, both have worn. Passenger electric window doesn't work but can hear the relay so probably the motor. The windows are supposed to drop a little when opening and closing. Drivers does on mine, passenger not. Haven't been fused while the weather is bad but now it's getting nice-ish I'll be taking the door apart to fix the motor.

The boot is useless.

Can't really offer anything particularly useful but it's one of the few cars that actually makes me smile without having to do death inducing speeds :)
 
Thanks for the information guys. Much Appreciated.

I'm certainly not paying what they are asking, given the age of the car.

However I will be making a list of things to check or look out for.



Am happy to be given alternatives though, doesn't necessarily have to be a Mini. Don't really want to travel more than 10 miles from where I'm based to look at one. Given my budget, I'm not sure it's worth travelling 20+ miles to look at a car.

Budget is probably £3.5k regardless.

Pretty sure it will be a Mini that I will end up going for. :)
 
I forgot about the windows. Check they dip when you open the door and shut properly when you close it. If you get a short list of cars, travelling 20/30 miles will be worth it if it's a good example.

I was looking at a number of different cars but my friend got a Mini and after a few trips in it I decided I should test drive one. Has so far been a great choice. :D
 
I'd also consider the Clio 182.

I've never owned a Mini CS, but have had a 182, which i regret selling now.

The clio should be cheaper, a good one with recent belts and dephaser, should cost around £2-3k depending on mileage and modifications.
 
Kick the front wheels. If they move, the wishbone bushes are shot. Sub frame off job, ££££. Check the top mounts under the bonnet. Those tend to fail regularly too.

The Mini is a fantastic car to drive. I've driven the socks off them and they just stick to the road like glue.
 
The Cooper S is pretty thirsty compared to the standard One and Cooper models so bear that in mind. You'll have to drive carefully to get better than ~30mpg on a run, and around town you can expect a lot less.
 
I love driving the Mini's but one thing that bugs me is the centre speedo. Try and look for one that has the extra dials if you think that might bug you as well. Yes I know you can have a digital speedo in the tacho, but not with other info at the same time.
 
Thanks for the info all.

I'm not really a fan of French cars. Something about friends who have had horrendous issues with them has put me off.

I've looked further afield and the one I put in the OP seems to be the best one by a decent stretch. Miles on the clock, age of car, distance from me. I will have a better idea once I have seen it/driven it to see if it's really for me.

MPG doesn't bother me too much, given my low mileage a year.

I will see if my budget will stretch to a bit more, but ideally I don't want to spend too much.

You're input has been taken on board in regards to thing to consider. :)
 
We only have the standard Cooper, so some may or not be applicable.

RF tyres make the ride and road noise utterly dismal everywhere. This becomes worse if you're over 5'10, as invariably you end up smashing knees, shoulders and head into various parts of the car at every bump in the road. There almost seems to be a rattle in every piece of interior trim (and our example is of low miles!). The stereo is dire. MPG is crap, will be even worse in the S. Tyres are comparably expensive if you stick to the RFs.

On the positives, it handles well, has good grip, feels planted, and the clutch/gearbox is great imo.
 
Those Minis are every where.

How about a 3 door BMW 1 Series. Nice looking car and best of all rear wheel drive.
 
I'm 5'8 so I don't think that will be a huge issue. I have heard that the interior can tend to rattle or squeak a bit, but apparently there are fixes for most of those issues.

I've never had a car with run flats before, but its something I would more than likely change if I don't like them. What tyre would you recommend switching them out for?

I would probably change the stereo if I'm not happy with it.

Not a fan of the one series. I think the shape is odd, and I'm not sure I would like to see it parked outside everyday. Would consider going for a test drive in one though.

I think if I were to go for a BMW it would be a 3 series. An audi, probably an S3. Both of which I'm not sure I would be able to find good enough examples that don't have anything horrendously nasty lurking around the corner at that price point.

Dream car is a GTR, but I've got priorities that put that on the back burner for sure, like getting a deposit together for a house. :)

Fun factor is probably key here, I'm not sure a 3 series or an S3 would do that?

My current car is bland, heavy, handles ok, but fun is the least likely thing I would associate with it. It was my first car, and it's the only one in the range where you can't do anything to make it more than what it is, certainly not within any reason. Can't do anything to the engine, which is a 1.6 (1.8T required to make anything of it) It's heavy, and the suspension doesn't scream performance or push me.

Are they everywhere like you see Ford Focus' everywhere? :)
 
SWMBO has a Mini Cooper, not an S unfortunately, and I love driving it. When the teenager has enough no claims I will seriously consider chopping it in on an S.
 
R53 but from August 2004 onwards for better reliability

DONT buy a pre 2010 R56 unless you want to spened £££££ on repairs

Now back to the R53.
They handle great the supercharger whine is addictive, cheap to make it go faster.
Negative sides is they drink fuel, will use oil and high car tax.

Dont mix RF with normal tyres, just stick to RF (not recommended) or normal
expect low 20s if you dive like to stole it, high 20s normal driving, low 30s if you are a nun
and the clio 182 is a joke compared to a MCS
 
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spikey57 said:
I would probably change the stereo if I'm not happy with it.
Click to expand...

Be aware it is a pain in the backside and you will need a new fascia and loom adaptor to retain the steering wheel controls.

Having said that, the early models had a crap stereo so it is worthwhile upgrading to a decent bluetooth unit.

I am 6'5" and I have no problems in a mini 1 with regular tyres, I hate the runflats on pretty much every BMW.
 
eatcustard said:
DONT buy a pre 2010 R56 unless you want to spened £££££ on repairs
Click to expand...

:confused:

You just have to be careful, like you would with any car. My R56 is Sept 07, tensioner was done when the fix was released (have the paperwork) and it hasn't missed a beat so far. Replaced the battery as it was at the end of its lifespan (was still the original AGM batt) and two new rear's as they were needed. I've only added petrol outside of that. Water and Oil levels remain constant.

I can contrast that to a friend with a year newer car. His drinks oil and seems to have a water leak somewhere. You just need to be careful.

I had little congestion the other day, from cold using coasting and little stopping, average of ~35MPH I had over 50MPG. Sport mode I can see 24MPG. :D - I'm a pain for audio, but on mine - not the HK like my friends - I find the stereo to be fine, no problems at all. I haven't tried it in the R53 so cannot compare.
 
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Thanks all.

HPI checked, MOT was 8 days ago. Replaced front bushes and had a laser realignment done. New tyres all round. Undecided on the run flats.

Radio in this model is actually ok, has a sub, and I think that really helps. Will more than likely swap it out later in the year.

Will see how it goes, and maybe change them if I decide I don't like the noise, but had a good thirty minute drive in it, didn't really think it was an issue.

Love the whine of the super charger. Completely different beast compared to my Golf. Just wants to go faster all the time! Definitely brought a smile to my face, and looking forward to driving it.

Picking it up on Saturday morning. :)

Thanks for all the advice, it helped for things to look for before making the choice :)

Possible upgrades to it would probably be the brakes, maybe some additional power as well further down the line, but for now I will get used to it.

Pictures to follow...
 
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