Mini Cooper S

Aero said:
Ok so you've got your heart set on a Z4 at a later date & that seems to be the the constant in you threads at the moment.

So if you want something fun now why not look at a decent mk2 mx5 (hear me out), something like the 1.8is. It will help you get used to rwd, it's a convertible for the summer. It's Japanese and they're generally know as being very reliable. Also they're great fun and very rewarding to drive. Depreciation will be minimal as it's already taken most of the hit + they hold their value fairly well.

or if you want to delay your "fun" get your yaris that you originally wanted, again a decent reliable car that isn't going to stretch you finances and delay getting the Z4. It's sensible and will give you a chance to build up some more road experience before you get your Z4.

The savings you'd make in these cars over a mini would more than likely pay for your tax & mot's in the time you have them.

Just my thoughts, in reality it doesn't seem like you know what you want at the moment Raymond. Why not sit down and work out what you want from your car (if you've not done it already), be it enjoyment or purely a method of getting from A-B.
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I do admit that i do not know what I want at the moment. Hence my threads of late. In the past 5 days I have went from

Yaris - Z4 - Golf - Mini Cooper S - Fiat 500.

With some digging of the Clio and Focus in between.

All those are within budget and if i can get anyone of those in a good nick i would buy it now so I can stop faffing around with this searching lark.

The idea of the MX5, although sound, doesn't appeal to me for some reason, I seen them in real life but I rather have a hatchback this time round. I guess that is a constant.
 
Raymond Lin said:
I do admit that i do not know what I want at the moment. Hence my threads of late. In the past 5 days I have went from

Yaris - Z4 - Golf - Mini Cooper S - Fiat 500.

With some digging of the Clio and Focus in between.

All those are within budget and if i can get anyone of those in a good nick i would buy it now so I can stop faffing around with this searching lark.

The idea of the MX5, although sound, doesn't appeal to me for some reason, I seen them in real life but I rather have a hatchback this time round. I guess that is a constant.
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Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to knock you or anything merely trying to help clarify which might be the best option for you. :)

Of the rest I'd look at what kind of use you are looking to use the car for. Are you likely to be ferrying your friends around i.e. a car filled with adults? Or are you going to lug all your tog gear with you and would prefer the extra space?
 
Aero said:
Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to knock you or anything merely trying to help clarify which might be the best option for you. :)

Of the rest I'd look at what kind of use you are looking to use the car for. Are you likely to be ferrying your friends around i.e. a car filled with adults? Or are you going to lug all your tog gear with you and would prefer the extra space?
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I am going to use it for 3 things

1 - Going to to my weekly shopping (at the moment I go daily as I just can't carry that much stuff with my hands)
2 - Going to my dad's (30miles) and Sister's (50miles) away. This is mainly where the 5k a year figure comes from. To my dad's is a nice A road, easy to do. He cruises that road 60mph all the way in his A6.
3 - Weddings in the area, which at the moment, only about a handful max a year and my gear fits as a hand luggage on a plane so boot size is irrelevant.

That's the use. I "might" take the a long drive to see a friend in another part of the country once or twice a year (London) but I don't have plans for that at the moment.

And I appreciate your help, i really do. Last thing i want to do is go out blind and buy a rust bucket. I am half tempted to give someone at work (she has a Audi S3 & a BMW 330ci...and gave her old Golf 2L TDI to her brother, she's a petrol head!), hand her £6k and ask her to come back with any of the above and surprise me! I am THAT undecided at the moment.
 
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You're going from one extreme to another really with your chosen cars, a 1.2L gutless handbag or a thirsty forced-induction handbag.

Have you thought about just getting something a bit more middle of the road and sensible, which isn't form over function, for your money like a Focus/Corolla/Fiesta/Polo. It is your first car after all.
 
Disco Boy said:
Have you thought about just getting something a bit more middle of the road and sensible, which isn't form over function, for your money like a Focus/Corolla/Fiesta/Polo. It is your first car after all.
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This. Yes, you're older than most when they get their first car, but don't peak too soon!

I'd just get a standard hatch, focus/golf etc. Stop worrying about mileage, fuel economy and tax. You don't do many miles so as long as you get something sensible they will all be cheap to own. Wait a year or too, then upgrade to a hairdressers car if you like:D You may find that when you get a car and experience your new found freedom you estimated usage changes, and an mx5 might be totally inappropriate!
 
I'd argue that the Yaris is the most suitable for your purpose then. It's ideal for short trips to the supermarket and would be quite economical on the journey to your family. However I personally find them quite plasticy and not my cup of tea but that's just my opinion.

The golf would be my choice of what's left as it should be a little bit more comfy on the longer journey's if you go further afield plenty of space and you can fit 4 adults in reasonably well.

Mini's I just don't like them :) but hazarding a guess you are probably looking at the lower end of these whilst also being fairy dated so I'd say there's better out there for the money.

Fiat 500's by all accounts a nice little car but you'd be getting finance on a car when I'd argue it's not necessary.

If it was my 5 grand I'd look at focus's (I know you don't like them), golf's, SEAT Leon's and mazda 3's. They're a bit more spacious and a bit more comfortable, purely my opinion but they'd be what I'd look at. I'd try and drive examples of all options and make my mind up which I prefer and go from there.

Hope this helps and doesn't add to your confusion. :p

EDIT: ^^^ that's what I was trying to say in my confusing and roundabout way :D
 
Apologies if already mentioned but I've only skim read. I really think you should consider the ep3 civic type-r. 140BHP hatch when cruising then best part of 200BHP when giving it death, can be had dirt cheap and not too costly to run. Just make sure you get a red one, they the fastest!
 
Alex*TLR said:
Apologies if already mentioned but I've only skim read. I really think you should consider the ep3 civic type-r. 140BHP hatch when cruising then best part of 200BHP when giving it death, can be had dirt cheap and not too costly to run. Just make sure you get a red one, they the fastest!
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LOL, it's that thinking which confirms my fear of getting a Civic/Type-R. They have been thrashed! :p
 
Ok...something in the middle.

To tell you the truth, I like something with a nice interior. Hence I prefer a Fiat 500 over a Clio. I won't be spending hours in the car and if i am, i want to like it, and not want to get out of it as soon as possible. So although the Golf is a great car, the interior leaves little to be desired. It feels like someone designed that from a spreadsheet.

Talking about Golf...Audi A3...2L, pre facelift model.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif.../page/2/radius/1500/postcode/hr11hb?logcode=p

Thoughts?
 
Fair enough, but people not buying cars because they will have been thrashed is silly. For example, my rents c3 picasso looks to be a perfect hardly used car, but it's had me thrash the gonads out of it!

Further to this, they are built to have them thrashed, mines on 120k miles and touch wood has no major issues except from needling a clutch!
 
I know, but the Civic is infamous for that. I have also never seen a car been modded so much on Autotrader!

Anyway, lets not go into it...if i were to get a Civic, I would like the newer one.
 
Sounds reasonable, personally I'd recommend against the r53 though, test drove one and it didn't excite much apart from the whine obviously!

Also, checked all the mini forums and it seemed they were forever breaking and not cheap to fix!
 
Had a quick browse at a few garages today.

1 - this seems perfect. 1.8L petrol Focus, 45k miles. (£4200 on their website)



2 - Golf SDI 2.0L Diesel, 80k miles though, 2 owners



3 - The land of the crazies time - 03 plate Mini Cooper S, 66k miles, but no full service history, it missed 05, 06, 09, 10 services. Last service was 08 at 60k miles.

 
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