R53 on the motorway?
Discussion
In 'new car' mode and after a bit of advice.
Currently run a Porsche 996, which I love but want to promote to high days and holidays. Therefore need a replacement daily, up to about £3.5k
Mrs Scruff loves the Cooper S, and I like them too. However, about once a month I drive the 200 miles to head office, all on motorways and leaving about 5am. Is the Mini going to do my head in on that sort of run?
want a quality/grown up feeling hot hatch which can handle the motorway runs too.... Oh, and mileage is paid for by work so mpg not a concern (and can't be worse than the Porsche anyway!!)
Other alternative is an E39 530i my father in law has offered me - better for the motorway run but less capable around town, and Mrs Scruff doesn't like it...
Currently run a Porsche 996, which I love but want to promote to high days and holidays. Therefore need a replacement daily, up to about £3.5k
Mrs Scruff loves the Cooper S, and I like them too. However, about once a month I drive the 200 miles to head office, all on motorways and leaving about 5am. Is the Mini going to do my head in on that sort of run?
want a quality/grown up feeling hot hatch which can handle the motorway runs too.... Oh, and mileage is paid for by work so mpg not a concern (and can't be worse than the Porsche anyway!!)
Other alternative is an E39 530i my father in law has offered me - better for the motorway run but less capable around town, and Mrs Scruff doesn't like it...
Porsche has got the sports suspension and a (mildly) anti-social exhaust so the journey in that can be hard going, though not the end of the world. Hoping a Mini would be an improvement, even if only mild. Will have to try one and see.
Been through the list of possible cars dozens of times, the Cooper S has a huge advantage in that Mrs Scruff likes it. Believe me, that's important when adding a 3rd car to the fleet....
Been through the list of possible cars dozens of times, the Cooper S has a huge advantage in that Mrs Scruff likes it. Believe me, that's important when adding a 3rd car to the fleet....
Just to offer a contrary view, used to own a 996 C4 and now have a DB9 Volante and a Bentley Continental R. It is the R53 Mini Cooper S Works however that I use to commute from Dorset to London. Keeps me awake and engaged. The car has the Sparco seats that make a huge difference to comfort and at less than 10% the cost of the Aston it's an absolute hoot. I certainly find it a better everyday commuting car than the 996. Interestingly, after a 3 hour drive I just dropped the car with my 996 driving mechanic brother. He commented that the ride is harder than his Porsche but the seats much better. For a really long drive however the family FFRR beats the lot.
I'll add my view as hopefully it will help.
I regularly commute in my Cooper S Works Convertible and it's absolutely fine on the motorway and at a steady speed is quite frugal too.
One bit of advice which will help a lot is ditch the standard run-flat tyres and the ride will be improved significantly.
Finding a good one could be a harder job but they are about.
I regularly commute in my Cooper S Works Convertible and it's absolutely fine on the motorway and at a steady speed is quite frugal too.
One bit of advice which will help a lot is ditch the standard run-flat tyres and the ride will be improved significantly.
Finding a good one could be a harder job but they are about.
I have a GP which cannot be massively different from a Cooper S apart from a bit more noise in the GP (no rear seats). I have runflats front and ordinary tyres rear and find it fine for motorway runs. Well sprung Recaro seats as opposed to buckets in my 996 and both are a hoot to drive on long journeys.
I actually picked the GP up from Glasgow and drove it down to Kent and loved the drive although I did take the east coast A68/A697 for the first part to take in the scenery. I think that it all depends on what you are used to. In the last few years all my cars have been sporty so harsh rides are de rigueur for me and the Cooper is probably a little less harsh. Let us face it they must be about the size of the old e30 3 series boxy BMW which was always fine.
The only time the GP irks me is on the junctions 10 to 8 (?) on the M25 (south-west side) where the concrete slabs are like driving on cobbles with the road noise. An embarrassment to English engineering and roads.
Good luck finding something decent for £3,500. My other haf loves her Cooper and I think part of the appeal is there compact (by modern standards) size a poke around town with good capability on the motorway too.
Pip
I actually picked the GP up from Glasgow and drove it down to Kent and loved the drive although I did take the east coast A68/A697 for the first part to take in the scenery. I think that it all depends on what you are used to. In the last few years all my cars have been sporty so harsh rides are de rigueur for me and the Cooper is probably a little less harsh. Let us face it they must be about the size of the old e30 3 series boxy BMW which was always fine.
The only time the GP irks me is on the junctions 10 to 8 (?) on the M25 (south-west side) where the concrete slabs are like driving on cobbles with the road noise. An embarrassment to English engineering and roads.
Good luck finding something decent for £3,500. My other haf loves her Cooper and I think part of the appeal is there compact (by modern standards) size a poke around town with good capability on the motorway too.
Pip
Pip1968 said:
I have a GP which cannot be massively different from a Cooper S apart from a bit more noise in the GP (no rear seats). I have runflats front and ordinary tyres rear and find it fine for motorway runs. Well sprung Recaro seats as opposed to buckets in my 996 and both are a hoot to drive on long journeys.
I actually picked the GP up from Glasgow and drove it down to Kent and loved the drive although I did take the east coast A68/A697 for the first part to take in the scenery. I think that it all depends on what you are used to. In the last few years all my cars have been sporty so harsh rides are de rigueur for me and the Cooper is probably a little less harsh. Let us face it they must be about the size of the old e30 3 series boxy BMW which was always fine.
The only time the GP irks me is on the junctions 10 to 8 (?) on the M25 (south-west side) where the concrete slabs are like driving on cobbles with the road noise. An embarrassment to English engineering and roads.
Good luck finding something decent for £3,500. My other haf loves her Cooper and I think part of the appeal is there compact (by modern standards) size a poke around town with good capability on the motorway too.
Pip
The GP has different suspension to the Cooper S, it's actually firmer. I guess the only way for someone to know if a car is okay for them is to drive it, as we all have our own preferences. I actually picked the GP up from Glasgow and drove it down to Kent and loved the drive although I did take the east coast A68/A697 for the first part to take in the scenery. I think that it all depends on what you are used to. In the last few years all my cars have been sporty so harsh rides are de rigueur for me and the Cooper is probably a little less harsh. Let us face it they must be about the size of the old e30 3 series boxy BMW which was always fine.
The only time the GP irks me is on the junctions 10 to 8 (?) on the M25 (south-west side) where the concrete slabs are like driving on cobbles with the road noise. An embarrassment to English engineering and roads.
Good luck finding something decent for £3,500. My other haf loves her Cooper and I think part of the appeal is there compact (by modern standards) size a poke around town with good capability on the motorway too.
Pip
GP is a dream car of mine, I will own one, one day.
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