What would you buy? Need help making a decision

[pidsy]

Hopefully the M3 will be gone in the coming weeks and I'm settled on a mini. So my question is:

If you had up to £15k ish to spend what would you buy?

Naturally, a works car is top of the list but I can only get the older shape car like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

I could buy a new shape car but it would have to be an S. Like this:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

The old shape I think will have the more reliable n18 engine plus it's a proper works car, it has the recaros which are lovely and to me, looks a lot nicer.

But..,

The S is the newer shape, more comfort, nicer cabin and a more reliable engine?

I'm torn - whatever I get, it'll do few miles and the lack of power in the S can be made up for with a few mods.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this or any info you could give.

I want to go shopping.
Cheers.

[cerb4.5lee]

I love my F56 Cooper S and it's massive fun, and if I get bored with it's performance it's easy to improve, but those Recaro's are drawing me into the older model though!

[MrC986]

OP, it's a good time of year to be buying as the used car market normally slows down coming up to Christmas - it's almost worth raising your budget to £16k to see if you can blag a £1k discount for a pre-Christmas purchase!

As for the F56, a friend has a Cooper S that's now running a 300bhp remap - it's a great little car that definitely surprises other motorists

[kiethton]

I've always liked the GP Works cars....a little older ill admit but look very special

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

[steve-5snwi]

how about a roadster ?

http://www.ukisudbury.com/cars/mini/coupe/johncoop...

or if you can up the budget and negotiate a little .....

https://www.approvedusedminis.co.uk/approvedminis/...

although it looks like the mini market prices are dropping, personally i'd go for an f56, make sure it has widescreen nav and led lights then pop off to evolve for a cheeky remap (near on 300bhp with the 2.0's)

[pidsy]

kiethton said:

I've always liked the GP Works cars....a little older ill admit but look very special

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2017...

lovely motors but the gen 1 cars are getting on and whilst i do like to push on, i'm not tracking this car. there have been a lot more GPs popping up in the classifieds in the past few months.

[pidsy]

steve-5snwi said:

how about a roadster ?

http://www.ukisudbury.com/cars/mini/coupe/johncoop...

or if you can up the budget and negotiate a little .....

https://www.approvedusedminis.co.uk/approvedminis/...

although it looks like the mini market prices are dropping, personally i'd go for an f56, make sure it has widescreen nav and led lights then pop off to evolve for a cheeky remap (near on 300bhp with the 2.0's)

i was planning on buying a roadster Works car - i liked the unusual styling - i don't think i've seen a works car out on the road ever but i drove one and i wasnt keen - cant place why but the car didnt really feel like a Mini.

300 horses in a mini sounds hilarious but im still wavering towards the older cars, but i think i might regret it.

[Complex]

Largely depends on how long you're intending to keep it, how much you actually value 'newness' and the improvement in cabin styling/materials.

Depreciation will almost certainly hit harder on on the newer car, especially compared to a FJCW which are particularly desirable.

Further, if you are indeed happy to write off a little more money given the savings against an older FJCW, you're leaving yourself a good couple of grand for modification to take an already great car beyond what an F56 can do.

[VEX]

Buy 2!

A fast road modified Gen1 and then a weekday barge.

Lots of modified Gen1’s around at the moment for close to a 5th of that GP.

Although the GP is a stunner.

[pidsy]

id love to buy 2 but im trying to keep to just having 2 - so im thinking mini for fun and weekend light-hooning and ive got an old estate for pootling about in and keeping the dogs happy.

the GPs are great bits of kit but 2 seats isnt really practical - i can think when id need more but you know theres always a time when you do. i'm more into sitting in a nice place now im getting older

[steve-5snwi]

https://www.evolveautomotive.com/blog/mini-f56-coo...
http://www.lohen.co.uk/media-blog/blog/blog-gen-3-...

Evolve seem to get more out of their stage 1 and given they usually work with M cars I would probably lean towards them, out of the F56 and R56, i guess its like the R53 v R56 battle, personally if it came to spending 15k on either a F56 or R56 i would go for the newer F56 as its a little more grown up with better tuning capability. A stg1 remap and Remus ( JCW) exhaust would be all that you need.

[pidsy]

Steve, thanks for that. it makes some interesting reading.
so PH's consensus so far is go for the newer one and mod...

[mon the fish]

I would go for the R56 - I always think the last cars built in a model's lifecycle are the best in terms of quality, as all the little niggles discovered over the years of building them have been fixed and updated.

I also think that each new generation of car adds in another layer, further removing/filtering the driver from the actual process of driving and real feedback IYKWIM. I find the older generations more raw, and therefore ultimately more fun.

And a remapped R56 JCW at 270bhp or whatever is not slow and as fast as you could ever need a road car to be

[pidsy]

Thank you.

I appreciate everyone's opinion - I spent ages last night reading up on the models, possible mods, reliability etc and my decision still isn't made.
It's not proving an easy choose. In 19 years of driving and loads of different cars, this is up there with the hardest decisions.

It's a mini for gods sake!

[ghiblicup]

That R56 is such a rare and great spec. It’s the only other one I’ve seen with leather and Alcantara dash like mine. Makes the interior feel really special. Most of the time hot hatches are a wash of plastic!

The main reason for the R56 though would be the steering. The new car has lost all communication and feel to me, try both back to back and see what you think. It also feels that little bit bigger. But the engine is a peach.

Had my R56 JCW for 4 years now and couldn’t find anything I wanted to replace it (and I’ve had a fair few great hot hatches in my time) so paid off the ballon earlier this year. A set of PS4’s and it is a real B road weapon. Going to take a trip to Lohen next year for some light mods

[ghiblicup]

Also, as that car is practically the same as mine feel free to ask me as much as you like about it

[pidsy]

ghiblicup said:

Also, as that car is practically the same as mine feel free to ask me as much as you like about it

Appreciated.

You are in London - any chance I could have a look?

[Dolf Stoppard]

Have you driven both? If not, do it, and buy the one you prefer. I really wouldn't worry about having an 'older' model, as the styling is so evolutionary. The Works cars also don't date as much as the mainstream models due to the extra styling touches.

The F56 is arguably a 'better' car, but for some people, the things that make it 'better' (size, refinement etc) can be seen as negatives.

Please don't be put off by this, but I'd also say the interior build quality of even the F56 can be questionable. Every one I've driven seems to rattle from somewhere - normally from within the dash. But for some reason I've just gone and bought another!

I'd therefore suggest a long test drive on roads you know so you can try and see if there are issues.

HTH

[cerb4.5lee]

Dolf Stoppard said:

The F56 is arguably a 'better' car, but for some people, the things that make it 'better' (size, refinement etc) can be seen as negatives.

Please don't be put off by this, but I'd also say the interior build quality of even the F56 can be questionable. Every one I've driven seems to rattle from somewhere - normally from within the dash. But for some reason I've just gone and bought another!

I agree and I had my F56 Cooper S new and there's a rattle in the door pillar that annoys me a bit, plus there's loads of wind noise...but I put that down to me being used to bigger and possibly better built cars that I've had in comparison.

I wouldn't be put off earlier cars either, and the biggest weakness of the F56 is that it's by far the ugliest of the modern Mini's, the earlier generation cars just sit and look much better to me.

[ghiblicup]

pidsy said:

Appreciated.

You are in London - any chance I could have a look?

Still work in London but have just moved near Tunbridge Wells! Always zooming round Kent so PM if you are ever going to come this way and I'll give you the low down!