Are new minis fun?
Discussion
Hello,
I've been looking for a first car recently and have been thinking about a mini cooper from the late 2000s more specifically a Cooper 1.6 (i've checked insurance and it is insurable) but i was wondering are they any fun, i don't care much for speed just if it's going to be fun.
Thanks,
Zdos123
I've been looking for a first car recently and have been thinking about a mini cooper from the late 2000s more specifically a Cooper 1.6 (i've checked insurance and it is insurable) but i was wondering are they any fun, i don't care much for speed just if it's going to be fun.
Thanks,
Zdos123
Yes, definitely fun. What makes them great is that they’re fun and engaging to drive nomatter how much power they have.
We’ve had four, ranging from the lowliest 1.4 convertible to insane Cooper S and GP and all of them are great to drive. I’d often pinch my daughter’s 1.4 just to bang around in it.
If fun is your key requirement, you can’t really go wrong
We’ve had four, ranging from the lowliest 1.4 convertible to insane Cooper S and GP and all of them are great to drive. I’d often pinch my daughter’s 1.4 just to bang around in it.
If fun is your key requirement, you can’t really go wrong
Yes I would say they are a fun car , very good visability , proper handbrake . six speed gear box & quite revy engines.
I have has few Coopers & my faviourte to drive was one with the smallest wheels 15 inch , normally with all the packs they come with runflat 16s or 17s which look good & fill the wheel arches . But for driving I preffered the basic 15 inch wheels.
I have has few Coopers & my faviourte to drive was one with the smallest wheels 15 inch , normally with all the packs they come with runflat 16s or 17s which look good & fill the wheel arches . But for driving I preffered the basic 15 inch wheels.
Every first car is a fun car, it's the freedom and adventures you can go on that will make the great memories.
My first car was a 1989 1.0l Ford Fiesta, it was GREAT FUN, would I have another one now, nope. The memories are better than the actual car ever was.
If anything I'd say a 2000-2005ish Mini Cooper is a far more entertaining better all round car than the original Minis an 99% of the cars that most people would have started with at 17.
Go for it!!!!!
My first car was a 1989 1.0l Ford Fiesta, it was GREAT FUN, would I have another one now, nope. The memories are better than the actual car ever was.
If anything I'd say a 2000-2005ish Mini Cooper is a far more entertaining better all round car than the original Minis an 99% of the cars that most people would have started with at 17.
Go for it!!!!!
Echoing the above, I've had an R50 (2004 Cooper) and now have a 2008 R55 Clubman. Neither of them S models but both of them hugely fun to drive. I replaced my mk5 Golf GTI for the Clubman and I can honestly say that the Clubman feels more fun whilst obviously not being anywhere near as fast as the Golf. Plus they all feel a little bit special to jump in being so different to many other things with the dash/dials/switchgear.
Plus they're dead easy to work on and modify if thats your thing. I've learnt a lot from working on my Minis from doing brakes, replacing exhausts etc.
Plus they're dead easy to work on and modify if thats your thing. I've learnt a lot from working on my Minis from doing brakes, replacing exhausts etc.
Going to say something controversial but imo the One and Cooper models are more fun / thrashable than the S / JCW which are incredibley capable but often too fast for UK speed limits.
I love my Abarth Comp because it's so flawed. You gotta drive it to it's strengths and unless you're a real prat you can extract most of its power and feel like you're contributing to the experience not just buckled in for the ride
I love my Abarth Comp because it's so flawed. You gotta drive it to it's strengths and unless you're a real prat you can extract most of its power and feel like you're contributing to the experience not just buckled in for the ride
In earlier Cooper/Cooper S
- try to avoid anything with a 5-speed gearbox
- the coolant bottles can leak around the joint of the two halves where they're moulded leading to coolant loss
- ball joints can wear quicker due to their cornering ability
- I had a spark plug thread go in the cylinder head which meant the head needed to be drilled and helicoiled/timeserted
The only other item needed was a lower front balljoint which wasn't a big expense. R53's are thirsty due to the supercharger - previously one PHer said their BMW 330 Coupe was on par with fuel consumption.
- try to avoid anything with a 5-speed gearbox
- the coolant bottles can leak around the joint of the two halves where they're moulded leading to coolant loss
- ball joints can wear quicker due to their cornering ability
- I had a spark plug thread go in the cylinder head which meant the head needed to be drilled and helicoiled/timeserted
The only other item needed was a lower front balljoint which wasn't a big expense. R53's are thirsty due to the supercharger - previously one PHer said their BMW 330 Coupe was on par with fuel consumption.
My sheddy Gen 1 cooper convertible is the only car I miss, enough power to be fun but not worry about going way too fast, good round the bends, roof down, brilliant - the Up! I currently have as a daily is nowhere near as much fun to drive and so I'm currently looking for another Gen 1 cooper convertible to replace it with (if anyone wants to swap 
)
)CooperS said:
Going to say something controversial but imo the One and Cooper models are more fun / thrashable than the S / JCW which are incredibley capable but often too fast for UK speed limits.
I've posted about this before but I'm looking out for a little project car and been looking at sheddy R53s, considering opening myself up to the whole world of pain that an N14 R56 Cooper S would provide etc but keep thinking about a boggo Cooper with some light wheels, sticky tyres and properly setup suspension geo etc. I've mentioned it above but my R55 is a great drive - its not fast in a straight line but does feel exactly how a Mini should through the twisty stuff.Gassing Station | New MINIs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff