Old Mini or new Mini
Discussion
Old - every time. I've got a stripped out & caged mini, which I'm currently using daily as my golf is off the road (Again) - its great fun! Puts me in a much better mood by the time I get to work. I also used it daily while I was rebuilding my golf - so about 2 months (2000 ish miles?) and it was flawless - great fun.
Excellent little cars. Shame that the rust monster is such a fan of them too, really.
A friend took me out in his new MINI cooper a while back, and I was fairly underwhelmed. It was a nice looking car, with quite a nice engine, but the interior felt cheap, and it didnt handle as well as the Golf GTI I was driving at the time.
Excellent little cars. Shame that the rust monster is such a fan of them too, really.
A friend took me out in his new MINI cooper a while back, and I was fairly underwhelmed. It was a nice looking car, with quite a nice engine, but the interior felt cheap, and it didnt handle as well as the Golf GTI I was driving at the time.
this'll turn out bad for the MINI no doubt (...
)
i have a new MINI CooperS. it's a modern car, it's our only car, we're not students, therefore it's by far the more plausible option!
if i had space i'd like a mini 1293 that (at least looked like a) mk1. loads of my mates had old minis as first cars and I really like them. But as balmoral green has said before they are in no way related or similar in any way. It's more relevant to say mini or mk1 escort or MINI cooperS or rs clio.
EDITED TO SAY WHERE DO MY COMMAS KEEP GOING?!
) i have a new MINI CooperS. it's a modern car, it's our only car, we're not students, therefore it's by far the more plausible option!
if i had space i'd like a mini 1293 that (at least looked like a) mk1. loads of my mates had old minis as first cars and I really like them. But as balmoral green has said before they are in no way related or similar in any way. It's more relevant to say mini or mk1 escort or MINI cooperS or rs clio.
EDITED TO SAY WHERE DO MY COMMAS KEEP GOING?!
Edited by baSkey on Thursday 5th October 09:45
New MINI without a doubt!
I used to have a MINI Cooper S (JCW) a few years ago and I loved it. I kept it for two years and did 46k miles in it, and in all that time I only ever had to replace tyres and sidelight bulbs.
The car was composed, fast, and handled like a go-kart. The interior was lovely and I disagree with anyone who says it looks cheap or low-rent (I had the darkened aluminium effect trim, as opposed to the bright silver). Eventually I replaced the S Sport leather front seats for JCW bucket seats, but both sets were supportive. My only criticism of the original leather sports seats were that the leather didn't wear well - 20k miles from new my drivers seat looked quite worn.
Ultimately I got rid partly because I fancied something a bit quicker (E36 M3) but mostly because they had become quite common.
The original Mini has never done it for me. I think they're too small and too basic. They look like toy cars in my opinion. They're also nowhere near fast enough unless they've been highly modified. I know of people who have modified them and made them quick (I know someone who put a 150bhp Vauxhall engine in one), but then you can modify any car to make it better than it ever was.
So it's new MINI all the way for me.
I used to have a MINI Cooper S (JCW) a few years ago and I loved it. I kept it for two years and did 46k miles in it, and in all that time I only ever had to replace tyres and sidelight bulbs.
The car was composed, fast, and handled like a go-kart. The interior was lovely and I disagree with anyone who says it looks cheap or low-rent (I had the darkened aluminium effect trim, as opposed to the bright silver). Eventually I replaced the S Sport leather front seats for JCW bucket seats, but both sets were supportive. My only criticism of the original leather sports seats were that the leather didn't wear well - 20k miles from new my drivers seat looked quite worn.
Ultimately I got rid partly because I fancied something a bit quicker (E36 M3) but mostly because they had become quite common.
The original Mini has never done it for me. I think they're too small and too basic. They look like toy cars in my opinion. They're also nowhere near fast enough unless they've been highly modified. I know of people who have modified them and made them quick (I know someone who put a 150bhp Vauxhall engine in one), but then you can modify any car to make it better than it ever was.
So it's new MINI all the way for me.
That depends on whether I wanted a mini or a modern hatchback favoured by estate agents and girls
Looks like you'll disagree with me then. I thought it was plasticky and contrived:shrugs:
ehyouwhat said:
The interior was lovely and I disagree with anyone who says it looks cheap or low-rent (I had the darkened aluminium effect trim, as opposed to the bright silver).
Looks like you'll disagree with me then. I thought it was plasticky and contrived:shrugs:
ehyouwhat said:
mechsympathy said:
Looks like you'll disagree with me then. I thought it was plasticky and contrived:shrugs:
As opposed to the old Mini? Or the majority of other modern small hatchbacks?
The only bit of plastic in the old Mini is on the instrument binnacle.
And thats only on the later ones.
The front of the MINI is well designed, when you sit in the back however, it felt low rent to me.
ehyouwhat said:
mechsympathy said:
Looks like you'll disagree with me then. I thought it was plasticky and contrived:shrugs:
As opposed to the old Mini? Or the majority of other modern small hatchbacks?
he's right about it being contrived but better that than identikit!
the dash top/door trims are way better than anything non-vag at that price range - some of the other bits are nearer to renault/ford etc but that doesn't make it bad particularly i wouldn't have thought.
If you want comfort, a guaranteed start first time every time and a reasonable degree of refinement then go for a new Mini. If you want bags of character then go for an old mini.
I've had a 1983 mini, a Mini One and now drive a new Cooper S. All my cars have suffered as a result of my enthusiastic driving style (thanks XJS John for the comments) but I've had the most fun in the old mini. But.... I do a hell of a lot of miles in the Cooper S and can comfortably say that I can get out of the car after 400 miles without feeling like I've been rattled around the inside of a washing machine.
And there is another aspect where the new ones beat the old ones. If you have a prang in one you're more likely to be able to walk away from the crash. In an old mini this isn't necessarily the case.
I've had a 1983 mini, a Mini One and now drive a new Cooper S. All my cars have suffered as a result of my enthusiastic driving style (thanks XJS John for the comments) but I've had the most fun in the old mini. But.... I do a hell of a lot of miles in the Cooper S and can comfortably say that I can get out of the car after 400 miles without feeling like I've been rattled around the inside of a washing machine.
And there is another aspect where the new ones beat the old ones. If you have a prang in one you're more likely to be able to walk away from the crash. In an old mini this isn't necessarily the case.
Edited by mini_ralf on Thursday 5th October 10:45
ehyouwhat said:
mechsympathy said:
Looks like you'll disagree with me then. I thought it was plasticky and contrived:shrugs:
As opposed to the old Mini? Or the majority of other modern small hatchbacks?
What Matt said re the old mini. I don't think the MINI is any more plasticky than it's rivals (I have only sat in one or two though) but IMO it's trying far too hard and that draws attention to it. The fake brushed effect, the central binnacle and the toggle switches just annoyed me, in part because it would be so much better if they'd done it properly. The competion may be as bad but at least it's unobtrusive.
I think the main difference is that the old mini was desgined as a car, but had the side-effects of excelent handling and "fun", whereas the new MINI was designed to be "stylish" and "retro", and it just happened to be a car, the design team could easily have been breifed to make a Kenwood Chef
(and it's not a 100% BMW mini either, most of the development was done by Rover)
(and it's not a 100% BMW mini either, most of the development was done by Rover)
Monza Phil said:
There is only one type of Mini.
The BMW ONE is a shed.
The BMW ONE is a shed.
80ll0x to that. The BMW mini is NOT a shed.
It's a bloody good interpretation of a classic. It should not be compared with the old mini as they are two totally different cars. The only similarities are in shape and which wheels are driven. Apart from that they are very very different cars.
Are you speaking from experience? If so how much?
Original Mini Cooper S everytime, the old man had one and reckoned other than his Escort Mexico it was the best handling car he's ever driven, bearing in mind it was rally prepped.
He used it as a daily commute, road rally car, hillclimb car and for trackdays.
If only there were some unmolested ones about
He used it as a daily commute, road rally car, hillclimb car and for trackdays.
If only there were some unmolested ones about
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