Left the house yesterday morning to buy a BMW 330Ci....

Left the house yesterday morning to buy a BMW 330Ci....

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bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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and this morning picked up an R53 Cooper S. After seeing the umpteenth 3 series with rotten arches I dropped into a local trader on my way home yesterday and spotted what was to become the latest addition to the family.

It's a 52 plate with 40k miles. It has the panoramic sliding sunroof which is nice. Mechanically spot on, no trim creaks (yet) paintwork needs a little bit of TLC.

I'm very pleased & am looking forward to getting to know the little fella.


jackh707

2,126 posts

155 months

Friday 18th April 2014
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Looks fantatsic, almost identical to my 04 plate.
I've had it 3 weeks now and it's been great. They all creak (a little bit), you just get used to each ones individual creaks and groans.

Evo

3,462 posts

253 months

Saturday 19th April 2014
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Looks great, I'm just about to start looking for an S in grey for my work runaround.

We previously owned a Cooper which my wife loved more than any other car she's owned so as I wanted more of a hot hatch type car the Cooper S I'm hoping will fit the bill, I'll also get a reduced pulley and new air box to give it closer to 200 hp.

Edited by Evo on Saturday 19th April 01:55

Honsta

110 posts

169 months

Tuesday 29th April 2014
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Always liked the Cooper S in grey - suits the car very well.

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Tuesday 29th April 2014
quotequote all
Evo said:
Looks great, I'm just about to start looking for an S in grey for my work runaround.
After a week of pounding the M23 and M25 I can confirm that it works pretty well for that. At 60mph around the M25 I'm even getting an indicated 46 mpg too which is a bonus (and most likely over-reading like a bd)

Evo

3,462 posts

253 months

Tuesday 29th April 2014
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Ha ha, well my current Volvo t5 is returning 24-26 so sounds like it would still be a big improvement.

Challo

10,043 posts

154 months

Tuesday 29th April 2014
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bga said:
Evo said:
Looks great, I'm just about to start looking for an S in grey for my work runaround.
After a week of pounding the M23 and M25 I can confirm that it works pretty well for that. At 60mph around the M25 I'm even getting an indicated 46 mpg too which is a bonus (and most likely over-reading like a bd)
46mpg does seem quite high. I never get more than 35 on a run at 60

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Tuesday 29th April 2014
quotequote all
Challo said:
46mpg does seem quite high. I never get more than 35 on a run at 60
I'll take a pic the next time I do that run. I was expecting something closer to late 30's.

Maracus

4,229 posts

167 months

Wednesday 30th April 2014
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My missus took our Cooper S auto to her parents at the weekend, a 520 mile round trip. She averaged 43mpg at motorway speeds.

The 260 mile return trip only put out 3 fuel lights yikes

NormanD

3,208 posts

227 months

Wednesday 30th April 2014
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I've just purchased a '03 MINI Cooper S in Grey

Seems to have all the bells and whissles including the Panoramic sun roof

Paid just over two grand for it, so seeing how prices are looking didn't think that was too bad

There are a few nigles to sort and get the wheels refered, how does one Curb a small car !!
Although reading MrsMini web sight, they do state that as the previous owner was a woman,
she had been mis-informed how long six inches really is

As the car is Grey, thinking of having them colour coaded or in Black as the trim
Did that with my Jaguar XKR, looks good as it is more or less the same colour

Also going to have a word with MiniSpeed with regards getting some more power and better stopping
It already has a Scorpion exhaust fitted

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Wednesday 7th May 2014
quotequote all
Challo said:
46mpg does seem quite high. I never get more than 35 on a run at 60


This was today. Haywards Heath to Stockley Park with about 30 mins delay on the journey.

Evo

3,462 posts

253 months

Wednesday 7th May 2014
quotequote all
NormanD said:
I've just purchased a '03 MINI Cooper S in Grey

Seems to have all the bells and whissles including the Panoramic sun roof

Paid just over two grand for it, so seeing how prices are looking didn't think that was too bad

There are a few nigles to sort and get the wheels refered, how does one Curb a small car !!
Although reading MrsMini web sight, they do state that as the previous owner was a woman,
she had been mis-informed how long six inches really is

As the car is Grey, thinking of having them colour coaded or in Black as the trim
Did that with my Jaguar XKR, looks good as it is more or less the same colour

Also going to have a word with MiniSpeed with regards getting some more power and better stopping
It already has a Scorpion exhaust fitted
Reduced pulley and an air box should do nicely to start with smile


Challo

10,043 posts

154 months

Wednesday 7th May 2014
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bga said:


This was today. Haywards Heath to Stockley Park with about 30 mins delay on the journey.
Wow that is impressive for a supercharged engine

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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I'm slightly sceptical of the figures to be honest. I did a cross country run to Poole over the weekend and it was in the mid 30's which is expected but that was mainly A-road rather than motorway schlep.

mike9009

6,918 posts

242 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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That mpg seems too good to be true. The best I ever achieved (and I was trying) was 36.5mpg (indicated by the computer). Have you over checked by a brim to brim measurement (unless your odometer is out too??) - you could measure the mileage with a sat nav - to over check that too...

My computer in the R53 seemed to be 1 - 2 mpg optimistic.

Mike

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
quotequote all
I think I'll try a brim-to-brim just out of interest. Distance travelled is pretty much spot on but something doesn't quite feel right. It won't change anything but during the commute I'm pretty economical (I coaxed 34mpg out of my BMW 540 on the same journey once).

Silent1

19,761 posts

234 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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i get 45mpg (well i don't, the OH does, i get ~18 hehe) out of mine but it makes 250bhp at the wheels and doesn't have any emissions crap any more and the diverter valve works properly so i don't have a boost leak like 90% of all supercharged minis do from the factory (although that's more a power issue not economy)

eybic

9,212 posts

173 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
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Have you reset the MPG counter?

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
quotequote all
Silent1 said:
but it makes 250bhp at the wheels and doesn't have any emissions crap any more and the diverter valve works properly so i don't have a boost leak like 90% of all supercharged minis do from the factory (although that's more a power issue not economy)
That sounds very sensible, those pesky overtakes need to be as fast as possible.

bga

Original Poster:

8,134 posts

250 months

Thursday 8th May 2014
quotequote all
eybic said:
Have you reset the MPG counter?
Yes, it was averaging mid-30's (not sure over what time/distance/driving style) when I got it. I reset it to see what it would do on the once weekly M23/M25/M4 journey and was surprised to see firstly 46 and then 47mpg. The weekend trip was closer to what was expected mpg wise.