RE: PH Blog: don't fancy yours much
Discussion
I think that all of the MINIs are terrific for their intended purposes. Any JCW Mini should appeal to a driving enthusiast, the power output, and balance alone are fantastic. I run an 06' S as an every day car and have always enjoyed my work run. I don't think cost should come into it for a driving enthusiast, just respect from other enthusiasts that it's a good car. You don't have to own one to see that it's good.
I find the MINI scene to be very competent too. Most JCW owners are very good drivers and the tuning scene is mostly engine based.
I find the MINI scene to be very competent too. Most JCW owners are very good drivers and the tuning scene is mostly engine based.
My neighbour has one. It's the JCW in black, red roof, black wheels. It looks s
t.
He has had the chrome around the headlights and the thin strip around the waist wrapped in black and the stripes removed. It still looks st.
I have driven it too — steering far too sensitive, sounds st and the interior is absolute comedy. A st car for stheads
t.He has had the chrome around the headlights and the thin strip around the waist wrapped in black and the stripes removed. It still looks s
t.I have driven it too — steering far too sensitive, sounds s
t and the interior is absolute comedy. A st car for stheadsThe Mini will always have "Haters".
The amount of Negative comments is all by folk who normally aint got a clue about cars!
For example, the R53 S is not exactly great on fuel for what it is, however most people think the mini is economical, which it is not. I used to think Fords were crap, till I drove nearly the whole fleet in my last job, now I hate Vauxhalls
MY POINT IS......
This coupe is marmite. Personally I think it looks like a deformed Mini hatch. I dont get the Coupe, or the clubman and dont get me started on the countryman!
HOWEVER
We all like different things. If we all had the same tastes life would be boring. The hatchback is a great car and should have been left there, BUT when there is a market to make money, no matter what companies will make it! For example the new Bentley SUV - looks horrible, however it will sell like crazy. The Mini is different. People like to be different. Fair play if you like them. If you dont, buy a car you like
The amount of Negative comments is all by folk who normally aint got a clue about cars!
For example, the R53 S is not exactly great on fuel for what it is, however most people think the mini is economical, which it is not. I used to think Fords were crap, till I drove nearly the whole fleet in my last job, now I hate Vauxhalls
MY POINT IS......
This coupe is marmite. Personally I think it looks like a deformed Mini hatch. I dont get the Coupe, or the clubman and dont get me started on the countryman!
HOWEVER
We all like different things. If we all had the same tastes life would be boring. The hatchback is a great car and should have been left there, BUT when there is a market to make money, no matter what companies will make it! For example the new Bentley SUV - looks horrible, however it will sell like crazy. The Mini is different. People like to be different. Fair play if you like them. If you dont, buy a car you like
Well I confess we are on our second hatch - the first an "S" and the new one a JCW and yes it is in the Red roof and Black body wheels spec and we love it, and I think it looks great.
Yep it has its faults but oddly when we specced up an Astra diesel we were at about the same price point of £23k and I know which is a heck of lot more fun. On a twisty road it is pretty awesome in fact and hustles well - while in the cruise it is no worse than the Astra VXR I ran. Yes of course I'd like something bigger and better and more expensive - a 1M for instance - but that is like saying I'd like a 458, it ain't going to happen on the company car scheme it comes through.
I realise that not everyone would agree and many call it a girls car - but that is a term I've never understood - after all if a man has to drive something with a long bonnet - well you know what they say :-))
Yep it has its faults but oddly when we specced up an Astra diesel we were at about the same price point of £23k and I know which is a heck of lot more fun. On a twisty road it is pretty awesome in fact and hustles well - while in the cruise it is no worse than the Astra VXR I ran. Yes of course I'd like something bigger and better and more expensive - a 1M for instance - but that is like saying I'd like a 458, it ain't going to happen on the company car scheme it comes through.
I realise that not everyone would agree and many call it a girls car - but that is a term I've never understood - after all if a man has to drive something with a long bonnet - well you know what they say :-))
Edited by Numeric on Monday 2nd April 07:31
Numeric said:
Well I confess we are on our second hatch - the first an "S" and the new one a JCW and yes it is in the Red roof and Black body wheels spec and we love it, and I think it looks great.
Yep it has its faults but oddly when we specced up an Astra diesel we were at about the same price point of £23k and I know which is a heck of lot more fun. On a twisty road it is pretty awesome in fact and hustles well - while in the cruise it is no worse than the Astra VXR I ran. Yes of course I'd like something bigger and better and more expensive - a 1M for instance - but that is like saying I'd like a 458, it ain't going to happen on the company car scheme it comes through.
I realise that not everyone would agree and many call it a girls car - but that is a term I've never understood - after all if a man has to drive something with a long bonnet - well you know what they say :-))
Sounds like a fun car. If it works for you, then don't worry about this "girls car" tag. I've got an MX-5 and yes I do get the hairdresser jibes at work!Yep it has its faults but oddly when we specced up an Astra diesel we were at about the same price point of £23k and I know which is a heck of lot more fun. On a twisty road it is pretty awesome in fact and hustles well - while in the cruise it is no worse than the Astra VXR I ran. Yes of course I'd like something bigger and better and more expensive - a 1M for instance - but that is like saying I'd like a 458, it ain't going to happen on the company car scheme it comes through.
I realise that not everyone would agree and many call it a girls car - but that is a term I've never understood - after all if a man has to drive something with a long bonnet - well you know what they say :-))
Edited by Numeric on Monday 2nd April 07:31
In fact, I take a perverse pleasure in driving cars that others criticise. As well as the 5, the family fleet is a 1 series (Top Gear: "you're only buying it for the badge") and a Honda FR-V (Top Gear: "a people carrier is for people who have given up"). And both of them diesels (PH: "satan's fuel" and "there's no reason to buy a diesel other than mpg").
And I don't care what others think. All three cars make perfect sense for us. They won't work for everyone. They might not work for us in a few year's time. When the boy grows up we'll get rid of the FR-V. But I tried the alternatives and these three hit our needs right now just about perfectly.
The bottom line is that you should think for yourself. If it works for you, then no-one else's opinion matters.
LuS1fer said:
Arguably the same applies to the 3 series in times past and possibly present - lots of very avearge lower spec models shoring up the rarer and better sorted models higher in the range.
The previous Chief Ed of one of the mags I work for had a nude 316i company rental. Couldn't pull the skin of a rice pudding, but everything else about it was spot on - the way it steered, the way it rode (at least before a set of 18s put on for 'promotion' purposes ruined it), the driving position, shift action, switchgear... as a driving tool, it stood head and shoulders above Passats, Mondeos, Insignias et al.Personally, I would much rather have a quality tool that offers everything I need and nowt else, than a lesser quality one with loads of bells and whistles.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Which is the only car in its segment which edges it as a focused driving tool, which is offset by the driving position and the general bargain basement Renaultness of the thing. It's all about context. I just ordered a Cooper S through the company car scheme. The other choices made by people within the same allowance class recently are 125 bhp Focus, Lexus CT200h and boggo Audi A3 1.6...
Coming late to the hate...
We bought a brand new Mini Mayfair in 1985. I then bought a 1980 Mini as one of my first cars. As an adult, I bought a brand new MINI Cooper in 2002. Presumably the current model MINI is an improvement over the R50 version we had.
I'll take the new MINI over the Austin/Morris/BL/Rover offering any day of the week.
We bought a brand new Mini Mayfair in 1985. I then bought a 1980 Mini as one of my first cars. As an adult, I bought a brand new MINI Cooper in 2002. Presumably the current model MINI is an improvement over the R50 version we had.
I'll take the new MINI over the Austin/Morris/BL/Rover offering any day of the week.
Well my R56 MCS is definitely a drivers' car. It was on Run Flats when I got it and I ditched them pretty quickly, and that (I am carefully and dispassionately choosing the next word) transformed the car from OK to brilliant. While I was at it I also changed the geo and particularly toe and reduced rear neg camber.
The steering and engine are obviously not quite as refined as the hydraulic system and flat-6 respectively that I had before but despite that, the car's lateral grip, neutrality, resistance to torque steer and genuine playfulness on the limit are nothing short of spectacular, and on a par with say a DC2. Having spent £9K for the car needless to say I am happy, but maybe I am not a proper driver ?
The steering and engine are obviously not quite as refined as the hydraulic system and flat-6 respectively that I had before but despite that, the car's lateral grip, neutrality, resistance to torque steer and genuine playfulness on the limit are nothing short of spectacular, and on a par with say a DC2. Having spent £9K for the car needless to say I am happy, but maybe I am not a proper driver ?
Edited by nickfrog on Tuesday 3rd April 00:13
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