Mini Comparison
Discussion
Hi all-new to your forum & Mini's. Looking to pick your brains on the following please. I am looking at the following cars for the Mrs-will be a runaround for her doing about 5000 miles a year,
1. Mini Cooper, 9500 miles, from non mini dealer, Dec 2014, great condition, was a rental firm car but no scuffs/marks to be seen except minor scrape on front alloys which obviously would have to be repaired-£10700.
2. Mini Cooper, 14000 miles, from non Mini dealer, May 2014, great condition, 1 owner from new-£9700.
3. Mini One, 24000 miles, from Mini dealer, March 2013, great condition, 2 owners from new, £7900.
Am aware of the difference in road tax/fuel consumption between the 2013 & 2014 models.
As overall packages, are the newer models worth the extra money, or is the older model a better buy considering £2000 & £3000 difference.
Read somewhere on the internet that there may be bargaining with the Mini dealer, as they would possibly want 2013 models off their forecourt.
No. 2 above dealer has told me that he wants to sell it as well as it has been on their forecourt for 8 weeks. Perhaps all sales talk.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
1. Mini Cooper, 9500 miles, from non mini dealer, Dec 2014, great condition, was a rental firm car but no scuffs/marks to be seen except minor scrape on front alloys which obviously would have to be repaired-£10700.
2. Mini Cooper, 14000 miles, from non Mini dealer, May 2014, great condition, 1 owner from new-£9700.
3. Mini One, 24000 miles, from Mini dealer, March 2013, great condition, 2 owners from new, £7900.
Am aware of the difference in road tax/fuel consumption between the 2013 & 2014 models.
As overall packages, are the newer models worth the extra money, or is the older model a better buy considering £2000 & £3000 difference.
Read somewhere on the internet that there may be bargaining with the Mini dealer, as they would possibly want 2013 models off their forecourt.
No. 2 above dealer has told me that he wants to sell it as well as it has been on their forecourt for 8 weeks. Perhaps all sales talk.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
Personally, I'd say if you can afford a new (F56) model then go for it. They're a step up in ride quality, handling and infotainment (it's effectively lifted from the 3 series). Having said that, I'd recommend avoiding large wheels and runflat tyres. My Cooper is on 16" alloys and even then the ride was quite firm with runflats. Switching to normal rubber made a big difference.
Lots of people will criticise Mini dealers but I'd say it's worth buying from within the network for the warranty. I've had various rattles from the dashboard in mine (back in tomorrow actually) and the dealer has tried to sort them without any arguments.
They're great cars with loads of quality and while mine hasn't been perfect I still love it. There's plenty to choose from out there so make sure you pick one with a decent spec. For me, Chilli pack and visual boost radio would be a must. Also look out for the TLC pack.
Good luck with the search and let me know if you've got any questions about my ownership experience.
Lots of people will criticise Mini dealers but I'd say it's worth buying from within the network for the warranty. I've had various rattles from the dashboard in mine (back in tomorrow actually) and the dealer has tried to sort them without any arguments.
They're great cars with loads of quality and while mine hasn't been perfect I still love it. There's plenty to choose from out there so make sure you pick one with a decent spec. For me, Chilli pack and visual boost radio would be a must. Also look out for the TLC pack.
Good luck with the search and let me know if you've got any questions about my ownership experience.
Edited by Dolf Stoppard on Monday 19th June 21:15
Many Thanks Dolf for reply - 90% of my cars over the years have been from an authorised dealer for the make - agree with you in buying from them re. warranty work. Just trying to weigh up pros & cons of each vehicle. No. 1 mini is an ex-rental car which I am wary of - unable to tell how driven for those 9500 miles. No. 2 is also not from mini dealer, & No. 3 is from mini but the older model. I see they have just put a 2015 mini one with pepper pack onto their site - 22200 miles - £10995 - bit more than I was looking to pay for a 2nd car. They have TLC pack on a lot of their younger Mini's. Decisions Decisions. Thanks again.
We got our Dec 14 registered 3 door from a VW dealer last summer. So peace of mind that the car was still under warranty and reassurance that the dealer wasn't dodgy but also it was noticeably cheaper than similar cars at Mini dealers. Have needed to use the warranty and Mini dealer did it without and issues. We waited weeks for the right car to come up and travelled far to get it but worth both the wait and the effort.
Many Thanks for reply Goatex - same with me Mini dealers more expensive. I would prefer the 2 cars that are from non mini dealer as they are the newer model - better mpg & lower tax. Similar car to these 2 from mini is about £1000 more expensive. I'm also bit weary of ex rental cars, which the 1 with 9500 miles is - however I know the dealer very well & would not have any fears should there be any problems with the car. Time will tell. Thanks again.
[quote=Brian1964.... I'm also bit weary of ex rental cars, which the 1 with 9500 miles is - however I know the dealer very well & would not have any fears should there be any problems with the car. Time will tell. Thanks again.
[/quote]
As it's a December 2014 car you should have a few months of the manufacturers warranty remaining, may give you peace of mind if any major problems occur.
I imagine with an ex-rental car you'll be looking closely to ensure that the trim/paint/body is as it should be with no damage or signs of repair? Do you know for certain that it's a rental car from the likes of Hertz/Avis or could it actually been a lease car used only by one driver?
If you buy the Mini 1 is there a chance you'd keep wishing you'd got a Cooper?
[/quote]
As it's a December 2014 car you should have a few months of the manufacturers warranty remaining, may give you peace of mind if any major problems occur.
I imagine with an ex-rental car you'll be looking closely to ensure that the trim/paint/body is as it should be with no damage or signs of repair? Do you know for certain that it's a rental car from the likes of Hertz/Avis or could it actually been a lease car used only by one driver?
If you buy the Mini 1 is there a chance you'd keep wishing you'd got a Cooper?
Thanks DarkMatter-would need to check ownership again, but I think it was a rental firm in Birmingham. The only marks I noticed on it were on the front black alloys-these would obviously be repaired. 1st time driving a Mini & must admit I liked it-it will be the Mrs who will drive it, mainly on short journeys of 20-30 miles.
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