Can I avoid Mini?

[un1eash]

I wouldn't call Minis bland or colourful, they still have an iconic look that is still recognised across the world. I switched from a string of BMW's most recent a F40 M135i to my F56 JCW as the F54 Clubman with the same running gear was so much more fun to drive and always puts a smile on your face. Driving both back to back just showed up where the M135i missed the mark trying to be a hot hatch and ended up too much GT.
The F56 is such a laugh to drive from the noise, performance and handling. It's like an old school turbo with all the whistles, pops and bangs but modern in that there's no turbo lag and torque steer. I challenge all my friends to drive it and not come away with a smile on their faces.

[nickfrog]

un1eash said:

I wouldn't call Minis bland or colourful, they still have an iconic look that is still recognised across the world. I switched from a string of BMW's most recent a F40 M135i to my F56 JCW as the F54 Clubman with the same running gear was so much more fun to drive and always puts a smile on your face. Driving both back to back just showed up where the M135i missed the mark trying to be a hot hatch and ended up too much GT.
The F56 is such a laugh to drive from the noise, performance and handling. It's like an old school turbo with all the whistles, pops and bangs but modern in that there's no turbo lag and torque steer. I challenge all my friends to drive it and not come away with a smile on their faces.

This is my experience up to a point even coming from a manual M2. I only had the JCW for a few weeks but quite impressed. What helps it is the size and relatively low weight. It was always going to be an in between car but it is proving better than I thought.

[anonymous-user]

Canon_Fodder said:

OP I'm afraid to say that everything is likely to seem bland after the style and excitement of your Honda Jazz

Every family needs a cheap reliable shopping trolley that you don't care about if it picks up a car-park scrape or one of the kids gets crayon on the seats! Husband used to be a panel beater in his family's business, specializing in BMW & Mercedes so he/we have driven a lot of them and I'm not a fan, even of the M5 he had for a while. I've had a Golf GTi (boring), an MX5 (boring), an Impreza turbo (quick but very very dull). On the other hand I LOVE sporty Hondas. None of the above could even come close to the Prelude 2.2 vtec or the CRX I owned so I know what I like when I drive it even if others can't see the attraction. I've recently sold my motorcycle (which was the fun toy) and I know no car can compare, but am hoping a Mini might be a fun little halfway house.

[anonymous-user]

Had my test drive and have ruled it out. It was 'fun' in the way that a ride on the waltzer is fun compared to a ride on the merry go round but it left me feeling flat. Husband had a good nose at one in the showroom while I was on the test drive and reckoned it's nowhere near as well engineered as my Jazz, and my daughter thinks I should keep the Jazz as "it's a better car". Didn't help that many of the cars on their forecourt had scabby wheels and more wear + tear than I would have expected. Ex rentals maybe as there were many Yorkshire registered ones (seems common with BMW/Mini. Is their fleet office based there?). The wheels on my old Jazz are undamaged. How have all those 2-3 year old Minis been treated when their wheels are wrecked.
Guess I'll just have to find something else to waste my money on now.

[nickfrog]

^ sorry to hear that. It's difficult to beat a Jazz as an all rounder, however boring to drive they may be. I can imagine the driving experience not being significantly more exciting either in a MINI.

I agree that the standards of used cars have slipped as not only the shortage of cars means that they can't be as choosy but they're also quite reluctant to prep them well as they sell quickly even like that.

I was super lucky with mine as the wheels had been refurbished and had 4 almost new P Zeros and it was a one owner privately owned car that had been pampered. But that is super rare and the dealer didn't even notice how good the condition was (I bought it unprepped the day it arrived and they had priced it unseen).

What are you going to do next?

[N111BJG]

Over the past couple of years it's become easy to sell used cars, so they don't make much effort now.

Time was that, for instance, 3 years & 40,000 miles of usage was magically removed & they looked like new, but that takes time & money so just doesn't happen.

Not much discount for buying nearly used either in the brands I like to have, so to my surprise latterly I've become a disciple of buying new.

[anonymous-user]

nickfrog said:

What are you going to do next?

Keep the Jazz for the time being. It might be boring white goods (it is white as well!) but it's like a dependable friend that never lets me down. I'm quite attached to it and as its value isn't that high, we actually contemplated storing it in our garage instead of trading it in as I'm sure the Mini (had we bought one) would probably end up being traded back in for another Jazz or similar in a couple of years time anyway. Another motorcycle is a possibility as I had a good group of friends I rode with regularly but the standard of driving, drug driving & phone use out there worries me more now than it has ever done. Two kids is also an important consideration. But at present I think I'll hold on to the Jazz & use some of the car change money to book a family holiday to Florida. We're likely to be moving house some time this year anyway so changing car isn't a priority.

[andyeds1234]

This is the best, “I didn’t really want a mini in the first place” thread, ever.

“ the wokey-cokey imagery & corporate BS portrayed on Mini's website is a real turn-off to me”

“ That's the sort of wallet gouging that really turns me off the brand. That & the whole 20-something non-binary trans people they love to depict on their website”

“ The more I read online about Minis, the more I'm being put off buying one. Corporate BS and 'consumer lifestyle products' aren't really my thing”

I would drive your Honda Jazz through the window of your nearest Mini dealer, that’ll show em! Lefty, Woke, Consumer pinkos!!!

Edited by andyeds1234 on Sunday 5th February 22:19

[Alfahorn]

I’ve owned my 2016 Mini for a year. My car has a service plan and my local dealer is Sytner Leicester, who I’ve used twice and they’ve been first class. There is also a respected independent close to me, which I’ve not yet used, however I’ve had good feedback from friends who have.

I think it depends on how good your local dealer is, and whether you’ve got a good Indy close by. Im fortunate as I appear to have both.

[1878]

andyeds1234 said:

This is the best, “I didn’t really want a mini in the first place” thread, ever.

“ the wokey-cokey imagery & corporate BS portrayed on Mini's website is a real turn-off to me”

“ That's the sort of wallet gouging that really turns me off the brand. That & the whole 20-something non-binary trans people they love to depict on their website”

“ The more I read online about Minis, the more I'm being put off buying one. Corporate BS and 'consumer lifestyle products' aren't really my thing”

I would drive your Honda Jazz through the window of your nearest Mini dealer, that’ll show em! Lefty, Woke, Consumer pinkos!!!

Edited by andyeds1234 on Sunday 5th February 22:19

It was inevitable that Jeremy Clarkson would eventually join PH.

[un1eash]

Jostan said:

Didn't help that many of the cars on their forecourt had scabby wheels and more wear + tear than I would have expected. Ex rentals maybe as there were many Yorkshire registered ones (seems common with BMW/Mini. Is their fleet office based there?). The wheels on my old Jazz are undamaged. How have all those 2-3 year old Minis been treated when their wheels are wrecked.

When I got my JCW around the back were 4/5 new JCW and Cooper S, they were all staff cars less then 6 months old and every one of them had curbed wheels.

[The test driver]

andyeds1234 said:

This is the best, “I didn’t really want a mini in the first place” thread, ever.

“ the wokey-cokey imagery & corporate BS portrayed on Mini's website is a real turn-off to me”

“ That's the sort of wallet gouging that really turns me off the brand. That & the whole 20-something non-binary trans people they love to depict on their website”

“ The more I read online about Minis, the more I'm being put off buying one. Corporate BS and 'consumer lifestyle products' aren't really my thing”

I would drive your Honda Jazz through the window of your nearest Mini dealer, that’ll show em! Lefty, Woke, Consumer pinkos!!!

Edited by andyeds1234 on Sunday 5th February 22:19

I was avoiding feeding the troll

The whole thread smacks of someone short of attention.