£7-10k Mini Cooper S replacement
Discussion
Hi everyone, I'm currently driving an R56 Mini Cooper S. It's excellent. I love the way it drives (when it works), I love the way it looks, and it may not be the best at anything but I really like the way it drives, the shape, and the fact that it is less shouty than other hot hatches.
It is also cheap to insure, I'm 19 years old and when my renewal comes through I am getting quotes of £700-£900 fully comp.
The problem is that it is a bit of a lemon and it's causing the enjoyment to fade a bit. I'm getting electrical gremlins, different warning lights every week and a new, worrying noise appears every so often. Some disappear after a while, all are worrying.
I've lost trust in it and now I'm on the hunt for something else. My commute is 30 miles total of twisty B-Road (and I like to enjoy it!). I do very little motorway driving and I have a new Volvo S60 on the way to handle some things.
Here are my requirements:
£7-9k (could stretch to 10 in a few months)
Petrol
Manual
Should be roughly as quick as my existing car (184bhp and a fair bit of torque)
I like to have something small in dimensions because I commute on Scottish B roads (not absolutely essential, but must have a nimble chassis and be light-ish)
Practicality a complete non-issue (Volvo S60 has that handled)
Ideally something not driven by boy-racers for insurance purposes
Here is what I've considered so far for reference:
Mk3.5 MX5 - Late model in Sport Tech spec.
Another Mini (not a massive fan of F56)
Clio 200
Megane R26
Abarth 500
Beyond that, I'm at a loss and would really appreciate some suggestions. I'm seriously considering the MX5 but will I notice a power/fun deficit? The mini is quite quick and incredibly tossable
It is also cheap to insure, I'm 19 years old and when my renewal comes through I am getting quotes of £700-£900 fully comp.
The problem is that it is a bit of a lemon and it's causing the enjoyment to fade a bit. I'm getting electrical gremlins, different warning lights every week and a new, worrying noise appears every so often. Some disappear after a while, all are worrying.
I've lost trust in it and now I'm on the hunt for something else. My commute is 30 miles total of twisty B-Road (and I like to enjoy it!). I do very little motorway driving and I have a new Volvo S60 on the way to handle some things.
Here are my requirements:
£7-9k (could stretch to 10 in a few months)
Petrol
Manual
Should be roughly as quick as my existing car (184bhp and a fair bit of torque)
I like to have something small in dimensions because I commute on Scottish B roads (not absolutely essential, but must have a nimble chassis and be light-ish)
Practicality a complete non-issue (Volvo S60 has that handled)
Ideally something not driven by boy-racers for insurance purposes
Here is what I've considered so far for reference:
Mk3.5 MX5 - Late model in Sport Tech spec.
Another Mini (not a massive fan of F56)
Clio 200
Megane R26
Abarth 500
Beyond that, I'm at a loss and would really appreciate some suggestions. I'm seriously considering the MX5 but will I notice a power/fun deficit? The mini is quite quick and incredibly tossable
Deerfoot said:
I'm not sure what insurance is like but try a Fiesta ST, they're a great steer.
Failing that I'd be heading for the MX5 from your list, different to your MINI but still fun over the roads you'll be using.
Insurance isn’t a huge issue because I get a 40% discount on it through my work so anything within reason is worth a look.Failing that I'd be heading for the MX5 from your list, different to your MINI but still fun over the roads you'll be using.
Why not get another R56 Cooper S? A non-Friday afternoon one...
I have a 2012 Cooper as our runaround at the moment and posted something similar recently. I've ended-up getting a 2013 Cooper S (last-of-the-line R56), after looking for something low key and small-ish.
The trigger for me was that the current car has been smoked in by its previous owner. However, I didn't want to spend loads more as we only do around 3k miles per year in it. The Cooper S fits the bill nicely.
I'd have a look to see whether you could find a JCW or another Cooper S with some more goodies fitted.
I have a 2012 Cooper as our runaround at the moment and posted something similar recently. I've ended-up getting a 2013 Cooper S (last-of-the-line R56), after looking for something low key and small-ish.
The trigger for me was that the current car has been smoked in by its previous owner. However, I didn't want to spend loads more as we only do around 3k miles per year in it. The Cooper S fits the bill nicely.
I'd have a look to see whether you could find a JCW or another Cooper S with some more goodies fitted.
ZX10R
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUNNING-2009-Kawasaki-...
R1
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2012-12-YAMAHA-R1-1000C...
Or if it has to be a car then for me it would have to be the RS250/265.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUNNING-2009-Kawasaki-...
R1
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2012-12-YAMAHA-R1-1000C...
Or if it has to be a car then for me it would have to be the RS250/265.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
FN2 Civic Type R? They make a lovely noise, feel “special” to drive thanks to the little steering wheel and bucket seats and should be a lot more reliable than your current car if it’s a bit of a dud.
Go for a Championship White one with the LSD if there are any in budget.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Go for a Championship White one with the LSD if there are any in budget.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Edited by Latters on Wednesday 7th March 21:11
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