Mini for sons 1st car?

[The Gauge]

Looking at getting a Mini for my 18yr old son as his first car. I’ve heard they are good for cheaper insurance as long as engine is no bigger than 1.4?

Anyone had one for a new driver, and which generation would be best. Budget of around £5k

Edited by The Gauge on Thursday 23 January 13:42

[thepritch]

I’ve had r53, and r56 minis and love them - admittedly the Cooper S versions. But saying that haven’t sat in an r53 for a while so dont know if it would now feel old by comparison.

You’re looking at ‘ ones’ to get a 1.4 or less engine size I think. I’d go for the standard hatch, classic looking and always (mostly) looks good.

Avoid the prince engines if you can - which was up to 2012/13 of the second gen mini, as you’ve probably heard about the famed timing chain weakness. I might be wrong but would have thought a v good early first gen car should be in budget, as well as a second gen (2013 on) one with 80k + miles.

I’m sure you’ll get great advice from the folk here but for me, I’d be over the moon to have a mini as my first car.

Edited by thepritch on Thursday 23 January 14:17

[PistonBroker]

My now 18yo daughter has an R56 Cooper.

It cost her £1400 fully comp with Ticker when she passed her test at 17 in Spring last year. So I'd try quotes on 1.6 Ones and Coopers before committing to the 1.4, personally.

[Downward]

Find one and get the lad to sit in it.
My son didn’t like the seating position

[ncjones]

The 1.6 diesels are pokey and are super cheap to insure (noticeably cheaper than 1.0/1.2 Aygos, Fabia, Polos etc for my daughter).

I picked up a 08 plate one with 120k miles for £1400 and she put 9000 miles on it the last year. Just sold it and upgraded it to an immaculate 63 plate one with 70k miles. Got it for £2500, primarily as no record of it having had its timing chain done, which are the known weak spot on these……and they’re a big job to change.

Her first year insurance on the older one was £1480. Her new one is £495 with one year no claims.

[ncjones]

Get them on a ramp to check the subframes. They still can rust badly at an earlier age than you’d think.

[silentbrown]

PistonBroker said:

My now 18yo daughter has an R56 Cooper.

Ditto. We got an 12 plate R56 Cooper for our daughter in August. Insurance (now she's passed) is a little steeper than first predicted, largely as we didn't want a black box. No regrets otherwise - it's a cracking little car.

Responses from here were useful... https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?host...

Edited by silentbrown on Thursday 23 January 14:43

[Downward]

ncjones said:

Get them on a ramp to check the subframes. They still can rust badly at an earlier age than you’d think.

It’ll probably be in the MOT history, The one we saw it was.

I liked they way they drive to be fair.

[Ken Figenus]

I looked at a few older ones for my lad. Ran a mile after discovering what rustbuckets they can be - those subframes... So many advisories on MOTs...

[ChrisH72]

For £5k you can get an F56 One with a 1.2 turbo engine.

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024121472...

I'm not saying you should as I know nothing about them but it would seem a better option than the older R56 1.4 perhaps?

[Arnold Cunningham]

If going R56ish 1.6 petrol, just make sure it’s the later engine version that resolved most of the issues and that it has a good service history.

[silentbrown]

Arnold Cunningham said:

If going R56ish 1.6 petrol, just make sure it’s the later engine version that resolved most of the issues and that it has a good service history.

Is that 2008 onwards?

[thepritch]

silentbrown said:

Is that 2008 onwards?

I was wrong above, think it was mid 2010 onwards that the R56 got newer engines. Although from what I understand the facelift still is a little prone to timing chain wear.

I have a 2013 S with 115k . Touch wood, no issues whatsoever apart from a gentle coolant leak the garage can’t seem to fix.

[Arnold Cunningham]

Yes, 2010 onwards is the improved version. And easy to identify since the rocker cover and coils look different.

And change the oil regularly. I find it bonkers that my one currently reports 22k until an oil change is needed. Fortunately it’s never even done a full 10k between changes.

[ncjones]

Downward said:

ncjones said:

Get them on a ramp to check the subframes. They still can rust badly at an earlier age than you’d think.

It’ll probably be in the MOT history, The one we saw it was.

I liked they way they drive to be fair.

The one we had, had a completely clean MOT history but failed due to holes in the subframe the following year. In a sweeping generalisation the garage doing the welding advised, never buy one of these that’s spent much time north of Birmingham!

I only get to drive my daughters if the fuel light is on, but agree still cracking fun to drive.

[Silvanus]

I know two people that looked at a Mini as a first car and both ended up with Alfa Mitos, they are worth a look too.

[Terzo123]

I've been looking at the the F56 specifically with the 1.2ltr 3 cylinder BMW unit. They seem to be reliable and insurance reasonable for young ones

[Arnold Cunningham]

If budget would stretch to it, the F series does get good reports.

[The Gauge]

Thanks everyone.

Might be going to look at a couple for sale locally this weekend, just to let my lad have a sit inside and see how he feels..

2013 Mini Hatch One 1.6 D 68k miles £3,400
2014 Mini Hatch 1.5 Cooper 121k miles £3,600

Out of those two I assume the lower mileage 2013 car would be preferable, though I doubt we'd be buying any car yet, I just want him to see what he thinks of Mini's

[thepritch]

The Gauge said:

Thanks everyone.

Might be going to look at a couple for sale locally this weekend, just to let my lad have a sit inside and see how he feels..

2013 Mini Hatch One 1.6 D 68k miles £3,400
2014 Mini Hatch 1.5 Cooper 121k miles £3,600

Out of those two I assume the lower mileage 2013 car would be preferable, though I doubt we'd be buying any car yet, I just want him to see what he thinks of Mini's

Good luck. Perhaps, but then it’s a diesel and I’m not a huge fan of diesels in cars. Also two different generations (i think?) so it’ll be useful for you to see what you think of the two different models. They’re quite different.