Replace my Mini - Practical Performance Car

[bnbnbn]

My car buying dilemma has got to the point where rather than being a lurker on here I have made an account and decided to ask PH

I have been looking for quite a while for a replacement for our Mini Cooper S, the excuse for this is that it would be good to have something interesting/fun that can handle the 2 kids seats better than the Mini - Ideally that means 4 or 5 doors. We have a family car for the main bulk but I would like something I get to use a bit more (We never take the Mini on trips for all of us) I'd also like something with an intersting engine and it be pre-gpf before they all get too old to be able to daily. I don't do many miles so am not massively worried about fuel economy.

- Interesting Engine / sounds good
- Can easily fit 2 adults + 2 kids
- Open to paying a bit on running costs but dont want something that has a reputation for throwing massive bills all the time.
- Budget is a bit of a sliding scale - I can go up to about £22.5K but the older the car is the less I ideally want to spend so I have some held back for maintenance.

Has anyone been in a similar situation / have a recommendation they have experience with?

[bnbnbn]

KadettE said:

What size are you after? I'd say Alfa Romeo Gulia.

Probably up to that sort of size but no bigger, they do look very nice

[bnbnbn]

nordboy said:

I went from a hatchback Cooper S to a Countryman JCW, loads of room in the JCW and boy it can go when it wants to as it's the 306bhp version. I bought mine approved used last Nov so paid over your budget. but if I was to shift it on now privately, i'd be looking for below your top price for it, so you'll easily get one.

I've actually just ordered an EV, so it'll be going at some point and I'll genuinely be sad to see it go, it's a great fun daily.

Interesting, I have spent most of my time with the mini thinking I wish I had got the JCW, but there is definitely something about it as it’s the longest I have kept a car. I had always assumed the bigger minis would lose a lot of what I like about mine, good to hear you have made the switch and enjoyed it

[bnbnbn]

Well that's given me a lot of digging around the classifieds to do this evening, thanks everyone!

[bnbnbn]

fflump said:

Ghibli V6S is a cracking car but maybe a bit big for you.
A CLA45 might be worth a look- pretty compact but the shooting brake is practical plus AWD and quick. Or an RS3 sportback.

The CLA45 Shooting brake and RS3 is exactly where I was at before posting here. have driven both a little while ago and would be happy with either. 5-Cylinder in the Audi really elevates it for me over the Golf R/S3, but finding one with good history that hasn't been passed around loads of people at my budget seems to be proving tricky and I think I've lost a bit of the motivation to keep looking (Hence asking for other options)

[bnbnbn]

To dig this thread up and conclude it at the same time, I ended up getting very stuck in the loop around would anything I’m looking at actually be engaging like the mini, sure it would be quicker but once you’d floored it a few times would it still be fun? So I went for spending around half the budget on a manual M135i, 5 door, kids seats are in and they’ve spent all weekend asking to go out in it! Correct decision I think!