Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Has anyone driven a new Mini Cooper?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Has anyone driven a new Mini Cooper?

    My wife and I are considering selling the CR-Z and buying a new Mini. We haven't taken one for a test drive yet, but I read that they're not quite as tossable as the previous generations were.
    Her old 03 Cooper S was a blast to drive, aside from the fact that it had a rougher ride than a Radio Flyer on square wheels. She misses the hell out of that car, but we don't want to take a risk on an old Mini (the brand isn't known for reliability, or affordable repair costs!) She'd probably be happy with a new one, but I'm REALLY hoping that it's not too numb compared to her older ones. The numb, isolated feeling is part of what makes us less than enthusiastic about the CR-Z.

    I'm just looking for experiences and impressions. So far, all I have is one magazine review that says it's not as good... I'm hoping that's not a universal opinion! We'll probably go out sometime in the next two weeks to test drive and talk to a salesman.







    #2
    I had an 06 S turbo with a flash. The ride was like eBay sleeves on stock shocks. A friend still owns an 05 base model that just recently started acting like a BMW. Everything that's small and plastic, trim like and such, is falling apart.

    I don't know about the new ones, but I say stick to what you love if you can find an older model that was well cared for.

    The new coupes are 2600lbs with a turbo 3cyl making a whopping 134hp/162tq. I would think it's not fun to drive.. head to the dealer and see what's up!

    Comment


      #3
      i drive them from time to time. i enjoy every one i get thats a turbo. even the autos are fun. i really considered getting one, a coupe, but i couldnt get over the fact its still a bmw. wound up with a 14 accord coupe exl navi v6 6 speed.
      COUPE K24

      Comment


        #4
        BMWs aren't that bad...minus the plastics, rubber, and gaskets

        I was just having a convo with my co-worker about how I have never driven a Mini. I might try one out the way you all are talking about them.

        YouTube Clicky!!

        Comment


          #5
          Don't do it, they fall apart.

          Car & Driver had an article on a new mini a while back, it constantly was falling apart.
          I'm faster then a prius

          Comment


            #6
            Shouldn't you be buying a cb7? or a Honda....

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Raf99 View Post
              Shouldn't you be buying a cb7? or a Honda....
              Same. Comon Deeve.
              I'm faster then a prius

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Raf99 View Post
                Shouldn't you be buying a cb7? or a Honda....
                Me? Yes. My wife... no. We bought the closest thing to a Mini that Honda had to offer, and neither of us really likes it.

                Anyway, we drove the new Mini, and it was honestly quite nice. Not as raw as my wife's old 02 Cooper S (which made every lowered car I've ever been in feel like a luxury car by comparison...) but still had plenty of zip. The engine is FINALLY a BMW engine (the 1st gen had a Brazilian engine, and the 2nd gen had a French engine.) The engine is just a little 3 cylinder thing, but it's turbo. Idles pretty smooth, and has a decent amount of grunt. A $500 ECU mod would bring it up near Cooper S power, which is something to consider (as it is, it's already about as quick as the CR-Z.)
                We told the Mini sales lady that we were just looking to test drive to see if we were interested in the car. By the end of the night, she was trying to get us to buy one on the spot. She told us to email her the specs of the CR-Z and she'd give us a trade-in value. I laughed and told her she would never be able to give us what we want for that car... and she didn't believe me. Silly lady offered us $11,500. Riiiight... $11,500 for our loaded 8,500 mile CR-Z EX in pristine condition...






                Comment

                Working...
                X