test drive on r50

[cookie9561]

had a test today in a 55 mini cooper,blue with white roof,milage was 40,000,no documented service history but with few phone calls found out car had been serviced in nottingham from where it was bought,oil service at 9000,then brake fluid change at 16000,then oil service at 26000,so now due a service again,fiat dealer selling car,drove well but god was it a hard ride on the 17 in runflats,really put me off buying it,wants 7995 which i think is the bmw price with all beneifits that gives,any views guys as im in 2 minds now

[Stewart]

There is no denying it the Mini’s are dear, you could get a brand new car for that price. But then if your wanting a to Mod your car then the Mini has so many options. I to find the ride outrageous I feel every bump on the road, but as others have done they have spent the £300 quid on quality normal tyres and say it improves the ride no end and even feel better on the road.

[cookie9561]

ye i agree about the the point you make about price of em but theres nowt out there that i really fancy,they drive great,dunno if l would be too much into modding thing as lm bit too old i think ha ha,always been into driving more and the mini has that thrills in spades really,take it i can just change the tyres when they are done for normal ones then

[GCA3N]

ye i agree about the the point you make about price of em but theres nowt out there that i really fancy,they drive great,dunno if l would be too much into modding thing as lm bit too old i think ha ha,always been into driving more and the mini has that thrills in spades really,take it i can just change the tyres when they are done for normal ones then


As said the ride quality on the 17 inch runflats is pretty poor and hard and alot of folks change to the non-runflat tyres. There is nothing you need to do it's basically the same size but just not a run flat.

As far as the mini then your only going to get a go for it here and everyone would be right. I am a newbie to the scene (3 years) and love them to bits and for me there is nothing else. They do come with their baggage though and as said you can buy alot more car for less money. I think though you won't regret buying it what I would recommend though is a good warranty mini's, dare I say it, have had a few niggles over the years (atleast a 1000 stories on here) so get a good warranty that will cover all major mechanical parts. This will give you peace of mind when, no sorry, if there are any issues.

Sorry to blabber on but you will love it when you get it.

[cookie9561]

ye think your right about warranty thats why lm hesitant to buy when its not a bmw warranty,its same price as jc ,s in dundee are asking for a 05,better warranty,service history etc,like you say they have their probs which concerns me but chance you take i suppose

[stoney]

i have run my s on 17" with run flats and then changed them to normal and the ride improves a lot but is still hard but if u want a car that handles then you have to have it a bit stiff

[Big Gordy]

Keep an eye on the 'For Sale' section on here.....there are usually a few up for sale...infact Ivan's selling his right now :smilewinkgrin: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1649157.htm (http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1649157.htm)

[Craig]

Ivans is a great buy, loaded with JCW stuff and VERY well looked after ! ;)

[Mon the fish]

Don't cut yourself up over getting a BMW warranty - check out Warranty Direct, see how much it would cost to take out your own warranty, as an insurance policy - that's all it really is. Most dealers buy a warranty from someone like that anyway.

Oh, and buy the Mini...

[ELFMAN]

Ivans is a great buy, loaded with JCW stuff and VERY well looked after ! ;)

Lovely wee Cooper! And 'enthusiast maintained'. I know what I'd go for... The fact that the one at the FIAT dealer has no DOCUMENTED service history would worry me a bit. Why not? Phonecalls are just heresay. BTW if you don't like a pretty hard ride - don't buy a MINI on 17's.

[cookie9561]

ivans looks a great car but think with 18 in alloys and uprated suspension might be a bit hard for me,warranty direct maybe not as good as bmw warranty ??

[cookie9561]

also i need to trade in my own car

[Duncan Stewart]

Try a Mini with different wheels / tyres.
I found the 15 inch wheels with normal tyres best on my R50 minis when I had them - handling is lively and great fun, and easily able to keep up with larger wheeled minis in the twisties.
I tried 16 inch wheels and found they gave better outright grip but harsh ride spoiled the handling and fun (for me).
Depends on your preference, many people like the harder ride / look of big wheels.
Don't let the hard ride put you off, take test drive in a 15 inch wheeled mini and see what you think.

[Ivano]

Ivans is a great buy, loaded with JCW stuff and VERY well looked after ! ;)
:yes nod::yes nod::thumbs up::thumbs up:

[cookie9561]

managed to find a cooper i liked on wed,will get pics up as soon as i work out how,its a black 07 23500mls,fsh and tlc up to 2012,its got full leather,air con,chrome interior and 16 ins wheels,got it from a honda dealer in dundee,really pleased with car so far,run flat tyres bit harsh but intend to change them when they done to non run flats

[Craig]

Good news !!

So you went with an r56 then ;)

looking forward to the pics ..... And get on a run ! :thumbs up:

[cookie9561]

ye craig i did,there was a few probs tho,when i arrived down from inverness the salesman said they were putting mot on car,had brake light up,they replaced pads back and front cos they thot that was prob,they tried to get sensors there and then but couldnt get them without ordering,saleman at honda garage assured me they would pay for replacememt if i took it into local mini dealer here in inverness

[Craig]

Cool. Calterdon get a good name for service so you should be ok ;). Hope you enjoy it ;)

[audrey]

Best of luck with your new car :D Sure you will love it :yes nod:

[cookie9561]

thanks craig and audrey,never had to use them before but your comments about them craig certainly gives me confidence

[Big Gordy]

Well done :thumbs up: and welcome to the mini madness:moonie:

[cookie9561]

thanks big gordy,luv driving it already,handling is unreal compared to bora

[GCA3N]

The addiction has started, sounds like you've got a good one there. Get some pics up asap so we can see her.
:thumbs up:

[cookie9561]

just experimenting with this pic to see if i gat it righthttp://http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cooks9561/mini%20pics/mediaCAZRIFOW.jpg

[cookie9561]

will try again http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cooks9561/mini%20pics/th_mediaCAZRIFOW.jpg (http://s672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cooks9561/mini%20pics/?action=view&current=mediaCAZRIFOW.jpg)

[cookie9561]

heres hopefully another onehttp://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cooks9561/mini%20pics/mediaCAMTZBTB.jpg

[cookie9561]

sorry lm not great at this as you can see ha ha,http://i672.photobucket.com/albums/vv90/cooks9561/mini%20pics/mediaCAQT5HCU.jpg

[D3 JDA]

welcome m8 nice mini :thumbs up::smilewinkgrin::hand::cool:

[cookie9561]

cheers d3 jda

[audrey]

Lovely :thumbs up: Black cars are so :cool:

[KenL]

If you are worried about ride quality then the R56 is the better option.

I had an R50 with 15" standard tyres and found the ride tiresome, an R56 with 16 or 17" runflats is a lot more comfortable.

Post some pics up and good luck with it.

[Duncan Stewart]

Great looking Mini :thumbs up: