Hi! Thinking about becoming a Mini owner!

[DelB--]

Morning all.

Have been a VAG man since 1993 and am presently driving a 255bhp/302 lb/ft Mk 5 Golf GTI. For some reason, though, I'm giving very serious thought to down-sizing and a Mini is at the top of the list of possible replacements. Trouble is, I tend to do far too much research on these things and end up more confused than when I started!

No doubt I'll kick around here and ask lots of annoying questions of you all!

Cheers. ;)

[Craig]

:welcome:

Good decision to think about a mini - your Golf sounds great tho ;)

[grasshopper]

hi, i just bought a cooper s camden 2 weeks ago and have been having great fun driving it. traded in an audi a3 s line and have never looked back. great little car, great driving position and overall smashing wee car

[GCA3N]

What kind of budget you got (if you don't mind me asking) and are you thinking of a newer (gen 2) end of 2006 onwards or a gen 1 (2002-2006) Also I presume you'll be looking for a cooper S minimum.

[DelB--]

Thanks for the welcomes, guys - much appreciated. :thumbs up:

I reckon I'd go for a 2004 or 2005 model and, yes, probably a Cooper S. From the research I've done so far, the only items really on my wish list are Xenons, panoramic roof, HK speakers and an iPod link if poss. Anything else, in terms of spec and 'extras', you reckon I should consider?

Maximum budget would probably be about £8K.

Thanks again. :smilewinkgrin:

[ianking]

Try and get a 54 or 05 plate then as the facelift of the R53 model for an S was on a 54 plate.
Best to get one with a chili pack then you will get the Xenon lights as well as air con, half leather and 17s.
HK hi-fi not as common so may have to do a bit searching.

[DelB--]

Try and get a 54 or 05 plate then as the facelift of the R53 model for an S was on a 54 plate.
Best to get one with a chili pack then you will get the Xenon lights as well as air con, half leather and 17s.
HK hi-fi not as common so may have to do a bit searching.

Cheers Ian. Is the HK kit very much better than the standard speakers or am I wasting my time looking for it? I spend a lot of time in my car, so good sounds is important! :yes nod:

[Colin]

:welcome:

[ianking]

The HK is better yes but I wouldnt let its absence put you off a car if it ticked all the boxes otherwise. You can change the standard head unit and speakers quite easily on a gen1 mini.

[Gismo]

:welcome:
Forget the HK Hi-Fi, go aftermarket you'll get better sounds all round

[Craig]

The HK is better yes but I wouldnt let its absence put you off a car if it ticked all the boxes otherwise. You can change the standard head unit and speakers quite easily on a gen1 mini.

I would buy an aftermarket head unit. I had an alpine one with iPod lead and parrot handsfree built I'n for £180 ;)

[GCA3N]

I would buy an aftermarket head unit. I had an alpine one with iPod lead and parrot handsfree built I'n for £180 ;)

you should move into sales Craig.

[rpn]

hi, i just bought a cooper s camden 2 weeks ago and have been having great fun driving it. traded in an audi a3 s line and have never looked back. great little car, great driving position and overall smashing wee car

:welcome: GH, nice car very nice car. :smilewinkgrin: :thumbs up:

I got mine about two months ago. http://www.newminiscotland.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?22360-rpn-s-Camden-Cooper-S

[SuperCooperS]

Hello welcome along..ive had an r53 mini one 7 and loved it..and have had two r56 models now, currently with a cooper s which ive had a couple of months and think its great, I used to be a vauxhall man but dont think ill have anything else than mini if it can be avoided, they are really good fun cars to have :-)

[Duncan Stewart]

:welcome:

[MINIme:)]

:welcome:

give in to the MINI!

and do ask lots of questions, it'll make me feel less conspicuous for doing the same!:yes nod:

[RobSco]

Hi DelB--

Welcome to New Mini Scotland... :thumbs up:

:welcome:

Don't Just Think About it - DO IT !!! ...You Know You Want To... :yes nod:

[euan]

Plenty of stereo upgrades on new mini stuff, I know some guys on here used to take their cars there (apologies if we have a new sponsor for this, but he did a great job on my car as well)

http://www.newministuff.com/new/shop.php?action=products&cat=7

[Doug_m]

HK hifi is awesome. Guys who say get an aftermarket head unit are just saying that caus they never had HK.

Ive had aftermarket unit and speakers in previous cars and havent had the same sound clarity as the hk.

And my cooper s is for sale.
04 pre-facelift with a gd spec ;)

[ianking]

Ive had both HK and after market and whilst HK is great I would say that after market set ups can sound much better

[Craig]

Ive had both HK and after market and whilst HK is great I would say that after market set ups can sound much better

Agreed Ian, plus cheaper ;) and more options...

[euan]

Agreed Ian, plus cheaper ;) and more options...

And more importantly, more choice of cars available!

[ELFMAN]

:welcome:
Look, s*d the Hi-Fi and get into an S, put a good Manifold and System on it, and you'll enjoy the sound it makes so much that HK won't have a look in! I must admit I've never been one for fancy music systems in any of my cars, and the MINI is such a brilliant driver's car that the quality of the stereo is almost irrelevant. I love my music, but I can get into that properly at home - my MINI's for DRIVING!
Get a good MINI first and worry about the sounds later! :smilewinkgrin: :motoring:

[DelB--]

Thanks for the input and welcomes, chaps! :cool:

Have been doing a wee bit more research and I wonder if getting an S is going to help me achieve my goal. My (slight) beef with the Golf at the moment, great car though it is, is that it's only averaging around 30 mpg and is fairly hefty on the tax and insurance too. Apart from being more compact and easier to drive in the town, I reckon a Cooper S won't actually save me very much money and probably be just as greedy on fuel, yes? :Whistle:

[ELFMAN]

If you're worried about fuel consumption, then an R53 S ISN'T the car for you. You're looking at a COOPER or COOPER D if you're watching the MPG.

The later 'Gen 2' MINIs are in a whole different league for Economy while providing decent performance. My R53 (albeit with around 220bhp) would be in the low to mid 30's on a mixed long run, but would struggle to get past 25mpg when I was using the power... but that's where the FUN was! My current R56 (with slightly less power and more torque) is just as quick and struggles to get BELOW 30mpg no matter what I fling at it, and will easily get into the 40's on the same longer mixed run.

An R53 S isn't really a viable high-mileage 'commuter car', or one that's going to win prizes at the pumps, so you just have to accept that.

[ianking]

If you are concerned about fuel economy and road tax then an R56 S is defo the way to go. R53 S will just be much the same as your Golf

[ELFMAN]

Good point about the road tax Ian :yes nod: I forgot about that - mine for the R56 is half what I was paying for my R53 JCW 210.
The new engines are much 'cleaner' than the old ones - hence the drop in emissions/tax rate.

[DelB--]

Thanks for your advice, Ian and Elfman. I guess an 'R56' S will require an increase in budget, though. Can I get one for circa £10K, do you reckon? Presumably main dealers will be significantly more expensive than non-franchise dealers, for example?

Thanks again for your continued help. :blush:

[DelB--]

Have spotted a red R56 S for sale at Eastern for a fraction under £10K, so might pop along for a nosey tomorrow morning and see if the golf clubs will fit in the back with the seats folded down! :smilewinkgrin: