rocket jr is looking for a new-ish car and has narrowed it down to a Fiesta Zetec-S or a Mini Cooper. Petrol (obv). He’s driven both and liked them both. Similar insurance costs

The Fiesta is probably the logical choice because he already has one and it’s been a zero-faff car to own. The Mini is a bit different, an unknown

What’re they like to own – any expensive weirdness or weaknesses?

Had an 07 Cooper S and was very relieved to part company with it. They drink a litre of oil per 1000 miles and just seem a bit fragile under the bonnet.

Think the Cooper is less of a problem though.

I had three of the first generation – Cooper, Cooper S then a One (sensible for a longer commute) and they were generally pretty good. The Cooper was the best compromise in terms of performance and running costs.

The Cooper S was a low mileage car and was a pain in the bum but all dealt with under warranty. The One was a highish mileage car and I put quite a few miles on with zero issues.

The second gen cars (R56) like Rockape had a bit more of a pain – the S was famous for timing chain issues (as were 4 pt BM’s of the same era) and oil consumption.

Also had a Zetec S albeit a diesel one which I hated. The MINI is much nicer place to sit, has better service internals and is a better car to drive in my experience. They have better residuals too. There are plenty of MINI specialists that can help stake the sting out of running one – MINI Matt, 1320 etc.

Neither are massively practical – the Fiesta has a lot of wasted space due to the windscreen rake but probably just shades is.

Later engines petrol citroen/Peugeot/Bmw mini engine ep6 are problematic if not been taken care of, turbo ones even more so, oil consumption/timing chains and valves coking up to a point it causes misfires.
If well serviced and oil changed regularly plus latest software then a great modern engine.
If abused/thrashed then expect bills to make your eyes water.

I had one of the first off the production line all those years back. Loved it, great to drive and sold it for more than I bought it after 2 years. One of the first cars where all the bits from door handle to switches had a linked together design. The 5yr servicing plan was great as well as it along with the warranty covered everything apart from the MOT. There were no shock repairs or bills, apart from tyres.

Mini Cooper and Zetec S were high on my list of new cars – drove them both, Mini didn’t light the world on fire in terms of performance but was probably the best interior of any car I’ve sat in (under £100k). Was put off by reliability horror stories and higher purchase price though – don’t look at satisfaction/reliability surveys if you do end up buying one.

Zetec S, great blend of performance and all round economy, great looker from the outside – underwhelmed with the interior. Ergonomics are just plain bad, and it’s all looking a bit dated/tired inside.

I spent ages pondering over the above and settled on a Suzuki Swift Sport. Best bang for buck. Probably.

I had a new Cooper for an afternoon and I really liked the new 3 cylinder engine – it felt pretty perky and a lot less flat than the previous gen N/A four out. The interior is good and leap years better than the Fiesta which has dated horribly. The Ford Sync/Sync 2 system is rubbish too.

The warranty / aftersales from my local MINI dealer was always really good too.

We’re on the verge of swapping my other half’s 330 for a new Cooper and despite the high list price there are good discounts to be had. They’re certainly better value than a similarly priced A1.

My wife has the new version Cooper with the 3 cyl engine, which is great. Good performance, 60mpg achievable, and get a TLC package for cost free motoring. It’s needed a litre of oil in 17k miles. They’re great cars now they’ve put the speedo in the right place 😉
Interior is not as nice as my Golf, but then there’s a £10k difference.
Get the Mini.

My wife had a Cooper from new for 10 years and it never let her down. Lovely car to drive and very roomy compared to the original minis that I grew up with. Suspension a perhaps a bit harsh but overall a great car.

Funnily enough, my brother just sold his Mini (GP) and placed an order for a Fiesta ST. I always thought the Mini had a plasticy feel – style over substance. He never had any real issues with it though.

there are good discounts to be had.

Where did you find them? I hit a complete brick wall trying to get a discount on the mini. The dealers seem to have a ‘but we are MINI’ attitude, and there’s no discounts online via car wow etc

On my second Fiesta Zetec S and waiting for next year’s revamp for my third. They do the job for me: reliable, great road holding, responsive, relatively economical and I can get the bike in easily if I remove front wheel.

Mrs North drove an 09 plate Clubman Cooper for 3 years, all trouble free. More sensible performance than the S (and insurance with it) but handles really well.

She’s now had a 15 plate Cooper S convertible for 12 months. I’ve kept a close eye on the oil, but it could do with a service anyway. Not least because it’s sounding a bit rattly (not sure if chain or valves).

Build quality is otherwise great and the design is refreshingly non-boring. Make sure he avoids run flat tyres – kills the ride!

I know nothing about the Fiesta other than they have a great rep in the handling dept.

New petrol Cooper. Lovely 3 cyc engine, handles great (although electric steering a bit notchy). Nice cabin. 3 door so not much boot space. Surprisingly good motorway cruiser! Would recommend.

Mrs Ed had one, don’t get the largest wheels because the tyres are pricy and the ride is crashy . The passenger and rear are not as comfy as the driver seat; the rear is a hellish place to be. No boot, doesn’t have that brilliant handling of the original because they are heavy and not that small, but the low roof is still there to make it look mini-ish which makes for bad vision out of the rear and sides.

I’d agree with slimjims assessment of the dealers and deals, Mrs Ed was suckered into a bad deal because she wanted a mini

Not had a recent fiesta but I did quite like my mk1 focus, the Kia that replaced it was dull.

Where did you find them? I hit a complete brick wall trying to get a discount on the mini. The dealers seem to have a ‘but we are MINI’ attitude, and there’s

Through a broker we’ve managed to get a quote of £2.1k off list.

I’ve always found the dealers pretty good. From experience there is normally a bit of wriggle room on the APR rate for negotiation. The dealers are more helpful than Audi.

sold his Mini (GP) and placed an order for a Fiesta ST. I always thought the Mini had a plasticy feel – style over substance. He never had any real issues with it though.

Have you been in the current Fiesta? Plastic central. The interior is hugely dated now and very cheap. Mine looked pretty knackered after four years.

Wife had the R56 Cooper S. Glad to be rid of it. A litre of oil per 600miles, BMW won’t entertain it as a problem unless it’s less than 500 miles. Engine cokes up too, Seafoam works for a short while but it returns. Interior is cheap and doesn’t wear well.
I’d take the Fiesta which is just as much fun to drive but reliable.

Clubman One D here. Decent build quality, economical, surprisingly nippy ( has it been mapped?) and dealer the best I have dealt with.

Had the latest one as a demo for a long weekend and it was better, although some of the features – sport mode – was display cheesy.

In contrast to the others above, my Cooper S Clubman was ACE and barely used any oil. The only problem I had in over two years was a small leak through the barn doors.

@mindmap

No. I’m not sure I’ve ever been in a Fiesta. It doesn’t look too bad from a quick image search but of course you’re in a better position to comment.

Have a cooper s clubman, it uses oil, so do Audis …
It has been fine – other than the clutch going just after be bought it …

I had a Mini Cooper S the other year as a temporary car whilst waiting for my current car (Nissan Qashqai Ntec+) to be delivered. The Mini was pretty horrible, interior seemed cheap given the list price and the gearbox was very agricultural. Very much a style over performance vehicle in my humble opinion.

don’t get the largest wheels because the tyres are pricy and the ride is crashy

.
Only if you have Run Flats – normal tyres on 17s are fine.

The passenger and rear are not as comfy as the driver seat; the rear is a hellish place to be. No boot,

If all of these things bother you, get a Clubman.

doesn’t have that brilliant handling of the original because they are heavy and not that small, but the low roof is still there to make it look mini-ish which makes for bad vision out of the rear and sides.

Utter codswallop. Mini’s handle superbly. I’ve tracked both a gen 1 R53 and my R56 Clubman and aside from overheating brakes and clutch, they’re fab.

Many thanks all

As usual the dealer’s attitude decided it.

The dealers seem to have a ‘but we are MINI’ attitude

very much this.

Ford willing to haggle/£1k off STs at the moment/good trade-in/discounted Style pack so a black ST-2 with grey wheels and orange Recaros is on its way wohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh 🙂

I own an 09 cooper s. I agree about the dealer attitude. I needed a new timing chain about 18 months ago. I’m lucky to have a mini specialist garage with a race proven experience. I only take my car there for repairs, service, MOT etc. they have been great.

Yes, they drink oil. Yes, the engines have a couple of weaknesses. But, the Cooper S is a fun little car and it’s good fun to surprise boy racers when sat at the lights.

I’ll be selling my Mini in a couple of months, but I’ll miss it. A Fiesta ST may be on the list for the replacement.

Encountered the dealer attitude mentioned above for the first time today; popped in to see the local dealer to see if ther could get close to the quote via a broker. They weren’t really interested and told me that it can’t be done, even when I pointed out that I’d been put in contact with a franchised dealer!

Looks like I know who’ll be getting my money!

Hmmm it’s unfortunate that some dealers are like this. Best mates at first but when it comes to the crunch they won’t budge.

The Ford bloke’s opening line was “Yeah forget about what it says on the price list”.

I liked him straightaway

Hmmm it’s unfortunate that some dealers are like this. Best mates at first but when it comes to the crunch they won’t budge.

The Ford bloke’s opening line was “Yeah forget about what it says on the price list”.

I liked him straightaway

I was literally the only customer in the showroom too. They must be shifting a lot of cars at the weekend! It’s a shame because they were always very good whe I had my previous MINI’s.

At the end of the day I’m not too fussed where it comes from because the warranty is with MINI rather than a specific dealer.