Whats good/bad, what to look for and why should I buy one???

A proper Mini?

She wouldn’t appreciate it. So probably best to buy me one instead.

In British Racing Green please.

A Mini, or a MINI ?

Buy a Golf instead, it’s about the same size but more practical

New shape Mini

A Golf is also about 10x larger on the inside..

The new Mini is based on a reverse TARDIS, huge on the outside, yet tiny on the inside.

I take it you mean BMW Mini? The older ones have power steering pump issues, £600 fix as I found out! Door locking mechanisms are poor too, replaced both sides.

Yes get one . Mrs Oggy has one and loves it.

Apropos of almost nothing, a new production line starts up at Cowley next month!

I’d rather have a cold, unreliable in the wet (carry WD40 and a piece of cardboard at all times) old Mini. Still look longingly at them every time I see a nice one.

Car or skirt? So many images to post that would get me on the naughty step. 😉

Depends, does she want one?

Yes! I bought the wife a new MINI Cooper earlier this year. She loves it and so do I. Seems well screwed together, performance is ok and handles really well, can really throw it around. On a negative there’s no space in the back and the boot is tiny but there’s only two of us and I have a large saloon car so troubles for us.

There are a few people who knock the car but have probably never driven one, I’ve nothing against the original one but wouldn’t like the idea of driving 200 miles in it or using it as a daily commuter.

Are you looking at new or used and if used how old?

My mechanical skills have come one in leaps and bounds since owning my 1st gen MINI, I certainly didn’t envisage replacing it’s gearbox on my driveway when I got it! The main reason for buying was it being more fun to drive than most of the similar cars I looked at at the time, but it’s not he most practical and the ride can be uncomfortable.

1st gen = poor economy, power steering pumps likely to fail, prone to high oil consumption, harsh ride, early 5 speed gearboxes suffer bearing failure and worse at relatively low mileage.

2nd gen = Timing chain issues, turbo engine in Cooper S prone to carbon build up in the inlet valves and rough running as a result.

We’ve used it to go on holiday with a 3 year old toddler and not had too much trouble fitting everything we needed in the boot and on the back seat. Rear leg room is non-existent if any of the front passengers have long legs.

Wife looked at one but wife quite petite and she found the steering very heavy bought an mx5 instead much more fun

Yes! I bought the wife a new MINI Cooper earlier this year

I hope you tell her what to wear as well… 🙄

Why do you have to buy her the car?

Here,is a radical solution.

Let her go and arrange it herself.

I will have this over MINI any day …

… but perhaps minus the ironing board at the back just to reduce the insurance cost and I want the one with four(five) doors.

Mrs. W has had two. The first was a diesel One and pathetic. Ok mpg but lacked guts and didn’t do justice to the name. After a couple of years away from that she badgered me into releasing funds for another. This time we trotted off to BMW Mini and she picked out a couple…… based on colour. You have to understand that she will offer more than the asking price if it’s what she wants and I realised that I had to get her away quickly.
With her out of the way I returned to the showroom and preceded to negotiate. I felt violated when I came away with only £500 off the screen price of £16k! Anyway it was a 1600 diesel in cooper trim/tune. So once we get past the chocolate body with candy bonnet stripes and toffee leather seats with vanilla piping it’s a really nice car……. if you are the driver.
Good build quality, handling and economy. But if you have low profile wheels/tyres the ride is rough in the extreme as a passenger. BMW are servicing pillagers and will suggest that you buy a new car rather than inflate the tyres to the correct pressure.
So in summary. A nicely built car with little rear space that is good fun to drive. Middling running costs if you resist main dealer pressure and yes I’m happy we got it. Is it worth 3 times my Alfa 159 ….. no way.

Bought my Mrs a 2004 Cooper S. Low miles and excellent condition in and out. Should it be classed as a classic being nearly 10 years old? Anyway it drives like a new car, reliable so far, very quick. She loves it.

no, because they are derivative and shite.

Some people must have some odd “partnerships”

My Mrs R has just got one. A Clubman Cooper S so a bit more room than a normal mini. Having spent the last few weeks looking at them there are a huge variety of cars out there. We were after an excellent condition car with as many extras as possible, having looked at a few price was no real indicator on what the car would be like. Worth holding out for the right car, there are some pampered cars out there, as well as some that have had a hard life. Look at as many as you can.

Pleased with it so far, fun to drive, plenty of space for what we use it for, our kids love the side door and back seats (although the novelty may wear off) Agree about the ride on low profile tyres, I am not sure 18″ alloys are the best for a comfy ride… Given the performance I was surprised at how cheap insurance is.

Strangely when the BMW Mini was first launched I never imagined I would own one, but this seems to suit what we wanted.

You’re not going to win suggesting another car when it comes to trendy Mini’s and women so may as well just give in now and save your energy for the next time you want to justify a bike related purchase of significance. My wife had one. It is very small inside relative to the exterior size, but it is built well and has a quality feel about it and they drive well.

She had a One, I didn’t think it was worth the premium going for the Cooper as its the same engine just chipped and actually not that much quicker by the seat of the pants feel – forget on paper stats, rarely to they translate into real world noticeable performance. And who really tears away from the lights at the on-paper 0-60 acceleration?

She’s now got a Fiat 500 and the Mini is a far better car.

bigrich – Member
no, because they are derivative and shite.

Thats hard to argue against.

Are we so dense that we need to ask which Mini? Did you really think Rochey was asking about the old Mini? Really? Every time someone mentions the modern Mini the same old tosh comes out.
Whether you like it or not, a car called a Mini is being made in Cowley. Some people like’em and some people buy’em.

Yes! I bought the wife a new MINI Cooper earlier this year
I hope you tell her what to wear as well…

No, she wanted one so I bought one for her 🙄

What’s with all these men folks buying their wives cars. This is 2013!

My wife was after a mini too. I have convinced her to get a VW Scirocco instead 😉

Being a modern man .. she gets to pay for it herself too.

After a couple of years away from that she badgered me into releasing funds for another.

😮 😮 😯 😯 🙄

I’m flabbergasted that in this day and age this ‘I bought my wife a car’ thing still goes on….

Good to see modern man is alive and well. I wouldn’t ‘buy’ my wife a car, she has the means and the wherewithal to do it herself. And I certainly wouldn’t tell others I’d ‘bought’ her a car. That really sounds like something a Tory MP might do for ‘his’ wife.

Who says flabbergasted these days? 🙂

I bought our lass’s last car and I’ll soon be buying her next one. I earn three times as much as she does so I do the car buying, so what?

I earn three times as much as she does so I do the car buying, so what?

It might be this idea that just because you earn the money it’s yours (singular) to do what you want with rather than yours(plural).

HTH

Damn right it’s mine, thanks for your help.

My Mrs earns more than me but I still bought her car for her. Because she has zero knowledge or interest beyond it working and being easy to drive. She buys my shirts for me because I’m colour blind and would come home with rubbish. I’m confused, should be both be offended, just her, just me or neither of us?

And don’t buy a mini, they’re horrid.

My missus wanted a mini so I did a bit of research and found he mk 2 was way better on economy than the first model and eventually bought an 07 cooper s. Now I want to drive it all the time cos it’s a rocket car and great fun to drive.

I bought our lass’s last car and I’ll soon be buying her next one. I earn three times as much as she does so I do the car buying, so what?

Like I said , some odd idea’s about partnerships, I earn twice what my Mrs does, we bought a car.

My take home is double my wife’s. She bought a car, because she drives and I don’t but we paid for in, in the same way that we pay for everything.

You’ll be telling me next that you have joint accounts!

Who buys your bikes? Who owns your bikes? If you want to sell one do you have to ask permission?