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Puma - now that really is a hairdressers car!
Perhaps it has that image but ever driven one? Not much matches it still for drivability
Puma's are great little cars I loved mine it handled well and was pretty nippy and you could get two bikes in it.
Previous shape Honda Civic Type-Rs can be picked up for reasonable money these days. If you want to spend a bit more, then the current shape one. Very well put together and reliable cars (had one for 3 years and it never missed a beat). Running costs very reasonable (under £200 per year to service). Only negative is the 25-30 combined mpg.
The mk 1 minis had shocking fuel figures,
the mrk 2 minis had much improved figures, you can tell the difference between them as the new ones hare slightly high at the front, the mrk 2 is also better insulated, and feels like a bigger car, on the other hand it has lost some of it's fun.
A great little car, get one if you can afford it/ want one, there are better cars for the money, but you won't go wrong in one.
I have an 04 cooper, british racing green, cream leater and a good number of the extras. bought it second hand ... well , my wife saw it, bargained for it and i was convinced.
All in, its a great wee car. It feels roomier than some other of the small cars I think. Its big enough to fit me and my Kona Coiler in it ( yes a Coiler in the back with the seats down )
It drives like a go kart. A lot of bark and sound, and nippy, but at motorway speeds, the harsher ride and fairly loud road/engine noise does start to get a little weary after about an hour of driving. I find mine is a 60 to 65mph car than a 70 to 75mph one. MPG varies, but 35ish all in.
There is a big difference between the current ones and the earlier models. The earlier models are a bit more basic feeling and harsher ride - go kart like almost . The newer ones are more refined, smoother and quieter.
One thing I dont like about the newer ones compared to the older one is the clutch pedal. On the old one, I have plenty of room for my foot to press down on the clutch. On the newer one, for whatever reason, they have changed the layout a little, and my foot catches the rest a bit when pressing down the clutch. Small thing, but really really noticable when you go between the to cars.
Overall, great wee cars, but i think they can look a bit crap if you dont get colours right. I prefer the black roofs personally, and no stripes.
Thanks fisha
One thing I dont like about the newer ones compared to the older one is the clutch pedal. On the old one, I have plenty of room for my foot to press down on the clutch. On the newer one, for whatever reason, they have changed the layout a little, and my foot catches the rest a bit when pressing down the clutch. Small thing, but really really noticeable when you go between the to cars.
The clutch may well be the deciding factor for whatever car we buy. My wife has knackered hips (displasia) and despite swimming the channel a couple of weeks ago really struggles with a lot of things that I'd/we'd consider mundane. Her little Siecento has a really short clutch travel and she manages fine but my last car really hurt her. Sitting in a mini in the showroom last night she wasn't convinced about the mini's clutch but a test drive will show one way or the other. Frustratingly she won't consider (she's coming across as very opinionated/stubborn isn't she!) an automatic as she thinks that's giving in. I might have to work on that, in which case I think the cooper s is out anyway.
Is it really a bird's car or can a bloke drive one without looking like a hairdresser or an estate agent? Responses from stubbly lads or ladies that like same much appreciated!
If you're that worried about it...even if you drove a Hummer on dubs with [url= http://www.trucknutz.com/ ]Truck Nutz[/url], you'd still be a big girl's blouse!
Previous shape Honda Civic Type-Rs
Definitely one for people who don't care about their car's image. Although maybe that's slightly cruel - I gather the current Civics are quite popular with air hostesses as well as grannies.
(And yes, I know it's actually a good car, but the OP's original point was about image).
I'm a girl, and I have to admit if I see a bloke in a blatantly Hairdressers' car displaying no shame that means either
1. he's gay
2. he's borrowed the wife's car
3. he is very confident in his masculinity and doesn't really care for the views of those who judge a man by the car he drives
4. he must have a big one to get away with it
3. he is very confident in his masculinity and doesn't really care for the views of those who judge a man by the car he drives
Sadly, it looks like this does not apply here 😳
1 - I'm not gay.
2 - technically it would be our only car so I can't be borrowing it!
[u][b]4[/b][/u] it is then!
Frustratingly she won't consider...an automatic as she thinks that's giving in.
That's a shame. Automatics are great these days.
[Edit: obviously, they're not awesome enough for some but imho they're much better than manual. I'd never go back now].
I used to have a black Cooper. Great car, but pretty uncomfortable on longer journeys. I had the free servicing thing thrown in so never paid a penny over three years of ownership (apart from tyres, pads etc). Got a pretty good price when I sold it back to dealer as well.
I'm an XC mincer so it suited me well.
Automatics are for people who don't enjoy driving.
If you have an auto diesel you have given up all hope.
Our early Mini One suffered from endless recalls, which to be fair, BMW bent over backwards to keep on top of, ours had the following recalls/repairs done:
2x steering racks!
1x gearbox!
Brake servo
Front struts
CD Radio - replaced
Air Bag sensor
Petrol filler - respreay
Zebra paint job - respray
Fuel sensor
electric window motor
Ongoing problem with the low tire warning sensor, never got sorted.
I know the latter ones did not suffer so bad with issues.
We only had to pay for the window motor all the rest was covered, great car to drive, loved the way it handled, could not care less as to wheather it was a "ladies" car or not, even with the above issues, it still felt like a solid car to drive.
Supercharged Cooper S needed oil topping up between servicing, that was normal aparently?
Full sunroof blind used to sag, noisy power steering, harsh at motorway speeds (Mrs comment, not mine 😉
With the rear seats down you can fit two bikes in with kit.
We sold it as soon as kids came along as the boot was titchy - no space for a buggy.
Would I have another one?
Hell yes 😉
Passed my test in one and owned one.
Way overpriced for what they are and offer. Ridiculously expensive to replace any parts that fail AND the newer ones are basically an empty-style icon.
Personally I'd have:
Mk2.5 MX5
Or a Suzuki Swift- steers and points really well.
Use my mums alot. Its a cooper but with the aero kit on it to make it look that bit better. Great handling car and fun to drive. Heaps of room in it, unless your taking passengers in the back as leg room isn't the best. Can fit a bike in and all the gear quite easily.
If your getting one, try and get one that has 6 gears. Only having 5 means that your revs are very high on the motorways and it eats the petrol a bit more.
Get one and fit a Tailgunner Exhaust to it, solves the image problem!
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Yes I know they're for bikes, but a bit of manly bodging could surely fix that.
Automatics are for people who don't enjoy driving.
Some automatic cars are hateful, others are lovely. As far as I can tell, anything below 150 brake is hateful with an auto. Get up to 200, 250 brake and 3 or 4 litres, and it's fine.
Dare I mention the Cooper diesel version @ 70mpg with very little 'real world' difference in performance 8)
FWIW I've never seen a man drive a Fiat 500 up here (not even the Abarth) and who cares about opinions which are generally exaggerated from flip comments by Top Gear presenters!
Have a test drive of as many as you can as each persons style and 'wants' is different eg. I hate driving my daughters 1.3 Swift, bloody horrible gutless thing with no driver feel yet she and others love it. Depending on budget, the Puma 1.7 as mentioned above is a great little car which should have very low depreciation......but I would say that as I have a Cougar <ducks> 😉
Automatics are for people who don't enjoy driving. If you have an auto diesel you have given up all hope.
As I say, some people are more Awesome than others. But speaking as someone who drives predominantly in the inner city (as rarely as possible), I CBF'd with a manual now.
My first car:
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konabunny - Member
Automatics are for people who don't enjoy driving. If you have an auto diesel you have given up all hope.As I say, some people are more Awesome than others. But speaking as someone who drives predominantly in the inner city (as rarely as possible), I CBF'd with a manual now.
I wasn't being entirely serious - just trying to have a little bit of light-hearted fun 😉
I wouldn't listen to Hora, he knows 4/10 of fk all
The only thing that would put me off a Mini is the run-flats. I've driven one and also owned a 3-series with run flats and both were crashy and handled badly as a result.
My other half's dad is an independant mechanic. He constantly has people bring them in trying to get away from staggering dealer prices for small repairs. He reckons the first batch were built atrociously and the second lot are but passable. They're expensive and horrible to work on.
No, they look a bit sh*t in standard kit, get some tidy wheels on them, better shocks, colour code the arches and they look much better car.
had a little go in a cooper works and it was mad fun
going to wait until the little one is a bit older and get the wife one so i can tinker with it.
nothing girlie about this..
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I wouldn't listen to Hora, he knows 4/10 of fk all
I've driven one
I learnt to drive, passed my test and owned the one I learnt in.
So your more qualified an opinion on the car than me?
If thats your criteria, I've also drive the Cooper S and a Cooper S convertible.
Shot you down in flames there haven't I?
On the parts. BMW Mini wanted £1,400 for my boss's electric motor ECU on her retractable roof.
I investigated this and the price was dropped to £300 labour alone.
The VW Polo is available with the lovely 7 speed DSG racing car style semi-automatic.
rkk01 - Member
Wife fancied one a few years ago - so we trundled down the garage for a try, and found out two things:a) they are stupid money,
I agree they are silly money but they're still silly money when you come to sell them so your actual loss is minimal when compared to other cars.
My wife's on her second, first was a 2003 Cooper, handled well, not quick though, and the boot could just about fit the weekly shop in.
No she's got a Clubman Cooper S, goes really well, averages 38mpg, looks different (good in my eyes), and has the TLC pack (free labout on services). Personally i think they're great cars to own.
If you need more space buy a bigger car.
We have a 2003 Cooper as our second car, Was going to get a New shape Cooper S but didn't want to spend the extra money to find that it didn't suit us, so we bought a cheaper/older Cooper but we are now going to upgrade to a Cooper S.
It fits me fine (6ft), there is enough room for the wife and Kids (4 and 6), gets about 30 - 35MPG, boot is big enough for some shopping, with the seats folded flat and the wheels removed I can fit my road bike in.
Handling is good and they are loads of fun to drive.
Just been reading a book on the MINI and sales are split 50:50 Male:Female.
Worth getting a Chilli Pack, as you don't get much as standard, although the Chilli pack on a car costing £5500 was about £1000 more expensive than a standard Cooper.
I agree they are silly money but they're still silly money when you come to sell them so your actual loss is minimal when compared to other cars.
I looked into that at the time of choosing our car and the basic (so not very desirable without the toys people want) Cooper was £16k and they wouldn't discount it at all. The Mazda 3 Sport was £13k when we haggled.
At that time (4 years ago) 3 yr old Coopers and Mazda Sports were advertised for around the same money on Auto Trader.
Automatics are for people who don't enjoy driving.
My wife has an automatic Cooper. When we bought it we specced the stiffer suspension (some have referred to above, it was an option in '04) and I specced flip change 8) Best of both worlds 🙂
It's not the most economical 'small' car and RFL is high but it does drive very nicely. I fit in OK (when I'm allowed to drive!) and I'm a portly 6ft.
I've even been known to wear a pink shirt whilst driving it ... 😉
Actually, having read up on Polos I think I am quite attracted to the GTi... Oh dear...
Puts on flame proof jacket...
Got one of these arriving in November for our daughter!
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bugger all room in the back of a mini
this was my old hearse version, replaced it with a new diesel cooper hearse. its great! 53mpg and most of my trips are a commute across town or blasting down m/ways with bikes on the roof, and i'm not renowned for a feathery right foot.
[img][url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/robob/4423762289/ ]May 08 001[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/robob/ ]rlh_harrison[/url], on Flickr[/img]
i probably look like a cock driving it, but thats not really the cars fault.
[i]nothing girlie about this..[/i]
You think? 😉
I sometimes have to drive my wife's Yaris. And I'm not 74.
I remember using my Cooper for 6months then selling it for the same price to a BMW Mini dealership in Birmingham. The deal was done on the phone and a mechanic came up on the train to collect it. Gone are those days when people would do anything to buy one 😆
for god sake be interesting, alfa mito multiair 135
people will chat to you at dinner parties then :p
Mazda MX5. People won't be interested until they actually drive one themselves. 😈 8)
aaarrrrghhhhh! in the preview it worked. why not now?
alfa mito multiair 135
Although if budget / taste stretches to it, the Mito Cloverleaf has the more powerful multiair engine as well as re-tuned suspension.
All the folk saying plenty of room must be very small or have no need of the rear seats.
rkk I wish my budget had stretched !
oh and btw you can get a bike in the back of a mito much more easily than a mini
bugger all room in the back of a mini
It's not exactly spacious but I've been in the back of one with a mate..ooooerr....both of us are over 6' and with a combined weight well in excess of 30 stones and I don't remember it being [i]too[/i] cosy. We only grounded once on a speed bump (mind you the two girlies in the front were quite petite 8)
Was there anyone in the front?? Midget driving?
I'm 6'3" and physically could not get in the driver's seat - which was hard back against the front of the rear seat... You might have got a greased gnat's nadger between the front seat back and the rear seat, but nothing more.
Similar story on the passenger side - although I could get in the car, the front seat was hard back against the rear. Rendered the car unusable for us.