Anyone know about Minis?

reflexboy

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
536
Reaction score
1
Location
Surrey
Your Mercedes
E350CDi Sport&R172 SLK250CDi AMG Sport
The fairer half is thinking of chopping the Jeep in for a mini .
What are the panel's thoughts on a 09-10 Mini Cooper Auto 1.6... Diesel or petrol? Economy is not really an issue. Getting the better engine is.
 

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
People with minis do tend to love them however they really are small and overtaking trucks in the rain at 75 on the outside lane of a motorway is not for the faint hearted. You will also have run flat tyres in them knowing BMW ...not a fan of those ... But I have known a few folk who have had them and not aware of any faults that they suffer from...
 

Tazz666

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Messages
202
Reaction score
4
Location
Carluke, South Lanarkshire
Your Mercedes
clk 320 w208
The mini Has a really good reputation and the depreciation on these little cars is low, and there chassis can handle a lot more power than BMW gave it, so as far as I am concearned you are on to a winner
 

Mic

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Messages
4,271
Reaction score
130
Age
74
Location
Oxfordshire
Website
www.bennettgibbons.co.uk
Your Mercedes
MB SL500(2003), MB SLK320(2001), Volvo V70 XC AWD(2001)
Tend to be Marmite cars......those that love them LOVE them......I do not like them and believe that there are much better value cars available......even from BMW.

Mic
 
Last edited:

amb67

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2007
Messages
664
Reaction score
2
Location
The Garden of England
Your Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz C220 Coupe AMG, E320 CDI (S211), Aprilia RSVR
I'm running a Cooper S at the moment for work runs, done 15K since May..... came out of a 2012 204 and if I'm honest I'd have the 204 back like a shot.

The Mini gives me around 38mpg on long runs and less than 29mpg on short ones. The car rattles and squeeks inside like a bag of spanners, the engine rattles like a marble in a tin can, I reckon my engine may only last a few thousand miles more.

The seats are at best described as torture, the steering is so direct you relax for a second and your off roading, the tyre wear rate on the front is mental - 8K and worn out.

On the plus side the power and handling is awesome.

In short my advice would be to steer clear and buy something that will last longer.

Signed a very dissapointed BMW Mini Cooper S owner.... Thank God it's a company car and will be handed back soon.
 

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
It's French, with French electrics. End of.

You will be charging down the motorway and the engine will just stop ....and demand something... It will not start for 24 hours then it will restart for no obvious reason... Wait a few months and repeat as nauseum.... As they used to say try Google search for French Military victories and choose 'I feel lucky' instead of the main search....

Sorry too many experiences with French to endorse anything French ..(and I have a number of French friends ) aside from food and wine...
 

E320mark

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2011
Messages
842
Reaction score
4
Location
Ballyclare
Your Mercedes
E320 cdi sport 2007
47p2 (John) hopefully he will see your thread, as far as I know his wife has a mini! If John doesn't see this then maybe you could send him a pm!
 

grober

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Messages
2,947
Reaction score
27
Location
Scotland
Your Mercedes
W204 C200cdi estate
You will be charging down the motorway and the engine will just stop ....and demand something... It will not start for 24 hours then it will restart for no obvious reason... Wait a few months and repeat as nauseum.... As they used to say try Google search for French Military victories and choose 'I feel lucky' instead of the main search....

Sorry too many experiences with French to endorse anything French ..(and I have a number of French friends ) aside from food and wine...

What's your take on the new MERCEDES A class with the Renault chassis and power plants built in Kecskemet Hungary then? ;)
 

47p2

Senior Member
Joined
May 3, 2006
Messages
3,583
Reaction score
5
Location
Scotland
Your Mercedes
W638, W140, W220, W639 All gone but not forgotten
My wife has had her Mini now for over 2 years, hers is a 2008 facelift model and it does what it says on the tin. She seems happy enough with it. Apart from petrol and a service it has cost nothing. Well built, no rattles, feels solid, corners like Minis corner. Would I buy one...no, but SWMBO is happy and that's what matters
 

Nemo20

Senior Member
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
327
Reaction score
22
Location
Herts
Your Mercedes
Previously owned SL500
People with minis do tend to love them however they really are small ...

No....the original mini was small.....the BMW incarnation is a medium sized car by comparison. My daughter has just bought one, so too soon to know what may lie ahead, but she loves it, just as I loved mine when it was my first car. :)
 

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
Having been in one the other day I can confirm they ARE small...
 

Gkinghorn

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
2,808
Reaction score
180
Location
Bournemouth
Your Mercedes
E350 CDI Cabriolet - 2011
What's your take on the new MERCEDES A class with the Renault chassis and power plants built in Kecskemet Hungary then? ;)

I posted in the thread where we reviewed it Amongst the members here that i didn't like it ;) I just think French stuff is crap ..but so too was Rover/British Leyland ... In my opinion...
 

Carl@MBS

<span style="color: red;">Authorised Forum Support
Joined
Oct 8, 2012
Messages
139
Reaction score
1
Location
Southampton
Your Mercedes
164 320 AMG & 211 320CDI
The cooper s in the turbo variant does Indeed run a PSA engine, and is very well known for major engine faults with the timing gear and valve train. I'm not certain if other models share the engine in NA form, but I would stay clear too much involvement by the French makers!
 

grober

Senior Member
Joined
May 15, 2002
Messages
2,947
Reaction score
27
Location
Scotland
Your Mercedes
W204 C200cdi estate
That's the point I was trying to make really. Such is the Pan- European / joint manufacturer nature of car construction now that to categorise any model as "belonging" to any country is over-simplistic and may possibly get a potential buyer in trouble. Witness the case in point the British assembled French drive train'd German parented "Mini" . In terms of the word "Mini" its as relevant as calling it British. Why not call it a BMW city car [ that's not meant to be disparaging by the way] ---- it would be more honest.
 
Last edited:

bigtwin

Banned
Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
964
Reaction score
0
Having been in one the other day I can confirm they ARE small...

You're all wrong - they're smig. Or ball. Whichever....

They have done an amazing job of making them big - Golf sized - on the outside, and small and pokey ye olde mini size on the inside.

You normally have to buy a Jeep or a Volvo XC to get that.
 

Spannaz

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2011
Messages
791
Reaction score
1
Your Mercedes
Kia Sedona 08
wife was in love with this idea, she had various original Mini's, but everyone we spoke to still in the industry talked nothing but horror stories. Even friends that had owned them warned her off.
She then went for the idea of a Fiat 500 to use as a shopping trolley......!!!!!!!!! That was never going to happen. So she sensibly bought a Nissan Micra..............an OLD Nissan Micra at that!!! However, all joking to one side, i have to say that not even the Merc can be as much fun as that thing on a country lane.........reminds me alot about the original Mini, but with creature comforts, cheap tax, cheap insurance, 40+mpg and not being bothered by car park dents every time I go to clean it!!!
 

AIB understand your special Mercedes deserves a special insurance policy. We have a refreshing attitude to insuring high performance, modified, imported or classic and vintage cars and deal with the UK’s leading insurers. We offer discounts for length of ownership, where the vehicle is kept overnight and limiting the mileage and can also cater for those clients who need higher mileage and business use. To obtain a quotation please call the team on 02380 268351 or visit us atAIB Insurance
Top Bottom