Mini Countryman

[benczuk]

I mind when driving through Southampton bringing the 305 home there was a lot of minis heading towards the port, all the 2 door coupe thing they do I wouldn't really want one
but there were some really nice motors there as well; new range rovers, and f type jags the noise they make is fantastic.

They'll be the ones destined for that ship what has fallen over

[Rolebama]

I was round one of my friend's houses, when another of his friends turned up. He had just taken delivery of his new Mini and had brought it round to show. He had just paid £24,000 for it!!! I bought my first Mini in the mid-60s, and it was a fun car to drive. I had my second and last in the early 80s, but to be honest, I just didn't feel safe in it. Too many pillocks on the road.

[binnzy]

Ahh, nostalgia, its not as good as it used to be

[benczuk]

My other car is a "proper" mini.

I learnt to drive in it and it was my main car for 3 years while at uni. Including regular trips up the M1 from Derby to Leeds. Don't think I could do that now. It is a hoot to drive, but that is mostly because of how un-modern it is! you get out of it any into the Peugeot and boy can you feel the refinement!

[Welly]

£24,000

Tweh

Twen

Twent

Tweh


I can't even say it

[highlander]

For similar money (AutoTrader search for cars between £20,000 and £22,500) - a random selection of considerably nicer motor:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1219147990 - 2001 Bentley Arnage 6.8
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1279291375 - 2002 Aston Martin DB7 V12 Vantage
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 2279830268 - 2006 BMW M6 V10 5.0
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1219142877 - 2005 Corvette C6 6.0
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 9267728219 - 2011 Jaguar XFR 5.0

I can't fathom going into a car dealership and spending more money than this on such a crap-looking girly shitbox. If I had that much to spend on a car, I'd much rather spend a bit less on any of the above, and pocket the remaining few K and stick it in the bank for when it's time for servicing/repairs.

I'm not a fan of the original Mini (just don't like the looks) but every time I see one of the new ones on a forecourt and see the price I'm like WHAT THE ACTUAL f*ck? - it's just obscene.

[Welly]

Even the early Bini's of 2001-ish still seem to fetch strong money. The shittest and oldest of which still command over £2K it's bizzare.

We had a friend who had a 2003 Cooper S year ago, the car was only 2 years old and I used to clean it for her (in return for actual moneh, don't know how I got into that now) anyway I remember taking the opportunity to have a really good nosey at the thing and spotted loads of pinch-points around the engine bay; the Souper-Charger looked like it'd been shoehorned in and there was a *lot* of chaffing evidence on looms/pipes. I remember the window-twitch feature stopped working (to help the door glass seal properly on shutting) so the thing whistled like an old kettle.

Point is I'd imagine a 14 year old Mini to be a bit ropey by now and having suffered at the mechanically unsympathetic hands of plenty of females in its miserable life.

[trufflehunt]

such a crap-looking girly shitbox.

I used to think exactly the same about Mazda MX5's till the day I had a proper look into one, liked the
layout, and even more when the owner, a friend of my brother, handed me the keys for a while.

The only retro bit of the BM Mini that I like is the big speedo. Underneath though, it seems to be a decent car
I might even consider one, at about £1500.

[steve_earwig]

For similar money (AutoTrader search for cars between £20,000 and £22,500) - a random selection of considerably nicer motor:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1219147990 - 2001 Bentley Arnage 6.8
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1279291375 - 2002 Aston Martin DB7 V12 Vantage
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 2279830268 - 2006 BMW M6 V10 5.0
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 1219142877 - 2005 Corvette C6 6.0
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/ ... 9267728219 - 2011 Jaguar XFR 5.0

I can't fathom going into a car dealership and spending more money than this on such a crap-looking girly shitbox. If I had that much to spend on a car, I'd much rather spend a bit less on any of the above, and pocket the remaining few K and stick it in the bank for when it's time for servicing/repairs.

All that will have gone on feeding, insuring and taxing that lot. A few of them will also see you getting bum raped at the dealer's when it comes to service time...

I'm not a fan of the original Mini (just don't like the looks)

I'm guessing you've never driven one

but every time I see one of the new ones on a forecourt and see the price I'm like WHAT THE ACTUAL f*ck? - it's just obscene.

It's because they're "in", ie. trendy. It's got bugger all to do with logic.

Interesting point Frank made about the %$&? being easy to get into if you've a bad back, I've got one of those that gives me trouble sometimes and the driving position in the yoyo suits it (tbh it's been a good car in that respect, that and not giving a toss where I park it)- I've looked at a few similar cars but they all suffer from a high floor, which is my problem with driving the 406 when my back's giving me gip. TBH the Bini just doesn't look tall enough to be easy to get into, maybe I should look at one, just to see, like

Edit: nah, scrub round that, they never sold them here anyway

[highlander]

All that will have gone on feeding, insuring and taxing that lot. A few of them will also see you getting bum raped at the dealer's when it comes to service time...

My own circumstances prevent me from splashing out £20k on a car - but if I had the money, I would be keeping some in a bank for when it comes time for repairs/servicing, rather than spending the whole lot. Say, around £15k on the car, and stick £5k aside for "oh bugger" moments.

Fuel is now becoming reasonable again, with UK petrol prices dipping down to around £1.00 per litre, and surprisingly, the insurance premiums for these cars would be around the same - OR LESS - than I'm spending on insuring the Coupe... And the pre-2006 cars would cost me exactly the same to tax as the Coupe does, despite having two or three times more cylinders, and up to 3 times the cubic capacity.

I'm not a fan of the original Mini (just don't like the looks)

I'm guessing you've never driven one

You're right - I've never driven one. I'm sure it's a hoot to drive such a lightweight car with such a short wheelbase and wheels that close to each corner. But looking at it, I can't see myself wanting to own one. It's not an itch I feel the need to scratch. Like Alfa Romeos - apparently I'm not a "true petrolhead" because I've never driven one, let alone owned one. They do nothing for me at all. I prefer a bigger car - grand tourer / coupe types, with big comfy seats and lots of space for me to sprawl in. I had a shot in a Lotus Elise, and once I'd managed to unfold myself origami-style from the cramped and uncomfortable seat, I decided that small cramped cars are not for me.

My driving instructor had a diesel Bini, and I hated it in every way. Stupid, horrible, ugly car. Bleugh.

but every time I see one of the new ones on a forecourt and see the price I'm like WHAT THE ACTUAL f*ck? - it's just obscene.

It's because they're "in", ie. trendy. It's got bugger all to do with logic.

Much like how Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj are trendy. I will never understand humans.

[benczuk]

Did he actually pay for it out of his own pocket or is it a company car he had to choose off a list? My mind assumed the latter on mention of his job title.

[rwb]

Actually, all is forgiven, the're not that bad. I saw one of these today (BMW i3)

[Ares]

That Mini is gay if i may say so.
Only mini i like is that old mini,the one Mr.Bean drove.
Anything else is really gayish.
I see some folks here driving them,its always some posh/instagram/me,me,me/hipster/dufus people.

Once guy parked that thing (Mini cooper i belive) near my Coupe,and i just stand there and look how massive that cooper was and the lines of the car
itself were bulgy and just plastic.

How about we do a list of the most awfull cars?

[Doggy]

How about we do a list of the most awfull cars?

I move that the Nissan Joke/Puke still takes some beating, having convincingly displaced the Fiat Multipla from top of the sh1t heap.

[GingerMagic]

The Yaris Verso ( Bleurgh ) is in the top three then, closely followed by the Fiat 500L - ( Double Bleurgh )