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What car do I buy to replace mini?

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  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Im not tarty enough to drive a Beetle, plus they feel like driving a tin can!
    I love the oumph of the torque and 150 BHP of my cooper diesel, just not the cost any time it goes near a mini garage!

    You sure its 150BHP? I thought a Cooper D was 120BHP?
  • DB_XIII
    DB_XIII Posts: 54 Forumite
    I'd highly reccomend the Volvo C30.

    Great looking both inside and out. Could get a 58 plate under 10k I believe.
  • Wh05apk
    Wh05apk Posts: 2,938 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Hi,
    My beloved Mini has been causing me very expensive problems and I may have to sell it.

    , ideally german as they are known for have good reliable engines. .

    "I love mini but this is my second one and the two cars have cost me about £3k in repairs in 3 or 4 years"

    Surely your experiences dis-spells the myth about German cars being more reliable?
    I am a mortgage adviser.
    You should note that this site doesn't check my status as a Mortgage Adviser, so you need to take my word for it. This signature is here as I follow MSE's Mortgage Adviser Code of Conduct. Any posts on here are for information and discussion purposes only and shouldn't be seen as financial advice.
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Wh05apk wrote: »
    "I love mini but this is my second one and the two cars have cost me about £3k in repairs in 3 or 4 years"

    Surely your experiences dis-spells the myth about German cars being more reliable?

    I was thinking that too, however as the mini diesel of that genre has got a Citroen diesel engine, i assumed she covered herself when she said " ideally german as they are known for have good reliable engines" meaning "as opposed to the heap of an engine thats in mine" :)
  • RDG
    RDG Posts: 214 Forumite
    pgilc1 wrote: »
    You sure its 150BHP? I thought a Cooper D was 120BHP?

    Infact it is either a Cooper D which has always been 110bhp or a Cooper SD which is 143bhp but that was only launched in 2011 so if it was that it would be under warranty.

    120bhp is the petrol Cooper.
  • LittleMax
    LittleMax Posts: 1,408 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 10 January 2013 at 1:38PM
    I dont really like the Fiat 500s, they are a bit too small too!
    I wouldnt mind a gold size car but they are just boring!
    Im looking at the Citroen DS3 but its only 90bhp and my mini is 150bhp for the same size engine (1.6) so that worries me a bit, plus the fact that its French!

    The 500L is a larger car with 4 doors. There's an annoying viral doing the rounds at the moment aimed at Mums with young kids, as it has more room.

    http://www.fiat.co.uk/500L

    It doesn't really look like a 500 and more the size of the mini, slightly bigger if anything.

    Before the Fiat I had a Seat Ibiza and that was quite a fun car, but reliability wasn't great. However I had a Mk3 Cupra - the Mk4 may be better. Or the Leon if you wanted something golf sized but not as boring ;-)
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    RDG wrote: »
    Infact it is either a Cooper D which has always been 110bhp or a Cooper SD which is 143bhp but that was only launched in 2011 so if it was that it would be under warranty.

    120bhp is the petrol Cooper.

    Was checking Parkers and they mention a 120BHP variant too - but just noticed there now thats from Aug 10 onwards.

    I'd ruled out the SD on the basis that the O/Ps is worth a lot less than the cheapest SD would be.

    So you're right it must be 110BHP then?
  • almillar
    almillar Posts: 8,621 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    You're looking for a small car with character.
    Citroen DS3 is a Mini underneath. Shared engines. It's as French as a Mini (OK, maybe a bit more French!)
    Fiat 500 but you don't like it.
    Beetle but you don't like it.
    Guess that's the nature of fashionable cars!
    Nissan Juke?
    Are you sure there's no diesel DS3 with more than 90bhp?
    How about a Kia Cee'd for a step up in size?
  • motorguy
    motorguy Posts: 22,611 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    almillar wrote: »

    Are you sure there's no diesel DS3 with more than 90bhp?

    The diesels from the 'Sport' up are 110BHP, presumably being the same engine as the Cooper D?
  • steve-L
    steve-L Posts: 12,981 Forumite
    This is a joke right? French cars are boring as hell to drive and have relaibility issues. Theyn only thing good abotu fgrench cars is their safety. But even then - there's just too many compromises to make for a little bit of extra safety.
    Didn't drive recent ones but the old Williams Clio was anything but boring to drive. The 3.0 Clio could hardly be claimed as boring.... SCARY .... certainly....

    Neither was my 306 GTI-6. or the XSi I had prior... and even my mum's old 106D was actually quite fun and the old 205 GTi's were death traps but certainly NOT BORING!


    Sadly... this is a decade ago!

    My mate has a Renault Alpine as his second car and by your standards boring 1st car (M3) ....
    OP. german cars don't have a lot of flair to them. Look at the vws and audis wich are very simple.
    Neither the RS6 and R8 are in my opinion lacking flair but granted that's a matter of taste.

    I quite like the 135i .... but again personal taste and I haven't actually driven one. Main problem with the 1 series for me is lack of a decent diesel ? The 125D only delivers 218 BHP you'd think they could do a 135 in auto or even a 130? ... at least with the 130 you would be (clutch allowing on manual) get 300+ bhp .... the real problem being trying to keep the torque below 700 nm-1...(So as not to just trip out the drivetrain) and i do too many miles to run a 135i :( so I make do with my 'boring' 330D ... with a paltry 285 bhp....

    Again, matter of taste but I find personally any RWD or even 40/60 AWD with over 300 BHP is not boring?
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