Minis as a first car (and in general!)

[clipclop5]

Thoughts and experiences please! DD is really keen on one - we took a trip to our local MINI dealership last week who have some very good deals and finance offers on second hand ones, certainly not as expensive as I was imagining and it does seem doable. My only concerns are:
a) insurance
b) reliability

The smallest engine size that they do is a 1.5l, which I am confused at as there are loads of young/just passed their driving test MINI drivers around! Are they all just paying extortionate insurance?

Re: reliability I hear very mixed opinions. Some people who’ve had nothing but trouble with their MINIs and others who have owned them for years with no issues. All very confusing! It would be a Cooper model from about 2018 onwards that we’re looking for if that makes any difference

Do you mind me asking what you paid insurance wise for your son as a new driver?

It was a 2 or 3 years ago but I think it was about £3000 with a black box so not cheap and adds a lot on the expense of getting the car.

Something like a new timing belt on a Mini will cost about twice what it will cost for a Corsa.

Have you had a quote for a timing belt on a 2018 1.5 MINI recently? 😂

OP, I thinking they’re reasonably reliable, not outstanding but decent. Find a good independent to look after it. Performance wise, only the JCW is what you’d call quick so the Cooper will be absolutely fine for a new driver and will probably feel less responsive than the EV she’s been used to.

OP, I have no advice, but I hope your DD can get her Mini!

(I have never driven a Mini, but I want to!
I used to walk past a driving school that only had red Mini Coopers!
I already had my driving license by then, but I almost wanted to take a lesson at that school, just so I could get to drive a Mini.)

I looked into a mini for my DS and the cheapest insurance I could find was £4300 with a black box. That was with an annual mileage of 4000. He now has a Fiesta and is paying 2600 with a mileage of 8000.

My mini insurance was so cheap but I did have a decent no claims

I love Minis. Nippy with a go-kart feel, stylish and fun. I’m on my 3rd Mini. My 1st Mini was a Mini Copper One, 1.4L so very low insurance group.

2nd was a Mini Clubman. My current Mini is a Countryman, as DC are bigger and we need to be able to sit comfortably if all five of us are in the car.

Driving in ‘Green Mode’ around town (I would say, up to 30/40 mph) makes a huge difference re. fuel consumption.

Both my mum and sister have followed suit and have Mini Coopers.

Obviously, avoid Sports models. My mum has a Mini Cooper Sport and tends to drive it in Green Mode to save on fuel.

I would also steer clear of the hybrid models, where you only get 30 miles max of electric driving before the engine automatically switches back to petrol. Although, this may be ideal if you only drive locally.

Was this very recently as a new driver though?

A hybrid would probably be ideal - DD very rarely needs to drive more than a 30 min journey but I don’t think that insurance wise it would work out for a new driver. A shame!!

I’ve seen so many recent Mini Coopers belonging to local American service troops being offered second hand at really low prices.

That makes me think they’ve had a heart-over-head moment (“European roads are so narrow, let’s get something small and cute”) and then regretted it…

I have had 2 minis. Great solid cars and reliable. Maintenance is costly

I have a 2018 Cooper and it is the best car I've owned. A joy to drive, a joy to own. I would recommend if you're on social media join a group called Mini Girls UK for all insurance and car reliability questions. They are the very best for real life stories and advice. The insurance for a new driver will be very dear on a Cooper so it might be wiser to consider a Mini One for that reason alone. But nothing could part me from my Mini. They are the most brilliant little cars around and owning one means you join the best community too which is a bonus.

This seems funny to me as my Mini is the best car I've had for winter/snow driving. Grips the road so well and feels so safe (though I previously drove much larger cars)

@SkaneTos go for a test drive of one! Even if you don't have the intention of actually buying it there's no reason you can't take a test drive.

Thank you so much❤️

Seconding a PP - by all means go for a test drive, even if you aren’t thinking about buying! If your local Mini dealership is anything like ours they’ll be more than happy to oblige. DD and I have visited a lot of car dealerships within the last few weeks and Mini was the only one where DD hasn’t been spoken down to by a salesman as if she was just some silly little teenage girl. Even as a grown woman I left a few of the show rooms feeling that I was treated as if I only had half a brain cell for not being male! Rather than just being asked the classic ‘what colour do you want’, he instead gave her a lovely, honest and in depth explanation of the different engine sizes, models etc - it was incredibly refreshing!

My 18 yr old DD has a mini ... its fab.

We did a lot of research and basically you need to steer clear of models before and including 2013 , aa those had a lot of problems.

Do you mind me asking what her first year of insurance was? Just trying to gauge it as all of the insurances quotes I’m getting are varying wildly - they seem to just pluck a number out of thin air!!

We live in the Scottish Highlands on a farm, there’s no way my wee mini would would it down the drive in the depth of snow we get.

@RedBarnOwl ow yes that would make a difference! In Scotland too but East coast so that will be different

@Shade17 , I'm going by what a relative told me what they paid, compared with what I paid for mine. Not sure why you find it funny.

Everyone should have a heart car at some point. I had a Beetle albeit my second not first car. Maybe a Corsa or a polo etc and a mini later down the line when insurance will be cheaper.
I wouldn't go with a fiesta anymore either, they are one of the most stolen vehicles so insurance will be high

This thread has made me miss my mini convertible so much. Got a Ford focus now 😭

wonderful to drive, no issues with insurance just a bit thirsty for oil. I did have a really expensive issue once when I was told i needed a new engine but got a second opinion and it was something else. I can’t remember what but nowhere near as pricey. On the whole he was very reliable.

it probably isn’t the most economical choice but it was fun and pretty and there was nothing like driving around with the roof down. So I say if you’re gonna do it - get the convertible.

I buy from new and keep 10 years - never broken down - mini, copper S now cooper but just classic and solid - other cars just seem so tinny and boring.

It’s funny because a 2018 MINI doesn’t have a cambelt, it’s chain driven.

Also, cheap cars don’t necessarily mean cheap maintenance, an ecoboost Fiesta is £1-1.5k for a cambelt change.

I would have quite liked one, my wife did too, but when we had a look at the boot, it was tiny and the pram would have been a struggle. I hear that they build and reliability (as PPs have said) are good and they're cool looking beasts.