Minis as a first car (and in general!)

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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

That's what happened when I got my Mini. My mum ended up following suit 6 months later, and then my brother got one too about a year after that. They're very fun cars. And decent Mini drivers wave to each other on the road too so that's awesome!

Very mature comment! I must’ve missed the memo as to me and most people a second hand Mini is still a very normal car. DD is a lovely sensible girl who has had a rough few years - hence why I’d like to treat her to something she really wants and get her a relatively new car that she can keep. Have a problem with that?

I dont think you can go wrong in a Mini In Northern Ireland tbh

I learned to drive here and got a Corsa 1 litre as my first, dont get me wrong it did me proud, but seriously driving down to Belfast was a nightmare

Living here we are putting in the miles for sure and a mini can eat them with style and ease

Im on my second now - ok so its a countryman but I love it. Some of the young lasses I work with have minis and Ive had a drive in a couple and they are good solid cars

The only other small car Ive loved was the Fiesta

We’re actually in south Belfast so to be honest with being so central her mileage will be very limited. Our family car is 4 years old now and we’ve only managed to clock up 25k miles, pathetic!! 🤣

25k??? lol

I learned here and I put 30k on my first car in a year :)

I do miss public transport :)

Ive had a lot of cars, corsa, (2) fiesta, focus, ST, Beetle, TTs, a smart car, BMW's , Audi's ,( we like cars ) and I have to say the two cars I love to drive are the TTs and the mini, well I did adore the ST but Id have lost my license on that one too easy :)

You only have to look about you and see how many minis are now on the road and look on Used cars to see the value of older cars with lots of millage to see that a - they are popular ( and not everyone can be wrong ) and how the resale prices hold up

If you are getting a good deal then go for it. We have JKC up here and they stand over every car they sell and Ive not had a single problem in 6 years and two cars ( both second hand )

A 5/6 year old MINI is a normal 2nd hand car

A Mini is fine as a first car, if you can afford it. It’s all relative, depending on your budget.

Yes, they are expensive. Although, they are well made and solid, so I guess we get what we pay for.

My first Mini was an 2006 Mini One D. Great on fuel, Car Tax and insurance but was too sluggish/not nippy at all when accelerating from a stationary position. I eventually got frustrated. As another pp has stated. I don’t think Mini One D model is made with a 1.4L diesel engine anymore. The clutch started to play up just before I got rid of it.

I then had a 2016 plate Clubman for a few years and now a 72 plate Countryman.
It’s just had its first maintenance with MINI at £390. Apparently, the next survive will cost more, as the first service is the cheapest. My DH was shocked as he thought we had paid up front for the service package and assumed there would not be any cost (other than possible wear and tear on tyres, etc). I was not given the opportunity to pay for the service/maintenance package upfront, and I had also heard that the TLC maintenance package was no more so yes, maintenance is pricey.

Years ago, prospective MINI buyers were advised to steer clear of MINIS without the TLC maintenance package so there you are.

DH and I were driving Tesla X’s for a few years, before I went back to my MINIS. I don’t miss the Teslas. Too many battery issues and the interiors are very basic, plasticky and too boring for me. DH is also driving my Countryman, as he’s in between cars and he also enjoys driving it.

My first car was a Fiesta. DH had a Fiesta XR2 back then. .
I also had a Fiesta 1.25L which was very nippy and low insurance. Nippier than the Mini One D, so maybe look into that model if it’s still around.

@Ghuunvg what car do you recommend? My 17 year old is about to buy his first car. He wants low insurance, reliable and low total cost of ownership. I get the impression that you’re an expert. He learned in a 1.6 Ford Focus. Young driver insurance is extortionate for this where we live. I mean close to £3k!

I've had 2 mini ones and I love them!

They are reliable but they are expensive to maintain (I've only ever had mini servicing and mini parts). I think the insurance on mini ones are cheaper?

Minis hold their value well.

I had a 2007 and a 2016 (new model). Both were Coopers. The 2016 had a BMW engine and somehow felt more robust, but I loved the ‘Mini’ feel of the 2007 model. They were both very reliable. Only swapped because it was hard to fit the children in it and I needed a bigger boot. They hold their value quite well too.