Advice on a Mini Cooper as my sons first car

kurlykris · 10 Nov 2019

Hi chaps and chapesses, it`s that time again, my eldest son has passed his test and I`m sorting him out his first car. I`m looking at getting him a Mini Cooper 1.6 and went to test drive one today, 55 plate with 85K in old english white, it is a nice little car, with only one minor mark on the bumper which will be an easy fix.
The problem I have is it felt very slow for a 1.6 to me, circa 100 bhp, but the dealer said that this is how they are, having never driven one before and not driven anything below about 280bhp for the last 20 years, I`m putting it down to my perception and familiarity to powerful cars :grin:
I`m going to test drive a 2007 tomorrow if possible ( same price but red and 115 bhp ) to see how it compares.
Is this how they drive, or should it feel like a nippy little thing, even for a Porsche driver :?: and are there any particular issues I should look out for with Minis :?:

Thanks in advance for any opinions or input :thumb:

Winny911 · 10 Nov 2019

Coopers will feel slow my JCW feels slow now compared to when I bought it 11 years ago but that's just the illusion from driving more Morden faster cars actually come to think of it even my c4s feels slow after driving my rs6 so don't be put off everything's relative. To a teenage it will feel like a rocket

Things to watch out for are front suspension bushes they go about 75k and it's an expensive job to drop the front frame also the exhausts for out quite easily too

Thankfully the later 1st gen post 2004 had most of the electrical issues fixed but still not sure about the gear box though the copper ones were known to be problematic

Winny

kurlykris · 10 Nov 2019

Thanks Winny :thumb:
Gearbox and clutch felt great, brakes were good and this one comes with a full service history with an AA Gold warranty, it even has a recent set of GoodYears all round, as I say it is a nice little car, I was just completely underwhealmed at the performance of the 1.6 :sad:

When I bought my daughters Citroen C1 1.0L a couple of years back, I was quite surprised at how nippy it was, but I suppose it only weighs the same as a shoe box and 70 bhp, so not surprising really :grin:

The 2007 I will hopefully test drive tomorrow is the newer engine I believe and is a 6 speed as opposed to this 5 speed one.

Robertb · 10 Nov 2019

Have you had an Insurance quote?

Minis are relatively high anyway, I'd imagine Cooper will be even worse.

kurlykris · 10 Nov 2019

Robertb said:
Have you had an Insurance quote?

Minis are relatively high anyway, I'd imagine Cooper will be even worse.

It`s about £800 for the first year, the same as my daughters was a couple of years ago on a Citroen C1 at age 18, my eldest son is a bit older now at 23 but a late starter on the driving front, I had to jump start him by taking him on a few Trackdays in the Porsches :grin:

Rik b · 10 Nov 2019

My wife drives a JCW and that's a rocket but Ive sold a few 1.6 minis and I thought they normally go OK.
The thing to watch out for is Water pump.
Good luck with your search

Zingari · 11 Nov 2019

My daughter had a R50 1.6 'One' 53 plate. Cooper was way top heavy on Insurance above the 'One' model. Being before 2004 it had ALL the usual problems:

1) 'Midlands' gearbox failed. No warning just stopped at lights then 'select' any gear and nothing happens :roll: After 2004 they fitted a German made one and thereafter no issues.

2) Semi-electric power steering pump failed. Very common and can get exchange units now.

3) Drivers door lock unit failed. Replaced it myself - fiddly but easy enough

4) Brake calipers seized front and back. Replaced the pads on the back and wondered why it was down to to the rivets after 1,500 miles with poor mpg :roll: Sourced secondhand calipers rather than strip/rebuild.

5) Back box split on seam. Common issue aloong with rusting of retaining strap.

6) Electric windows would fail at irregular times. Fortunately when the window was up and refusing to come down.

7) Build quality a la British Leyland 1980. Looked solid enough but plenty of rattles behind dash.

8) Will he want Bluetooth? If not fitted then I had to take out the radio/cassette (yes in a 2003 car :x ) and fit a Blingmeister Alpine unit in the single Din :roll:

By the time we got rid I reckon I could get a job at Mini specialising in stripping R50 early models! Other than that it was great :thumb:

The 2011 R56 she subsequently had was a revelation. Fantastic build qulaity and fit/finish.

That said my F56 2015 CooperS D is a complete step up. For what it contains and delivers it's the best car I've ever had :bandit:

Take a look over on the main Mini UK forum for some guides but I think 2004+ cars had most of the earlier issues resolved.

Norfolk &amp; Idea · 11 Nov 2019

I would have thought a 1.6 mini cooper would have been eye wateringly expensive as a first car.
My son passed his test aged 17 and got a 1.1 Corsa. Flat as a fart and it cost him 1.7k Insurance for the first year. And that was with a box

spongebob squarepants · 11 Nov 2019

Norfolk & Idea said:
I would have thought a 1.6 mini cooper would have been eye wateringly expensive as a first car.
My son passed his test aged 17 and got a 1.1 Corsa. Flat as a fart and it cost him 1.7k Insurance for the first year. And that was with a box

They are amazingly cheap when compared to 'normal' cars. Having used these as driving school cars, cant remember any major issues on the later cars.

My lad is in the same position, as he wont go the A2 route, hell be getting one of these, but in Diesel guise, masses of torque, good mpg and the crazy 20 quid tax remains for now, IIRC the post 12 ones are also compliant with the Euro 6 emission standards, and still only cost 20 quid to tax. Im sure the government will deal with this loophole shortly, but for now it remains. Best fist car out there when compared with the trash for normal first cars :thumb:

Zingari · 11 Nov 2019

Sponge. Yes the diesel is a peach :thumb: Just make sure you get the one with the BMW and not the Peugeot engine :what:

There's also a chap in Collyhurst area who 'deals' in Mini parts from home via eBay. When my daughter decided to have an 'altercation' on a roundabout and a car went into the passenger door we agreed a 'deal' to fix our own cars. Fortunately the guy had a complete passenger door in white so he swapped the whole door over for £150 rather than take parts off :grin:

PeterS · 11 Nov 2019

One of our guests just bought a Mini Cooper for her daughters first car. Was told the Insurance would be about £1200 so all done. Daughter passed test and she is now told Insurance is £5K

She has sold it and bought a "normal" 1.6 Mini and the Insurance reduced.

rabbitstew · 11 Nov 2019

I have a gen1 Cooper S which I bought as a project back in March and have pretty much rebuilt, so I know quite a bit about them.

The wife had a gen2 Cooper (2009) earlier in the year and the gen2 "felt" much newer than the gen1 and it really was a lovely car to drive. We got the car on the Friday did a 500 mile road trip over the weekend in it. It felt nippy around town, and happily cruised at motorway speeds, but lacked the overtaking punch I was used to in my 997 turbo. Fuel wise, we were getting early 50mpg so pretty good.

My gen1 Cooper S is like a different car, very raw, rattly, I have modified it quite a bit so its pretty nippy, handles like its on rails, but fuel wise im lucky to get 25mpg. For me the gen1 feels like a classic mini with its rattles and harshness. The supercharger whine reminds me of classic minis gearbox noise.

Problems, the front lower wishbone bushes tend to get worn, usually flagged up on MOT`s. Some people say you can change them on the car, but I found it was easier to drop the front subframe. Whilst the subframe is down you cn also change bits like inner & outer ball joints as they are really cheap.

The Cooper`s "Midland" gearbox has a reputation for being rubbish. The Cooper S had a different box which is very strong.

Electric windows on them play up - motor is a bit fiddly to get to inside the door, usual solution is to beat the door with your fist whilst pressing the window button - seems to "fix" it for a while. Door check straps get worn out so the doors dont stay open - very easy to replace. Radiators tend to rot along the bottom, but again easy enough to replace and only a £40 part. Stuff like brakes are all cheap & easy to change. Even general servicing on them is really easy to do and well within DIY capabilities if you have a decent set of tools. In general ive been really surprised on how easy they are to work on. I even changed the clutch on mine the other month, which was a subframe down & gearbox out job on a Cooper S.

Another common problem is strut towers mushrooming. If you open the bonnet and look at where the struts bolt to the car, you can see if that area is flat or if its ballooning up. As mini`s have runflats etc, if someone has hit a pothole then it can cause it. Easy enough to fix - take strut off, hammer strut top back flat, then refit strut with new top mount - but until done the car may not handle very well.

Most people ditch the standard dunlop runflats for cheap aftermarket tyres which also improves the handling no end.

In general, whatever you go for, check the MOT history as that usually tells you how the person has looked after the car.

Mileage wise, I found gen1`s all looked pretty worn out & needed loads doing to them once they got to 100k. However my wifes gen2 had 110k on it and it look/drove brand new. The difference was staggering in quality.

MaxA · 11 Nov 2019

If that white MINI has a 100hp, then it's probably a One and it will be pretty underwhelming with flat seats, tiny rims and barely any power, no top end. A One will have what is basically a detuned 115hp 1.6 (although it is easily retunable with a SuperChip). I don't think a One has a front anti roll bar.

The 115hp Coopers usually have a contrasting black or white roof with matching mirrors, maybe stripes on the bonnet, and they're a lot perkier to drive, with a better interior and maybe a few options, but they're a car for corners not straights. It should feel better balanced in terms of grip to slip.

It's best to look for the later facelift 2005-2006 models with better lights, and avoid the early Midlands gearbox (as has been said above). A 2007 car will be an early 2nd gen R56 - not known for great engines from PSA. I wouldn't touch one personally.

Have a good look around the engine for oil weeps and seeps, and check as many bushes as you can find. There shouldn't be any codes or lights on the dash, and ideally it will have had plenty of preventative maintenance, a fresh battery etc. as well as services. It will likely rattle a bit but they really all do that.

My son is learning to drive in my modified Cooper S but I don't think it'
ll be wise to let him loose it in for quite a while (it's prepared for the track with about 240bhp, LSD, LWFW, BBK, à–hlins etc.).

Advice on a Mini Cooper as my sons first car

kurlykris

Singapore

Winny911

Sao Paulo

kurlykris

Singapore

Robertb

Yas Marina

kurlykris

Singapore

Rik b

Trainee

Zingari

Brands Hatch

Norfolk & Idea

Mugello

spongebob squarepants

Yas Marina

Zingari

Brands Hatch

PeterS

Fuji

rabbitstew

Imola

MaxA

Magny-Cours

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