Discussion
ChrisH72 said:
Had a good look round an F56 Mini today. It is a nice car and the interior feels like a fun place to be. Pan roof is a nice option, it's quite a big opening and let's a good bit of light and air into the cabin. You can fit normal people in the back seats too and there's plenty enough space for me. The only weird thing about the interior was that the central arm rest makes the handbrake difficult to operate. Even folded up my elbow was up against it. I'm sure you get used to these things!
So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
I don't know if the F56 has the same type of sunroof as the R56 - if so be careful as the 'cassette' holding said road warps ever so slightly leading to a roof that's unable to open (ask me how I know So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
) ChrisH72 said:
Had a good look round an F56 Mini today. It is a nice car and the interior feels like a fun place to be. Pan roof is a nice option, it's quite a big opening and let's a good bit of light and air into the cabin. You can fit normal people in the back seats too and there's plenty enough space for me. The only weird thing about the interior was that the central arm rest makes the handbrake difficult to operate. Even folded up my elbow was up against it. I'm sure you get used to these things!
So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
You do get used to the armrest and I just left it down all of the time, but it is a poor design though I reckon.So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
When I went to buy mine I went to the trouble of throwing quite a lot of options at it, because as you say they do feel premium in the right spec I think. When specced well they remind of a bit of a baby BMW in many ways.
DodgyGeezer said:
ChrisH72 said:
Had a good look round an F56 Mini today. It is a nice car and the interior feels like a fun place to be. Pan roof is a nice option, it's quite a big opening and let's a good bit of light and air into the cabin. You can fit normal people in the back seats too and there's plenty enough space for me. The only weird thing about the interior was that the central arm rest makes the handbrake difficult to operate. Even folded up my elbow was up against it. I'm sure you get used to these things!
So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
I don't know if the F56 has the same type of sunroof as the R56 - if so be careful as the 'cassette' holding said road warps ever so slightly leading to a roof that's unable to open (ask me how I know So at the moment I'm stuck between the TT and the Mini.
TT looks great, it's top quality, fast, comfy, and it's a proper 2 seat rag top. The compromise is that if I want 4wd which I would I have to go automatic. Also it may not be so much fun to drive and my wife will probably moan a lot about it.
Mini with pan roof also looks great and feels premium. It gets the family seal of approval and there would be no compromise in it's usage. Fun to drive. But obviously it's not a convertible and is fwd. At least its manual though.
I'll have to see what comes up for me to test drive.
) Lives outside 110 k + miles
Full disclosure I have both R59 roadster and F56 Sd with Panoramic roof, ones does daily driver, other for track and Sundays
Edited by blue al on Tuesday 30th April 19:50
Nice 124 that. I do like the Abarth, but prefer the look of the mx5 really.
So I have a couple of cars I'm interested in.
There's this Mini JCW
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042690...
I probably need a slap. It's not a roadster, it's an auto and it's also £15.5k for an 8 year old Mini. Oh and it has a crappy number plate too!
The reason I like it is the colour works for me. It seems to be fully loaded with every extra including pan roof. And the MOT history checks our, in fact it looks pretty well cared for in general. Its quick. It's also about 2 mins down the road.
Is that far too much money? And is the older auto bad news in these?
Then there's this mx5 RF.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024040583...
Ticks every box for me. I love it.
Is it daft to worry about rust on something like that? I mean I'd be keeping it 3 years and putting about 12k more miles on it. There's also a really good mx5 specialist about 10 miles from me so I'm sure I could get good advice on rust prevention if needed.
My heart says get the mx5. But I'll probably go and see that mini tomorrow!
So I have a couple of cars I'm interested in.
There's this Mini JCW
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042690...
I probably need a slap. It's not a roadster, it's an auto and it's also £15.5k for an 8 year old Mini. Oh and it has a crappy number plate too!
The reason I like it is the colour works for me. It seems to be fully loaded with every extra including pan roof. And the MOT history checks our, in fact it looks pretty well cared for in general. Its quick. It's also about 2 mins down the road.
Is that far too much money? And is the older auto bad news in these?
Then there's this mx5 RF.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024040583...
Ticks every box for me. I love it.
Is it daft to worry about rust on something like that? I mean I'd be keeping it 3 years and putting about 12k more miles on it. There's also a really good mx5 specialist about 10 miles from me so I'm sure I could get good advice on rust prevention if needed.
My heart says get the mx5. But I'll probably go and see that mini tomorrow!
blue al said:
A rainy day is the best day to benchmark this pair
Because being honest unless it’s a second car its much more likely to be the wrong weather most of the time you drive it…
Yes absolutely. I've thought about that a lot. A soft top is lovely when the sun is out and you can find time to get out on the right roads. So as a weekend it's great but early mornings in the middle of winter are maybe not so much fun!Because being honest unless it’s a second car its much more likely to be the wrong weather most of the time you drive it…
For me, it is a second car in that we have a main family car which we use most of the time. I use my car mainly to get to and from work which only amounts to about 4k miles a year. It does involve a couple of early mornings each week and the car lives outside. That's why I like the idea of the foldy hardtop like the RF which can be used as a coupe too. Or the Mini with sunroof which would also be fine year round.
I like both of those OP. The Mini is a great spec/colour combo I think, but I always have a nagging doubt that a JCW(or Cooper S) should have 3 pedals though. Perhaps that is just me though.
The current generation MX-5 is my favourite in terms of looks/performance/all roundness, so they are a thumb up from me as well.
The current generation MX-5 is my favourite in terms of looks/performance/all roundness, so they are a thumb up from me as well.
Yes still quite undecided.
I usually overthink buying a car, procrastinate for ages and then end up buying something completely different on a whim. 2 cars ago I was dead set on a civic type r and looked at loads. Then I saw a BMW e92 on a local forecourt, called in for a test drive and bought it. Until then it wasn't even on the radar.
My current car is one of the only ones I bought after looking specifically for one!
I didn't get round to viewing the Mini despite having the time to do so. I guess that tells me what I need to know about that one. I don't want an auto JCW, not when manual ones are available. But more so, I probably don't really want a Mini.
The mx5 is where I started. Literally the only thing putting me off is all the stories of rust otherwise I don't think I'd be looking at anything else. So for now I'm going to focus on an ND2 RF because it'd be fine to use year round and should be new enough to avoid any issues within my ownership.
The blue one at Hilton is quite nice. It's had 3 owners and when I've been a lot of their stock is ropey. Probably why it's a little cheaper than others.
I usually overthink buying a car, procrastinate for ages and then end up buying something completely different on a whim. 2 cars ago I was dead set on a civic type r and looked at loads. Then I saw a BMW e92 on a local forecourt, called in for a test drive and bought it. Until then it wasn't even on the radar.
My current car is one of the only ones I bought after looking specifically for one!
I didn't get round to viewing the Mini despite having the time to do so. I guess that tells me what I need to know about that one. I don't want an auto JCW, not when manual ones are available. But more so, I probably don't really want a Mini.
The mx5 is where I started. Literally the only thing putting me off is all the stories of rust otherwise I don't think I'd be looking at anything else. So for now I'm going to focus on an ND2 RF because it'd be fine to use year round and should be new enough to avoid any issues within my ownership.
The blue one at Hilton is quite nice. It's had 3 owners and when I've been a lot of their stock is ropey. Probably why it's a little cheaper than others.
I had an F56 with a panoramic sunroof (although a Cooper automatic) which I sold earlier this year, as it just wasn't getting used since my iX3 arrived for daily duties. I looked at quite a few different options for a fun car but also kept coming back to the ND MX5, I'd had an NC 1.8 from new in 2013 for 3.5 years and stupidly sold to get an SLC200. When the ND came out I test drove both the 1.5 and 2.0 and knew I'd end up with one at some point. So I managed to find a 2015 Sport Nav at my local Mazda dealer, one previous owner and in really good condition. Couldn't justify spending more for a newer or a 2.0 as it's only a weekend and summer car and lives in the garage.
There's no comparison for me in how they drive - the Mini was fun, but the MX5 is just another level entirely. Really pleased with mine and waiting for the better weather to arrive so I can get some miles done in it.
So I'd say you're right to go for the MX5, I'm so happy with mine and don't miss the Mini at all which is a bit of a suprise as I loved the Mini while I had it. (Probably helps that I also have a 2006 Mini to scratch that itch from time to time!)
There's no comparison for me in how they drive - the Mini was fun, but the MX5 is just another level entirely. Really pleased with mine and waiting for the better weather to arrive so I can get some miles done in it.
So I'd say you're right to go for the MX5, I'm so happy with mine and don't miss the Mini at all which is a bit of a suprise as I loved the Mini while I had it. (Probably helps that I also have a 2006 Mini to scratch that itch from time to time!)
I have found this approved used ND1 at a dealer not too far from me.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024041887...
7 years old and 50k miles, I have no idea if that's likely to be suffering any rot underneath. But it's got full Mazda history and a completely clean MOT. I'd prefer the uprated engine with the ND2 but there is a fair difference in price.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024041887...
7 years old and 50k miles, I have no idea if that's likely to be suffering any rot underneath. But it's got full Mazda history and a completely clean MOT. I'd prefer the uprated engine with the ND2 but there is a fair difference in price.
EVLATECOMER said:
Circa £16k buys you a lot of Coopers Works model on the approved mini website.
Year warranty, full mini fsh and more
Do all these go on AT as that's where I tend to look. Or should I be checking other sites?Year warranty, full mini fsh and more
Problem I've found with JCW Minis is very few have the spec I'd want, and even fewer come with pan roof. It always seems to me that the approved used ones have the most miserly spec with loads of essential options missing.
I like the way this JCW looks.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
How about looking at "MX5 Specialist Sales" local to you and going from there if worried about rust? I can't see a specialist selling a bad example.
For example these people are are local to me and have a wide selection:
https://pvctrading.co.uk/available-stock/
Even have a NC folding hard top, didn't realise they existed. Thought they were all soft top. £9990 with just 24k on it.
https://pvctrading.co.uk/portfolio-item/poa-2011-1...
For example these people are are local to me and have a wide selection:
https://pvctrading.co.uk/available-stock/
Even have a NC folding hard top, didn't realise they existed. Thought they were all soft top. £9990 with just 24k on it.
https://pvctrading.co.uk/portfolio-item/poa-2011-1...
ChrisH72 said:
I like the way this JCW looks.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
So you don't really like the way this one looks then?! http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
cerb4.5lee said:
ChrisH72 said:
I like the way this JCW looks.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
So you don't really like the way this one looks then?! http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/2024042289...
But it's missing heated seats, drive modes, rear sensors which are all things I'd like. And no pan roof of course. And it's 8 years old with 3 owners for a fairly hefty price tag.
I'm not too keen on the pre face lift ones either. I like the Brexit lights on the later cars.
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