Another new toy thread - I mean sensible family car...

[Corranga]

So, 6 years ago, I bought an Alfa 159. I always wanted and Alfa, and despite it just being Erica and I (at that time) a big diesel saloon seemed a good choice. It served us well, with annual trips to London to visit her family, serving as our wedding car, ribbons and all, daily hack, and looking stunning throughout.

Somewhere around 6 weeks ago, it met it's doom, when a tourist in her rental BMW misjudged the width of the road and clipped the back of me as I sat stationary. She made it all of half a mile from the hire car depot, and basically hit the first thing she saw it seems. With the age and value of the old Alfa it's a write off.

Here it is looking a little sorry for itself.
Untitled by corranga, on Flickr

Doesn't look like much, but on a car worth about £3k, bent suspension, a destroyed wheel and a rear wing that's not in the right place is enough to push it over the write off scales.

...and here's the tourist, making a quick stop off at the local building site!

Untitled by corranga, on Flickr

No one was hurt, she had a small cut on her hand. I was a bit freaked out by the whole thing, basically, I went into shock after watching it all unfold, and reacting, get out of my car, run to the building site, push her, which at this point is sitting on the passenger side, down to get anyone out etc.

I'd more or less decided I was getting an Alfa Giulietta, but was a bit underwhelmed by a test drive.
A week or so pass, and my courtesy car arrives. It's was 2018 Mini Cooper S 7 speed semi auto thingy (see the other thread for gearbox chat...).
I love the car (but not the gearbox) and set about throwing out budget out of the window and finding one for me!

And here it is

Untitled by corranga, on Flickr

Went up to collect from Aberdeen on Sunday in my commuter for the past 3 weeks - 10.5mpg on the commute was painful.

Untitled by corranga, on Flickr

and an "oh my god the dimensions look all wrong" shot (with added thumb!), but needs must, and the 3 doors it too small...

Untitled by corranga, on Flickr

What can I say? I love it. It's great fun, it's a nice place to be, it's the right size, and it looks cool, if not that pretty.
I feel a bit daft for ignoring Mini for all these years (as a classic Mini person prior to the Elise) but am really happy to move to the brand now, and feel no need to draw any comparisons with the MINI brand and range, and the classics I love so much. Very few other cars seem to get the same balance of size, quality, fun, and be interesting at the same time.

Chris

[campbell]

Quite a tale!

Feel your pain with the Alfa but you've moved on. Good lad.

Gen 3 MINI doesn't do it for me looks wise but that's a great package so get out and enjoy

[renmure]

That looks ouchy for the tourist!! Eeek!!

Mini looks nice. Don't think I've seen 2 identical ones. We've had a couple and although they've been replaced by a Fiat 500 at the moment I'm sure it will be back to a Mini next time. I like the fact you always seem to be going faster than you really are.

[ScottJ-PS]

I've had a couple BL Minis, an MG Metro if that counts, Gen 1 Cooper, Gen 2 Clubman sadly written off in the snow, and now a Countryman All4 which is a big beast but I love them all. All Minis and MINIs are great. Probably a 5 door Gen 3 similar to yours is next.

[point n squirt]

Welcome to the club had my S a couple of months now its a wee blast of fun and has become a family favorite , just a wee weekend toy for us . Im finding it hard to put the power down from standstill just wants to spin don't know if thats anything to do with the winter tyres it came with as winters are new to me also hit the smallest bump and its all over the place , guess thats called character.

[campbell]

I'd have a Gen 2 Clubman again in a heartbeat. Albeit S or Works for some punch. Chassis is too good for just Cooper spec engine

[Ferg]

Nice Maza too

[StiflerMR2]

Looks great Chris, hope you have lots of fun and trouble free motoring in it

[Corranga]

Welcome to the club had my S a couple of months now its a wee blast of fun and has become a family favorite , just a wee weekend toy for us . Im finding it hard to put the power down from standstill just wants to spin don't know if thats anything to do with the winter tyres it came with as winters are new to me also hit the smallest bump and its all over the place , guess thats called character.

Mine came with winters on the front, and so far they've been fine - with the exception of in the wet oddly enough, where they spin up in 1st and 2nd in Sport mode. I'm in the process of getting a set of summer tyres for it, but probably won't fit them until into next year since we're into October now anyway.

I have experienced some torque steer too, not much can be done I'd imagine, but most cars trying to put near 200hp through the fronts with one of these (fairly) modern high low down torque turbos, and no trick diff are likely to have this problem I guess. From what I've read, previous generations of Cooper S were worse.

[Corranga]

I'd have a Gen 2 Clubman again in a heartbeat. Albeit S or Works for some punch. Chassis is too good for just Cooper spec engine

I prefer the look of the Gen 2, looks smaller, and the lines are a bit cleaner - less of a caricatured appearance, but the Clubman didn't seem to quite do it space wise compared to the 3, plus the club door is on the wrong side, and the rear looks a bit bolted on for me. I appreciate the bulbous gen 3 especially in awkward proportions 5 door form is a different compromise on looks though.

We test drove a 5 door Cooper too, and the 1.5 litre 3 cylinder turbo they put in them now seemed really nice. Quite refined, and revvy, and made a nice noise too imo. I think it had enough performance, certainly, on our test drive it didn't feel that held back by the performance, the S obviously just adds more, which is no bad thing.

Overall, I feel a little silly more or less ignoring the brand until now, assuming their previous offerings were as good a fun / premium feel / cost / performance balance as this one

[Corranga]

That looks ouchy for the tourist!! Eeek!!

Watching it happen was enough for me! She was in a better state than I was after it, watching it happen, then coming to my senses took about 15 seconds, then I rushed out of my car to help get her out. Standing by a car balancing on it's passenger side was something I don't really want to repeat.
At least I stood at the roof side, unlike the builder who stood below the car and pulled the wheel towards him until I shouted "mate, don't do that it'll land on top of you!"
He then called to the other builders to push from the roof end.
When it tipped down, they rushed to the drivers side to help get her out I looked in to see if anyone was in the back all I saw was a sea of airbags.

The first thing she said was "it was my first time driving on this side of the road" before even saying she was ok!

[rossybee]

Was that in or around Dundee Chris?

[Corranga]

Edinburgh Airport