MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls

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Wed 27 Mar 2019 20:34
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Babygotoo
Evening,

I was looking at buying a weekend car, 2.5k max maybe. Went through a phase of looking at MX5's, sat in one and wasn't me,

Started looking at Mini Cooper S as had an old one as a first car, lots of bad news on the web but still can't completely discount it.

Anyone got any other ideas, doesn't have to be 2 seats, not really counting the rear seats in the mini, likes the idea of the increased power over the MX5 in standard form of the mini.

Any help appreciated, is the early Cooper that bad if I could get one with solid history?

Thanks

Edited by Babygotoo on 27/03/2019 at 20:37

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Wed 27 Mar 2019 22:36
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - elekie&a/c doctor

Forget the Cooper S . Too frantic with more to go wrong . A basic cooper pre 2006 with the Chrysler engine is a plodder with very little to give trouble. I had one of these ,but found it very hard on the ride with run flat tyres and was also very tiring on a motorway drive. For a bit of fun ,how about Bmw Z3 , basic engineering and robust (based on an 3 series E36), but must have the 6 cylinder engine. Rust not a major issue on these ,,unlike the Mazda Mx5.

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 10:20
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Babygotoo

I looked at too many videos showing the rust issues, wouldn't have thought Z3 in my pricerange but I'll have a look, thanks

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 13:43
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Cris_on_the_gas

If you can spend a bit more then Honda S2000 is a peach of a car. future classic as well.

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 16:44
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Avant

I had a Z3 a few years ago (2008-2013) as a fun car: they can be expensive if they go wrong but mine didn't, mainly because it had a full BMW service history. But as Elekie says I don't think they have a particular rust problem. More of a grand tourer than a sports car, but that suited me and the straight-six is marvellous.

But the Z3 ws replaced by the Z4 in 2002 so all Z3s will be very ancient by now. Those that have been cherished may be going up in value. You could have a look and see what older Z4s are going for. Try Cars for Sale on this site.

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 18:39
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - badbusdriver

"Any other ideas"?, yes, save up some more money, at least double!.

Yes, you could get lucky at £2.5k, but of the type of (performance) cars in that price range, most are going to be absolute tat. If you have enough time and endless patience to sift through the rubbish, you might find a gem.

At a push, if i could find a decent one which hasn't been thrashed and abused to within an inch of its life, maybe a 7th gen Toyota Celica (1999-2007). Two power outputs available, 140bhp in the VVT-i or 189bhp in the VVTL-i, but don't dismiss the lower powered version without trying it, they are light cars.

At £2.5k, surely Toyota reliability is going to be more reassuring than most other non-Japanese options?.

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 20:42
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Babygotoo
Had never thought about a Celica, now I've looked quite interested, but, issues with oil consumption.

Anyone any views about a 3.0 BMW E46?
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Thu 28 Mar 2019 20:56
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Oli rag
How about a Suzuki swift sport? Similar size to a mini, but a lot more reliable. They seem to be available from around 2 grand and are loved by owners.
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Thu 28 Mar 2019 21:02
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - gordonbennet
Had never thought about a Celica, now I've looked quite interested, but, issues with oil consumption. Anyone any views about a 3.0 BMW E46?

Celica is an excellent suggestion and one of the prettiest cars about, those issues with oil consumption are about it, if it's smoking like an old steam train on test drive (let it overrun on a trailing throttle down a long hill, then floor the throttle and watch for smoke) don't buy it, otherwise compared to the other cars in consideration it's a veritable saint.

So what if the one you bought used half a litre of oil every 6 weeks, a 5 litre pack of the correct engine oil will cost you £25 at the very most, enough for a year of top ups, £25 would possibly get the bonnet raised at a typical BMW/MINI dealership.

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Thu 28 Mar 2019 21:42
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - elekie&a/c doctor
BMW E46 330 , cabrio or coupe . Yes please , they don’t get much better value than these. Really can’t go wrong .
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Fri 29 Mar 2019 10:10
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Babygotoo

would go coupe or saloon, any hidden tips not on CbyC breakdown?

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Fri 29 Mar 2019 00:26
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - SLO76
Wouldn’t touch a cheap Mini, they’re a total liability. I’d say MX5 for fun at this money but it’s not your thing. Hmm.

Suzuki Swift Sport is a hoot but no rocket. A Toyota Celica is different and quite good fun to drive but for sub £3k frolics i’d try looking for a good Ford Fiesta ST. It uses a tough chain driven Mazda motor, essentially the same as the MX5 but it’s more practical while still offering outstanding driver enjoyment. Your only problem will be finding a good unmolested example. Get a nice one and you won’t lose a penny though as these are just entering the phase all fast Ford’s do where demand outstrips the availability of good cars and prices start to creep upwards.


Auto Trader:

www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/20190317597...9


Edited by SLO76 on 29/03/2019 at 00:27

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Fri 29 Mar 2019 08:54
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - veloceman
Alfa GTV. You’ll get a good pampered 2.0ts for that money.
Prices on the up so you should at least get your money back when you sell.
Don’t bother with anything that’s been neglected, also forget about the V6 you will only get rubbish for £3k. (2.0 handles better anyway).
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Fri 29 Mar 2019 09:58
MINI Cooper S - If not a Cooper S then what? Could this be put in discussion pls - Babygotoo

Thanks for the further options, glad I bothered to ask, more interweb searching to come.........

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