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Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Dingle232

I am considering buying a second car, a fun car if you like, for weekends and just enjoying when I can. Naturally I know that these come with an element of risk which I'd like to try and mitigate a bit in terms of not buying anything that is notorious for problems or costly repairs.

I have always wanted a Mini and have seen a number of 2019 onwards Cooper S models that I am very tempted by as they are a riot to drive. All FSH with auto boxes (I want auto) and main dealer supplied - would these be a decent or a risky buy in terms of reliability? I have an excellent BMW/Mini independent garage very close to me if I had any issues or for servicing at reasonable cost.

Other options are an MX-5 except I am not entirely sure it's my thing and later models are all manuals. I believe they are very reliable though.

The criteria is preferably automatic, good to drive and powerful enough to have a bit of performance though doesn't have to be a licence loser.

Any thoughts on the Mini and other alternatives? Budget up to £20k.

Edited by Dingle232 on 21/04/2024 at 18:25

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Adampr

Post-2013 (and pre-2006) Minis are pretty reliable. They can be expensive to fix, though.

An obvious alternative would be an Abarth 595 or 695.

Equally, an Abarth 124 Spider is mechanically very similarly.to an MX5 but a bit more butch.

The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ (basically identical) are available as an auto and will handle better than any of the above.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - daveyjp

Auto will always take the edge of any performance, but add a Toyota GT86 to the list.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - movilogo

What is a fun car?

What is your other car and why you can't have fun with it?

If driving on public roads, any car can be fun - its often psychology than mechanics.

Many modern cars have different modes (e.g. Sport) to make it bit more fun for spirited driving.

Of course, it won't turn a Toyota to a Ferrari.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - skidpan

Equally, an Abarth 124 Spider is mechanically very similarly.to an MX5 but a bit more butch

Except it uses Fiat engines.

The Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ (basically identical) are available as an auto and will handle better than any of the above.

Someone local to us has a GT86 and it sounds like an old school CVT has been fitted. Must be a joy to drive, not. Why on earth would Toyota do that?

Edited by skidpan on 22/04/2024 at 09:05

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Xileno

On Autotrader there are currently 103 GT86 models for sale, 29 autos. Toyota must have thought it commercially viable. Not my idea of fun but if one does a lot of urban driving it might make more sense.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Alby Back
I’ve been lucky enough to have had a lot of cars. Basic ones, utilitarian ones, sporty ones, convertibles, powerful ones and some that might I suppose in their time have seemed desirable for some reason.
However, the penny dropped for me a long time ago that it doesn’t really matter much what you arrive in, it’s what you do when you get there that makes a journey fun.
;-)
Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Heidfirst

Someone local to us has a GT86 and it sounds like an old school CVT has been fitted. Must be a joy to drive, not. Why on earth would Toyota do that?

They didn't. It's an Aisin-Warner 6-speed TC

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Gibbo_Wirral

If you're temped by an MX5 then a Mercedes SLK would be my recommendation.

I was looking at MX5s for a while but you really need to keep on top of the rust issues.

The SLK does have an issue with subframe rot - but there's a 30 year warranty on them that Mercedes is honouring at the moment. So no issues if you buy second hand (the only stipulation is that you need to have owned it for six months)

They're pretty much all autos too.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - John F

The SLK does have an issue with subframe rot - but there's a 30 year warranty on them that Mercedes is honouring at the moment. So no issues if you buy second hand (the only stipulation is that you need to have owned it for six months)

Isn't there also a stipulation that you pay for an annual service at a Mercedes garage for 30yrs? If so, £ouch!

Yesterday, (sunny Saturday), took the Ziebarted rust free TR7 DHC out for a fun drive along beautiful Northants country roads to Coton Manor in search of salvias......no garage services since 1981, no annual MoT or VED, sub-£100 insurance (that's annual, not pcm).....what's not to like?!

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Gibbo_Wirral

Isn't there also a stipulation that you pay for an annual service at a Mercedes garage for 30yrs? If so, £ouch!

Nope. All you need is to have owned the car six months.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Metropolis.
Not everyone, well, not me, wants a staccato spec 10 speed. There is a certain satisfaction to be had in wringing out a long gear right the way through the rev range.
Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Manatee

The MX-5 Mk4 RF can be found in automatic.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Dingle232

Still ruminating on this after a while. I did take a look at some of the suggestions made (thank you) and have pretty much narrowed it down to a Mercedes SLK or Mini Cooper S. The latter is more expensive for the newer cars (obviously) but the SLK does look really nice and there are a few 14 ish plate ones knocking about for reasonable prices.

Are there any particular engines/variants to look for or, conversely, avoid? Obviously I'd be swayed towards examples with FSH but are there any particular issues or tell tales to look for with them?

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - badbusdriver

Surely you need to drive examples and see what you prefer?.

They are very different cars, and while you said it the start you'd always fancied a Mini, you may not actually enjoy it. But if you do enjoy the Mini, it may also be the case that you don't enjoy how the SLK drives.

In terms of general reliability, I'm not sure which would be most dependable. But I'm fairly certain Mini's of the age you are looking at would be DCT whereas the Merc would most likely (not sure though) be t/c, which I'd have more faith in. On the other hand, I'd be reluctant to go down the Merc route without a well respected independent specialist within a distance i'd be willing to travel for servicing.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Dingle232

Yes, of course, I wouldn't ever buy or choose any car without driving it. My question at this point is more to rule in or out based on reliability and future expense, as far as you ever can.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Miniman777

If you are buying a Mini, consider the Mini Approved scheme. It'll have full Mini SH, come with a very comprehensive 12 month warranty that's extendable to 100k miles.

We've an F55 5-door Cooper S Sport auto (2020) bought from new and extended warranty is around £500 a year with £250 XS per claim, and £10 a week isn't unreasonable. Also includes roadside assistance/recovery. Our Mini has the 7 speed Aisin box with paddle shift and it's a breeze.

Lots of non-manufacturer approved cars have so-so warranties that cover say £1k or £2k of repairs and labour which doesnt go far on a modern car, so I'd recommend using the Mini Approved website to search if its a Mini you want - shows mileage, specs and lots of other info, but remember every Mini is different in some way. Worth adding that the claim limit with Mini Approved is the retail price of the car, so there should be no worries.

A tip - there's two type of leather seats, and the one with panels (Lounge Leather) is more durable, the other type sags after a few years. Our F55 has the JCW seats with Alcantara which are really supportive and comfortable.

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Gibbo_Wirral

Are there any particular engines/variants to look for or, conversely, avoid? Obviously I'd be swayed towards examples with FSH but are there any particular issues or tell tales to look for with them?

On early 350 V6s, beware balancer shaft gear failure.

Best thing I can suggest is join the Facebook group SLKOWNERSCLUB.CO.UK, say hello and ask where your nearest SLK owner is - then meet up and have a chat and a drive. It really is a friendly group

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Engineer Andy

Wondering if it would be worth a look (given the OP has a well-regarded indie Mini / BMW garage nearby) at a lower-spec model BMW 1 series (118i 1.5T previous or current model), 2 series coupe or convertible (as 1-series or 2L non turbo), previous gen 4-Series coupe or convertible (420i 2T) in SE or Sport guise, though preferably with the step (TC?) auto rather than the DCT (which admittedly doesn't attract the same bad [reliability] publicity as other makes)?

None are by any means 'slow' (the older design 2L non-turbo being the least powerful / slowest). A bit of a compromise (as most decent handling / performing cars are) on the ride quality, though not that bad, given many are shod on 17in rims, one or two (older / lowest SE spec) on sensible 16in tyres, and the lowest SE trim often came with manual A/C rather than climate control (standard on later ones and Sport models).

Shame about the auto spec requirement, as in my view that rules out many otherwise decent cars that tick the boxes, such as the Seat Leon SC (3dr) 1.4TSI (better interior spec than the following as it had climate control rather than manual A/C) and rarer Golf equivalent (3dr GT). Not easy to come by as a popular car with owners (5dr essentially as good to drive, just not quite as nice looking in my view) and far rarer (especially the Golf) than their 5dr sisters.

As I was looking for something like this (though with a bit more practicality than MX-5s and Minis, hence my other suggestions), it might be worth a look at a current (4th) gen Mazda3 2L e-Skyactiv-X auto (0-60 in ~8.5sec), noting the 'e' to denote the updated engine version from 2021/2 which appears to be better received as it performs better than the original, and probably ironed out any issues on the engine front.

I would vote for the SE-L variants (including Lux sub-version) shod on sensible 205/60 R16 tyres rather than 18in rims to get the better ride quality, which barely detracts from the excellent handling ability. Not many available for sale as original buyers like and keep them, and far more Sport type versions (just more gadgets, not faster) with firmer-riding 18in tyres available.

The auto is a smooth (prove) TC unit and is far better in terms of performance and mpg penalties than it was on the 1st and 2nd gen cars. The 'downsides' with Mazdas (as I've found myself as a long-term owner) is that main dealers can be very hit and miss on the post-sales experience, and whilst the reliability problems with diesels on the latest cars are going away (partly because far fewer models now have diesel options), some 'new' ones appear to be taking their place on the electronics front. The 3 and sister car the CX-30 appear to have been affected.

I would only buy one if it had the remainder of the manufacturers' warranty intact or had a 1 year main dealer warranty. I'd also be wary of cars under 5 years old that had 2 owners or (especially) more, given that might indicate the car had issues and was being regularly offloaded.

The electronics issues - being fair - is something that appears to affect quite a lot of modern cars, especially higher spec ones, hence partly why I've recommended low to mid-spec models, which have less electronics / gadgets to go wrong (often via unwanted system interaction [that rarely get tested before release to market] with other bits of kit).

Edited by Engineer Andy on 25/05/2024 at 13:23

Fun weekend car - suggestions? - Dingle232

Nobody can ever accuse me of rushing into this as am still pondering. I have looked at a few options and pretty much settled on the Mini.

I have identified a John Cooper Works which I like a lot and it would be an absolute blast, but I don't know much of the reliability of those particular variants. It's 3 years old, full Mini history with about 25k miles and looks the part. The running costs would be higher as the wheels are bigger and the brakes huge, so I need to look at the costs of those.

The other option is a Cooper S which is also lovely, a bit newer with roughly the same miles and again a full Mini history.

Anyone got a view or experience of both of these viz a viz reliability or issues with one over the other? Thank you.