"UKGTR335" (UKGTR335)
02/12/2015 at 11:25 • Filed to: None
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"UKGTR335" (UKGTR335)
02/12/2015 at 11:25 • Filed to: None | 0
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I have a dilemma. I traded my sweet, sweet baby (BMW 335) last year for a family wagon (4Runner) because I have a one year old, another on the way at the end of March, and a dog to haul around. The 4Runner is my daily. My lovely wife has an '08 Focus. Soon it will no longer make sense for me to drive the 4Runner daily - I commute 15 miles each way, and there is no point logging unnecessary miles to let the T4R sit in my office parking lot all day while my wife tries to cram kids and a dog in her Focus. So I'll be taking her car. Her Focus is a fine vehicle, low miles for the year (60k), but its boring and I'm not thrilled about driving it because I want something with a bit of character, even though I'll just be using it primarily to commute. I previously drove a GTI for 7 years and then two different 335s for 6 years, so a Focus sedan is a big step back in the "fun" department. I should also mention that I have a '95 F150 that I share with my dad as a "spare" vehicle that's practical, gets used a few times a month, and we tinker with it.
My plan was to trade the Focus for something fun with good MPG, that can still fit two car seats and a stroller in a pinch. Was looking at GTI's, older A3s, 4 door Coopers, Focus ST, X1. When fortuitously, in my daily perusal of car ads, I stumbled across a 2004 Cooper S with 100k on it for around $5,000, a bargain. (not pictured, but similar) Appears to be one owner. Manual. Clean history. But it's a two door and totally impractical for child seats. However, I've been doing my research on getting into SCCA Solo events and an old manual Mini would be perfect for that duty.
So here's my problem. I can't justify ditching the practicality of a 4 door Focus that can carry kids for a 2 door Mini that's 4 years older and has an extra 40k on the clock. BUT, the Mini gets great mileage and would be a good commuter. It's also fun, and some quick research on parts/maintenance shows it's reasonably cheap to wrench on. And I can buy it cash, and it appears to be below market at the current price. However, it is totally unnecessary to have 4 cars, especially when the Focus would purely serve as kid transport on very rare occasions when the T4R is not available. I'm pretty conservative and tend to make rational (boring) decisions, but I'm really tempted to have a "spare" Mini.
SO, talk me into OR out of a poor decision.
Nibbles
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 11:31 |
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I support any decision that includes getting rid of an old Focus
Also they will baby, on those rare occasions when the T4R isn't available
BKosher84
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 11:33 |
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I have an 2008 Mini Clubman and it can BARELY baby... Just keep that in mind..
TheHondaBro
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 11:37 |
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good MPG
Don't get a 7th gen Accord then. Fucker binges on gasoline.
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UKGTR335
> BKosher84
02/12/2015 at 11:41 |
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Boooo! This sounds like rational advice.
You're supposed to tell me "YOLO! Ditch that focus and get an old mini" or "YOLO! have 4 cars!"
For the record, this is the only two times in my life I have used "YOLO" and I like myself a little bit less for it.
KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
> BKosher84
02/12/2015 at 11:50 |
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It only works on the side with the third door. Otherwise, no bueno. So for two...no bueno.
E. Julius
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 11:52 |
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I know Minis have a less than stellar reputation for reliability, so I'd be cautious about one priced below market. That being said, if you can wrench on it yourself and you have a spare car to use in case the Mini is a no go for the morning commute, it shouldn't be a huge deal if it is unreliable. I think with some careful planning you'd be able to avoid too many occasions where you'd have to haul the kids in it, so the inconvenience shouldn't make it unbearable.
TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 11:53 |
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It's got ISOFIX, but is cramped in the back. It's a 10-year old car designed and built by BMW - things can go wrong and OEM parts can sting your wallet. But I'll promise you this - you will never, ever tire of that supercharger boost. The thing is just so damn torquey and it pulls in every single gear.
Source: my family runs an R53 Cooper S as our sole DD.
qbeezy
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 12:09 |
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If you can afford 4 cars then do it. Nothing is worse than driving a car you don't like. Driving will turn into a chore. You will come to dislike it. Then resent it.
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BKosher84
> KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
02/12/2015 at 12:21 |
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Yup. We are expecting in June and we tested out said car seat in my car the other night. Good thing my wife is barely 5 foot or we would have been in trouble, lol.
wiffleballtony
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 12:21 |
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I was going to post something about its imminent drive train failure but you already had some VAG so that's no issue. But seriously that car isn't a family car at all.
PilotMan
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 12:21 |
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Won't the kids be kicking the back of your seat? That pretty much shoots down the two-door MINI I would think. Also, an R56 is an expensive bitch to keep running after the 50,000 warranty runs out. I owned one for three years with 37-67K miles, each year required big money repairs for a freaking economy car. I did all the work myself but still the parts were really expensive. You are essentially paying BMW repair costs.
Stretched timing chain from worn chain guides. $$$$
Leaking PCV that happens to be integrated with a very expensive valve cover $$$
New Clutch at 60K miles, a very small amount of clutch material is used since the oem dampened flywheel is damn thick. $$$
Annual Intake valve cleaning required, I bought a kit that used a dealer specific tool that involved a vacuum hose that fit the intake port while including a small port for the sand blaster to fit through. Doing it myself saved me a $700 dealer charge each year.
Annual intercooler tubing cleaning required, cheap but also a pain to do.
MINIs are a hot mess but are really fun to drive, I would lease a new one or buy a used one with minimal miles. Past 50K miles they aren't worth owning.
In your case, I would get see if you fit in a Fiesta ST.
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BKosher84
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 12:24 |
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Haha, as you should feel less of yourself about it. If it weren't for your brood I would totally say "YOLO BRAH!" but little people depend on us to keep them alive (I know.. Scary!) so we have to be all grown up and responsible.
ki-ki-ki-kia
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 12:59 |
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If you can justify the price own 4 cars. Just do it. Makes perfect sense all around.
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UKGTR335
> PilotMan
02/12/2015 at 14:04 |
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This is a very informative and sensible response. Dammit.
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UKGTR335
> qbeezy
02/12/2015 at 14:04 |
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Let me buy you a beer.
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UKGTR335
> ki-ki-ki-kia
02/12/2015 at 14:05 |
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You also need a beer. Cheers.
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UKGTR335
> BKosher84
02/12/2015 at 14:10 |
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I know I'm supposed to be an adult, but in my head I'm still 16. It blows my mind when I stop for a second and remember all the adult stuff I'm responsible for. I think I probably need to hold off on this for 10-12 years until it's something my son and I can tinker with.
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PilotMan
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 14:37 |
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I'm sorry, I loved my car so much but I promised myself never again. The computer pulls boost for every minor hiccup and it requires a dealer reset to fully restore performance. This really pissed me off, especially when I was chasing PCV issues. Also, my turbo bearings were just about shot at 67K miles which really made me sell it. But when the intake valves are clean and the errors codes are cleared, they are absolutely fun cars.
My Abarth I replaced it with has been a little Italian angel, only requiring some oil and gas to be happy. It doesn't handle as well and it's not as quick but the exhaust note makes up for it.
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UKGTR335
> PilotMan
02/12/2015 at 15:25 |
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The Abarth exhaust is glorious. Makes me smile when I hear them out and about. I think writing my initial post was cathartic to my initial desire to jump on that Mini. Having read responses like yours, which I needed, I'm leaning back towards trading the Focus for a newer, warrantied 4 door GTI. I loved my '02 and was sad when I gave it up.
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qbeezy
> UKGTR335
02/12/2015 at 17:01 |
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No need my man. Trying to get sexy for the summer lol. But my wife went through something similar. Got rid of her hummer and is sad every time she sees one. She even tracked it for 6 months after buying the Passat. She'll probably regret that forever.
Skamanda
> UKGTR335
03/18/2015 at 17:47 |
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That's well below market on a used R53, even with those miles. They're HILARIOUS amounts of fun to drive, and the supercharger sounds SO nice. The best upgrades you can do to them are super cheap (supercharger pulley, short throw, and rear sway bar), and are really all you need to do in order to make it beastly - and that's if it doesn't already have those upgrades done. TONS of MINI owners, even ones that never see a track, do at least some of those.
The other cars you were considering are nice, and all, but not one of them is going to put the smile on your face an R53 will, when driven in anger.
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Skamanda
> E. Julius
03/18/2015 at 17:51 |
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The most severe common problems with the R53 were with the CVT failing. He won't have that issue with the 6 speed, which is absolutely DELIGHTFUL to shift. Most of the problem with the reliability numbers come from nobody weighting severe things more strongly than simple things. If you come in for the engine exploding that's 1 issue. If you come in for a loose screw on the sun visor, that's 1 issue that's tallied exactly like the blown engine. Fit and finish, and quirks of how things work with their funky designs are most of the things that people have issues with on MINIs, and they've really gotten themselves crucified in the industry statistics by them, even though most of what's been wrong with a lot of these cars is really simple stuff.
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Skamanda
> TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
03/18/2015 at 17:52 |
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Have you upgraded the pulley on the supercharger, yet? Yum. I've got an R55, and I"m always jealous of the sound of the superchargers in my friends R53s...
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Skamanda
> UKGTR335
03/18/2015 at 17:54 |
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The Clubman works great for getting adults and kids that don't need child seats into the back. The third door is a bit awkward to get anything as big and unwieldy as a car seat through. Once the kids get older, they're great! I've had a guy who's 6'7" in the back of mine a dozen times, and he's got plenty of room, and can get in and out easily.
But, you're not buying this to be the family car. You're buying it because it's going to put a big, stupid grin on your face ALL THE TIME, and you've already got cars for hauling the kids in.
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Skamanda
> PilotMan
03/18/2015 at 17:59 |
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He won't have the issues with the timing chain tensioner in a 2004 model. The R53 (and the R56 from 2011 on) doesn't have that issue.
You would've saved on the intake cleaning if you'd have bought a catch can, by the way. I haven't needed one yet on my R55.
I'm at 82k on mine, and haven't needed a single big ticket repair. I replaced the turbo pre-emptively, because mine was developing some play in the shaft, but it's just a K04 - they're a dime a dozen.
The Fiesta ST isn't a bad suggestion though, for a comparable car. It compares better to the R56 than the R53, though - for much the same reason the R56 doesn't compare to the R53. Longer wheelbase, higher center of gravity, a bit less edgy on the suspension setup, etc...
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Skamanda
> UKGTR335
03/18/2015 at 18:01 |
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I'm following all the sensible responses with reasons not to worry - am I filling the role of the devil on your shoulder well enough? :)
If you do get it, make sure to add a catch can to it. Your drive to work is long enough to make sure everything is up to temp to really do a good job fighting carbon buildup on the intake valves if you add one. 7-10ish miles is where things are fully warm enough.
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Skamanda
> PilotMan
03/18/2015 at 18:04 |
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The reset the dealer does can be done with a bluetooth OBD-II scanner, and one of the apps that lets you clear codes. I did it myself when the cold snap freaked out the intake air temp sensor this winter, and put my R55 into limp mode.
It makes me so sad that the Abarth really doesn't compare to a MINI. It really, really should've. Can you imagine a race series between them, if it had?
The exhaust note is doable on the MINI by removing parts, funny enough. I had Detroit Tuned take the resonator and rear cat off mine, and it's sooooooo nice now. :)
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Skamanda
> UKGTR335
03/18/2015 at 18:05 |
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By the way, if you really do want to do a little research and see the kind of things you should look for and be mindful of in an R53 MINI: http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/r50-r53…
Feel free to ask if you have any questions. I own a MINI myself (a 2011 Clubman S), have several friends with other models (mostly R53s like you're looking at), and am good friends with the guy that owns Detroit Tuned, the premiere place to have a MINI worked on in the US.
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PilotMan
> Skamanda
03/18/2015 at 18:27 |
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There are some codes that a standard scanner can't clear, these are OEM codes that need to be cleared by a dealer or a BMW repair shop with the correct diagnostic computer.
I miss my MINI but the Abarth is so much fun. I have 20,000 miles on the Abarth now and feel like it's a really good car. Never even a hiccup. I did add an intake to the Abarth which woke up the turbo spool quite a bit. Abarth's tend to put down 170+HP, and 180+' Ibs of torque to the wheels in sport mode with Dyno testing. Which is only 5 HP down from stock R56 dyno numbers.
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Skamanda
> PilotMan
03/19/2015 at 10:14 |
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It's the handling on the Abarth that disappointed me. That, and the seat position. In my MINI, I have the seat as low as it can go. Even my Impreza feels like driving a big rig by comparison, and the Abarth made the Impreza feel like I'm laying on the ground...
I'm sure with enough money thrown at an Abarth, it can hold its own against an R56 (I'm hesitant to say an R53, because they really are a step above the R56 when you get near the limits), but at that point it's not as suitable for street use, where the R56 with a rear sway bar is there out of the box...
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PilotMan
> Skamanda
03/19/2015 at 10:32 |
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The springs on the Abarth need to be swapped immediately, way too much sway. And yes the driving position can definitely be uncomfortable.
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Skamanda
> PilotMan
03/19/2015 at 10:42 |
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I didn't find it uncomfortable, I just felt like I was driving a minivan...
How much does a good spring swap cost for the Abarth?
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PilotMan
> Skamanda
03/19/2015 at 10:47 |
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$150, for Vogtland springs via ebay (1" drop). They take all of about an hour to install. With those springs, my Abarth handles better than my R56. Especially through the turns with the rear end happily kicking out while lifting off the throttle.
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Skamanda
> PilotMan
03/19/2015 at 11:03 |
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Did you have an upgraded rear sway bar on your R56?
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PilotMan
> Skamanda
03/19/2015 at 11:33 |
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It was a JCW, so I assume so?