"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
07/12/2018 at 12:23 • Filed to: None
2
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"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
07/12/2018 at 12:23 • Filed to: None | 2
| 19 |
(update down below. tl/dr - we’re buying it!)
Yesterday my wife took a 2015 Mini Cooper S 4-door on a bit of an extended test drive. I know, I know, it’s literally called a “Mini” but people keep complaining how they’re getting bigger and bigger... but hey look at it next to my 3-wagon:
Here in ‘Murica, The Land of the Bulbous Crossover and Daily Driven Full Size Truck, it’s still a pretty small car!
I got to drive it a bit, and man, is it fun. I’ve been driving a 2006 WRX quite a bit lately, and this car is every bit as fun, and a good bit more civilized. I admit, part of that is the condition of this particular Subaru - but also part is the serious turbo-lag-to-head-against-the-seatback transition (of the WRX). It corners just as flat as the Subaru, and feels like it would be competitive in a straight line, if a little less exciting. The difference in low-end torque was obvious and much appreciated in the Mini, even though the Subie has the 2.5.
Granted, this Mini is an automatic, so I was messing around between Normal, Sport, and Green modes (using a selector switch mounted on the shift boot surround), in addition to Sport mode on the shifter (which is what you get when you bump the shifter over toward “manual” mode but don’t actually push it up or down to select individual gears). So in full-on Sport, you get 6 gears to pick from and it can really keep you up in the power band, rather than the 5 of the Subaru, which was also a manual. That’s more fun to me, but you have to watch that big center-mounted tach to stay in the power, which takes some practice for sure. And then, it’s so binary that it can be tricky to stay out of trouble. It just begs you to go faster, and makes great noises while doing so.
The Mini makes some good noises, too, though. For example, in Sport Mode on the selector and Sport Mode on the shifter, I found that when I let off the throttle from, say, 4,000 RPM, I’d get some playful popping sounds from the exhaust - seriously! That really made me smile. The engine note on hard acceleration was nice too. But slap this thing into Green mode and it reeaaallly doesn’t want to downshift. You even get a little graphic on the screen showing you how well you’re doing driving economically. I bet you could eek out close to 40mpg if you drove it carefully in this way. More realistically, 35mpg would be doable without much effort.
I did my best to line it up in front with my 325 wagon, and look how much shorter it is in the back! That, and being only FWD really help it feel a LOT lighter than the bimmer wagon; but not flimsy.
Of course it looks good - at least, it looks like a Mini. One of the negative things people say about this car is the rear doors being very small for adults. But my kids are little, and my wife would be using this as a commuter anyway, so kids wouldn’t even be in it that much; adults in the back, even less.
This particular example also has just under 8,000 miles on it - it’s probably only had ONE OIL CHANGE. I mean, I’ve never bought a car with less than 75, 000 miles, if you don’t count my truck (that’s a bit of an exception). I would really not mind having a car from that early on, but avoiding the new-car depreciation hit. This car will return good fuel economy while still being a hoot to drive fast if you want. It will be good in the winter with snows; it’s comfortable, and has enough space for all of us to go somewhere in it if we want to.
If this were up to me, we’d be signing papers on this car. I wish it was a manual, but then, my wife is on the highway or in city traffic, neither of which is a great place to have fun with a manual, so she’s fine with it. And in Sport modes, the car’s shift points feel intuitive to me, unlike in our Volvo which seems like it always wants to be a gear or TWO up from where I’d be unless I’m driving like my mother, who stabbed the brakes today going 35 in a 35 when she saw a police car.
Oh yeah - the interior - it’s nice. The wheel was very nice to hold. The seats are sport seats with all the bolstering you could want, and the rest was very BMW-ish with lots of Mini personality touches like color-changing lights, blah blah blah. Switches felt good, controls were mostly intuitive (except, for some reason, the UP button on the wheel goes BACK a track in music, while the DOWN button goes forward - WTF?) Otherwise, it’s great. My wife summed it up well. “It is really fun.”
Yeah. I want it. But it’s not my car to choose. My wife is also really into a particular 2012 X3 M-sport, which I’m sure is nice and more refined, but also more car than we really need. We’ll see.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
UPDATE!
We’re buying it! It’s $10k less than a new one
, but has so few miles as to be basically new
. It’
s just about the perfect compromise efficiency, pract
icality, and fun; it’s also nice inside, while not being too “luxury” - and it avoids the BMW badge stigma while still
basically being a BMW. With her job, it’s best if she doesn’t have a flashy car. And s
he loves zippy little cars;
I think she’ll soon be very attached to this one.
More to come.
MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 09:31 |
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Do it. We love our MINIs
E90M3
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 09:33 |
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Get a first gen X1 and lower it a litt le.
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functionoverfashion
> MiniGTI - now with XJ6
07/11/2018 at 09:34 |
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What year(s) do you have? How’s maintenance been?
SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 09:35 |
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I’ve been to Mini Ha Ha...
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functionoverfashion
> E90M3
07/11/2018 at 09:35 |
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Ooh, that does look pretty nice. But why not get a 3-er wagon if you’re going to lower your X1?
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functionoverfashion
> SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
07/11/2018 at 09:40 |
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I had to look that up. Looks more like Hawaii than Missouri.
Also, mini ha ha is a great google image search.
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E90M3
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 09:43 |
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Because that generation X1 is based on the 1 series and comes with hyundrualic power steering. Since you couldn’t get a manual in either, and I prefer the looks of the X1 to that of the F31, coupled with the steering, I’d buy an X1 over a 3 wagon.
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SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 09:43 |
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Australii!
duurtlang
> E90M3
07/11/2018 at 10:04 |
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That X1 is based on the 3-series actually, it’s just smaller and less practical than a 3-series (wagon). It also weighs the same, is less fun to drive and is slower/thirstier when equipped with the same drive train. It only has 2 subjective advantages compared to the 3-Touring, both of which I personally see as disadvantages; height and looks.
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MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> E90M3
07/11/2018 at 12:50 |
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I love that Orange, our 2013 MINI is almost that exact color.
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MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 14:12 |
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2008- NA, manual, Bought new. Just a few problems in the first year, all covered for free. Was still running strong and looked great at 95k when traded for the 13.
2011 Clubman, NA, manual. Had a few problems, but all covered. MINI even covered a new TPMS board out of warranty by miles. Unfortunately the Getrag started getting noisy around 80k so was traded for the GTI.
2013 MCS, Manual. Bought at about 8k. A few problems, all covered. At 72k and still going strong. Actually the most reliable of the lot.
You do have to get used to paying more than you’re used to for maintenance items (BMW prices) but I must say we’ve always been treated well by the dealers (KNAUZ mostly).
Plenty of easy DIY projects too.
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functionoverfashion
> MiniGTI - now with XJ6
07/11/2018 at 14:18 |
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I’m kind of used to the maintenance, but hoping this one will be a bit less for a while, starting at 8k miles. We still have my ‘03 wagon and a ‘12 Volvo wagon, so I have some patience to do research and/or DIY some things because we can drive the other cars. The X3 cost us over $10k over 6 years to maintain. We don’t need to repeat that over the next 5-6 years, especially where we may finance this one just while interest rates are still quite low.
The issue I have is, there’s not a really convenient dealer and this car would only have perhaps one more year on warranty. I’d be curious if we could extend that; it
might be worth it, from what you’re saying. Even if the dealer isn’t super convenient.
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MiniGTI - now with XJ6
> functionoverfashion
07/11/2018 at 15:58 |
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See if they still have something like MINI next - I think our 2013 came with some kind of basic warranty out to 100k.
But I think the thermostat In my clubman (I did myself for $200) was the only repair, not normal maintenance I’ve ever had to pay for. The MCS hasn’t had any repairs except maintenance items since 2015.
Also, I released the other day I’ve never had to meet a good indie MINI mechanic because I haven’t needed one.
My GTI on the other hand — $$$$
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functionoverfashion
> MiniGTI - now with XJ6
07/12/2018 at 10:30 |
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Interesting. I would have pushed her harder to look at a GTI but she didn’t love how low it is. Somehow, she’s good with the Mini because of the way it feels when you’re sitting in it - it really does feel like a little tank. Anyway, I’m hoping with her track record of being very gentle on her cars that this one will be good to us for a while. Starting at 8k is a big help.
diplodicus
> E90M3
07/12/2018 at 14:34 |
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The guy I bought my second e30 from bought an X1. Then he called me a month later to tell me how much he missed the e30. He didn’t seem big on the X1.
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E90M3
> diplodicus
07/12/2018 at 17:35 |
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An e30 to a modern BMW is a completely different thing, I test drove an X1 and it felt like a taller 3 series.
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diplodicus
> E90M3
07/13/2018 at 08:09 |
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Well yes because they’re better. That’s why function over fashion should have gotten an e30 touring.
Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
> functionoverfashion
03/30/2019 at 18:13 |
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How’s this mini been? I’m eyeing up turbo beetle replacements and this seems tempting compared to a GTI; even a base with a tune seems tempting. I like that it comes in fun colors(my daughter dreams of yellow cars) ; they’ve suffered heavy depreciation; and some of them have roof rails. I like that they are slightly smaller. I love the VW dsg however. But from 2010- 2014 GTIs pretty much didn’t come in fun colors.
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functionoverfashion
> Neil drives a beetle and a fancy beetle
03/30/2019 at 22:46 |
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It’s been great! 22,000 miles now on the clock and not a hiccup, wife and I both still love it.