39 replies to this topic

[CityEPete]

All depends on Budget. 
 
All of the cars suggested would be suitable but none are quite as pricey as the MINI.
 
A 2008 Clubman would cost you around £4500 where as a 2010 Focus similarly equipped can be had for less that £3500.
 
I know what i would do...

where are you getting those prices? I traded a 58 reg focus in for this and got £5000 for it, a 2010 for £3500 thats not fecked? And where can you get an 08 clubby for £4500 thats not a ONE with 150k on the clock?

[The Matt]

Its a nonsense worrying about the door, you can park the other way around as you see many people do...

Which is illegal.

[CityEPete]

I think the MINI Clubman is ok for a young family...though I do worry about the models where the rear seat access is through that little back door on the driver side. Obviously designed to be kerbside on LHD models??
My neighbour has one though and seems quite happy getting her kids in and out.

I really dont see the issue with the club door, most times you are using it you are either at home or in a car park where unless you live on a busy main road at home it makes no difference at all, and as both front seats fold fully forward its just like EVERY other 3 door car the rest of the time.

So it's basically useless? If it's a 3 door car, keep it as one. I just don't see why they didn't put it on both sides.
My neighbour lives on a busy street, parks on the road, as do a lot of people. When you park on the side if the road, same issue. It's just rendered useless. Loads of people don't have drives and park in the road.
Look here for the Telegraph's review of it:http://www.telegraph...passengers.html

I've read all these reviews and not one sums up by saying "of course the drivers seat folds just like every 3 door car since the 40s so you dont need to open it into oncoming traffic, nor do rear passengers of a four door car have a better way of checking whats coming to rip the door off and smash their legs in so its still better to exit from the nearside where of course the passenger seat folds fully forward just like any other car"

[CityEPete]

Its a nonsense worrying about the door, you can park the other way around as you see many people do...

Which is illegal.

A-only at night
B-people still do it, never heard of anyone getting a ticket
C-most people (inc police) only enforce it in 40mph or higher zones with no layby area or markings to create a bay.

[Ben_O]

 

All depends on Budget. 
 
All of the cars suggested would be suitable but none are quite as pricey as the MINI.
 
A 2008 Clubman would cost you around £4500 where as a 2010 Focus similarly equipped can be had for less that £3500.
 
I know what i would do...

where are you getting those prices? I traded a 58 reg focus in for this and got £5000 for it, a 2010 for £3500 thats not fecked? And where can you get an 08 clubby for £4500 thats not a ONE with 150k on the clock?

 

Well i'm not a liar and i didn't pluck the prices out of my head either.

 

I just looked on autotrader's website to compare the two and admittedly, both had reasonably high mileage but that wasn't the point.

The OP asked for opinions on a family car and i believe there are better value cars to be had than a MINI. I know a few on here love them, i have no opinion either way but i would still have something that was better value if it were me.

 

I don't know if the one is saw was a  ONE or whatever, I am not up on the different MINI models but it was the same as the one in the picture you put up but Silver and not Red.

[CityEPete]

Like anything you need to know what you are buying, to non mini fans I guess they cant see what an extra 20k buys over a nice 90s cooper with a 60s cooper, the options packages alter the used values massively as they are so costly new, the chili pack on mine added £1900 on its own plus it has some extra extras not in the pack like privacy glass. The MINI isnt like other cars where the extras are just perks for the next buyer, a Cooper S without a chili pack is meant to be notoriously hard to sell too.

Just had a look and this one for £5800 is probably the cheapest one I'd touch on there http://www.autotrade...ubman?logcode=p but like I said its a crap spec, 15 inch wheels, no part leather, no black roof etc etc etc better to spend a few quid more and get a lot more with a chili pack equipped car from new, if you add up what the extras it does have would have cost new they would have been much better off paying out for a chili pack, could be that they didn't want sports springs and 16" wheels but it has hurt its resale now.
A ONE has 30bhp less and the S depreciates worse than the normal Cooper probably due to running costs, fuel, tyres, road tax cost etc hence Cooper Chili is probably the best to go for overall unless the insurance would be too much or you really want a turbo!

I'm not being a knob (well no more than normal), just pointing out the pitfalls.

Edited by CityEPete, 15 December 2014 - 09:51 PM.

[MaxAndPaddy]

and back in the room, we really wanted one when my (then) youngest was born and discounted it on practicality you just couldn't fit in enough of the crap you needed to carry around in the car. At the time clubmans and countrymans weren't an option since they weren't affordable or didn't yet exist.

 

We bought a Renault Megane, which was a perfect family car, for saftey and size, but it drove ok. we never loved it but it did the job it was asked without complaints. Took a big hit on depreciation when we sold it and it had the usual Renault randomness when it came to electrics which was part of its charm I suppose. 

 

My neighbours have the 4x4 Countryman which they love but the limit on a 4 seater would seriously pee me off, I like the clubman but I would says its still a compromise to an easier but more boring car to own. 

 

Having downgraded to a Clio, my one piece of advice is......go for 5 doors.

[MaxAndPaddy]

and back in the room, we really wanted one when my (then) youngest was born and discounted it on practicality you just couldn't fit in enough of the crap you needed to carry around to get in the car. At the time clubmans and countrymans weren't an option since they weren't affordable or didn't yet exist.

 

We bought a Renault Megane, which was a perfect family car, for saftey and size, but it drove ok. we never loved it but it did the job it was asked without complaints. Took a bit hit on depreciation when we sold it and it had the usual Renault randomness when it came to electrics which was part of its charm I suppose. 

 

My neighbours have the 4x4 Countryman which they love but the limit on a 4 seater would seriously pee me off, I like the clubman but I would says its still a compromise to an easier car to own. 

 

Having downgraded to a Clio, my one piece of advice is......go for 5 doors.

 

and I actually like the Quashqai but every one else laughs at me, but I think its a great family car.

[Ben_O]

 

 

Having downgraded to a Clio, my one piece of advice is......go for 5 doors.

I totally agree. My previous car was written off last year which was a roomy 5 door and i ended up buying a 2 door 106 as a run around. Although there is only the two of us, it is a real pain getting passengers in the back, especially in bad weather. Couldn't imagine trying to put a baby in a car seat in the back of a 2 door in the pouring rain..

[DFulton]

 

 

 

Having downgraded to a Clio, my one piece of advice is......go for 5 doors.

I totally agree. My previous car was written off last year which was a roomy 5 door and i ended up buying a 2 door 106 as a run around. Although there is only the two of us, it is a real pain getting passengers in the back, especially in bad weather. Couldn't imagine trying to put a baby in a car seat in the back of a 2 door in the pouring rain..

 

If you're not too tall (I'm 5'6") it's actually better!  You fold the seat forward and stand (crouch) in the rear footwell.  You're out of the rain while you battle with the seatbelt...

[Richie83]

Great feedback so far. Interested on more thoughts, especially what you have and why. Off to good old fashioned Motorpoint tomorrow so i can compare all the family wagons and minis.

[DFulton]

When my son was first born, my wife had a previous shape (54 plate) micra.  The boot (just) took the buggy and the seats are a little bit higher, which meant you didn't have to bend so much putting in the baby seat.

 

When we moved up to a group 1 seat, she wanted a (huge) rear-facing one, which the micra barely coped with.  We tried a few bigger cars (the Megane's rear-room was no better, surprisingly), and ended up with a C4, which seems to cope well.

 

Each to their own, of course, but that's what worked for us.

[Carlos W]

A lot of people say the MINI on run flats is horrific. 

 

We had a 1.6 petrol Qashqai as a courtesy car, and although it had some cameras for people who couldn't park it was HUGELY under powered. I find a lot of big cars with small engines are very inefficient. 

 

My wife has a 1.6TDi Seat Ibiza, and if you thrash it, it's lot's of fun, but it's nowhere near as efficient as my 2.2TD Mazda 6.

 

It's a ST though, so it has a big boot, 5 doors, climate control, cruise control, auto dimming mirrors, bluetooth, auto lights, but wind down rear windows. I't a really odd spec'd car

[mab01uk]

and I actually like the Quashqai but every one else laughs at me, but I think its a great family car.

 

 

The TWO MILLIONTH Nissan Qashqai has recently rolled off the production line in the North East, in record time.

The manufacturing milestone was achieved in less than eight years, smashing the previous best of ten years taken to assemble the two millionth Mini (and MINI).

http://www.sunmotors...illion-in-qash/

[CityEPete]

I agree the run flats are awful, without the chilli pack apparently they are not as bad as the springs are softer, higher and the wheels are smaller, I'm removing mine next year and putting an Astra spare wheel in the boot.

When I was a kid in the early 80s I was the youngest of four so a family of six plus a black Labrador, we had an orange R reg mini