I will get my driver license soon and I consider buying a used Mini Cooper as my first car...

I will get my driver license soon and I consider buying a used Mini Cooper as my first car. Any opinions regarding the car in general and she as a first car for a new driver?
Also I can spend up to about £3k and I'm looking at around years around the 2005 model.

Respond NOW

Jesus mate, sort your English out.
You probably won't have any trouble with one as your first car, might want to spend less than 3 grand on it though. It really doesn't matter if it's a horrid shitbox or not

If you're getting an r50/r53 (first gen), make sure its an 05 or 06. The older ones are plagued with issues. If you want to have fun with the car, get an S in manual. If you just want a point a to b vehicle, get a base. Be wary of the auto transmission though, they can easily fail in these cars. Pic related is mine.

1. You will wreck your first car.
2. Look to building NCB/NCD by not doing 1 because you can then get something more interesting.
3. Cars that aren't "cool" are, as a rule, cheaper to insure and run. If your Gran likes them then you're golden.

I didn't wreck my first car until well after I had sold it and bought it back years later. Someone else clipped my rear end in icy conditions, spun me into a ditch

Amazingly enough, I was able to pull it out of the ditch with my '95 caprice wagon, throw a new front and rear subframe under it, and drive it a couple more years

Headlights currently are an issue. Sometimes they randomly turn off, so it's been parked while I work on my Z. DD is reliable enough I'm not worried about it

Nothing of value was lost

>Cooper S as first car in the UK
He better have deep pockets to cover that insurance bill, because it's gonna be a lot.

Pretty much. The 87 and downs were such trash compared to the 88s

And 84s (which mine is) are so worthless, it doesn't matter what I do to it, it'll always be worth like 500 bucks

I fucked up the OP, but yeah I'm looking at max 3k, I just want one that doesn't have a shit ton of miles.
I'll keep the numbers in mind user thanks, I'm looking to get a manual S like you mentioned.
Not sure what you mean in your second point but I will remember what you've told me.

>Not sure what you mean in your second point
He means don't prang your first car because your insurance will be fucked for the next few years, meaning you won't be able to buy anything fun.
I've recently passed my test and am driving my fiesta like a saint so I can get an MX-5 or an MR2 next year.

Nice b8

I see thank you.

What a coincidence, I'm picking up my first car, a 2012 Countryman S (or an R60S as the cool kids call it) tomorrow.

Honestly, there is a lot to like about mini coopers in general, and specifically the R body style, which is the traditional mini cooper. As you probably know these cars are light, and they are quick. They are not super fast, but they are super quick. as the saying goes, "slow car fast is more fun than fast car fast". My old man has a quick as hell mercedes, but you can never let loose. You can drive one of those at 10/10ths all the time. And, if you find that you aren't liking the amount of power you get, there is a pretty healthy aftermarking, providing that the car you have is an S model.

Now onto the downsides: they are a bit more expensive to repair, because they are owned by BMW. Also, the interior is...kinda weird. It is retro inspired, but there is definitely a weird vibe. I'd sit in the cabin before you commit.

import a twingo. minis are all unreliable shit.

>buying a crossover
post tits. only women buy crossovers.

Thanks user and congrats on the purchase, I'm looking for an used S model and hopefully there will be minimal to no repairs required.
How much do you expect the insurance to be on yours?

I bought a John Cooper works for £4k, best purchase I've made. IT humbles much, much more powerful cars daily. Only negative is the fuel consumption, the 1.6 supercharged is V8 tier

RX8 seems like better option if you can research on maintenance

Funny you should say that, I'm in the process of selling my R53 JCW for an RX8 PZ

So it does vary, especially depending on where you live. I live on the East Coast of the US, and car insurance, like most other things, is slightly more expensive here. However, I have the extreme good fortune to have a father willing to insure me as part of the family insurance, and then bill me my share. As a result, I only pay around $125 a month in insurance. You can probably expect to pay anywhere between $100 and $250 a month in insurance.

If you want to talk more with the community, I'd check out the North American Motoring forums. The people there know far more than I.

Eh, I suppose it's technically a crossover? I don't really consider it one, it's too small and low. I think of it as a fun, yet practical daily driver with just a hint of racing pedigree.

Oh god just KYS, OP!

Remember since its uk insurance is going to be crazy (shitty first corsa was £1k for 9months ) and then road tax which could be a lot first but will be £140 year after.

Then you may need to service/mot soon which could be another £250 min i bet