Should I change my Fabia vRS for a Mini Cooper D?

[Basil]

This is a wind-up, right?

[RSIMPS]

Must admit, it would be nice to feel the road a bit more through the steering and the brake pedal. I would go as much as saying my 1972 Skoda s100 has more feel through its steering box and firmer brakes with more feel, but that's the only things that could have done with some extra development in the Vrs.

[cjb]

They never made a Mini diesel.

If your talking about that BMW thing with a Mini badge then you you should think twice as all your mates will think you have changed sides.

That's what I was thinking but didn't want to say. Plus, most of those BMW things are driven by idiots. Not all, but most.

[cjb]

you should be aware that MINI's have a common fault with the steering column/rack, cant remember which but the dealers keep the parts in stock its so common

It's the electric PAS pump.

[WW_VRS]

Let's be honest, both cars have faults and have some parts that fail too early really. But the OP should just try a few cars out, perhaps a more 'sorted' Fabia vRS and have a look at insurance cost and so on. Only one person to make the decision in the end

[Leodhasach]

Best to go for a test-drive, paying particular attention to deciding whether you could live with the reduced practicality-I know I couldn't.

We once had a Mini One as a hire car, and dear god it was cramped in the back (parents in the front, my 6ft 2in frame stuffed behind them like a contortionist!), plus the boot isn't up to much.

Here's an idea for an alternative, just throwing it out there...Volvo C30 D5 anyone? Classy, very comfy, lots of kit, good to drive, only four seats but enough room in the back, lots of grunt, pretty economical, and about the same price as a decently-specced Mini.

I'd stick with the vRS if it were me though

[ric04vrs]

Best to go for a test-drive, paying particular attention to deciding whether you could live with the reduced practicality-I know I couldn't.

We once had a Mini One as a hire car, and dear god it was cramped in the back (parents in the front, my 6ft 2in frame stuffed behind them like a contortionist!), plus the boot isn't up to much.

Here's an idea for an alternative, just throwing it out there...Volvo C30 D5 anyone? Classy, very comfy, lots of kit, good to drive, only four seats but enough room in the back, lots of grunt, pretty economical, and about the same price as a decently-specced Mini.

I'd stick with the vRS if it were me though

still has a small boot though

[MoggyTech]

BMW Mini :rofl: How may recalls and counting? It's a piece of utter crap.

[expostmanpat]

Did look at a cooper s convertable instead of the Mazda, but the quality was absolutely dire, on both the 2 month old demo cars the rubber seals around the base of the hood wear tearing away, the shut lines, again around the hood where very poor, and as for the new facelift model the interior plastics where very substandard for a 20k car imho.

[Soot1e]

Minis look good, drive reasonable, the least depreciating car around but for most of us too small with families. A diesel Mini Cooper? good grief!

Plenty of other alternatives out there Mate.

[giandougl]

Hello

Wouldn't it be nice to drop the VRS engine & gear package inside the Mini, you would have a the best of both worlds.

Colour of red with a white roof, low to the ground and great looking dash console, all nice and shiny paintwork , with wonderful performance of acceleration and top speed of the VRS.

Fabia VRS versus Mini Cooper as per 'Top Gear' show, the Fabia acceleration against Mini Cooper cornering capabilities, made them more or less equal over a distance.

On the road the Fabia would most certainly arrive at the destination first.

Ian. 21/03/2009

[wja96]

you drive a diesel Skoda and you're put off what you call a very good car by image... **** image. **** what "people" think

There is a difference between the image of the car and the people.

Basically, I'd rather be associated with a bunch of hard-working Czechs that are pulling themselves up bytheir bootstraps rather than a bunch of Bayerisch building cars to park outside winebars.

If I loved winebars and the worst people who go there I'd have a Mini.

[Soot1e]

There is a difference between the image of the car and the people.

Basically, I'd rather be associated with a bunch of hard-working Czechs that are pulling themselves up bytheir bootstraps rather than a bunch of Bayerisch building cars to park outside winebars.

If I loved winebars and the worst people who go there I'd have a Mini.

Minis are built in Oxford mate, not sure if they frequent wine bars.

[expostmanpat]

I like wine :confused:

[Leodhasach]

still has a small boot though

I was just about to say 'don't be daft, it's as big as the vRS one'...but then I realised that's why the OP is considering changing cars

[TDi Vrs]

the new 1 doesnt suffer from the pas fault but the diesel sump bolts work there way loose gearbox and clutch is just as bad as before with the mk1

[bertieboy]

I own a fabia vrs and had a cooper d for a week as a courtesy car while a previous car was being fixed. Did 1100 miles in a week and covered all sorts of roads and would definately have vrs. Mini was fairly rapid but ride was very firm and used to scrape over speed bumps where vrs doesnt. I kept getting out mini shutting front door and then went to open back door to get my stuff out! 5 doors much easier, especially with 3 kids in booster seats which fit in back of vrs but not in the mini. The Minis boot was tiny also. Fuel economy in the mini was a tad better but not by much and build quality was good. Mini more expensive to buy but holds value longer. Thats my view, hope that helps and by a vrs !

[bertieboy]

Sorry i meant buy a vrs not by ! [spelling not the best]

[andypandypoos]

Minis are built in Oxford mate, not sure if they frequent wine bars.

doubt it, and as the factory isn't much more than stone's throw from BBL the likes of Stella, Whitelightening and alcopops is probably more like it

[wja96]

Minis are built in Oxford mate, not sure if they frequent wine bars.

Oxford, God yes! That's where they sell most of them too - foreign University students! All the folks who build them drink in wine bars too. But especially the people they are designed for!

[stokey]

We've owned 4 mini's the last being a cooper D which we had for 15 months and did 15K miles. To be honest the D was the most boring of the lot. The handling was great but the acceleration was much worse than the Fabia vRS's we ran inbetween the mini's, we got no where near the claim MPG only getting low 50's again which we could easily beat in the fabias. The stop start, would often not start leading to abuse from those behind you! The car was fast relegated to SWMBO's transport as I had 1st a Octy Scout ( a bit dull) than another Octy vRS. I've just twisted her arm into getting rid of it, we picked up one of the first Abarth 500's on wednesday, now that car is a hoot!!

So to recap don't do it!

Stokey

[sharkrider]

Dare I say it? Fiat Grande Punto Sporting

good handling, just as fast as a vRS, the brakes work (don't need upgrading, even with a remap, and mine lasted 65,000 miles before I needed to touch 'em, 73k now, and rears are still originals!) 18k service intervals, new ones have 5 years unlimited miles warrenty, cheap, 6 airbags, NCAP5, ESP standard, Blue & me standard, ect ect (light steering though, which some people don't like, again due to an electric system, but there's pleanty of feel, and a really sharp turn-in (not much lock to lock when going fast) ), 90k cambelt change, and I'm now up to 73k ,and it hasn't broken down yet :P

*ducks the flaming.....

edit: noticed stokeys post above... If you can afford a mini cooper D, and don't mind the lack of space, you could afford a 500 arbarth, bloody cracking car!

[andypandypoos]

Oxford, God yes! That's where they sell most of them too - foreign University students! All the folks who build them drink in wine bars too. But especially the people they are designed for!

you couldn't be further from the truth on all counts

[wja96]

you couldn't be further from the truth on all counts

I think that's the point.

[strong bow]

Got a friend who works as a independant service engineer! out of a barn in kent he spends most of his working week changing Mini engines under warranty for a big dealer who cant manage the work! mostly petrol engines that suck up water and diesels that wont run makes him a good living!

He loves working on fabias apparently bullet proof!

Edited 23 March, 2009 by strong bow