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Post by johnc on Apr 27, 2020 9:54:58 GMT
I have been looking at Mini One's (amongst others) to get some ideas for when my daughter gets to driving age.
I notice that the slightly older (around 2017) Mini Ones have a 3 cylinder engine of just under 1.2 litres whereas newer ones have a 1.5 litre 3 cylinder with much the same power but apparently poorer official mpg figures.
Does anyone know Minis well enough to give advice on the engines and whether one is better/worse/less reliable than the other?
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Post by PG on Apr 27, 2020 15:26:44 GMT
The 1.5 3 pot in the One (introduced with the 2018 LCI upgrade) is the same as in a Cooper but just at a lower level of tune. Although the official economy figures might be slightly worse than the older 1.2, I suspect in the real world there's bugger all in it. It has the same power as the old 1.2 but slightly more torque.
With the LCI you also get the Union Jack tail lights, which look much better to my eye. And I think the LCI also introduced Apple car play and the latest i-Drive like (and touch screen) media system, which if you're a cool 17 year old, is probably de-rigeur.....
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Post by Martin on Apr 27, 2020 15:38:40 GMT
I don't know about the relatability, but moving from a 2016/2017 1.2 One to a 2018 1.5 increases the cost from £7-8k to £11-12k. £4,000 / +50% is quite a lot for a mild facelift and 7lb ft torque.
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Post by johnc on Apr 27, 2020 16:25:50 GMT
I don't know about the relatability, but moving from a 2016/2017 1.2 One to a 2018 1.5 increases the cost from £7-8k to £11-12k. £4,000 / +50% is quite a lot for a mild facelift and 7lb ft torque. I have to say, that was what I was thinking. And I am sure that a set of Union Jack tail lights can be retro fitted if necessary. We have been putting money into her Child Trust Fund ever since it started and even with the recent stock market hic-cup there is more than enough to buy her a car and pay her living expenses for at least her first year at Uni. There are a few issues though: she wants to go to St Andrews Uni and I have told her if she does that she doesn't need a car, at least not for the first couple of years. On the other hand if she stays at home I am much more inclined to think about a car because I will at least have a small amount of control. |
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Post by grampa on Apr 28, 2020 9:53:57 GMT
I don't think you'll have any reliability concerns with any F Series Minis - probably the biggest jump in quality in the Mini's exsitence - we've had a total of four Minis of all generations over the last 19 years (including daughter's example that had 120,000 miles on the clock) and only had one problem - with the R56 when it was a week old and quickly fixed.
I wouldn't pay £4000 just to get the newer engine (if you can insure it, it would make more sense to get a nicely specced Cooper which will give you the 1.5 engine and a nicer interior if you wanted to spend a bit extra). I believe the Union Jack lights are quite an expensive retrofit.
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Post by Big Blue on Apr 28, 2020 10:03:35 GMT
I'd get the cheaper option. But definitely get the new shape MINI. Ours is a revelation in small car ownership. Unless your daughter is some kind of Troy Queef (probably not a good surname for a girl...) she won't give a hoot about the additional torque.
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 29, 2020 19:55:36 GMT
I don't know about the relatability, but moving from a 2016/2017 1.2 One to a 2018 1.5 increases the cost from £7-8k to £11-12k. £4,000 / +50% is quite a lot for a mild facelift and 7lb ft torque. I have to say, that was what I was thinking. And I am sure that a set of Union Jack tail lights can be retro fitted if necessary. We have been putting money into her Child Trust Fund ever since it started and even with the recent stock market hic-cup there is more than enough to buy her a car and pay her living expenses for at least her first year at Uni. There are a few issues though: she wants to go to St Andrews Uni and I have told her if she does that she doesn't need a car, at least not for the first couple of years. On the other hand if she stays at home I am much more inclined to think about a car because I will at least have a small amount of control. As you will recall, I went to St Andrews university - in my view, having a car there is definitely desirable! Sure, I didn't have one in my first year and I didn't die, but life was considerably improved by going back at the start of my second year with my own newly-acquired car. Of course you don't actually need one to get around the town (although if you were in one of the more outlying halls of residence such as New Hall/Andrew Melville/David Russell, had classes in say the Gatty Marine Lab and it was a filthy winter's day, you might disagree). However, St Andrews is so tiny that personally I felt the need to be able to escape reasonably regularly, even if just down to Anstruther or Crail, and it doesn't have a train station. That means getting to Edinburgh and beyond involves either a lengthy bus ride, or a 10-15min bus or taxi ride to the windswept desolation of Leuchars station and then a train to Edinburgh. A bike is a must for any St Andrews student without a car. |
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Post by johnc on Apr 30, 2020 7:00:16 GMT
As you will recall, I went to St Andrews university - in my view, having a car there is definitely desirable! Sure, I didn't have one in my first year and I didn't die, but life was considerably improved by going back at the start of my second year with my own newly-acquired car. Of course you don't actually need one to get around the town (although if you were in one of the more outlying halls of residence such as New Hall/Andrew Melville/David Russell, had classes in say the Gatty Marine Lab and it was a filthy winter's day, you might disagree). However, St Andrews is so tiny that personally I felt the need to be able to escape reasonably regularly, even if just down to Anstruther or Crail, and it doesn't have a train station. That means getting to Edinburgh and beyond involves either a lengthy bus ride, or a 10-15min bus or taxi ride to the windswept desolation of Leuchars station and then a train to Edinburgh. A bike is a must for any St Andrews student without a car. Thanks Racing exactly what I didn't want to hear as a Dad getting close to seeing his daughter fly the nest. I can't believe how fast time has passed since she was just a tiny bundle. |
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Post by Tim on Apr 30, 2020 8:22:17 GMT
I'm not sure things are as bad as that anymore, it's a few years since Racing was in St Andrews.
You could certainly make sure she knows that the wide pavement with the white lines on it is actually not for pedestrians at all but rather a place where large metal objects pass by and that they are more dangerous to her physical wellbeing than the act of turning her head to look for them is!
The stretch from the halls past the observatories down to the town is a nightmare for students oblivious to motorised transport.
You should be more concerned about the large groups of students that head off to, presumably, distant nightclubs at the weekend. If you're there in the evening when they formating around the hired buses then sadly it looks a bit like a hookers parade, even in the depths of winter.
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Post by johnc on Apr 30, 2020 8:43:09 GMT
I'm not sure things are as bad as that anymore, it's a few years since Racing was in St Andrews. You could certainly make sure she knows that the wide pavement with the white lines on it is actually not for pedestrians at all but rather a place where large metal objects pass by and that they are more dangerous to her physical wellbeing than the act of turning her head to look for them is! The stretch from the halls past the observatories down to the town is a nightmare for students oblivious to motorised transport. You should be more concerned about the large groups of students that head off to, presumably, distant nightclubs at the weekend. If you're there in the evening when they formating around the hired buses then sadly it looks a bit like a hookers parade, even in the depths of winter. You're not making me feel any better Tim!! I think I need to use my contacts at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities to get her in there! |
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 30, 2020 9:05:18 GMT
How on earth would Glasgow or Strathclyde be safer?! St Andrews is almost painfully safe and cosy, even today. The lack of nightclubs means loads of house-parties (ask two St Andrews alumni how they met and there's a good chance they might reply "dancing around someone's coffee table"). I should add that I loved my time there and wouldn't swap it for anything. I loved that I had the splendid coastal walks of the East Neuk within walking distance. Given that I've spent my working career in cities, I'm glad that I didn't study in one as well. Plus at the end of the day, as a parent, I'd want my child at the best possible university. Now that can be subject-dependent, but in general on academic grounds, St Andrews is considered the best university in Scotland and one of the top 3 in the UK: www.ukuni.net/uk-ranking/overallSo I think she should be encouraged! |
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Post by johnc on Apr 30, 2020 9:18:57 GMT
How on earth would Glasgow or Strathclyde be safer?! St Andrews is almost painfully safe and cosy, even today. The lack of nightclubs means loads of house-parties (ask two St Andrews alumni how they met and there's a good chance they might reply "dancing around someone's coffee table"). I should add that I loved my time there and wouldn't swap it for anything. I loved that I had the splendid coastal walks of the East Neuk within walking distance. Given that I've spent my working career in cities, I'm glad that I didn't study in one as well. Plus at the end of the day, as a parent, I'd want my child at the best possible university. Now that can be subject-dependent, but in general on academic grounds, St Andrews is considered the best university in Scotland and one of the top 3 in the UK: www.ukuni.net/uk-ranking/overallSo I think she should be encouraged! Only "safer" because she would be living at home - only Dad's of teenage daughters will fully understand what I mean. The old adage of "if you have a son you only have one prick to worry about but if you have a daughter you have thousands". She is looking to do Law or Economics with Spanish and has her sights set on a career in London so maybe I should relent a bit and let her do the coastal walks etc. I never thought I would feel as bad as this about her leaving home a year ahead of when it will happen. I am really going to savour every moment of this last year. |
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Post by Tim on Apr 30, 2020 9:56:15 GMT
She'll be fine in St Andrews, it's a lovely place with a lot more personality than the big cities. It's not even particularly full of loud, English rugby types anymore (  ) although it might help your daughter if she were to learn some form of Chinese..... |
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Post by Alex on Apr 30, 2020 9:57:08 GMT
I'm of the opinion that you only get the best university experience from living away from home. It's not just the degree course that you benefit from but the independence you gain from living first in a halls of residence and then in a shared house with a group of friends or strangers. It teaches you life lessons and how to clothe and feed yourself without the parental safety net that knowing the bills will always be paid and the fridge regularly filled. Commuting from home just isn't the same. In many ways knowing she'll be setting off along with a load of other young people from all walks of life who are in the same boat makes it safer, particularly if she can start in halls which usually have single sex self catering facilities (usually small blocks of 6-8 rooms with a living / dining area)
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Post by Roadrunner on Apr 30, 2020 10:04:33 GMT
I'm of the opinion that you only get the best university experience from living away from home. It's not just the degree course that you benefit from but the independence you gain from living first in a halls of residence and then in a shared house with a group of friends or strangers. It teaches you life lessons and how to clothe and feed yourself without the parental safety net that knowing the bills will always be paid and the fridge regularly filled. Commuting from home just isn't the same. In many ways knowing she'll be setting off along with a load of other young people from all walks of life who are in the same boat makes it safer, particularly if she can start in halls which usually have single sex self catering facilities (usually small blocks of 6-8 rooms with a living / dining area) Agreed. She will very quickly start to feel left out and not part of it, if she leaves the campus every evening. |
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 30, 2020 10:09:48 GMT
How on earth would Glasgow or Strathclyde be safer?! St Andrews is almost painfully safe and cosy, even today. The lack of nightclubs means loads of house-parties (ask two St Andrews alumni how they met and there's a good chance they might reply "dancing around someone's coffee table"). I should add that I loved my time there and wouldn't swap it for anything. I loved that I had the splendid coastal walks of the East Neuk within walking distance. Given that I've spent my working career in cities, I'm glad that I didn't study in one as well. Plus at the end of the day, as a parent, I'd want my child at the best possible university. Now that can be subject-dependent, but in general on academic grounds, St Andrews is considered the best university in Scotland and one of the top 3 in the UK: www.ukuni.net/uk-ranking/overallSo I think she should be encouraged! Only "safer" because she would be living at home - only Dad's of teenage daughters will fully understand what I mean. The old adage of "if you have a son you only have one prick to worry about but if you have a daughter you have thousands". She is looking to do Law or Economics with Spanish and has her sights set on a career in London so maybe I should relent a bit and let her do the coastal walks etc. I never thought I would feel as bad as this about her leaving home a year ahead of when it will happen. I am really going to savour every moment of this last year. Does St Andrews have a law faculty? It didn't in my day due to the fact that Scots law and English law are different. I believe it's good for economics though - and you could study it as either an arts subject or a science subject. The benefit of the former is that you graduate with an MA, whereas the latter "only" confers a BSc. Does she want to be a lawyer? I never recommend law degrees to people who don't and rarely do to people who do, unless they are real legal intellectuals. It's a deeply dry topic. You can easily become a lawyer without doing a law degree provided you studied something else suitably academic (I'm a biology graduate) - it just requires you do the two years of law school rather than one. If she wanted to become eg a litigator or a competition/intellectual property lawyer, then yes do a law degree. If she wanted to become a transactional lawyer (eg corporate/commercial/finance), then I think an economics and languages degree followed by a law conversion (if she wanted to be a lawyer) would be an attractive combination for City firms on a CV. If she is interested in being a lawyer and you/she want more info, then always happy to discuss or answer any questions. Competition is so intense (but the rewards so valuable - get a two year training contract with a major UK firm and apart from a first ever salary that starts with a 4 or even a 5, they'll pay your law school fees (including for the year's legal conversion course for non-law graduates) as well as giving you a sizeable maintenance grant) that it's never too early to start gilding your CV with legal experience, work placements etc. For example, I did unpaid volunteering work at a legal charity while I was a student. |
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 30, 2020 10:14:31 GMT
I'm of the opinion that you only get the best university experience from living away from home. It's not just the degree course that you benefit from but the independence you gain from living first in a halls of residence and then in a shared house with a group of friends or strangers. It teaches you life lessons and how to clothe and feed yourself without the parental safety net that knowing the bills will always be paid and the fridge regularly filled. Commuting from home just isn't the same. In many ways knowing she'll be setting off along with a load of other young people from all walks of life who are in the same boat makes it safer, particularly if she can start in halls which usually have single sex self catering facilities (usually small blocks of 6-8 rooms with a living / dining area) ^^ This. In spades. At St Andrews, you're in halls in first year. Certainly University Hall used to be all-girls and was known as the "Virgin Megastore" (not helping here am I?)...I believe it still has an all-female wing. I actually did two years in halls (the dubious delights of Andrew Melville), and then two years in flats (different ones - lived on Market St opposite the Central in my third year and on The Links next to the Rusacks in my final year). |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2020 10:17:41 GMT
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Post by johnc on Apr 30, 2020 10:48:59 GMT
Does St Andrews have a law faculty? It didn't in my day due to the fact that Scots law and English law are different. I believe it's good for economics though - and you could study it as either an arts subject or a science subject. The benefit of the former is that you graduate with an MA, whereas the latter "only" confers a BSc. Does she want to be a lawyer? I never recommend law degrees to people who don't and rarely do to people who do, unless they are real legal intellectuals. It's a deeply dry topic. You can easily become a lawyer without doing a law degree provided you studied something else suitably academic (I'm a biology graduate) - it just requires you do the two years of law school rather than one. If she wanted to become eg a litigator or a competition/intellectual property lawyer, then yes do a law degree. If she wanted to become a transactional lawyer (eg corporate/commercial/finance), then I think an economics and languages degree followed by a law conversion (if she wanted to be a lawyer) would be an attractive combination for City firms on a CV. If she is interested in being a lawyer and you/she want more info, then always happy to discuss or answer any questions. Competition is so intense (but the rewards so valuable - get a two year training contract with a major UK firm and apart from a first ever salary that starts with a 4 or even a 5, they'll pay your law school fees (including for the year's legal conversion course for non-law graduates) as well as giving you a sizeable maintenance grant) that it's never too early to start gilding your CV with legal experience, work placements etc. For example, I did unpaid volunteering work at a legal charity while I was a student. They still don't do law at St Andrews but she is leaning towards Economics and then perhaps using that to get in to law after University. Both my nieces (twins) got firsts in Bio Medical Science and one of them has a training contract with a London firm with all fees paid and a salary that started with a 4. The other got a job with a Japanese bank and is making shed loads after just a year! Many thanks for the offer to discuss matters and I might take you up on that a bit nearer the time. |
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Post by racingteatray on Apr 30, 2020 11:02:01 GMT
As I said, very happy to. Look here for a good guide to law firms aimed at wannabe-lawyer, detailing trainee salaries and salaries for newly qualified lawyers. Some of them are outrageously high - there's been a price-war for junior talent in the City in the past couple of years which has seen some junior salaries soar to ridiculous levels: www.rollonfriday.com/inside-info |
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Post by PG on Apr 30, 2020 11:08:21 GMT
I'd concur with the living away from home desirability. I think it's better for the parents as well as the offspring. MA's are definitely the way to go - I got one for a chemistry degree.  |
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Post by Big Blue on May 1, 2020 11:54:42 GMT
I'd concur with the living away from home desirability. I think it's better for the parents as well as the offspring. MA's are definitely the way to go - I got one for a chemistry degree. Yes: my parents went one better by both living abroad in separate countries when I was off at university. MSc in Construction Law and Arbitration seems like a long time ago..... |
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) although it might help your daughter if she were to learn some form of Chinese.....
