Post by johnc on Mar 29, 2017 13:30:00 GMT
My mother in law has changed her 420D XDrive coupe for a new Mini and she LOVES it.
It is an auto, has a panoramic roof, Chilli pack, rear parking camera and a host of other goodies including full leather. The car is white silver which is exactly as it says although in some lights it looks almost very light grey. It can also look a bit like pearlescent white or very light silver depending on the angle you look at it. The roof is black as is the interior and the wheels are multi spoke in silver. It looks good.
I was pretty impressed by the quality of the interior and the seats are comfortable. Rear leg room is also very reasonable although the rear doors aren't huge. The boot is relatively small but perfectly reasonable for a weekly shop. It also has additional storage under the boot floor and the flexibility of a hatch with folding rear seats. This car is huge in comparison to the new MK1 Mini the MIL had about 12 years ago and sitting in the front it felt about the same size as my old E46.
On the road, it rides firmly but it's not too crashy and it has that air of quality you get with a well built car when going over uneven surfaces when nothing creaks or makes noises - it just feels together.
The biggest surprise was the fact that my MIL wanted to show me how fast it goes: she seems to have regained her enjoyment of driving. Away from the lights or a junction it feels more than fast enough for everyday enjoyment. The power feels very linear and there probably isn't any great surge towards the red line but for the kind of driving she does it is perfect - small gaps in the traffic will very quickly be filled by Mini.
I was never too keen on the look of the 5 Door Mini but I could quite happily live with a car like this: something that is a bit of fun, doesn't take itself too seriously and is well built. For a car that costs mid £20K's with all the toys this has, I think it represents very good value.
She averaged 41mpg going through to St Andrews last week and is getting 26mpg this week in her shorter runs around town, to the shops and picking up the grand kids. She is so excited and delighted with it and I can see why.
