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Is this a record? - XFullFatTim - 05-11-2013 12:44pm
Late yesterday afternoon I got a phone call from the local BMW Mini dealership in reply to my enquiry................... I couldn't remember having been in there recently so I said that I hadn't requested a test drive in more than two years. Turns out it's taken that long for Mini to send the local dealership my inquiry from 2010! The sales lady was very apologetic and asked if I were still interested, so tomorrow I'm having a test drive in a Mini Countryman SD All4. Unfortunately they don't sell many automatics so don't have a demo auto on their fleet. The sales lady is even bringing the car 16 miles to my house for the test drive and to see if it will go through my garage door. I wonder if the local Audi dealership will have done it's sums and decides to get back in contact now too as my Evoque is getting on for 2.5 years old and one car I considered before pressing the go button on the Evoque was an A6 All-Road. I haven't the heart to tell them I have already ordered my replacement Evoque.
RE: Is this a record? - RRSteve - 05-11-2013 02:19pm
Try a Paceman out. It's their version of the Evoque.
RE: Is this a record? - The Valeter - 05-11-2013 11:19pm
I had a call from the Mini dealership in Ashford 3 weeks ago. I went in there over Christmas last. He wasn't sure if he had miss dialed or not lol. Either way we were going out that sunny day for a ride in the MG Montego to look at a Fiesta ST2 so went there & got prices for the equivalent Mini Cooper S. Result Fiesta is way better. Fiesta ST2 looks sporty without wasting money on extra bits, has decent kit as standard & any options are pretty cheap.
Mini now gone down the BMW route - Here is your box on wheels Sir now choose at extra cost everything you want in it. What made me laugh is with any of the Cooper models you don't even get sporty seats even though they are described as sports seats, they look rubbish & all even the Cooper S Works has crap cloth seat trim
VW was even worse with the Polo GTi - they can't even get a demo anywhere in the UK. One dealer locally said Polo GTi - we don't have one of those as no one buys them, then saw one in a car park locally the day after me keep chasing the VW dealer as they never phoned back only to see I am glad they couldn't get one = looks boring & then loads of decent options that are standard on the ST make the cost horrendous. Won't bother with that plus have heard bad reports about the DSG gearbox & engine in the Polo.
Will be making my mind up tomorrow about the Fiesta 182 ST2 as my LR dealer may be offering me a good deal on a new Range Rover Sport lol.
RE: Is this a record? - XFullFatTim - 06-11-2013 06:00pm
Quite impressed by the test drive of the 1.6T Countryman without 4WD and a manual.
Suspension nice on 17" tyres, not as hard as I was expecting. Sports Seats fitted to the 12 Plate used car demonstrator were very comfy and cloth but it was a low spec car.
Disappointments - rattles from the boot area, hopeless wiper and lights stalks with confusing press the end button to initiate intermittent wipe, the rev counter right in front of you when you want the speedo (Ok so there was a tiny digital repeater but the rev counter was distracting) was impressed with the torque of the petrol engine but I couldn't get over 30mpg on my local roads where I get 37 in the Evoque (the Mini was was very quiet and smooth petrol though) Disappointed at the high purchase price once specced as close to my Evoque >£31,000 for a mini is a lot! Despite what the technical literature said about the width when it came to getting it through my garage door it was only slightly narrower than the Evoque, yet it felt really small inside. A flat boot floor is an optional extra strangely!
Could I live with one - sure I could, the price above includes 5 years "free" servicing too. Tech wise RRE is streets ahead with the Audio/Phone connectivity and instrumentation is much nicer, mini has no heated steering wheel or motorised tailgate even as an option and the satnav is a very expensive option but I could live without them (just!)
RE: Is this a record? - xxxx5 - 07-11-2013 08:01am
(06-11-2013 06:00pm)XFullFatTim Wrote: Quite impressed by the test drive of the 1.6T Countryman without 4WD and a manual.
Suspension nice on 17" tyres, not as hard as I was expecting. Sports Seats fitted to the 12 Plate used car demonstrator were very comfy and cloth but it was a low spec car.
Disappointments - rattles from the boot area, hopeless wiper and lights stalks with confusing press the end button to initiate intermittent wipe, the rev counter right in front of you when you want the speedo (Ok so there was a tiny digital repeater but the rev counter was distracting) was impressed with the torque of the petrol engine but I couldn't get over 30mpg on my local roads where I get 37 in the Evoque (the Mini was was very quiet and smooth petrol though) Disappointed at the high purchase price once specced as close to my Evoque >£31,000 for a mini is a lot! Despite what the technical literature said about the width when it came to getting it through my garage door it was only slightly narrower than the Evoque, yet it felt really small inside. A flat boot floor is an optional extra strangely!
Could I live with one - sure I could, the price above includes 5 years "free" servicing too. Tech wise RRE is streets ahead with the Audio/Phone connectivity and instrumentation is much nicer, mini has no heated steering wheel or motorised tailgate even as an option and the satnav is a very expensive option but I could live without them (just!)
Tim, interesting review, but I disagree with your comments on the Audio/Phone/Sat Nav. The mini system is far better than the RRE. The system is quick and easy to use compared to the very dated RRE system. In my mini i have no problems connecting both my Iphone & blackberry, and they have never lost connection once. Were as in the RRE, i had real problems.