Mini Cooper....
 

Hi.

Does anyone own a mini cooper in Australia and if so how easy are they to get hold of and how much do they cost?
I m talking about around the Gold Coast area....i promised my 18 year old daughter she could have one when we come over...which she reminded me of the other day!
Thanks.
Janice.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

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Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I assume you are talking abouth the new BMW Mini??

There is a showroom in Brisbane http://www.brisbane.minigarage.com.au/
Cost new for a base model Cooper is $31,100

Personally, I would save yourself some money and go for a Suzuki Swift or similar - people just don't drive Mini's out here! Too expensive for what they are - in every way!!

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

They are readily available here. I think there is a Mini dealer in Perth - it's separate from BMW but owned by them. There are a fair few around. Thet are not really for me, although the Mini Cooper S is pretty good.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Why on earth would anyone who could afford a Mini Cooper choose a Suziki Swift instead :confused::confused: It's like saying "oh that firebalde looks nice, but I think I'll just get that old CX500 instead. We had a Cooper in England and it was excellent. I'd love another one but would go for the 'S' this time around if I was getting one.

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A friend in the UK has a Cooper S Works - it goes like shit off a stick! Not sure if it's available over here.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Have seen one in Brisbane - parked in the car park of an apt we looked at a couple of weeks ago - so, guess they are available, either that, or it was imported!

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

personally i think there way way overated crap ;)

why ??

had two
one on the day they were launched in the uk and one when they replaced the first one six months later both were so unreliable that hey spent more time in the garage than on my drive
in the end bm were good enough to call it quits and refund all my money

having said that when it was on the road it was bloody good fun ;)
for the same brass you could get into a scoobie wrx now that is fun

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Yeah the new BMW ones are here a plenty. Seen quite a few dealers on the Goldie.

I would absolutely god damn love one....but I can't afford one :( So I'm having a Yaris :thumbsup:

I haven't seen many second hand Mini about, I was looking for one but the prices were very very high on the ones I did see.

Hope you got a lot of pennies saved!

I :heart: Minis..ooh I'm so jealous

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

If you love the car then they are available here, however the "cool" factor is lost on most Australians who could general care less about the car you or they drive.

Also the way they drive over here it will probably get a few dents within the first year which will tear you apart I'm sure. You might also want to check if there are any restrictions on her driving it on her P plates.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

They are THE BEST FUN!

I prefer the old ones to the BMW's though. Not that I'd turn either down!

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Ahhh, it puts a smile on your face even driving to the shops in one!! :rofl:

Good luck, I had two in the UK, make sure you get the new model, the MK2, it has the new UK built engine, 6 speed gearbox and more poke and power than the MK1, ahh I'd love to have one here in Wellington, would be SOOOOO much fun but are quite expensive in NZ too, will just stick to my Alfa though :thumbsup:

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

"Cool Factor"? ... it's a Beemer, it don't get much more lukewarm than that. :lol:

Aussies don't care what car you drive? How about the pointless Holden vs Ford debate (US vs US :confused:) or the 'No Jap Crap' stickers beloved of some 'ute drivers?

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:rofl:on the back of a toyota ute :rofl:

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Yeh, I like the way people put down Chinese goods and every gadget in their house is made there :D

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Seems like i ve started off a right debate!!
Just glad they re available over there....hoping she will change her mind though if they are so expensive!
Thanks for your replies.
Janice.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Lol, it's always the way, debate is healthy enough though usually :lol:

They are expensive!

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

My partner has the super charged one. She kept on about wanting one for 3 years so once they became affordable, we got one. She loves it and even learnt to drive a manual specifically for it much to my Evo's horror!

Plenty of them around, they hold their value well also. We got it from a BMW dealer so were able to bargain with them to get a few bits fixed and stripes put on etc. Customer service from them was second to none, thoroughly impressed.

They are expensive in Australia compared to other countries, particularly the US but nothing you can do about that. Expect to pay low 20's for the first of the mini coopers and high 20's to low 30's for the first supercharged ones.

Great little cars :thumbup:

Have attached a pic of the day we picked it up :)

**Edit - as with anything, consider who your target audience is when it comes time to sell up whether it be property/cars. We took a Swift for a test drive that was a fair bit cheaper but they are already emerging on the second hand market for a fair bit less than new. A nice car will cost you more but should hold its value better if looked after (that said don't buy a car as an investment, i'm definately not saying that!).

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

BMW Mini's are ok, but nothing special. Completely overpriced.

Anyone who likes 'driving' (not talking about tootling down the shops) will tell you they aren't all that. The Cooper S is ok, but underpowered and is a luke warm hatch. Build quality is reasonable, but you pay for that. I'd rather have a Suzuki Swift over the Mini One, and Cooper, a much better car to drive, and a Renault Clio 182/197 over the Mini Cooper S. I have a Clio 182 here in the UK, and on track, the Mini can't keep up. ;) Obviously, on the road it's all about reliability opposed to speed, and again, I've found my Clio cheaper to maintain.

The Mini isn't a bad car, but is not value for money.

Edit: I've not owned a Mini, my work colleague has one.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

try brisbane bmw i was impressed salina dealt with us i was very impressed and no not like that:eek:

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Remember that if you move here its completely pointless owning any sort of performance car as the speed limits are ridiculously low and zealously enforced.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Mum is that you?

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I assume you don't own a car?

I own a performance car and am a very active member of a couple of performance car clubs. There are very few weekends when between them there isnt a track day, a motorkhana on bitumen, motorkhana on dirt, advanced driving days. Plenty of nice twisty hill runs that I dont need to break the speed limit for to enjoy my car also.

So, far from pointless. Enjoy them in the right place.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

:rofl: hey are we sisters? :rofl:

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Well said!! :thumbsup:

You don't have to break the law to enjoy a car. I do track days here in the UK and hope to do the same in Oz.

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

mmmmmmmm
last track day £50 for a half day pass
and £600 for four new tyres:rofl::rofl:
bloody good fun :rofl:

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Yes I do own a car and clearly I wasn't talking about track days.

The point I was making is that driving here is not only pointless but dangerous as everyone is spending so much time watching the speedo as opposed to watching the road.

Having just moved to Oz from Germany believe me ...... I struggle

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Indeed, tyres and brakes need to be replaced after normally.

Have a seperate set of wheels with track tyres, so thats ok. Can be pricey, but certainly fun, and better than doing it on the highways like the hoons! :eek:

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I have to agree. Driving here in any metro area is painful and barely worth the expense of having a car which wants to be driven. I spent the last seven years burning around the clifftops of my home and now I'm stuck in 60K grid-locked hell. Even driving down the beach roads is like driving with a bunch of old grannies. Too many speed cameras, stupidly low speed limits and generally poor driving standards lead to no fun for Johnny on the roads.

Sorry that's how I feel.

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Only if we both get a car, coz I ain't sharing :D

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I am just about to sell my mini cooper in the uk:cry_smile:. I love her but she would cost to much to ship over to Perth. I love minis but when i looked at second hand ones in oz they were a bit pricey. Your daughter is a very lucky girl and hope she has lots of fun in her new mini

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I feel your pain! :)

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Thank you for your support:)

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I gave up my Mini Cooper when I moved over to Brisbane - entertained the thought of getting a replacement, but decided against it. I loved that car, it was so much fun to drive - but in the UK. Driving in Australia (outside a city) is either long stretches of highway from one city to another (in which case you're better of with a Holden or Jap cruising car) or in the country, where you're best bet is a Ute or 4x4 - something chunky that can take extremes of weather and temperature.

1. They're far too overpriced. A nicely kitted out Cooper ran to about $50k in Brisbane.
2. They're great for little twisty English roads, rubbish for anything outside Brisbane CBD - they're just not built for this country outside of a city.
3. Speed limits are a problem - I regularly used to find myself speeding in the UK with my little Mini, and if I had one here I'd probably have lost my licence - you know how difficult it is to stick to 60kmh most of the time?

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

I was referring to the fact that 'the girl' in question is only 18 years old!

I can't understand why anyone would spend that sort of money on a car for a new driver - it is going to get trashed!!! You know the Aussie roads as well as I do G, what are the chances of the car living to see it's 2nd birthday in the hands of a new driver out here?

I was implying that the OP might be better off buying a cheaper alternative for a 1st car! :)

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

You are making me feel better about leaving her behind. I have a Toyota Echo waiting for me in Perth. It is nothing like the mini but at least I wont lose my licence:)

Re: Mini Cooper....
 

Far too sensible mate - you're only here once :D

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If you are talking about driving in general, yes it is crap, there are far too many revenue raising cameras in the wrong places and poor quality roads however your original post was about owning a performance car being pointless. Trust me, I came from the UK and had a cossie over there where I used to enjoy nice high speed runs occasionally in the early hours so I know how different driving is. All I have done is adapt where I drive fast to put it on track now instead of the road plus the wildlife is more abundant and larger!