[tennisbold]

Hi

The lease plan on my Audi A1 1.4 TFSI Ambition is expiring this month so I have been test driving a few similar sized vehicles in other brands. My first test drive in a Mini Cooper 1.5 was somewhat surprising in the sense of "this is WAY different than what I'm used to". The steering, the engine response and sound and the cabin were nothing like my Audi. Even though the Mini on paper is 1 sec quicker 0-100 km/h than my Audi, it still felt kind of sluggish and not very agile. Other than that I really like what the Mini offers in terms of build quality, appearance, specs, personality and price tag.

I'm interested in other people's experiences of test driving the Mini when being used to driving more conservative and comfy cars like Mercedes, Audi, VW and BMW. I'm thinking that my 30 minutes experience in the Mini didn't instantly make me fall in love with the car because I'm used to driving a more conventional car which is fairly easy to drive. However, I love having fun driving my car, and I'm very intrigued by all the positive comments in this forum about the Mini's ability to add a dash of excitement to your driving. That is exactly what I'm looking for. Something fun and out of the ordinary in all aspects.

Tomorrow I will give the Mini a second chance and put down an order if I feel convinced and comfortable with it.

 

[tennisbold]

Thanks, guys. Your comments made me change my mindset on how I perceive the MINI.

Just got back from the dealer. This test drive felt much better than the first one. Perhaps because I was ready to literally DRIVE the car instead of expecting it to drive me around town without much effort. I didn't constantly compare the car to my Audi which made me focus on my honest believe whether this car could be MY car and really enjoy it no matter if I was driving or just admiring it from a distance (which I like doing with my cars). Also, I took my time ajusting the seat and steering wheel before I headed out

In my country the Cooper S is €12800 more expensive than the Cooper and that is way out of my league I'd rather spend half of that money on optional equipment like steptronic, visual boost, bluetooth, PDC etc.

The dealer told me that Driving Modes make no sense in a regular Cooper, so he recommended me to spend the money on something else that gives better value to the Cooper.

To conclude I'm pretty sure to put down an order this coming week

 

[tennisbold]

Anyway, after MINI FS had decided they would take it back I went to test drive the Audi A1 Facelift (1.4TFSI and 1.6 TDI)... Immediately felt like I'd lost all quirky character and cool factor. The Audi's steering was numb and lifeless and changing gear was just boring, it didn't entice me to drive it fast or show its playful side.

I did own an A1 S-Line 1.2 TFSI when the original was launched which I loved as it was my first car, although after having three MINI's since then... I don't think I could go back to an A1. The power just isn't there in the engine options and well I don't think Drive Select is as effective as the MINI Excitement Package.

I'd be lost without my Sport mode, the steering just isn't heavy enough without it.

Great to hear your story about going from MINI and back to test driving the A1 Well, Audi and BMW will always amaze me with their high-end models as well as their hefty price tags! But even though I have only spend an hour in a MINI, I can totally understand why some people dig them. It's more than just means of transportation. It's a car you personally can relate to in terms of appearance and performance.

 

[tennisbold]

Are we talking about 190€ for the driving modes package? It was a no brainer for me.

It's 460€ in my country.

 

[tennisbold]

Denmark. Basic Cooper 3 doors is 32,750€.