General Fiat 500 or a MINI

[Baracuda2]

Tried to log in under my original name but on my last attempt to post it timed out and I wasn't able to get back in.
Like to thank all those who posted but I've bought a 2010 Mini Cooper with air com in cream for €12,300. Really happy with it. All the best.

 

[Squadrone Rosso]

I posted on here about my Cooper v Twinair thoughts. That former feels more premium & handles a bit better but there's zero space in the rear or boot.

I'd take a 500 everyday

 

[ahmett]

Fact is, they do have a certain innate quality where it matters. The body and paint is class competitive for example.

And the engines and gearboxes are *much* more reliable than the MINIs in general. The R56 Cooper S, for example, has a *dreadful* reputation for reliability - it has an amazing appetite for cam chains. So whilst the fluff on the carpets might be deeper, the plastics a bit heavier and the doors shut with a slightly heavier thunk - you will find the important bits of the car are more adept at destroying themselves.

I know what I'd prefer.

Bgunn you are right the rubbish parts of the Fiat 500 are easily and cheaply replacable.

The engine feels bulletproof, and believe me I have pushed it. I was so sad when the Mini Cooper died at 6,500 rpm at the rev limiter so soon after hitting max power, while the Fiat 500 1.4 sings 1,500 rpm after hitting max power at 6,000 = )


Oh and to the OP, good luck with the purchase of the Mini Cooper, have fun with it = )

 

[Heidi]

My mum loves the mini and is on third one. However the acceleration is so good that she has two speeding tickets in past month and is now looking to change to a smaller engine car possibly fiat 500, KA or similar as can't get up to speed so fast

And yes she has been severely reprimanded by me for being irresponsible driver.

 

[scout]

Changing the car to a fiat 500 won't fix that problem It's all down to how far the loud pedal gets pushed down when accelerating, as all 500's will exceed the UK speed limits. I have a 500 and if I'm in a hurry can be the first away from the lights quite easily. 0-60 may be a little slower on paper but that means very little in the real world. Once a fast driver always a fast driver and an effort has to be made to drive slowly.

 

[MJG]

My mum loves the mini and is on third one. However the acceleration is so good that she has two speeding tickets in past month and is now looking to change to a smaller engine car possibly fiat 500, KA or similar as can't get up to speed so fast

And yes she has been severely reprimanded by me for being irresponsible driver.

I'm afraid she needs to change her driving technique rather than the car, even the little 500 can be driven pretty briskly and will soon get above the limit particularly in a 30 or 40.

Possible advantage of a 500 in this respect though would be the ability to set a speed beep as a reminder, I am not sure if the Mini has this feature but if it has she might find it a help to use it and it would be cheaper than changing her car...

 

[Heidi]

I think the mini makes her think she's in the Italian job. Anyway told her shes an idiot paying extra tax and more fuel when all she does is pootle round town and less than 5k miles a year. I tried to accelerate like she must have done past that camera and I struggled to get to 30.

 

[varesecrazy]

I think the mini makes her think she's in the Italian job. Anyway told her shes an idiot paying extra tax and more fuel when all she does is pootle round town and less than 5k miles a year. I tried to accelerate like she must have done past that camera and I struggled to get to 30.

Speed-beep is an excellent idea..
if she can't change her style - swap to a 1.1 panda,
acceleration wasn't even a factory option..

 

[jrkitching]

Possible advantage of a 500 in this respect though would be the ability to set a speed beep as a reminder...

The problem with the speed beep in the 500 is that you can't set it on the fly as you're driving, so it's only useful for setting a 'never exceed' limiting speed. That makes it essentially useless in 30 & 40 limits, as it'd be squawking like a parrot as soon as you got on a derestricted road.

It's useful, but only as a maximum speed limiter.

A better plan would be to buy some kind of GPS based navigation system with speed alerts based on the actual limit for the road you're on at the time. Just make sure you keep the database up to date.

 

[MJG]

The problem with the speed beep in the 500 is that you can't set it on the fly as you're driving, so it's only useful for setting a 'never exceed' limiting speed. That makes it essentially useless in 30 & 40 limits, as it'd be squawking like a parrot as soon as you got on a derestricted road.

It's useful, but only as a maximum speed limiter.

A better plan would be to buy some kind of GPS based navigation system with speed alerts based on the actual limit for the road you're on at the time. Just make sure you keep the database up to date.

One advantage of the 500L is that it has a speed limiter that can be set 'on the move' and changed on the move.

 

[RUI]

if I'm in a hurry can be the first away from the lights quite easily.

Not if I am at the same traffic lights...

 

[ahmett]

Not if I am at the same traffic lights...

Haha I was racing a Fiat 500 off the lights and I wasn't pulling away until I reached the sweet spot of the car above 4000 rpm = )


I wasn't sure which version it was but it definitely wasn't a 1.2! Given the acceleration of the car I would suspect it was a TA as it was closing in on me until I went high into the rev range.

 

[scout]

Not if I am at the same traffic lights...

bearing in mind the 'majority' of road users are not in a hurry anyone can beat a more powerful car away from the lights. It all depends on the two drivers involved. I am not saying my car is the best car in the world (as its far from that) just illustrating that even a small engined car can easily break the speed limits. Although it is quite amusing watching the face of the big Merc driver in my rear view mirror when he's been caught napping at a set of lights, needless to say if its a duel carrageway involved my TA is soon left in the Merc's dust , but then he is now speeding

 

[stu0710]

bearing in mind the 'majority' of road users are not in a hurry anyone can beat a more powerful car away from the lights. It all depends on the two drivers involved. I am not saying my car is the best car in the world (as its far from that) just illustrating that even a small engined car can easily break the speed limits. Although it is quite amusing watching the face of the big Merc driver in my rear view mirror when he's been caught napping at a set of lights, needless to say if its a duel carrageway involved my TA is soon left in the Merc's dust , but then he is now speeding

I managed to show a clean pair of heels to a Merc CLS in the 2 miles of unclassified road between turning off the main road and my place of work. In addition to the Merc being a total barge I knew the road well and he couldn't get past me on the final straight bit as it was too narrow. I was even more amused when I later saw the same car parked around the corner and noticed that it was the AMG500 version.

 

[RobinPJ]

I managed to show a clean pair of heels to a Merc CLS in the 2 miles of unclassified road between turning off the main road and my place of work. In addition to the Merc being a total barge I knew the road well and he couldn't get past me on the final straight bit as it was too narrow. I was even more amused when I later saw the same car parked around the corner and noticed that it was the AMG500 version.

Maybe he wasn't trying to race you?

 

[RUI]

Maybe he wasn't trying to race you?

Here are the specs of that car
Engine: V8, 4663cc, twin turbo
Max power: 402bhp
Max torque: 442lb ft
0 - 60mph: 5.3sec
Top speed: 155mph (limited)

I am guessing they were not trying to race.

 

[stu0710]

Maybe he wasn't trying to race you?

I like to think he was! Either way there was no way past for him....... and he was certainly in a hurry as he'd previously overtaken a whole line of cars before we turned off the main road. Twisty narrow lanes definitely are more suited to a small car like the 500 than a powerful, two tonne, automatic like the Merc. You can but dream....

 

[RobinPJ]

I like to think he was! Either way there was no way past for him....... and he was certainly in a hurry as he'd previously overtaken a whole line of cars before we turned off the main road. Twisty narrow lanes definitely are more suited to a small car like the 500 than a powerful, two tonne, automatic like the Merc. You can but dream....

In other words, you performed the function of a rolling road block rather than some finely honed speed machine....

 

[scout]

In other words, you performed the function of a rolling road block rather than some finely honed speed machine....

Surely a finely honed rolling road block

 

[306maxi]

Speed-beep is an excellent idea..
if she can't change her style - swap to a 1.1 panda,
acceleration wasn't even a factory option..

Or my Panda 4x4, 0-60 in nearly 20 seconds