Mini cooper r56 or Swift Sport

[Fluke?]

So the sport ka is starting to rust away and I've narrowed it down to a 09 Cooper or 11 swift sport both on around 70k for 3k. Service history seems pretty good on both and know the chain has been done on the mini. Also has the steering wheel controls and aircon (chilli pack?).
Swift has some terrible decals on the back but the responses from the owner seem like a grown up.. Should be easy enough to remove...?

Thoughts gentlemen??

 

[Fluke?]

Oh and my commute is about 10 miles a day and use the ohs car for grown up up driving

 

[HoneyBadger]

Test drive both and decide?
On face value I’d probably be more inclined to go with the Swift.

 

[Lashout_UK]

Swift Sport.

 

[vanpeebles]

Swift

 

[NVP]

German or Jap decision when discussing efficiency or comfort etc. would be beneficial in highlighting unknowns, but when it is regarding being drivers car then you have to get the feel yourself as to which suits your style best.

Me... I'd want RWD so for that budget probably grab a mkII 2 litre MR2 GT or something similar.

 

[mccarf]

I hate the huge speedo dashboard so it would be swift for me.

 

[koooowweeee]

I couldn't imagine driving any of those cars mentioned. When I see cars like that I expect a fit bird driving them

 

[mccarf]

I couldn't imagine driving any of those cars mentioned. When I see cars like that I expect a fit bird driving them

I think the Swifts are especially great for young people (bit sporty, fairly economical, reliable etc). I used to drool over a bright red swift sport every day in college as I walked back to my 60bhp Fiesta.

 

[Fluke?]

I'm neither a fit bird nor am I young but I can't justify (or afford) anything much more fancy!!

 

[jamoor]

Twingo?

I have to say the swift sport does have a couple of downsides.
It’s very very cheaply built.
Motorway speeds in fifth gear are unpleasant.

 

[mccarf]

I'm neither a fit bird nor am I young but I can't justify (or afford) anything much more fancy!!

It's 2020. Just identify as a fit young bird and get the swift

 

[ZG002]

2011 is 2nd gen Swift Sport I believe?

I had a 06 one for 8yrs.

Interior will rattle, seats will give to back ache, the clutch peddle may creak and as mentioned it will drive you mad at 70mph on the motorway.. (it will sit at something like 3500 rpm)

But I kept it for 8yrs for a reason, it had character and other than an abs module (covered under warranty at the time) and a lambda sensor it was reliable.

Compared to most cars it feels like a go kart, and you need to be above 4k rpm to get the most from it, it's not fast but is fun and loves a B road.

 

[sovietspybob]

is the 2011 swift a MK2 or MK3? We've got a 12 plate MK3 and i really like it, i've not driven a MK2 but it looks to be a fair bit nicer place to be in the MK3 from what i've seen.

Any specific questions about the swift though ask away, we've had it for around 5 years now and we've put over 50k miles on it.

 

[200sols]

The R56 is a pretty boring car IMO. The older R53 with the supercharger was a far better drive.

 

[Toothy1911]

Although I've not driven one, I'd go Swift.
The Mini drives great but they suffer issues with their engines. Typically the timing chain tensioners wearing and if not sorted can wreck the engine.
The one I drove had low oil issues. And the normal 1.6 Cooper I owned for several years was the same. Drank oil. Never had a car like it. I think the bores were scored and it was leaking past the rings and seems quite common.
They have Peugeot engines in them IIRC.

 

[poosemon]

'15 Swift Sport Owner here. Think a '11 plate will be the mark 1?

Have driven both side by side across the brecons beacons recently so;

If you cant stretch to a mark 2...
- MK1 is quite raw, a great drive and as an occasional use car very compelling. My mate who owns the car jas had it a few years and fairly bullet proof. Just servicing and consumables.
- Bear in mind mk1 has to be run on high octane fuel, so be prepared to get to know your local shell garage on good terms!
- lack of 5th gear, if you are going to use it regularly on motorways or do long trips in it the lack of 5th gear is particularly grating. Lack fo noise insulation and a few hours at 4k rpm isnt the mlst relaxing experience.

If you can stretch to a mk2 then as a daily there is no question it is a far better prospect then a mk1. Prerty much addresses each of the mk1 down points. Does loose a bit of rawness but not so much it isnt a great drive. Also can be found as a 5dr which is handy if you have kids.

Have taken mine on round trips to Cornwall recently with the family (live near chester) loaded up and was pretty good on the motorway and reasonable in fuel (43mpg calculated, trip computer lies a lot by around 5 mpg or so) . Over lockdown have been out to the brecon beacons, snowdonia and surrounding roads, peak district and shropshire and on roads of that nature is fantastic fun.

No plans to get rid in the near future!!

 

[NVP]

You're making me want to buy one haha

 

[Fluke?]

Many thanks for the replies gents.
It is a mk1 and it does look like the mk2s go for 4k+ which is more than I want to spend.
I'm not actually that worries about the 5th gear thing as 95% of my driving is A and B road otherwise we use the other car.

I do like the Twingo as well as the Yaris SR 1.8 but don't seem to be many of them around within a 50 mile radius.

..Edit actually I've just found a Yaris SR 1.8 10 miles away.. 1600 squid.. full dealer warranty.. but 100k+. Hmm!

calling @Raymond Lin didn't you have one of these or was it the 1.5 tsport you had?

 

[Raymond Lin]

Many thanks for the replies gents.
It is a mk1 and it does look like the mk2s go for 4k+ which is more than I want to spend.
I'm not actually that worries about the 5th gear thing as 95% of my driving is A and B road otherwise we use the other car.

I do like the Twingo as well as the Yaris SR 1.8 but don't seem to be many of them around within a 50 mile radius.

..Edit actually I've just found a Yaris SR 1.8 10 miles away.. 1600 squid.. full dealer warranty.. but 100k+. Hmm!

calling @Raymond Lin didn't you have one of these or was it the 1.5 tsport you had?

I did have a 1.8L, it's the mk2 Yaris.

The good, engine and inner working of the car was pretty bulletproof in the almost 6 years that I had it, (5 years and 9 months). I manage around 40mpg for the entire duration of the ownership and i ran it on ordinary fuel. Build quality is on par for the class of car it's in, I distinctly recall it was better than the mk3 that I had as a courtesy car one time. It has enough oomph to carry 5 people, it will be a squeeze at the back though but it has a flat floor in the rear which helps, there is no hump in the middle. I even carried a huge plasma TV standing up in it for 250miles. Actually bigger than you think in a way.

The problems I've had was to do with rust, the end section of my exhaust rusted really bad and the car was 8 years old at the time, and spare for the exhaust had to be sourced from Japan so it is not worth it, cheaper to get custom. Road noise wasn't the best but it is also par for the course for a small car, you do get 5 gears though and I remember I loved the gearbox, it was quite notchy in feel. In terms of modern entertainment it really had none, I had a dealer install an iPod kit so i can connect my phone into it as it had no bluetooth. Mine did weirdly came with keyless entry so that was actually quite handy.

I really liked the car, I mean I had it for almost 6 years. I drove it everywhere for weddings, even over on the ferry to Ireland. Service was quite reasonable, about £140 from Toyota dealer for the minor one. If it weren't for the exhaust I might have kept it longer.





Photo of the mid section snapped off and held on by a bracket...if a new one with a clear rust free exhaust, I'd buy one again. But they are not easy to find.

Oh, tax is not cheap on these, like £210.