New car question...

lammie200 · 09-25-2012, 09:18 AM

Originally posted by crewl1

Took a long trip in a friend's Mini earlier this year. What an uncomfortable pain in the a** that was.
The seats felt hard and the suspension transmitted every crack in the road up your backside.
I guess it is supposed to improve handling, but it really did not seem suited for long rides.

Like I said before, I have driven a variety of both Minis and Fiats. Like you, I have found the Minis to be a bit uncomfortable, but responsive - kinda British-sporty feeling if you know what I mean. The Fiats are more comfortable but a lot less responsive - kinda American-boaty feeling. That said, if I do purchase a Fiat, I would have to lower it. It is far too fluffy with the factory set up. I hope that changing the suspension won't make it uncomfortable for longer trips, but I am guessing that it won't.

Northern Soul · 09-26-2012, 02:22 AM

The mini I drove (2004 Cooper S I think - was a while back) was not "British-sporty feeling" it was "they forgot to fit suspension-crashy feeling"

A sporty car does not have to be rock hard, but it's hard to get it right. Especially I guess when the car is so heavy for it's length, like the Mini. Do you get the Abarth 500 over there?

Jasvox · 09-26-2012, 06:16 AM

I think what you guys were experiencing were the run-flat tires and the characteristics of what they lend to the feel rather than the suspension of the Mini itself. If you read back or around the owners forums, this can be quickly solved by replacing the run-flat tires with normal tires or simply order the vehicle with out the run-flat tire option. Solved.

Jason

lammie200 · 09-26-2012, 09:39 AM

Originally posted by Northern Soul

The mini I drove (2004 Cooper S I think - was a while back) was not "British-sporty feeling" it was "they forgot to fit suspension-crashy feeling"

A sporty car does not have to be rock hard, but it's hard to get it right. Especially I guess when the car is so heavy for it's length, like the Mini. Do you get the Abarth 500 over there?

I meant like an MG. Not much in the way of comfort there either. It could have been the run flat tires though. One of the main advantages of the a Mini over a Fiat for me is the ubiquitous nature of Minis. They are everywhere, hence easier to park on the street without it getting f**cked with. I have seen a couple of key scratched Fiats in the past few weeks.

Yes, we can buy Abarths. I think that most of the Abarth owners are pretty happy with their cars. I would be too, but you can't get one with an auto-stick. Evidently the uprated engine / turbo needs a heavier duty transmission and the only one available is a 5 speed.

**Ex Finn.** · 09-26-2012, 04:14 PM

Long time ago, I had a `67 or so Fiat 850 special. The only three troubles I ever had with it was: keeping the stupid fan-belts on when revving the engine really high, the occasional random disintegration of the rotor in the distributor and lastly, the fact that it never was a Babe-Magnet

.
So, all in all, my experiences with euro Fiats (dad had a 600, he also had a real Morris Mini, might have been Austin Mini, that was good for a Brit car.) have been pretty good.

If I was seriously looking to buy one now, it would have to be the Abarth.
Here, some modified Fiats.

You Tube

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09-25-2012, 09:18 AM	#46
lammie200 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Photos: Albums Posts: 1,033 Original Poster	Originally posted by crewl1 Took a long trip in a friend's Mini earlier this year. What an uncomfortable pain in the a** that was. The seats felt hard and the suspension transmitted every crack in the road up your backside. I guess it is supposed to improve handling, but it really did not seem suited for long rides. Like I said before, I have driven a variety of both Minis and Fiats. Like you, I have found the Minis to be a bit uncomfortable, but responsive - kinda British-sporty feeling if you know what I mean. The Fiats are more comfortable but a lot less responsive - kinda American-boaty feeling. That said, if I do purchase a Fiat, I would have to lower it. It is far too fluffy with the factory set up. I hope that changing the suspension won't make it uncomfortable for longer trips, but I am guessing that it won't.

09-26-2012, 02:22 AM	#47
Northern Soul Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: The North of England Photos: Albums Posts: 494	The mini I drove (2004 Cooper S I think - was a while back) was not "British-sporty feeling" it was "they forgot to fit suspension-crashy feeling" A sporty car does not have to be rock hard, but it's hard to get it right. Especially I guess when the car is so heavy for it's length, like the Mini. Do you get the Abarth 500 over there?

09-26-2012, 06:16 AM	#48
Jasvox Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 3,107	I think what you guys were experiencing were the run-flat tires and the characteristics of what they lend to the feel rather than the suspension of the Mini itself. If you read back or around the owners forums, this can be quickly solved by replacing the run-flat tires with normal tires or simply order the vehicle with out the run-flat tire option. Solved. Jason

09-26-2012, 09:39 AM	#49
lammie200 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: San Francisco Photos: Albums Posts: 1,033 Original Poster	Originally posted by Northern Soul The mini I drove (2004 Cooper S I think - was a while back) was not "British-sporty feeling" it was "they forgot to fit suspension-crashy feeling" A sporty car does not have to be rock hard, but it's hard to get it right. Especially I guess when the car is so heavy for it's length, like the Mini. Do you get the Abarth 500 over there? I meant like an MG. Not much in the way of comfort there either. It could have been the run flat tires though. One of the main advantages of the a Mini over a Fiat for me is the ubiquitous nature of Minis. They are everywhere, hence easier to park on the street without it getting f**cked with. I have seen a couple of key scratched Fiats in the past few weeks. Yes, we can buy Abarths. I think that most of the Abarth owners are pretty happy with their cars. I would be too, but you can't get one with an auto-stick. Evidently the uprated engine / turbo needs a heavier duty transmission and the only one available is a 5 speed.