Hello there,

I'm in the market for a new car after having lost my 2010 Mazda 3 in an accident 6 months ago. The insurance company finally paid me money and I'm looking into buying a new car.

I was interested in the new Opel/Vauxhall Astra, but the price is honestly way too high for what it offers in terms of performance (1.6L 116hp) and the features it has.

I decided I should go for a used car that would be of a reputable brand, good performance, nice market value, and also a fun car to drive when you want to speed or just cruise around in it.

There are many options out there, but I'm really interested in the Mini Cooper. The 2007+ versions (R56, if that's what they are called) are available for me, although much more expensive than the R53, and I don't see much of a performance difference (since if I get an R56, it'll be the base not the S version) between it and the R53 (S version).

I read a couple of reviews here and a lot of people say the R53, although has an uglier interior (or at least in my mind it does), is a much more fun car to drive. I have a question, though, is it really low as in ground clearance? We have some nasty speed bumps here and I don't want to keep scratching the bottom of my car while trying to pass them. The Mazda handled them just fine, although my Dad's 2007 BMW 525i scratches here and then.

The car has 55,000 miles on it, is dark blue with a panoramic sunroof (white roof). The seller, whom is a friend of a friend, is a very trust-able person and takes good care of the car and does regular maintenance at BMW's dealership. Do you guys think 55,000 is too much even if the car is in an excellent condition? I mean is it going to start giving me trouble once I hit 60 - 70k miles for instance?

Thank you!!


TO MAKE IT SHORT: Would you recommend the R53 (2005 Mini Cooper S)? Is the performance as good as people say? What about grand clearance? Am I going to keep scratching the bottom of the car in speed bumps like the 525i BMW does? Is it stable on high speeds and is it okay on sort of screwed up roads? Is 55,000 miles, although in excellent condition and maintenance done regularly, too much?

Thank you!