Rover Mini Saloon (1988 - 2001) Neon 2d (1991/H) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I like driving for fun, not just to get from A to B and I don't mind if people look.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

They like it, since it's different but they do get concerned for my safety since it is very small and has no real occupant safety or air bags. The neighbours have never said anything but I gather the noise must annoy them sometimes since the engine is very loud, by far the loudest in the street and I am often working on my car making noise in the drive.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes! I'd love another the Mini, there is no car more fun.

What are you likely to buy next?

I'm not sure at the moment. I would like another Classic Mini one day, either a Cooper or an estate Mini since I think these would be a practical family car once I have a family, for weekend trips. Of course I will have to buy a more sensible, modern car one day if I have a family.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£1,500

When did you buy the car?

October 2011

Did you get a good deal and why?

I'm not sure if I got a good deal or not, I think it wasn't too bad since Classic Minis go for a lot these days and the body shell was reasonably good, not too rusty, and any rust it did have could be treated, however I did find there were more problems with the car than I knew when I bought it.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

For my first car I wanted something a bit different and preferably British. I also knew that Classic Minis were cheap to inure, cheap to run and great fun to drive.

What was the dealer like?

What's it like to drive?

It's so much fun, the handling is great! It's like a road-legal go-kart! It's very nippy around town, you can actually drive faster than everyone else since it's like a little bullet zipping through the traffic and squeezing into the gaps other cars can't. On the motorway though it is very slow and noisy, and with a lot of weight on board it struggles to get up to 70 MPH, not that it is meant for the motorway though of course. Minis don't have power steering but I don't see this as a problem, in fact it's more fun without it, unless you had some kind of disability of course. You can really feel what the wheels are doing and feel in complete control.

What's it like to park?

Very easy, since it's small and the all round visibility is brilliant.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Engine wise, no, it just keeps going and seems very reliable. I have had little problems such as the heater leaking, breather hose coming off the petrol tank and heated rear window not working. But such things can be expected with a 20 year old car and it's most likely because the previous owner(s) didn't care or bother fixing things.

What's most practical about your car?

It's small on the outside, yet big on the inside! I think that's good considering the roads are getting more and more busy and cars are just getting bigger. I think it's easy to get four people inside providing they are not too large, and you can just about squeeze any luggage, or shopping into the tiny boot. However, Minis probably aren't really suitable for today's traffic since cars seem to be getting more and more well built, larger and safer. The Mini lacks any real safety features although the good handling and breaks do kind of make up for that.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The leaks and rust that come as standard are wonderful.