Mr & Mrs Moglet's cars [10,000 miles in the Tesla]
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It's a difference between turning 34 and 74 though
Having said that, the lines are pretty sharp and the front fenders are wide. I think it would look really cool lowered with wheels.. It doesn't look bad in BTCC spec either
It's on finance (at least until my next bonus) so no mods just yet
I would like to get the rear windows tinted though. Maybe some wind deflectors for the full minicab look.
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- Moglet85
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Today my wife got her new car delivered which means we are back to having 2 cars in the family. The Avensis is still going strong and averaging 50mpg but we at least now have something fun in the form of a 2018 Mini Cooper SD with the automatic gearbox. I got the chance to drive it and the amount of torque is just enough for a car this size, especially when paired with the automatic gearbox.
She went for the full black-out kit to remove almost all of the chrome and had the JCW front splitter bits added as well as the rear spoiler add-ons. It needs a machine polish and some tidying up here and there but I think the blackout kit was worth it.
She went for the full black-out kit to remove almost all of the chrome and had the JCW front splitter bits added as well as the rear spoiler add-ons. It needs a machine polish and some tidying up here and there but I think the blackout kit was worth it.
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- Moglet85
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How about a "mini update" (LOLOLOLOL)
I've had a chance to drive the Mini on a variety of roads now and overall I'm pretty impressed with how it's handled them from basic A & B roads to motorway miles. It really shines around town with the low down torque of the diesel engine pulling from seemingly nothing and the steering feeling responsive and quick, with some nice added weight in Sport mode. Parking and moving the car about in tight spots is a doddle because you can really easily tell where the car is positioned and where the bodywork ends. The ride can be a little fidgety over rough roads but nothing too concerning given how much grip it otherwise has. The suspension is also quite firmly sprung but that's to be expected on this model and it doesn't feel "crashy" so I don't mind it. Steering feel wise it's a little bit more "numb" than I was expecting from this sort of car. It's by no means bad but it doesn't give you as much feedback as I'd expected it to.
Performance at motorway speeds is great and the automatic gearbox changes smoothly and quickly, including downshifts to overtake. The only downside is that there is a lot of noise potentially caused by the upright windscreen which also catches lots of bugs in the summer. Luckily the piped in sound when accelerating masks this somewhat and also helps to mask the diesel engine. There is less fidgeting around at motorway speeds but you still feel some movement over expansion joints, but it is perfectly acceptable at this price point. Luckily on the motorway you don't have to worry too much about the "detent-less" indicators which are still causing frustration every time either myself or my wife tries to use them. I really can't figure out why these have become a thing.
I'll be updating this post again soon when I receive my replacement for the Avensis!
I've had a chance to drive the Mini on a variety of roads now and overall I'm pretty impressed with how it's handled them from basic A & B roads to motorway miles. It really shines around town with the low down torque of the diesel engine pulling from seemingly nothing and the steering feeling responsive and quick, with some nice added weight in Sport mode. Parking and moving the car about in tight spots is a doddle because you can really easily tell where the car is positioned and where the bodywork ends. The ride can be a little fidgety over rough roads but nothing too concerning given how much grip it otherwise has. The suspension is also quite firmly sprung but that's to be expected on this model and it doesn't feel "crashy" so I don't mind it. Steering feel wise it's a little bit more "numb" than I was expecting from this sort of car. It's by no means bad but it doesn't give you as much feedback as I'd expected it to.
Performance at motorway speeds is great and the automatic gearbox changes smoothly and quickly, including downshifts to overtake. The only downside is that there is a lot of noise potentially caused by the upright windscreen which also catches lots of bugs in the summer. Luckily the piped in sound when accelerating masks this somewhat and also helps to mask the diesel engine. There is less fidgeting around at motorway speeds but you still feel some movement over expansion joints, but it is perfectly acceptable at this price point. Luckily on the motorway you don't have to worry too much about the "detent-less" indicators which are still causing frustration every time either myself or my wife tries to use them. I really can't figure out why these have become a thing.
I'll be updating this post again soon when I receive my replacement for the Avensis!
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- Moglet85
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A video of a cold start (the valves are always open on a cold start) and some small revs (keeping it below 2k rpm in Sport mode). I'm really enjoying having the M Performance exhaust fitted, it really burbles at surprisingly low revs but if you put the car into Comfort mode on the motorway it is super quiet
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Very good choice
I thought you might like it!
Since recording that video I've had the chance to drive it to work and back as well as to my local mountain bike trails and I'm getting 33-34mpg out of it without even trying to drive economically which is a nice surprise. Almost as surprising as the cold start was to the people on the picnic bench behind the car in the Country Park carpark.
Part of me wants to be able to reduce the volume on it a little but I don't think there's any way to do that!
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I've just realised it also has the M Performance rear diffuser fitted. I'm assuming it was done at the same time as the exhaust because I believe the main diffuser attachment gets replaced to accommodate the larger tips and then the only additional piece required is the center section.
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Oh joy, my car has developed a metallic rattling sound when accelerating at around 2,000rpm. 😞 It doesn't occur when in neutral, only when driving, but it's pretty loud with the windows down so I want to get it looked at. It sounds like a loose bit of heat shield or something (hopefully not the exhaust as the M Performance system is pretty expensive) but my local dealer wanted £168 just to do an initial diagnostic check and I'd only get that refunded if they found it needed warranty work. That's before taking into account £25 a day for a loan car.
Luckily there is a BMW specialist that is super local to me and they're going to take a look on Monday morning with a maximum cost of £108 and have said that they will waive that cost if it's a simple fix. Plus it's so local my wife can follow me in her car to get me home 👍
Luckily there is a BMW specialist that is super local to me and they're going to take a look on Monday morning with a maximum cost of £108 and have said that they will waive that cost if it's a simple fix. Plus it's so local my wife can follow me in her car to get me home 👍
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Either my tweaking of the exhaust valve bow has fixed it or the problem has just gone away, either way no more rattles! I gave the car a full detail over the weekend finishing off with adding a layer of Poorboys Black Hole followed by a layer of Dodo Juice Hard Candy to add some protection. The interior was cleaned with Sam's Detailing Interior & Leather cleaner. It looks better than it did when I picked it up now!
In other news my wife had the factory bonnet stripes removed from her Mini and replaced with gold detailing in various spots. She also had the lights tinted (to a legal level, light output is barely affected) and since this photo was taken I've covered the red bit in the S logo with gold vinyl. I think it looks pretty good! The next step is to finish off the machine polish I started over the weekend and then apply a couple of layers of wax. Meanwhile she's looking at getting some gold wheels.
In other news my wife had the factory bonnet stripes removed from her Mini and replaced with gold detailing in various spots. She also had the lights tinted (to a legal level, light output is barely affected) and since this photo was taken I've covered the red bit in the S logo with gold vinyl. I think it looks pretty good! The next step is to finish off the machine polish I started over the weekend and then apply a couple of layers of wax. Meanwhile she's looking at getting some gold wheels.
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- Moglet85
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I swapped out the regular kidney grille for a gloss black double slatted version over the weekend. I also had the all season tyres fitted this morning (Cross Climate +) as the Pilot Sports were getting a little vague in the colder weather. They're immediately much more quiet than the Pilot Sports which is nice, even if the grip is noticeably reduced in the dry above 7°C
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I'm always in two minds about the kidney grills. Can never make my mind up whether I prefer black or chrome. I think if matched with other black accents it works really nicely.
The Mini's looking great! Never liked the current gen Mini but yours has been really tastefully done! With the wheels, have you thought about going for some gold alloy wheel gators? A little gold ring around the outer rim might match better with the subtle gold accents you've gone with so far. Plus it'd be a fair bit cheaper than new wheels!
The Mini's looking great! Never liked the current gen Mini but yours has been really tastefully done! With the wheels, have you thought about going for some gold alloy wheel gators? A little gold ring around the outer rim might match better with the subtle gold accents you've gone with so far. Plus it'd be a fair bit cheaper than new wheels!
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- Moglet85
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The Mini is my wife's car so it's up to her really but she's got her heart set on some unique looking gold wheels, she's just not sure which ones yet. She may be coming into some money soon and is toying with the idea of buying the car outright and putting it on airbags.
On my side of things the winter tyres on the M235i have been excellent in all weather so far and were especially great when the temperature dropped recently. I have got it a little bit sideways when pulling out of some junctions in the wet but nothing too crazy. The rattle was fixed too; it turns out there was a corroded exhaust clamp rattling about beneath the car and replacing it solved the noise issues. Which is good because I swear the pops and burbles in Sport mode are even louder in the cold
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I’ve now owned my M235i for just over a year so figured I’d do a quick “review” of the year.
In the last year I’ve covered just over 8,000 miles in the car and it is still putting a huge grin on my face each time I drive it. During that time I’ve only had to have the MOT done and an exhaust bracket replaced. It is due an oil change and a brake pad service soon but the pads are wearing much more slowly than expected which is nice. I put this down to slow, progressive braking rather than stomping on the anchors at the last minute, and the brakes feeling as direct as they do definitely helps here. It was one of the first things I noticed about the car when I picked it up and they’ve remained excellent in day to day use.
The engine is obviously a big part of the appeal of the “M lite” cars and this one is no exception; the 3 litre straight six sounds great paired with the M Performance exhaust system and the burbles and pops in Sport mode are still entertaining during spirited driving, without reaching remapped Golf R levels of yobbish-ness. It pulls well even from low down and paired with the ZF 8 speed box it makes for a great cruiser on the motorway while still being able to rev out when it needs to. Gear changes are quick enough and although they’re a little too aggressive in Sport mode for my tastes they’re smooth in Comfort mode for when you just want a regular commute to work. It feels like a car with a split personality; in Comfort mode it’s relatively quiet and can be used to cruise along getting 35mpg, but switch to Sport mode and it changes character completely.
As part of that Sport switch the steering also becomes heavier but, even in this mode, it’s still a little vague at times and doesn’t offer the best levels of feedback when pushing it. It is perfectly fine for day-to-day use but you might expect a little better from something a bit more performance focused. The ride is firm without being too harsh and while there is a little bit of tramlining going on (this could be down to the tyres), along with a bit of a floaty feeling at the back end, neither are something I’m in that much of a rush to fix.
On the inside everything is holding up perfectly with no rattles or issues with any of the infotainment system besides a high pitched whining from the stereo when I plug my phone in via aux; I believe this is down to the USB-C adapter rather than the car. I honestly don’t use the radio all that often anyway. In fact that seems to be a theme with this car; I don’t miss the gadgets it doesn’t have. The wider sat-nav screen is nice but beyond that it has everything I’d want without feeling bloated with kit.
So what next? I’d like to get some M Performance bits (front splitter, boot lip spoiler, and black exhaust tips) to make it stand out a little more from the regular 2 series with the M Sport kits (as they all seem to have them) and potentially some new wheels so I can keep my stock ones for winter use but that’s about it really. Eventually I’d like to get it wrapped in a colour similar to the purple seen on the new M240i but that’s a long way off yet.
I think I’ll be keeping this one for quite a few years though and it’s potentially going to become the car I’ll have owned for the longest amount of time.
Here's a random photo I took in a small woods near Thetford Forest:
In the last year I’ve covered just over 8,000 miles in the car and it is still putting a huge grin on my face each time I drive it. During that time I’ve only had to have the MOT done and an exhaust bracket replaced. It is due an oil change and a brake pad service soon but the pads are wearing much more slowly than expected which is nice. I put this down to slow, progressive braking rather than stomping on the anchors at the last minute, and the brakes feeling as direct as they do definitely helps here. It was one of the first things I noticed about the car when I picked it up and they’ve remained excellent in day to day use.
The engine is obviously a big part of the appeal of the “M lite” cars and this one is no exception; the 3 litre straight six sounds great paired with the M Performance exhaust system and the burbles and pops in Sport mode are still entertaining during spirited driving, without reaching remapped Golf R levels of yobbish-ness. It pulls well even from low down and paired with the ZF 8 speed box it makes for a great cruiser on the motorway while still being able to rev out when it needs to. Gear changes are quick enough and although they’re a little too aggressive in Sport mode for my tastes they’re smooth in Comfort mode for when you just want a regular commute to work. It feels like a car with a split personality; in Comfort mode it’s relatively quiet and can be used to cruise along getting 35mpg, but switch to Sport mode and it changes character completely.
As part of that Sport switch the steering also becomes heavier but, even in this mode, it’s still a little vague at times and doesn’t offer the best levels of feedback when pushing it. It is perfectly fine for day-to-day use but you might expect a little better from something a bit more performance focused. The ride is firm without being too harsh and while there is a little bit of tramlining going on (this could be down to the tyres), along with a bit of a floaty feeling at the back end, neither are something I’m in that much of a rush to fix.
On the inside everything is holding up perfectly with no rattles or issues with any of the infotainment system besides a high pitched whining from the stereo when I plug my phone in via aux; I believe this is down to the USB-C adapter rather than the car. I honestly don’t use the radio all that often anyway. In fact that seems to be a theme with this car; I don’t miss the gadgets it doesn’t have. The wider sat-nav screen is nice but beyond that it has everything I’d want without feeling bloated with kit.
So what next? I’d like to get some M Performance bits (front splitter, boot lip spoiler, and black exhaust tips) to make it stand out a little more from the regular 2 series with the M Sport kits (as they all seem to have them) and potentially some new wheels so I can keep my stock ones for winter use but that’s about it really. Eventually I’d like to get it wrapped in a colour similar to the purple seen on the new M240i but that’s a long way off yet.
I think I’ll be keeping this one for quite a few years though and it’s potentially going to become the car I’ll have owned for the longest amount of time.
Here's a random photo I took in a small woods near Thetford Forest:
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They really are hard to beat as an all-rounder. The six-cylinder makes a world of difference to how it feels too, just that bit more special than anything equivalent with a four-cylinder.
I think I've mentioned before that the steering and the floaty feel can be fixed I think with bushings, as the car by Birds I drove a few years ago was spot on in comparison. Though as you say it's clearly not too much of a bother for the time being, and a whole new set of bushes can be expensive on stuff like this.
I think I've mentioned before that the steering and the floaty feel can be fixed I think with bushings, as the car by Birds I drove a few years ago was spot on in comparison. Though as you say it's clearly not too much of a bother for the time being, and a whole new set of bushes can be expensive on stuff like this.
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If I end up keeping it I'll definitely be looking into the Birds upgrades along with a diff. It looks like they do a dynamics package containing a Quaife diff and suspension upgrades for £3,600 fully fitted which isn't too bad.
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They actually properly test their stuff too rather than just slinging together a package of bits and being done with it. Well worth it if you don't mind the outlay.
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The Mini is now gone. Unfortunately my wife doesn't feel comfortable driving for the moment and so the car wasn't being used; it had only done 3,000 miles in the last year. It was also due a service in the next few months and the battery was likely to need replacing soon. I spent the last week removing the light tints and various other stickers as well as cleaning it inside and out as she wanted to take it to webuyanycar.com to get the finance paid off.
I was dubious but they were actually great, they marked the car fairly (2 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being showroom condition) and only knocked a little bit off the valuation due to it not having long left on the MOT and the car having a few light scratches on the bonnet. She paid £300 to make up the difference between the remaining finance and the value of the car and that was it, we were done in about 30 mins. I was pretty impressed with how quickly they sorted out the finance and there was zero pressure to sell which was nice.
This means we're now down to just the BMW. She's said that once she feels comfortable driving again she'll buy outright and it'll become a project car so watch this space!
I was dubious but they were actually great, they marked the car fairly (2 on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being showroom condition) and only knocked a little bit off the valuation due to it not having long left on the MOT and the car having a few light scratches on the bonnet. She paid £300 to make up the difference between the remaining finance and the value of the car and that was it, we were done in about 30 mins. I was pretty impressed with how quickly they sorted out the finance and there was zero pressure to sell which was nice.
This means we're now down to just the BMW. She's said that once she feels comfortable driving again she'll buy outright and it'll become a project car so watch this space!
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- Moglet85
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Long story short - I traded in my BMW and picked up a new Tesla Model 3 from the stock they're getting rid of ahead of the new model. We're going to be moving house soon and a few things came together that made me consider an EV as a daily and it came down to the Model 3 being the best car for the job. I've probably mentioned on here before that I'm not a fan of Tesla or the cult surrounding it but after a test drive I was hooked. The car I got is a Long Range RWD variant, quite rare for private owners as it was previously a fleet-only model and only a few were released onto the website to buy. I ordered it one weekend and picked it up 6 days later which was great.
So far I've done a few Supercharger charges to get back from Manchester after picking it up but with the huge range on this thing (384 miles WLTP) and free charging at work I don't think I'll need a home charger until we've moved which is nice. Overall the power is down from my M235i but due to the instant torque the performance is much more usable.
I'm also very surprised about the build quality. The doors aren't quite as nice to close as the BMW but otherwise everything feels very well put together, and I haven't spotted any issues with the paint or panel gaps etc. Time will tell how things last over the next few years but so far I'm very happy with the switch, especially when I can just let it drive itself in slow traffic, and my wife is over the moon with how comfortable it is.
So far I've done a few Supercharger charges to get back from Manchester after picking it up but with the huge range on this thing (384 miles WLTP) and free charging at work I don't think I'll need a home charger until we've moved which is nice. Overall the power is down from my M235i but due to the instant torque the performance is much more usable.
I'm also very surprised about the build quality. The doors aren't quite as nice to close as the BMW but otherwise everything feels very well put together, and I haven't spotted any issues with the paint or panel gaps etc. Time will tell how things last over the next few years but so far I'm very happy with the switch, especially when I can just let it drive itself in slow traffic, and my wife is over the moon with how comfortable it is.
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Update time, I've now covered just over 10,000 miles in the Tesla and all is good!
I think this car has converted me to wanting an EV as my daily going forward. I'm finding that we're able to go out at weekends more frequently without worrying about the cost of getting there, and I can travel further to go mountain biking too. It's costing me £0.02 per mile on my home charger (I left the job that had free charging) so I'm spending about £27 a month in electricity to do my usual driving. It makes the rare commute that I need to do to my new job way cheaper than it would have been in my old car, and being able to engage AutoPilot helps take some of the stress out of said commute too. Oh, and one pedal driving? A game changer. I'd struggle to go back!
What also helps is that I'm still finding it really good fun to drive. People said I'd get bored of the instant torque but I genuinely haven't and it still puts a huge smile on my face when I get the chance to put my foot down (it also makes pulling out onto busy roundabouts an absolute breeze!). I think being one of the slower models and RWD only actually helps make it more fun, you can get onto the power and give it some throttle without worrying about instantly exceeding the speed limit and coming out of corners it feels great. It's a little crashy over bad roads but then so was the BMW. Of course it's not as composed as my BMW was in the corners, you can definitely feel the weight in the Tesla, but I'm finding that I'm still having fun more frequently in this than I was in the M235i.
Build quality is something I was worried about but so far I needn't have been. There is a small vibration from the passenger side seatbelt adjustment area on rough roads, and sometimes the wipers click a little at the start of their wipe, but those are the only issues I've had and I may only be noticing them because of the lack of engine noise. The constant software updates are brilliant - I love seeing new features being added and the UI getting more and more user friendly over time. Not that it really needs it because everything on the screen feels well thought out and the screen is super smooth and responsive at all times.
Speaking of the software, Camping Mode is an excellent feature as it means my wife can come and watch me at the bike park and can sit in the car watching Netflix or YouTube in comfort. A huge win for our quality of life there. The "Keep Temperature" function has come in very useful in the recent warm weather, Sentry mode puts me a little more at ease in busy car parks, the recently added adaptive headlights work brilliantly, the average speed zone calculator is a nice touch, and the most recent software update has basically fixed the problematic auto wipers.
If you were to push me to say something negative? I'd like some blinds for the glass roof as it can get a bit warm in there if you don't pre-condition the cabin. That's it. I was going to make a silly comment about the wheels not looking accurate to the car on the screen since I took the aero covers off but Tesla have even thought about that and you can update the wheels in the Service menu. It not only updates the visuals on the screen and the app but also re-calculates your range to account for the slight drop in aero. They really do think about the details.
I think this car has converted me to wanting an EV as my daily going forward. I'm finding that we're able to go out at weekends more frequently without worrying about the cost of getting there, and I can travel further to go mountain biking too. It's costing me £0.02 per mile on my home charger (I left the job that had free charging) so I'm spending about £27 a month in electricity to do my usual driving. It makes the rare commute that I need to do to my new job way cheaper than it would have been in my old car, and being able to engage AutoPilot helps take some of the stress out of said commute too. Oh, and one pedal driving? A game changer. I'd struggle to go back!
What also helps is that I'm still finding it really good fun to drive. People said I'd get bored of the instant torque but I genuinely haven't and it still puts a huge smile on my face when I get the chance to put my foot down (it also makes pulling out onto busy roundabouts an absolute breeze!). I think being one of the slower models and RWD only actually helps make it more fun, you can get onto the power and give it some throttle without worrying about instantly exceeding the speed limit and coming out of corners it feels great. It's a little crashy over bad roads but then so was the BMW. Of course it's not as composed as my BMW was in the corners, you can definitely feel the weight in the Tesla, but I'm finding that I'm still having fun more frequently in this than I was in the M235i.
Build quality is something I was worried about but so far I needn't have been. There is a small vibration from the passenger side seatbelt adjustment area on rough roads, and sometimes the wipers click a little at the start of their wipe, but those are the only issues I've had and I may only be noticing them because of the lack of engine noise. The constant software updates are brilliant - I love seeing new features being added and the UI getting more and more user friendly over time. Not that it really needs it because everything on the screen feels well thought out and the screen is super smooth and responsive at all times.
Speaking of the software, Camping Mode is an excellent feature as it means my wife can come and watch me at the bike park and can sit in the car watching Netflix or YouTube in comfort. A huge win for our quality of life there. The "Keep Temperature" function has come in very useful in the recent warm weather, Sentry mode puts me a little more at ease in busy car parks, the recently added adaptive headlights work brilliantly, the average speed zone calculator is a nice touch, and the most recent software update has basically fixed the problematic auto wipers.
If you were to push me to say something negative? I'd like some blinds for the glass roof as it can get a bit warm in there if you don't pre-condition the cabin. That's it. I was going to make a silly comment about the wheels not looking accurate to the car on the screen since I took the aero covers off but Tesla have even thought about that and you can update the wheels in the Service menu. It not only updates the visuals on the screen and the app but also re-calculates your range to account for the slight drop in aero. They really do think about the details.
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