Hi, all. Just a quick introduction...

My wife and I have been Mini Cooper admirers for years, but always from afar.

The vehicle my wife drives is one she bought new 12 years ago, and she has decided it's time for a new car.

Our target: A Mini Cooper S Convertible, Chili Red, with Chesterfield Malt Brown Leather interior.

We've been looking only a short time, but we hope to find the Mini my wife wants at some point in the very near future.

This looks like a fantastic forum, and me being more the forum type in our marriage, I hope to pick up a lot of great information here.

Glad to have joined.

Al (in Pearland, Texas...just south of Houston)

 

Welcome to the forum. You have a very specific target MINI.

Are you looking for a new MINI to be built to your specifications? If not, it may be hard to find exactly what you are looking for.

If you are looking for a used MINI, I encourage you to look at (and drive) each of the three generations. They each have different personalities and are all great but different vehicles.

I agree that this is an incredible forum. It seems that somebody has an answer to every possible MINI question.

 

Thanks for the reply and the welcome, miniCPA.

We are most likely looking at buying new, but a dealer certified, low mileage S convertible (or perhaps one from an individual seller) is not out of the question if we run across the right one. My wife is set on the interior and exterior colors she wants and that it is an S version (or maybe a JCW), so that limits us a bit, especially in terms of a used vehicle and the slim chance running across the right one. I have the feeling we are going to buy new.

We've test driven several of the 2019 models, and despite the multitude of possibilities for combined options if we ordered one, we think we know what we'd be happy with in terms of one for which we don't necessarily choose all possible features ourselves (pre-built/packaged or whatever the right term might be). An S version with relatively higher-end options would work...more importantly, it's what would work for my wife and what she would be happiest with that counts the most in this. She'd rather have a relatively short wait than a long one.

It's been a long while since I've bought a new vehicle, so I'm having to reacquaint myself with some parts of the process.

Our local dealership *thinks* they have found us one that can be routed here, and we're keeping our fingers crossed that it's available without any outrageous fees to get it here. I've also done searches myself and found a handful in other parts of the country that seem to have the right package options. Getting one of those from there to here is one of the current questions. Having it delivered to our area or going out to where the Mini is and taking a road trip back...I guess we have a few ways we could approach it. None of the three dealerships in our area have exactly what my wife would like. We're certainly open to suggestions on finding one to match our basic criteria, if anyone cares to pass along their thoughts. :-)

Al

 

Well, this is just a test to see if my posts are under moderation. I had written a fairly well detailed reply to miniCPA (and thank you for your comments!), but even though I was able to make my first post unmoderated, my second seems to have disappeared...or maybe is just awaiting moderator approval (a briefly flashed screen message seemed to indicate just that). Just checking with this as a test post.

 

Welcome, there is a ton of info on here good and bad so do your research.
When you find the right car get it inspected so you know what you are getting into.

 

It is interesting that your reply did not show up. I understand that happens to new posts from new members in other sections, however, I always thought all posts to 1st Gear would go through automatically, especially a reply to your own post.

I suspect a moderator will be responding soon.

 

I guess to try and recap the post that disappeared...

We are most likely going to purchase new. We'd like to get a Mini of a pretty specific interior and exterior color combination in the Mini S Convertible (chili red with chesterfield malt brown leather), likely with relatively higher end options. Perhaps even a JCW version instead of an S...but probably the S.

I'm not sure we want to wait a couple of months to order and have delivery made, so I think we'd be happy with one of the more or less standard set of higher-end options (like the S with the Iconic trim package) IF we can find the right one.

I'd also say we'd be willing to get a certified, low-mileage vehicle from a dealership, or, if we ran across the right one, from an individual seller. But if we went the used route, we'd want low mileage. But in my mind, if we buy a new one we will know how it's been treated from day one, and we're meticulous about keeping up with proper maintenance.

It'll be my wife's car, so I want her to be happy with it. She's moving on from an SUV that she bought new and has been driving for 12 years, and she'd like to get into something new (and fun!) after being patient and frugal in her relatively long-term SUV ownership. Paying for a vehicle over 5 years and keeping it for another 7 is pretty good, I think.

A convertible is what she wants, so it looks like we're headed that way.

I'm happy to get any advice from folks on what to look for, pitfalls to avoid, etc. I'm more the forum person in our relationship, thus my signing up here. I belong to so many forums that I've lost count, but most can be worth their weight in gold when tapped into the right way. I have to believe this is one of those based on size and participation.

Looking forward to learning a lot about Minis here.

Thanks for the welcomes!

Al

 

Duplicate

 

Duplicate

 

Al,

The first thing I would consider is: Is she sure she is ready for a convertible as a daily driver?

I have a Mazda 3 as my daily driver and the MINI as a second car. Last summer and apparently this summer, the MINI is my primary transportation. I have a 40 mile commute combining highway and rush hour congestion. The blind spots are huge, while the current generation has back-up cameras and doesn't have my massive roll bar, I suspect the view out the back would be limited. With the top down, the heat and humidity in Baltimore in August can be brutal, I suspect the Texas heat would be far worse.

As a second car, for drives on the back roads, I love the MINI. Others say they love their MINI convertibles as daily drivers and have the top down at every opportunity. Any convertible as a daily driver is great for some but not others.


I am not very knowledgeable about the current MINI generation, however, all MINIs require more consistent attention to maintenance than the Japanese brands. I defer to those with more knowledge about what to expect over an anticipated 12 year life, however, I would expect to double or triple the maintenance budget if you are coming from a Honda or Toyota. The question is: Is it worth the extra maintenance cost and time for the MINI experience? The answer for the vast majority of the forum members is probably yes.

Hopefully some members with third generation MINIs can add their thoughts about long-term reliability. I also encourage you to check out the third generation section of the forum.

 

Those are great points, miniCPA. Heat and humidity are certainly issues here along the Gulf Coast. I've lived along the coast my entire life and my wife has spent something like 20 years here. She and I definitely understand that summers here are not really great times for convertibles. On the flip side, we tend to have such mild winters (off and on) that we get a little bit of expanded seasonal outdoorsy opportunities from early fall through late spring...tennis, golf, fishing...and maybe driving with the top down even during some of our winter days... ;-) I think my wife mostly wants to be able to put the top down now and then, but not with a high level of frequency.

My wife's commute can be similar to what you describe, but it fluctuates...and she is able to work from home a couple of days per week, so she doesn't get the weekly commuting grind she used to have. Still, there will be some drives in heavy Houston traffic. I appreciate the thoughts on visibility. I do like a vehicle that allows you to see what's coming up behind and we definitely ARE talking about Houston traffic here, which can be pretty bad during morning and evening commutes. We've only test driven the Mini Cooper S convertible under average traffic conditions, but not in heavy, rush-hour traffic -- so that's something to consider for sure. Yes, definitely a consideration.

My wife is coming off 12 years of driving an 2007 Acura MDX. It is a great driving SUV (for what now is an older one). Repair history with the MDX has been a little up and down, but only a couple of semi-major things in the years she's had it, and some of that covered under original warranty. Overall, it's been a great vehicle, but her model gets pretty bad gas mileage with 4 wheel drive and using premium fuel. I'd compare the mileage of her MDX to driving a pickup truck, like I do. Maybe 16 mpg combined, if that. I'm sure the mileage benefits of the Mini over the Acura MDX will be fairly significant over the course of each year's worth of fuel expenses.

Thanks for the tip on checking out the third generation forum. I've been so busy that last handful of days that I haven't been able to explore the forum in depth. I will do so.

Al

(Edit: Hey, the forum is letting me post longer replies now.)

 

Welcome, So you are looking for an F57 gen 3 sections are what you need. Thats a great color combo, I have seen a lot with that interior and tmelting silver, BRGII, and Aqua. Not too many in the chili red. Good luck with the search.

 

We've got one lined up in the color combination that my wife likes if we want it. I also think the combination is really sharp looking. It also looked good in one of the light blue ones we saw -- Electric Blue Metallic, I think, with the Chesterfield Malt Brown and also the Pepper White with the Chesterfield Malt Brown. Finding the Chili Red and Chesterfield Malt Brown in the S convertible was a bit difficult. If we get it, my wife will at least have a semi-unique interior/exterior combination.

 

Hi and welcome to NAM, varuscelli!
I hope you find the right car for you guys. Minis' are just so fun to drive! We wish you the best in your search for the perfect Mini!

 

Thanks a bunch for the welcome, ItsmeWayne. I think we've found pretty much the exact Mini that my wife wants immediately available from overseas with no need to go through the specific ordering process. From what the dealership has told us, it looks like we'd be able to take delivery in a relatively short time if we pull the trigger on it.
Here's roughly what we would have coming, maybe without the stripes -- but both my wife and I like that option. I could see going either way with the stripes.

 

I like the stripes on Minis'. I think it is what gives them the fun look! The beauty is they are easily removed and replaced, to your desires!
The one you are showing here is really nice looking and would certainly be a fun ride to bring youth to the driver and riders!
I know when I got my first Mini, it made me feel young and happy every time I drove it. At 69, everyday I drive mine, it still makes me feel young! These are the only cars that have ever made me feel this way! We need more fun in our lives!

 

Great reply, ItsmeWayne! We're both in our early 60s...and I think it's time for one of these. The photo is just the mockup, but that's basically what we have our eyes on. :-)

 

I look forward to seeing your new Mini and renewed youth!
It is funny,I did not like the stripes in my 06 MCS JCW, but then I thought, it is unique and why not keep it! Now I am glad, as it says what the 06 MCS is!


Gotta love the different models! Love my little 06!