Dear All,

I have a beloved 2009 sky blue Mini. It's got 219000 miles, and had some engine issues. My husband strongly felt it was time for a new car. So of course I wanted a Mini. I looked around, found one near by and it seemed like a good deal so I got it yesterday. It's a new to me 2017, 42000 miles. Y'all at this point I just do not like it. Please, please change my mind!

It doesn't have a secret compartment! It doesn't have the dinner plate speedometer. It has a clunky and hard to use stupid computer thing that if I tried to use while driving I'd kill someone or myself. I sat in the car for an *hour* after work today trying to get the radio to display like I wanted it-nope.

It does drive nicely and I enjoy driving it, but I don't know, it's just not as cute somehow.

I don't love gadgets but I'm not computer illiterate or anything-I have to use one for my job.

Please list why this car is really nicer than I"m thinking. I also feel like an ungrateful pig because my husband sweetly put down the down payment and I know he can see I'm not happy!

Thanks in advance for words of wisdom!

Regards,
Andrea

 

With technology creep and new features that the general public and expect out of newer models I think MINI has done a good job but is still behind the curve substantially when it comes to music and phone integration. I found my 2014 F56 hatchback (with the technology package) a bit cumbersome to use and when using Spotify some artwork would lag behind a few songs and sometimes would just display the first song I listened to and never move on....so I tend to agree that it's not as good as what you'll find in other models such as Volvo or Mercedes, etc.

 

My MINI is a first generation so I can’t provide a MINI specific answer but I know exactly how you feel. My daily driver is a Mazda3. I reluctantly upgraded from the 3rd generation to the 4th since my son needed a car and my wife wanted me to give him mine. The new car is softer with worse visibility but honestly better in every other way. The problem is I loved the old car as it was and the differences were annoying.

Being a CPA, taking a loss on a new car is out of the question.

I decided to focus on what I like about the new car and the advantages and ignore the differences between the two.

I now like it for what it is and don’t think about what it is not (even with my beloved 3rd generation parked outside our house during the pandemic.)

 

Dig the Owners Manual out of the glovebox, and let it guide you through setting things up in your Mini so they are more familiar.

It’s tough getting used to a newer car, when you loved an old one so much.

Minis are like family pets, you lose an old one and get a new one, but it’s not the same.