Down here in Louisiana, I'm selling a motorcycle and a ten year old Taurus and am thinking about a MINI. I need good gas mileage and some fun for my 60 mile RT daily commute. I want to spend as little $ as possible and I want a new car. I was bored to tears test driving the Toyota, Honda, and Mazda small cars. I used to have a New Beetle, but it self-destructed after three years. I've owned two Miatas.

I've been active on the motorcycle site, but need to change over to here to get some info to make my final decision. The 06 / 07 decision and the amount of time required to get one delivered worry me.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Biggest differences in 06-07, is in the JCW package. In 07 they're going to turbo's instead of the current supercharger.

I haven't been as excited about owning a car since I bought my MGB in 1975. One of the early Mini ads, called them the 4-Crotch, Crotch Rocket. It's so true. You haven't said, but have you test driven one yet?

 

I test-drove an '02 MC from the dealer's used car lot that squeaked, rattled and had a non-functioning sunroof. Needless to say, I was underwhelmed except for the handling ! Like it was on rails!

I'm hoping it was a demo of the worst it could get? I still like the car.

Budget demands that I only consider a MC with very few options. I work for the state and budgets are uncertain after last year's hurricanes.

Just can't see myself in a Civic or Corolla.

Thanks

 

Here are some things to keep in mind between 06s and 07s.

MINIs, while being overall reliable vehicles, do have a lot of little quirks about them. There were WAY more issues/quirks with the 02 then with the 06, simply because they fixed most of them.

The 07 is a completely new model and no doubt, like the 02, it's going to have a boat load of quirky little issues.

The 07 also takes a new design in some areas. I guess that's a personal taste but from what I've seen so far, I don't like it as much as the current model. (I have an 05)

As far as you loving motorcycles, gromit801 was right. It really is a 4-crotch crotch rocket. When we (NAMmers) all head down to the Dragon, all of the crotch rocket hot shots are amazed that we keep right on their tails.

My suggestion: take one for a test drive. An MC, a MCS, and a JCW. See which one suits your pocket book and your fancy the best. I can honestly tell you that you won't be dissapointed by any of them.

 

Shank is correct. Go drive a NEW one, so you have a basis of comparison if you still should happen to buy a used one. Then you'll know what a Mini is SUPPOSED to be like!

 

Personally...for any one on a budget...there is nothing wrong (and a lot right) with a basic, stripped down (mostly) Cooper. I am a big, big fan. Keep the car relatively light and it comes alive....very well balanced. It runs counter to certain marketplace logic, but it is so.

The MINI you test drove sounded like a pretty weak example. As for the '06/'07 question...keep researching and make the best decision you can. The '06s are very well-developed. The '07s may turn out to be ablosutely fantastic, but, given the massive changes in store, at this point are an unknown quantity. We're all anxiously watching that one.