Started with research into best MPG cars (excluding hybrids). Saw the MINI at or near the top of the list. Provoked recall of "Italian Job". Next was a test drive. Then the order. Now I'm motoring. All is well that ends well. Can't stop smilin'.

I always liked the look of the new MINI. Never conssidered buying one until my fiancee was looking for a new car. She said lets go play at the MINI dealer. One test drive and we were hooked! Finding out about the gas mileage afterwards was a bonus too. The last thing we asked ourselves was the same question in that Cadillac commercial. "When you turn on your car, does it turn you on too?" I couldn't believe how much fun this car was to drive and have the benefits of great MPG! SOLD! Awaiting delivery now!

I got tired of my '94 BMW breaking down

I was actually at the dealer getting a fuel pump relay for the bimmer and I went through the mini show room when I left. Took a look inside a Mini and had to sit in it. Once I sat in it I had to drive it. Once I drove it I had to have it. Ordered one within the month.

My story actually started with a test drive of a BMW 540i in 2003. I had been driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee for about 7 years at the time. I suppose I was starting to get the itch to get out of an SUV and into a car. Anyway, after the test drive I was highly impressed and at the time thought, "that's the car for me." Alas, looking at prices, it was clear it would be a long time before I would ever get one.

Sometime after that, saw "The Italian Job" remake and thought, "hmm, a Mini would be a good alternative to the 540." Fast, sporty, looked good, and probably not nearly as expensive. Did a little research and started keeping an eye on them as a realistic option. Well, realistic in my eyes at least (wife was not so sure).

After a wreck, I ended up first in a Ford Explorer, then a Plymouth Grand Voyager (currently for sale). Dark days indeed, though they were practical as I was doing the majority of kid-hauling at the time.

The urge for a Mini probably notched up quite a bit when I was driving along one day thinking to myself, "wouldn't it be cool to have a red and white Mini to drive to NCSU football games? It would be a lot cooler to have all my State paraphernalia on a Mini than on my honkin' big green mini-van." This was probably the event that pushed Mini to the coveted spot of dream car versus everything else being something I settled for. (As an aside, my wife says we will not be able to take the Mini to any football games due to having to haul the kids there along with the tailgating supplies. I'm holding out hope that the kids may not be able to attend the FSU game on a Thursday as it will be a school night, though I am no longer so keen on slapping cheap-a** flags on my windows.)

Then last fall I started a new job that involves a 30-mile one-way commute. Keeping gas in the van was not fun and frankly, it seemed wasteful to drive a mini-van for one person that far to work each day. The gas mileage became a nice selling-point at that point in time.

Started looking into used Mini's (plan was to keep the van when necessary to haul kids), but my wife surprised me and agreed a new one was the way to go. I think she may have felt a little sorry for me since I don't play golf, go hunting, etc. - pretty much a hobby-less life. (She does not feel nearly so sorry anymore given all the boxes for the Mini that keep showing up now!) Took a test drive to compare MC vs. MCS as well as how the R56's drove compared to the R53's we had been test driving. Drove off the lot with Mr. Mini Wuf that day (well, almost night after all the paperwork was complete).

I first saw the mini in Germany.. flying past me in my big ole chevy blazer on the autobahn.. it started there.. the mini sightings.. the anticipation of it whizzing by me.. I went and ordered one @ the dealership in Germany, never test drove one, never sat in one.. just saw it.. the rest is history!

Ditto!!!

I wanted one back in early 2002 sometime. The Hubby's remark was something about me liking a tin can and paying $23,000 for it. He now wishes he would've caved in then. I paid just a bit more than that after all my wanted options.

The real buying factor was that Hubby got his highly desired 2007 Shelby GT500. He found that I was spending too much time in the drivers seat myself and loving it. So he mentioned something about what happen to me wanting the Mini. That's all it took. That weekend I was looking.

Gas mileage wasn't even a consideration at the time, but it sure is an excellent advantage at the present time.

Speed, superb handling, styling, fuel efficiency. Pugnaciious bulldog look. Eccentric. Got hooked on the test drive, especially after I did the doughnut.

Not to mention the passion of MINI owners. And MINIspeak like bonnet, boot, cockpit, cabin, speedo, head lamps, fog lamps, etc.

And the greatest rush of all -- becoming one with the MINIverse.

CROC 411

My first experience was in Germany, too. The day I came back from my first long deployment, I came back to find that my SO had let the mechanics on post "service" my hoopdee (read: bum around cheap car) Fiat. Yeah...he took off in his car to his new work place (I was supposed to follow), and long story short: I was left having to PUSH the completely DEAD car back from the autobahn to the freakin' mechanics shop. Did I mention it was about three miles away? I was SO very pissed.

Anyway, I told him I wanted to look at a new car, and since we were in Europe, it was a great opportunity to buy a nice one with German engineering for less than in the US -- this being said, he had just bought a BMW while I was gone. I originally looked at the Mercedes small SUV (like the one in Bourne Supremacy that got crashed in the tunnel.) I happened across the Mini dealership before I got to the Mercedes dealership, and thought, hey, why not? Test drove it and LOVED it pretty much from the first minute. It was pretty much love at first sight.

Then the SO told me, "you don't really need something like THAT." HHAA! Tell me something like that, and you're in trouble, buddy. I went the next day and bought one of the demo models in BRG. I'm now very happily on my SECOND Mini, and I will never stop driving them. I kept the SO (and married the bugger -- he has just learned [quickly] not to tell me stupid things like that) and have almost turned him to the "dark" side of the MINIverse.... heheh heheheh...

Seriously? It was the commercial (below) that got me onto the MINIUSA website. (I still laugh everytime I see it!) That led to three months of online "research", then finally, the "screw it- I'm young!". It was quirky- no one I knew even knew what it was, and I was tired of driving a 4-door and never having any passengers. Turns out, it was the most practical car I've ever owned!

So my Saturn was getting old (11yrs 290000 miles ) still a very good car but getting old. I had seen the new MINI at the NY Autoshow in '02. Was very impressed with the transition from original to new, but figured since it was BMW it would likely be out of my reach. So after test driving several different I find myself passing a MINI dealer in Southampton and thought 'I'd at least like to drive one.

Done, no turning back from there.

Simple on my part.

1. Gas mileage was horrendous on my former 2006 Mustang GT and was costing a small fortune since the gas prices skyrocketed !!

2. Longer factory warranty then average.

3. Free maintenance for 3 years or 36,000 miles.

And finally I just love to drive it all the time and a very tight knit community.

I wanted something with better gas mileage than my SUV, but wanted more than a "starter" car. Besides, I've always driven non-mainstream cars, usually sports cars and the MINI just seemed to fit. The test drive definitely sold me. When the MA found out I used to do a lot of autocrossing, he kept pushing me to keep up speed around corners -- I did, and that was all it took. I took the option sheet home, spent the evening "building" cars on MINIUSA, and ordered my car the next morning. Great decision on my part.

After 4 1/2 years of terrible service at GM while my wife's mini got incredible service and a loaner every time she went in for 4 1/2 years with her 03 mini, I was sold. I also got tired of her beating me at autoX events!
The real deal for me was when I brough a 3' X 4' painting to the dealer and it fit in the back of the clubman!

After a 96 Z3, 99 M3, and 04 M3, I wanted a more "puristic" driving experience. I saw a bunch of MINIs at a show in October of 2007. Three weeks later I had mine ordered and got it in December.

I know some people don't believe me when I tell them that it is considerably more fun to drive than either M3, but it is!

I always have driven pickup trucks with a few cars sprinkled in , between getting another truck.
Thought I may get a motorcycle for the fun factor . Then thought I would get a classic camaro or mustang Pre 1970 . Would cost about the same as a new car but would be way cooler . This was all about 2 years ago when , gas prices started to climb. Did not want the typical sedan or econo box looking for something fun and looked different then the run of mill next door neighbor car.
Same time liked the looks of the Mini . Then I test drove a used one at a VW dealership down in Freehold NJ . I was sold not only did it look different than anything else on the road it was a blast to drive . The kicker is it gets gas mileage similar to a motorcycle and yet I can stay dry and warm and listen to music in my sport seats. Woot ! Mini's Rule !

i've never been a car nut. i just wanted something economical and easy to park in the city. little did i know what i got myself into. my poor wife. the things she has to put up with now.

I wanted a Mini for as long as I remember, probably started when I saw photos of Paul McCartney in a green one during Beatlemania. Then I saw the new MINI in 2002 or 2003 and it was just love at first sight for me. I had seen them in mag writeups and such, but then when I saw them in the Italian Job, I couldn't stop thinking about one. I think I had about 50 creations on the configurator. The new MINI just looked alive to me, like it had such an animated spirit.

Due to having a practical side, we did not consider buying one till the Clubman was introduced. I still get to feed my hotrod heart, but also have room for a load of groceries (3 teen sons = lots of groceries) or dufflebags of college gear when returning my collegebound twins to campus. (I can take either their gear OR them, but probably not gear AND 2 6ft+sons, hmm...might need to buy a 2nd MINI!)

We have a 1994 Caddy and 1999 Astro van. Thought we well deserved a beautiful new fun car. We can only afford one mid-life crisis in this marriage, so me and my sweet husband of 23yrs are going to share this one!

living where all the roads are twisty and the nearest stop light is 45 minutes away

I don't even know what actually started it. I must have just seen one on the freeway or something. And I was well overdue for a new car, so I started researching online. Came across NAM, and someone here encouraged me to go test-drive.

I did, and once back at the dealership I sat down immediately to place my order

I bought a used one 3 weeks ago so loaded and so happy i bought it instead of a bug.....so yesterday ordered a red one with navi..... I am in love

Always wanted an original Mini but was afraid to have it as my primary car. I read of BMW's resurrection plans of a new Mini and knew I'd buy one when they were introduced, just had to wait. And wait. And then some.

Then, when the '02s arrived I wasn't financially able to buy anything new. So, I waited a year and a half and was ready to buy when I realized there was the dreaded 'waiting list'. How could I not have known? 11 months later I received the 'little black bulldog', an '04 R53.

Good mileage was just an added bonus, I had mostly irrational, even lustful reasons for wanting this car. It goes way back to my uncle's Cooper 1275 S - and a love for small, high-performance European cars. We've got other more common cars that will come and go but this will be ours for a very long time.

Great responses! We have really enjoyed reading about what got everyone into a mini. It's obviously love at first test drive that seals the deal!

Wow, it is fun to read why everybody came to purchase thier MINI's!!!

I had a 1997 BMW 328iS that was unfortunately a victim of ice. It was totaled so I had to look for a new vehicle. I first searched for comparable 97+ 328iS's but couldn't find any. I couldn't find any RWD coupes that I really liked, so I had to look at FWD coupes and sedans. I almost wound up with a 2004 SAAB 9-3 but fate stepped in. The day I went to purchase it, somebody else had snatched it up hours before hand.

My friend then suggested that I look at a MINI. I wasn't too sure, but after test driving one, I decided I really liked them. Found a used DS/B for a steal, paid a couple hundred over what they paid for it at auction since it had been sitting at the dealer for a while, and then it was all over. Now I am hooked! I know that I have MINIs in my future!

-Chase

That damn test drive! Like a drug you just want more & more.

The first time I saw one I knew I wanted one: cuteness factor.

The plan was for it to be a sort of "consolation prize" when I turned 40. Then several close family members had battles with cancer - one who didn't make it - didn't make it to *her* 40th. That brought it home...why wait?

Then... my MIL got one. I drove it...and we were ordering mine within the month. My hubby is hooked, too. I think we'll be a two mini family soon.