I was just wondering what were the circumstances or reason that led to someone buying thier MINI? Was it MPG? The "Cute" Factor? the fact that you would be a part of something special? To get attention. A Fatal/Attraction/Obbsession kind of thing. or all of thr above?

 

It's the greatest car on the face of the planet. I needed no other reasons. There is none higher. Sure, there are other cars I'd love to have, as they're fast/sexy/capable. But I know of no other car with the combination of features offered by a MINI.

There simply is nothing cooler

 

i test drive it and love it

 

drove one on a used car lot...I was hooked

 

Saw one, made my wife "look" at one online, she had a 73 super beetle, loves cute cars, had to have one. I test drove one, had a huge shitty grin on my face after the "s" curve onramp at 80mph, and again, had to have one. plus the MINI cult you get to join is a fantastic group of happy people with fun little cars. Not to mention the awesome gas mileage.

 

I saw one in 2002 and said "When I wear my truck out, I'm getting one of those". Unfortunately, my truck was a 1992 Toyota 4WD. I didn't actually wear it out, and after 307,600 miles, one clutch, a bunch of brake jobs, 3 radiators, and 4 or 5 windshields, I finally put it out to pasture ( sold it to a neighbor ).

My 2008 all Oxy-Blue Cooper certainly gets attention the truck never got!

Bill in P.G.

 

I had never even sat in one until the day I test drove MS MINIVER and bought her from a used car dealer in New Jersey. I had always wanted a classic Mini, and then when the new generation MINI's came along I always dreamed of owning one. The one I bought came along at the right time at the right place and at the right price. You will never convince me that it was anything other than an absolute gift from God!

 

Two reasons...

One: I was moving towards getting a classic Mini in 2002 and had pretty much little interest in the new MINI 'til i started checking out the details. Here was a MINI that would be a great daily driver, such was the safety and amenity (like AC) features. So, I did what is called "transference of obsession" and ordered my first MINI in November 2002.

Two: I wanted a daily driver that compared price-wise with the typical commuter cars of the time. I bought a Cooper (my MINI of choice to this day) and, feature for feature, feel like I got an exceptional automotive value. Nevermind the superb handling.

 

Our story is that we needed to trade our gas guzzling SUV for a better MPG car- we were looking at the Honda Fit. We always had thought that the coopers we had seen around were really cute. After test driving the Fit, Corolla, Cobalt, Yaris, and Scion XD, a used mini drove into the dealership... we test drove it and that's all she wrote. We had to have one!!
Although they wanted as much for that '05 silver MCS with 40K miles as a new one would cost us- the search was on- we had to find our baby! After searching like some obsessed addict for a CR MCS already to go with just our specificatons for the price we wanted to give-we found one! We didn't even know about this forum- the cult of MINI- or the clubs!
So, in the 1st two weeks of having her, we are Crocs! I made a MINI shirt! Registered for Boston MTTS-and I'm ruining the grass by parking in the yard just so I can see it from my kitchen window!
What's your story?

 

Definitely a fatal attraction/obsession kind of thing ...from the first moment I saw one in 2002. They are cooler than cool.

Dean.

 

I took a test drive and was intrigued. About an hour or two later my right foot began to hurt, like a painful limb falling asleep sensation. That evening as I took off my shoes and socks I seemed to have a bruise on the top of my right foot. It was a bit scary as the bruise seemed to spell out "More Fun!" Well, the pain got worse and the "bruise" more pronounced until I placed my order the next week. The pain continued and the bruise remained until I took delivery, at which point the pain immediately subsided. The 27 mile drive home somehow took me 90 miles. That night it seems that the bruising changed to read "Thank You!", and it faded entirely over the following week. So basically I had to buy one, or risk my foot being asleep for the rest of my life. No regrets though.

 

My wife & my kids.

My daily driver was a Miata, however that fails to pass muster as a legal and safe kid hauler. Since that functionality was "strongly requested", I needed a Miata with a back seat. Ta da!

 

Don't worry about the bruise! I posted "My Mini makes my heart beat fast!" https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=141279 relating my many ailments since I drove 409 miles to drive my Mini home!

 

Shortly after we got engaged and decided to buy a home together, my SO and I were watching... you got it... The Italian Job. I had been thinking about buying one for several months. While watching the movie, I told her, "if we find a house that makes your commute longer, I'll buy you one of those".

She thought I was kidding.

Two months later, she found out I was not.

 

I think the overall look of the car and of course The Italian Job first caught my attention. Talked about "my MINI" for the next 5-6 years while paying off the Escort ZX2 and the mini-van. Finally went for a test drive and that was it. It was just too much fun!!!

 

Had always liked the looks of them. Then one day decided to stop in at a used dealer just to drive one. That's all she wrote. Funny thing is, I wasn't really ready to buy financially, but after having so much fun in the driver seat I was determined to make it happen.

 

I needed to sell my '95 Mustang GT for something more practical (it was un-driveable in winter snow). I am not the type of person to buy a basic "appliance" for transportation, and while shopping for a new car with some fun driving appeal, I came across the MINI.

I had seen them before and was intrigued by the new design for a year or two, but nothing serious. Then one day I took a day off work, packed up my wife and my (then 5 y/o) son, and went up to the dealership to see if we could make it work size wise. Rest is history!

 

For me i was looking for the best performance I could get for a certain budget. MPG's also played a role. I like the idea of driving something different than most (a Camry is like driving death to me) and was iconic. A car that had a real community behind it. Put all that together and there is only one choice. And I still don't own it yet. It arrives this week and I am sure I will love it even more.

 

The thought had always been rattling around in there somewhere. With a family I always figured a Mini would be too small. But then came the Clubman. The moment I saw it I knew there was a chance. The motivating factor was the gas mileage. The prerequisite was the ability to haul a mountain bike around. I loaded the bike into the back of the gas guzzling hemi pickup and headed for the Mini dealer. We drove the demo unit, parked it next to the truck, unloaded the bike, dropped the seats and opened the barn doors...Score! (with a bit of persuading). What started as a vehicle purchase has turned into an obsession. And I don't even have the car yet! Thanks to the rest of y'all it didn't take long to get sucked in.

 

I had two Pontiac V8's (2004 GTO and 2000 Firehawk), and had recently gotten married. Wife needed (and deserved) a new vehicle, so my GTO needed to be replaced with something more cost effective. As I wasn't willing to settle for "ordinary transportation", I narrowed my choices down to a few vehicles, and ended up with my MCS. I still miss some aspects of the GTO from time to time, but I'm very happy with the Mini. And I still was able to keep one of my muscle cars and my wife happy!

 

I needed a car that could handle drivers 6'3" tall (:

 

There is so many reasons why I chose the Mini. Overall, I think it came down to the fun factor. I love the way the car looks. The thing I love even more is how it handles. Also, the community. I can't see myself driving any other car. It puts a smile on my face everyday.

 

I wanted a CRX with a back seat.

(of course I got 100,000 times more
in comfort, performance, and cool factor)

 

Several factors played a role in my decision to buy a Mini (actually 2).
1. I've been intrigued by the car since seeing "The Italian Job" remake.
2. I have a 70 mile commute to work every day.
3. I drove a Lincoln Navigator prior to my Mini purchase on the commute mentioned above.
4. I researched the leg room and head room and was amazed to find that for the driver, there was only roughly an inch difference between the Mini and my Navigator. (I'm 6'3")
5. I test drove an S after a co-worker let me drive her Mini.
6. My wife drove a Ford Explorer and had asked for something smaller "with a stick".
7. I ran the numbers and for what I was paying and would be paying for gas, I could get rid of both our SUVs and the gas savings alone would pay for my car note (Already had a note on my wife's vehicle)
8. Kids are both in college with their own cars, so we no longer needed the room of the big SUVs.
9. Couldn't afford a Porsche.
10. Small "economy cars" just aren't me.
11. There's nothing quite like a Mini on the road.
12. 172hp, 0-60 in less than 7 seconds, 30+ mpg, 6 airbags.
Just to name a few!

 

I test drove in 2002 and had my name on the waiting list. The practical side of me did not buy one at the time as I don't buy what I can't pay for with cash. Well I could have but too large of a percentage of savings at the time...

In 2006 my Jeep was ready to be replaced and I found my 2003 MCS. I can see more Mini's in my future.