What You Hate Most about Your Mini???
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 353
Likes: 0
From: Central VA
I've been reading some people's hates in their Mini's.
I'm very suprised at some of the comments.
Which side fuel door on, cupholders, door locks, etc.
You should be happy with what you have.
A 1960's british car included these fine features:
No cupholders
Plastic sliding windows that leaked in a sunshower.
Convertible top frames that had to be assemblied before you could put top up.
Convertible tops that leaked when they were up.
Heaters that did not heat.
No A/C
Positive ground electrical systems.
Lucas electrics (The Prince of Darkness)
Windsheild wipers that did not wipe.
Seats that felt like you were sitting on a piece of plywood with cotton ball cushioning.
SU Carbs (What's FI?)
Wire wheels with 8 broken spokes.
Brakes that did not stop.
Lever suspension
4" wide tires
Cars that came pre rusted by the factory.
Cars that required 4 hours of maintence to go on a 1 hour drive.
Cars that are no longer produced, Austin Healey, MG, Triumph, etc.
My only regret that I didn't buy a MINI earlier.
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Long Branch, NJ
"Hate" might be too strong a word, but I "disliked":
MINIs approach to recalls and known design flaws
Using premium fuel
Unnecessarily complicated gadgetry
Over-emphasis on performance
Price increases
Any MINI bigger than then a coupe
Of course, there was a lot that I did like, but in the end I bailed and found a mini-car that seemed equally Mini to me...in some ways not as good, but in some ways actually better.
MINIs approach to recalls and known design flaws
Using premium fuel
Unnecessarily complicated gadgetry
Over-emphasis on performance
Price increases
Any MINI bigger than then a coupe
Of course, there was a lot that I did like, but in the end I bailed and found a mini-car that seemed equally Mini to me...in some ways not as good, but in some ways actually better.
What's too complicated about MINI?
MINI has been a performance brand since 1964.
All cars increase in price between 1-2% per model year.
clubman is 11 inches longer and 1 inch taller, countryman is only 15 inches longer 4 inches wider and 6 inches longer.
I like this thread but I don't like MINI owners who aren't motorers or brand enthusiasts. MINI isn't practical and hopefully afaic it stays that way.
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 48
Likes: 0
From: Long Branch, NJ
Love the car.Only complaints are:
1.Lack of adequate instrumentation
2.Not quite enough punch( stock)
3.Runflats
The foregoing are easily remedied (it's only money!,right?).I wouldn't even think of trading it despite the protestations(and the refusal to ride in it on any sort of run outside of our metro area!) of my gal who shudders in fear every time she sees a semi truck.She insists we take the big ol' crewcab Silverado.What's a fella to do?
Cheers all,
Rod
1.Lack of adequate instrumentation
2.Not quite enough punch( stock)
3.Runflats
The foregoing are easily remedied (it's only money!,right?).I wouldn't even think of trading it despite the protestations(and the refusal to ride in it on any sort of run outside of our metro area!) of my gal who shudders in fear every time she sees a semi truck.She insists we take the big ol' crewcab Silverado.What's a fella to do?
Cheers all,
Rod
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 79
Likes: 1
The ONLY thing I hate about my Mini is that I bought it at a crappy dealership.
Passport Mini has the most rude and arrogant service of any dealership that I have ever visited in the almost 30 years that I have been driving
The problem started out very small. My temporary tags were about to expire and I either needed new temp tags or to get confirmation that my permanent tags were en route to me.
It took literally a dozen emails and phone messages, including one of each for the general manager of the dealership.
The only response that I got after a solid week of phoning and emailing was a voice mail saying "we have no record of you purchasing a car, you are not in our system."
Come to find out that although I paid the down payment and we made it VERY clear that it was my car and I would be both paying for it and driving it, they filed all of the paper work in my fiance's name.
Once we dealt with that problem (or so I thought) they told me that the person who should have gotten my tags -- that they charged me $400 for!- had quit and they were behind.
No apology, but they did offer to overnite a new set of temporary tags, so I was a little miffed about the rudeness and sexism, but not SERIOUSLY upset.
That happened the next day when I got home from work and discovered a notice from Fed Ex that they needed a signature for the package and that it could be picked up at their Chantilly facility.
That is when mild irritation turned into white hot anger.
When I handed them my driver's license and the slip, Fed Ex told me that they could not release the package to me because Passport had sent my tags to my fiance and he was the only one who could sign for them.
A few days later, I got an email saying that I would be getting a survey in the mail and to please let them know if there was any reason why I would not give them top marks.
I replied and told them exactly why I was unhappy with their dealership, and cc'd the general manager.
They way that they dealt with my unhappiness?
I never got the survey from Mini.
I guess that is one way to deal with an unhappy customer.
Passport Mini has the most rude and arrogant service of any dealership that I have ever visited in the almost 30 years that I have been driving
The problem started out very small. My temporary tags were about to expire and I either needed new temp tags or to get confirmation that my permanent tags were en route to me.
It took literally a dozen emails and phone messages, including one of each for the general manager of the dealership.
The only response that I got after a solid week of phoning and emailing was a voice mail saying "we have no record of you purchasing a car, you are not in our system."
Come to find out that although I paid the down payment and we made it VERY clear that it was my car and I would be both paying for it and driving it, they filed all of the paper work in my fiance's name.
Once we dealt with that problem (or so I thought) they told me that the person who should have gotten my tags -- that they charged me $400 for!- had quit and they were behind.
No apology, but they did offer to overnite a new set of temporary tags, so I was a little miffed about the rudeness and sexism, but not SERIOUSLY upset.
That happened the next day when I got home from work and discovered a notice from Fed Ex that they needed a signature for the package and that it could be picked up at their Chantilly facility.
That is when mild irritation turned into white hot anger.
When I handed them my driver's license and the slip, Fed Ex told me that they could not release the package to me because Passport had sent my tags to my fiance and he was the only one who could sign for them.
A few days later, I got an email saying that I would be getting a survey in the mail and to please let them know if there was any reason why I would not give them top marks.
I replied and told them exactly why I was unhappy with their dealership, and cc'd the general manager.
They way that they dealt with my unhappiness?
I never got the survey from Mini.
I guess that is one way to deal with an unhappy customer.
5th Gear
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 771
Likes: 1
From: Port Orange, Florida
Depends on what year you have -- my 64 had a top thast folded up and went in the trunk and a framework that would have defied Einstein until you learned what plugged into what and how it unfolded -- a real finger pincher. My 70 had a top that just folded back into the space behind the seats, but it sometimes took a gorilla to get it back up.
6th Gear
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,260
Likes: 87
From: Pacific NW
Lol, I wonder when MG forgot how to make convenient tops!? I also have a '52 MGTD, the top swings up easily with one hand, of course it has no side windows, just sidecurtains that I never put up.
Dave
Dave
Neutral
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Inside rear view mirror
1)The inside rear view mirror plastic trim around the glass is too wide blocks to much of the view out the small windshield
2)Aerodynamics the wind drag is to high need to rake the windshield back a bit improving stoplight visibility and lower the area of the hood between the headlights. Sorta like Porsche.
Otherwise great car no rattles no problems
2010 Mini S w/ premium package man trans
2)Aerodynamics the wind drag is to high need to rake the windshield back a bit improving stoplight visibility and lower the area of the hood between the headlights. Sorta like Porsche.
Otherwise great car no rattles no problems
2010 Mini S w/ premium package man trans
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,461
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver, WA
Come Home Safe so you can drive that New MINI of yours!! 
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Delaware
I can live with the run flats until I need new tires. I can live without cup holders, I don't drink or eat while driving. I've had to clean brake dust off a lot of my cars over the years. Arm rests?? Y'all got arm rests? I just hate those sun visors. They're useless for blocking the side window.
5th Gear
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 668
Likes: 0
From: South Florida
I hate that there is not a little compartment where I can store all my loose change for meters and the tire air pumps.
But I really hate that there are not more MINI events for me to go to in my area!
But I really hate that there are not more MINI events for me to go to in my area!
4th Gear
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 391
Likes: 0
From: Bergen County, New Jersey