Hi -- After 31 years of living in the Washington, D.C. suburbs without a car (disclaimer: I'm just four blocks from two different Metro stations) I bought my first car ever, a 2011 Horizon Blue Metallic MC hatchback. Brought it home from Passport Mini in Alexandria on August 22 and I'm in luuuuuuuvvve!

Anyway, since it's been so long since I've driven and it's my first car, I have a couple of dopey questions.

First, my baby has automatic transmission. I notice it makes pretty audible sounds when it revs while I'm starting up after being stopped at a light. A friend warned me against jackrabbiting after stops, and maybe I'm guilty, but I'm not sure if this is normal sounds to be expected or not. Also, I noticed the engine revs up to 3,000 when climbing a steep hill and it takes a little time to get up and go. With so many maniac drivers in D.C. (too many type A personalities?) no one has the patience for the driver ahead of them to slowly pick up speed, so I'm feeling some pressure.

Maybe I should have bought the S? Otherwise, I don't really have any complaints at all. She does great on the highways.

Second, I live in a historic district that has little off-street parking and almost no garages. My dealership does free car washes, which is great, but how far do I have to go to maintain the finish? Saw something on this or another forum and it sounded like some people think constant waxing and detailing is necessary. What's reasonable since I have to leave it parked on the street all the time.

Many thanks!

 

Welcome to NAM, z_mini.

I think both auto and manual MCs make a lot of noise (a straining sound) when their pedals are mashed to the floor for a quick launch from a traffic light. Our MC moves off about as quickly, and with less straining noise, with a slightly more gradual throttle input.

I'm certainly no detail geek, but there seem to be no limits to how far some will go to keep their cars shiny, and it seems like the boutique products that produce the deepest shine have the shortest half-life. Fortunately, the clear coats on modern cars do a much better job at protecting the paint, so you can pretty much choose whatever polishing/waxing schedule suits you. We detail inside and out about twice a year; not nearly enough according to some.

The summer heat and sun seem to take the greatest toll on the exterior and interior. A good car cover helps to protect both. We first got a custom MINI partial cover that just covers the top and all glass to reduce interior heat build-up; but later went to a full cover which goes down far enough to even protect the tires.

 

Yes, welcome!

FWIW, after the initial break-in you'll probably find it's gonna smooth out a bit. And that it's probably "peppy" enough for D.C. driving, I'd think the S might actually have the opposite effect of too much "oomph" (frustration).

(I noted the comment on "historic district", Old Town Alexandria, per chance? Used to vacation in that area every Spring, my Mom grew up in Alexandria - my parents met when my Dad was stationed at Ft. Belvoir.)

 

Stay away from passports wash...

A good touchless is the best alternative to handwashing, im in springfield, what area are you in, i know most of their locations in the area.

 

Yes, I am in Old Town Alexandria -- home to a herd of Minis. There's something like 10 just in a two or three block radius around my house.

I've heard good things about detailing by K&G over on Oakville Ave. in Del Ray. Other recommendations close by? What about the Yates brushless car wash?

Leslie

 

A touchless car wash will stip out any wax/sealant in your paint, the car won't be protected and it'll be more easily scratched.

 

I stick to the touchless in merrifield. Like FerRrari said, he is partially right, some touchless car washes do use harsher chems than others. I found the one at sunoco in merrifield to not do reduce the wax life and keeps it beading. If i were to take it to shell in lorton it would strip it clean.

 

Ive found the power washing at fairfax circle works really well and deff dont dealership wash. i washed my car one time before i went to get some work done and i forgot to tell them no was. my car came out 3 times more dirtier than it went in. i swear they just take a tub of recycling water and just spray it all over your car.

 

Since someone mentioned stripping off the wax, all car wash detergents will strip (wear off) the wax layer; even when you hand wash. You can stretch the wax job a bit longer by using very little of the car wash concentrate in your wash bucket when you wash; just enough to remove the dirt. Actually it's the polish (clay bar, etc.) before the wax that smoothes the surface and provides much of the shine.

I can't believe I'm saying this after truthfully claiming that I'm no detail ****.

 

The MC does have a bit of trouble with steep hill climbing. In my stick shift, it's easily remedied by aggressive downshifting and a little prior planning. I had no issues passing on inclines at 100MPH, but it takes some work. Do you have paddle shifters? I don't know much about the different options for the auto boxes, but if you can drop down a gear right before the incline, that should help.