Since I've had my Mini (2.5 months so far) I've had many inquiries into the car. The most common question is about cost, which is quickly follow by "my son/daughter wants one." Having graduated high school around kids fortunate enough (emphasis on fortune) to be given Lotus' and 'Vettes for graduation (and me in my $700 ride at the time). I know these folks are probably serious. My opinion is that the MCS is NOT a good car for beginning drivers. It's easy to over correct the steering, it's fast enough to get you into trouble and attention getting enough to want to show off in it. I think I'm better for having spent time driving my mother's Honda CRX in the past, otherwise, I don't think I would have been quite ready for my MCS when I got it. Opinions?

 

I agree about the MCS.

But an MC would be a FINE first car. Good style, color combinations, driveability...

Decent power for merging into highway traffic.

Decent safety with all of the airbags and reinforcements and crumple zones.

Decent gas mileage.

and ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE!

I say, MC is a fine first car.

 

I think the cooper makes a good first car. It is economical, good on gas and safe. I would rather have a highschooler driving a cooper than an SUV (they will drive it like a car anyway). Plus maybee they will want to get to know us old folk since we drive the same car and we can steer them on the corret way to motor :smile:

 

Well, bear in mind that there are a number of members on MCO who are either in High School or not far from it...and they have MINIs. So, opinions to the contrary are likely to be contested.

That said, I personally tend to believe that no high school student should have a brand new, $20K plus, car as his or her first car. As you point out, driving inexperience is just one problem. It's not just that the car's too fast...but I think I'd rather have my kid "learn" about proper maintenance, how not to drive off of curbs, parking, etc. in something that wasn't brand new and expensively destructable. I guess I'm of the school of thought that says that a safe (very important) beater purchased with ones own money is the way to go first time around. Leave the new car (and new car payments) to a time when a car can be a bit of a more legitimate priority in ones life.

OK, now let's hear from the opposition....

 

MCS = bad

MC = good

That said, I think there should be a law: all new drivers must spend their first 2 years (at least) in a late model car, preferably 10+ years old.* It's character building, it forces the driver to learn about car maintenance and teaches them how to react in icky situations, such as stalling in intersections, or engine death on the highway. In a hoopty (seriously, how do you spell that?) you learn how to drive far better, in my opinion, than you do in a perfectly running, brand-spankin'-new car. Just make sure they have AAA and a cell phone (prefereably one with NO minutes so they can't talk while driving).

And that's my opinion.

~Kelley

*disclaimer: My first years driving were actually spent in an oldish, well running car. When I got MY first car, however, it was an '86 Dodge Omni. I learned how not to panick during stalls and cut-outs, I learned about dieseling, filter changes, muffler hanging and general tinkering... and I am much better off.

 

When I was in high-school in CT, a lot of my friends and I had hand-me-down Volvos. Some very old. They were tough, safe, economical and reliable. Okay, they might have been slow and boring, but the 242GT a friend had looked kinda cool and my 164E actually had a pretty strong 3 liter inline 6.

Plus when some of us had accidents, we either kept driving them with dents, or survived with minor injuries after the car sacrificed itself.

My Dad's friend bought his son an old, cheap Mercedes 240D. Now THAT was slow, but we had a lot of fun with it and we felt mature and classy driving in it.

My point is, we were happy with old, safe, cheap used cars and didn't need a flashy new car. After all, if you get it all then, what do you have to look forward to in the future?

 

I tend to agree with jsun. I didn't really have a car until after high school when I bought a geo metro... and I beat that thing to hell. A high school student probably isn't going to take care of a car as nice as a Mini. I went to school with those "fortunate" kids also. They'd pull in with their brand new BMWs, Audis and Mercedes.... looking like there's five years of dirt on them, running like they've been at the drag strip all day, garbage piled up to the ankles in the front seat (mostly crumpled up speeding tickets they didn't want their parents knowing about), and a nice smell that ranked somewhere between gym socks and a full ashtray. Now these were all worse case scenarios, seeing as how I went to school with the pick of the litter, but it's a possible veriable when we're talking about high school students....

My personal belief is that a '92 honda civic is a nice car for a high school student.

 

I graduated last year from a private high school and have been going to calpoly for a year. I had a '91 Nissan Pathfinder, it was slow and safe, and survived 2 minor fender benders just fine. It has dings and dents, most of them not mine, and now it is being passed on to my brother. I think first cars should, more or less, be junkers. Most high school students don't want to spend time on a car or truly appreciate what they have. I went to school with some guys that had svt lightnings and new bmw's. They didn't care very much about their cars. They would race them and not do the necessary maintenance and were not responsibe drivers. heck, I carpooled all of high school. The only times I drove were when something happened so that I would have to. The reason I had a car was to drive to work and the store. I have been away from that for a year now. I don't think I could have handled a very nice car back then. I think I can now becuase I am ready to spend the time that would be required to keep the car in tip top shape.
PS high school students don't have any business owning rice rockets.

 

I think Dad took me too far in the opposite direction of the mini with my first car. He got me a 1961 Olds 98. Mind you, the car was just about 30 years old when I got it.

Back on topic, The standard cooper is definitely better than the S, it'd just be a shame to see one beat up like I see so many other new/late model cars the kids drive.

Dang I sound old, and I'm not even 30 yet. At least I'm not complaining about the volume of music, yet, just the quality...

 

well i guess im outnumbered, i have a MCS and it is my first car! i can drive it perfectly and have no doubts about it (except maybe safety). having the mini cooper is probably the cheapest car at my high school...lol............ its really disgusting. kids at my school get brand new 50,000 dollar cars such as BMW's, Yukons, Benzs, etc.... and they are nice ones, like M3's, Denali's, and E-classs....

it makes me want to throw up....

i didnt choose to get a MCS as my first car but now i love it and if my parents think it is OK for me than so do I.....

 

I'll add one more criteria. I think that ones first car should be a car where the driver can (and will) learn to perform all basic maintenance, and some not-so-basic stuff (e.g., belt replacement, alternator/water pump/radiator replacement, etc.). These are things that virtually anyone can do...and doing so will give a good first-hand lesson on basic mechanics. At very least, you will learn what makes your car run; and this will give you a greater appreciation for having it properly maintained (even if you don't do it yourself) when you have a "nice" car a bit later in life.

 

>>
>>i didnt choose to get a MCS as my first car but now i love it and if my parents think it is OK for me than so do I.....

So, you're saying that your parents bought you a brand new MCS as a first car...and you didn't even ASK for it?! )

 

the best way to learn responsibility for a car is to be partially financially responsible for it...for a HS'er that means GTO: gas, tires, oil and of course, bodywork due to the "learning curve".
By the grace of God, I survived my adolescent years learning in a '66 stang with a 289, '70 GTO w/ a blueprinted 400 :smile:
especially with run flats costing what they do...
well maybe now and again...

 

cheers zak!

my 1st car was a '67 mustang 289.
it was cheap and i learned basic mechanical maintenance because of it.

i even replaced my own radiator.

 

My first car was a late 70's early 80's nasty baby poo brown COMET - ever seen one of those beauties??! Considering it stalled around just about every corner I certainly learned plenty about cars and maintenance. Then I had a great little toyota tercell hatchback, where again I learned a lot from the mechanic and how to take care of a car. I'm glad I learned something with these cars. They certainly make me appreciate having a new car now. The MINI is my first new car...and of course, I love it!

 

Working hard and earning/buying your own car is a great experience. I do not believe children (no offense meant) under 20 should be given a brand new car.

That said, it is to bad the MINI ONE is not available in the US. This would be an excellent 3rd vehicle for families to have, to make available to teen drivers who have earned the privalige to drive with excellent performance in school, If you can't go fast enough with 90 HP 900 won't help you. Oh thats a different forum
RAT

 

my second car was a '00 Mustang.... what's with all the mustang drivers converting to minis????

 

Jsun,
I agree that no High School kid should have a brand new car. However, many of them do get one as a graduation gift (at least in my neighborhood). I still think that it's wrong to have parents just buy their kids high-priced items without teaching them how to earn it. So whether it's a Mini or any other car as a first one, a spoiled kid is a spoiled kid.

And if a high school/college kid drives irresponsibly, he'll do it no matter what the car. Any car can kill you if you drive unwisely.

Also, parents buying their kids new cars in school gives them a false sense of self-esteem IMHO. They are popular due to their car, not who they are as far as their character, etc. When they leave their small pond called High School and enter college (the big fish bowl) they realize they're no longer a big fish in the small pond. Their just small fry that can be eaten alive by the sharks in life!

 

>>Also, parents buying their kids new cars in school gives them a false sense of self-esteem IMHO. They are popular due to their car, not who they are as far as their character, etc. When they leave their small pond called High School and enter college (the big fish bowl) they realize they're no longer a big fish in the small pond. Their just small fry that can be eaten alive by the sharks in life!
>>
>>

lol, that is so true and great!

 

My cooper S is my first car I don't know what you guys are talking about.

Also, parents buying their kids new cars in school gives them a false sense of self-esteem IMHO. They are popular due to their car, not who they are as far as their character, etc. When they leave their small pond called High School and enter college (the big fish bowl) they realize they're no longer a big fish in the small pond. Their just small fry that can be eaten alive by the sharks in life! >>>>

I disagree in my case. I could care less which car I take to school only if I enjoy driving it. I have taken my dads porsche to school and his 500$ 1991 pickup and I don't care what people think.


I have earned it.

 

My cooper S is my first car I don't know what you guys are talking about.

Also, parents buying their kids new cars in school gives them a false sense of self-esteem IMHO. They are popular due to their car, not who they are as far as their character, etc. When they leave their small pond called High School and enter college (the big fish bowl) they realize they're no longer a big fish in the small pond. Their just small fry that can be eaten alive by the sharks in life! >>>>

I disagree in my case. I could care less which car I take to school only if I enjoy driving it. I have taken my dads porsche to school and his 500$ 1991 pickup and I don't care what people think.


I have earned it.

 

aero student which cal poly are you at? I'm over at Cal Poly Pomona.

My MC is my second car, my first back in highschool was a 67 mustang which I still have and love. I took care of that car so much. Not all highschoolers with nice cars are the same, but I did use my stang to pick up on the ladies

 

>>>>
>>Also, parents buying their kids new cars in school gives them a false sense of self-esteem IMHO. They are popular due to their car, not who they are as far as their character, etc. When they leave their small pond called High School and enter college (the big fish bowl) they realize they're no longer a big fish in the small pond. Their just small fry that can be eaten alive by the sharks in life! >>>>
>>


Thats definently not true, I think anyone who has a mini shows some character regardless of age, and in fact at my school a majority of ignorant people refer to the mini as an un cool chick car, well itleast until they see one in person

 

rfibanez, i am at the other one in SLO.
what major are you?

 

OK, first car, hmmm a 1979 NOVA 4-door, straight six, couldn't KILL THAT CAR!!! just kept running and running and running. Though turn the a/c on and you practically had to push it from green lights. Funny story, I bought the car and it had 27,000 miles on it, this is 1996. Still had bias-ply tires on it, original hoses and everything, sweet car (and got really really exciting to drive at around 60 mph). Shoulda seen the guys faces when I replaced the tires.

Then, moved up to the Saturn. Been too long though, time to finally have a good time behind the wheel!

Friggen spoiled brats and their mercedes. Don't mind me, its the jealousy talkin'.