Did anyone hear Car Talk this morning? A woman called in, saying she was buying a car
for her grandson when he turned 16. She was looking into the Cooper S and her grandson
told her he thought it was a "chick car"!?!

First of all...can you say "spoiled"? This kid doesn't know how good he has it!
And secondly...yes, I happen to be a "chick" with a MINI, but I think from our
demographics thread, we've seen that themajority of MINI owners are men.

The CT brothers had a good laugh over the whole thing, anyway (as usual).

 

just visited my son at college...he drives a used 95 Geo....one of his friends pulls up in a boxster and I ask ny son quietly....what is that all about and he tells me the kid didn't like the mini and traded it for the boxster....lol. Sorry, but 20K a year for the Business school, a mini not to mention the boxster can wait....but do think it is funny parents buy kids these new cars...saw plenty of bimmers on campus as well...amazing...

 

I seem to recall that they answered back with "why not buy him a Honda Element"!!!

Poor kid will be sorry about that (not that the Element is such a bad car - I kind of like it. But compared to an S....)

 

What kind of Grandma drives an SL500???

Get the kid a Matrix or MP3 and be done with it.

 

I drove a beat up old plymouth in college-my son got a beat up old Cavalier in college. Thank god, because it got rear-ended really bad parked on the streets of New Orleans!!!! I sometimes have a hard time dealing with parents who seem to think they have to buy their kids the expensive cars when statistics say they will wreck them in the first six months of driving.
Just my opinion
Lois

 

That is one groovy grandma and one pitiful excuse for a grandchild.

 

I like to believe the MINI is a genderless car, where some others like the new VW seem to attract more ladies. We on this board know for a fact both male and female love this car equally.

As far as the spoiled little kid maybe he needs something to rock the house.


_________________
02 MCS ~ Sport, Aero, Rally Lights ~ "Dragon Tail Certified"

 

>>I seem to recall that they answered back with "why not buy him a Honda Element"!!!
>>
>>Poor kid will be sorry about that (not that the Element is such a bad car - I kind of like it. But compared to an S....)
>>


My wife and I test drove the Element. We were thinking of replacing her CRV with it. But we didn't like it. It looks awesome but the interior is awful. And the ride is bad too. Oh well, I thought it would be cool having 2 "different" cars....

 

>>just visited my son at college...he drives a used 95 Geo....one of his friends pulls up in a boxster and I ask ny son quietly....what is that all about and he tells me the kid didn't like the mini and traded it for the boxster....lol. Sorry, but 20K a year for the Business school, a mini not to mention the boxster can wait....but do think it is funny parents buy kids these new cars...saw plenty of bimmers on campus as well...amazing...


Yeah it was like that at Virginia Tech too and really made me sick. I see these brand new cars, some still have the 30 day tag on them, with 5 or 6 girls/guys piled into them going to buy beer with their fake ID or the one person among them that actually is over 21 and just get freaking mad. Too many stupid people out there both parents and students.

Where i used to live everyonce in a while I saw a white 911 turbo post 1997 drive past and head down to campus. I didn't see the front of the car for several weeks and just figured it was a professor. I finaly saw it one day and it had a Commute pass on it which meant it was a undergrad student driving it. Guy looked to be 19-20 tops. People are morons.

 

There will always be people who don't need to demonstrate perserverance, patience, and commitment over a long period of time to experience nice material things. I think it's safe to say that college kids w/ the choice of Boxters, Bimmers and MINI's fall into this category. May their lives always have such ease of aquisition. Personal opinion: things easily won may have less value to them than those which come hard earned.

 

I drove a 93 Geo Metro throughout college, and a month after I graduated, I went and bought a Mustang. My Metro died a total of 23 times in a four year period, and my parents offered to replace the car with a vehicle of their choice (they wanted me to get a Saturn). I turned down thier car, and waited it out. I truly appretiated that Mustang due to the fact that I bought it myself, with my own money. And really, I appretiate more things in life because I didn't accept my parents little hand me downs, instead I went and paid for things myself, and became a financially indepentent individual.

 

Ok, lets drop this whole thing right now. I am 18, and in college. I drive a Dark Silver/Black MCS. Did my parents get it for me, yes. Why, because I did what I was supposed to when I was younger. Am I spoiled, no. The reason why my parents bought me the car is because I did well in school, worked around the house, and worked my tail off every summer at my dad's office since I was like 6. I think I earned it.

As for the accident part, most of the times younger people are involed in accidents with OLDER people. The ONLY accidents I was involved in were because some OLDER person HIT ME! Statistics show that younger people are in accidents yes, but so are older people.


Don't put down the younger drivers here. You were once a younger driver too.

 

thats true cooperspeed. also if someone is absent minded when driving, they're going to remain that way.. its not just younger drivers. im more scared in the car with my mom or dad driving than i am with my friends. but then i also have friends that have been driving for like 6-10 years and they're horrible drivers.. its all relative and stereotyping is not cool..

 

I think the issue the young man is missing is how much of a benefit it would be to have a car that appeals to, in his words, "chicks." I know of girls from my youth that would dump guys because the guys drove cars they didn't want to be seen in. Shallow, yes, but he's 16, it's almost always shallow at that age and if she's cute enough, he probably won't care. I think it will get him dates and I think anyone harassing him about driving a "chick car" will shut up quick when he drives by in his MINI with a hottie next to him.

Of course, I still don't think the S is a good first car, but we've beaten that topic to death in a different thread.

 

Granny should buy him a 1999 Mustang and let him have his "guy" car and save allot of money too!!!

 

I wish my grandma would by me an S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cooperspeed,
You are a very fortunate young man that your parents were able to buy you a MCS & afford to send you to college. I am not criticizing young drivers. And at my advanced old age I could only afford a MC. I taught my son how to drive & he is one of the best drivers I know. Unfortunately statistics show that younger drivers have more accidents! I was an ER nurse in a major metropolitan trauma center & the majority of patients I treated were younger drivers. BTW, my 76 yr old Mom got rear ended last week by a 86yr old woman. I would say that's an OLDER driver.Enjoy your MINI especially if you've been working since you were six. My son was in first grade at six
Lois

 

It wasn't back breaking work, but emptying the trash at his office was something...

 

I hope your Dad gave you an allowance or maybe even minimum wage!!! I was lucky to get my kid to take out the trash at that age But it does sound like you grew up to be a very responsible young man. Hope you are doing well in college & guard your MINI well on those college parking lots
Lois

 

The thing is, I never got a pay check or allowance. It all went into my college fund. Even now in the summer, I barely see half my paycheck, it goes straight to school.

 

I hope your degree is in something where you'll make a lot of money(like international banking) after you graduate. You deserve it. Unfortunately I picked a profession that never has paid the big bucks & the hours are crap!!! And college tuition just keeps getting higher all the time. We figured we had spent close to 100k on my son's education by the time he graduated & he did it in 4 years with a partial scholarship.
Lois

 

Well right now I think I am going to study Turfgrass Management/Science. If I don't do something with that, then I will be in with my dad. He owns a company that manufactures printing presses, and a printing company.

 

That's really wierd-my son is a graphic designer & the company he is with started out as a printing company. The presses are in the basement of the building. In the last several years, the ad business in St. Louis has started going to smaller companies & his company has really taken off. But now they do all the designing along with the printing in the basement!!! You may be on the right track with the printing business.
Lois