A MINIless man's rant
 

Well it's been almost 8 months since I parted ways with my MINI and its been a very different life for me. I don't look forward to every weekend going to spend time with my local MINIACS (DCMM) or taking a drive to just wind out the supercharger. I don't wash and wax as often or detail unseen areas.

I just gas it, drive it and return it to my garage until the next driving journey comes along. And yet in the 8 months i've had my car i've racked up over 12,500 miles (1200 of which to MOTD 2006). So do I hate my current car? No.

I guess I've just lost of alot of the fun of motoring. Its simply just transportation now.


For those that don't know about me you can read all about my previous 2 MINIs and their sage at my blog.

And to answer a obvious question of why I don't get a MINI/Mini, its just finances. I haven't found one that meets my budget at the right time. You know when you always find the deal but your finances aren't in the right place:roll:

Thank you for allowing me to rant/vent.

Hopefully the stars will align for you to have a deal when the finances are right soon...

You make me sick!! :cry:


j/k Totally understandable situation.

you have to pay to play. just part of the game. :)

goodluck to your future finances. work, work work!

uhh... whats your current car?

oh, so this was just a joke? (he has a ferrari or something???!!)

damn you, mdsbrain! :mad:

:lol:

If I was rolling around in something as nice as a Ferrari I don't think I would be ranting.:lol:

I drive a 2007 Lexus IS 250AWD now.

Cape Cod MINI switched from a very-modified MINI to a Subaru WRX STi because he wanted the most power on the track.
Less than a year later he was back in a MINI - he missed MINIs and he missed the MINI community.

When you repent, Mark, we'll forgive you :) :wink:

Give it time, let some of the teething pains get worked out of the R56 and then try again once you have the financial wherewithall. :thumbsup::)

Everyone I know that has a Lexus (or almost any other late model Japanese luxury car) feels the same way.

Don't worry. You gotta remember your still very young. The time will come when you look back on all of this, and be driving whatever the latest and greatest may be and just think of it all as a learning experience :)

Best of Luck!

Lexus yes, or basically most all toyota's for that matter.

but i have to disagree on my G35C. it definitely has driving spirit.
quite different from the MCS (otherwise would've sold the MCS by now),
but definite fun factor while driving. :) plus, it's a great looking car
unlike most j-cars.

Hey Mark,
Don't be sad...I just parted ways with my 2006 Royal Gray MCS. Limited edition color too BTW, and much nicer imnsho than dark gray or dark silver etc. I'm *very* bitter about driving a Hyundai elantra now. On the corners it feels like i'm in a fishbowl half filled with water and its just sloshing around like crazy.

Why did I trade my MCS in for such an atrocity? Easy. I moved the family into a nicer place and the extra rent = the monthly stroke on the cooper. In other words, I took one for the team.

But all is not lost.

I am rat-holing money every month now and my secret evil plan is to get an '09. By that time I'll hopefully have had a good raise and my wife's new full time job should be panning out rather well. If so, I might even be able to afford the factory JCW I keep catching wind of on Mini2 and here.

Any other sad stories about parting with your car?

We're still glad that you decided to pop in and say Hello....good to hear from you...:nod:

Donna:cool: :grin: :cool:

what she really meant is.... my MINI's are better than yours~. :razz:

:lol: :wink:

Is that like "My MINI brings all the boys to the yard"? :lol::wink:

all this time i thought mdsbrain was talking about a car, but i guess he
was talking about some skirt he wears at night? :confused:


:lol: lol

mds, maybe you should consider checking out the dealerships for any remaining R53s...you might be able to get a nice deal. In the meantime, hang in there and save your money! :)

I too have parted with my beloved '06MCS and went into a camry, so I feel your pain:sad: , every time I see a mini I want to cry:cry: , but like both of you, I have had to make a financial decision that was best for the entire family, I will be back in a mini one day, just don't know when.

^^ why a camry? HondaFit would've been much cheaper and still had that
mini-ness... or Aveo or something...


needed more room? then why a camry? :confused:

I've been eyeing the IS for over a year and had a chance to take the plunge. Also my MINI was fighting me at every turn with new issues and work that needed to be done. That work was costing me $ and not warranty work. But it was my fault, I modded the bejesus out of the car and I wasn't financially able to coup with the results:roll:

I choose a camry for comfort, reliablity, economical and don't slam me too hard against the wall but it's a toyota :grin: (we have a long + history with toyota's:nod: ). But it sure isn't the mini and boy do I miss it:cry: .

Not me. http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_2_91.gif

I Love my Toyota and every Toyota I have ever owned. Toyota Rocks dude (we all know Ken don't like Corolloas:razz:)

Toyotas are just like Mark said, gas and go. Woot!

you mean Borolla's. lol

(boro means junk in japanese) lol :lol:

If Toyota built Mini's what would we do with the Stock Problem / Issues section of the forum ...change it to gas & go ?

i think you made the right choice as far as making a financial investment.
your IS will keep its value and will drive without problems for a long time.
it's definitely a nice piece of machinery. most people that buy lexus are
looking for quality, comfort, and true piece of mind.. and lexus delivers that.

:lol: yah, i just dont like toyota's that much. that newest camry
(the one that looks like rat) does have potential to look really nice if
modded correctly. :nod:

i saw the latest xB (was it?) modded tastefully and it looked quite good.
i would take that over the Fit, if there is a MT option. :thumbsup: