I have always chose to have American muscle cars as my toys but after buying an Audi for my daughter and driving it i was hooked on the handling and performance aspect of driving instead of the brute power of going 0 to 100 in a straight line. I looked at BMW and Audi but the Mini just seems like a fun car to drive and has tons of aftermarket parts I have watched videos,read reviews,listened to people that own them,joined forums like this one,and driven a few different years and models.I now know the Mini is the car I want to buy and that's how i came to this conclusion. I would love to hear your stories and reasons why you chose a mini.

 

2009 R56 - Gas was $4+ in '08 so I sold my 5.0L Mustang for one. Regret that to this day :(

2013 R60 - Wife wanted it. I am fairly mechanically inclined, so while they still scare me, its a fun car.

I still kind of want to find a 06S for a toy though.

 

I came to the conclusion of wanting a MINI from a combination of things.

Firstly, I've always loved the original Austin/Morris/Rover Mini and I think that BMW did a very good job with the "modern retro" aspect.
So, the look greatly appealed to me, especially in its earlier manifestations:



I am currently looking to get a non-sunroof R53.

Secondly, after many years of driving an old mid 80's Saab 900 Turbo and being a cultish enthusiast of such since 1989, it came time for me to finally update with a more modern car. Manual transmission is an absolute have for me and nowadays there ain't much to choose from, so bonus points went in MINI's favor from the get-go.

I became somewhat worried and hesitant though, after reading that it was a high-maintenance vehicle, but I am at a time in my life where I embrace this aspect, and it will be sort of like positive therapy for me. For the last decade my tools have mostly sat unused unless forced out by absolute need, so I am much looking forward to getting a car that will reignite my enthusiasm.

I've always wanted a go kart and the R53 deffo fits that bill.
I especially love the sophisticated rear suspension.

Supercharger whine is a major bonus also.
Even though turbo cars are more easily tuneable and I do love a turbo, but I've been in turboland like forever and the mechanical aspect of the Eaton M45 appeals to me.
Raw and visceral is my ultimate grail and in today's hyper-modern world they just don't make many cars that offer such an analog experience.
I can't tell you how many videos I've watched just to listen to that whine LOL it has been numerous!

Aftermarket support.
So many nice and easily available tuning upgrades if one so wishes.

Vibrant community.
NAM is a warm and wonderful place, loaded to the gills with intricately detailed info to aid in any situation,
and flowing over brim with really cool people.

 

'Cause they're CUTE!

 

I like classic Minis but it is not reasonable to DD one where I live.

I have summer and winter vehicles so I don't need a single vehicle to check a bunch of boxes. I have a truck so I don't need my summer vehicle to haul anything.

I like hot hatches.

They have a large and fairly diverse aftermarket.

They are (allegedly) built with performance in mind.

I'm a glutton for punishment and didn't want to buy a Honda or Toyota.

I'm too cheap to buy and insure a new car.

 

Was looking for a second car and wanted something fun with a manual gearbox. Test drove a friend's R56 Justa and was hooked. Found a used 13 MCS and it's now my daily driver, SUV stays parked till the weather turns sour.

 

Wife wanted a MINI. I talked her into a Golf TDI. Then went out and bought myself a MINI. VW bought our Golf back and wife finally got her MINI. Then I gave my MINI to my son and bought myself another one.

Actually only leased a new MINI and bought the other two used. Makes me feel better to buy used cars.

Now that I have the F56, it reminds me a lot of my 83 BMW 3 series car, which I loved.

 

MINI relaunched in the US when I was around 8 years old back in '02, and ever since then, I always thought they were the coolest little cars. A family friend bought one shortly after they came out and I was floored when I saw it in person. And of course, like every car-enthusiast kid at the time, I watched The Italian Job something like 5,000 times (which has made me a very aggressive driver in the process lol). So, it was always a dream of mine to get one, so I'm super happy to finally be a part of the MINI family!

 

I feel so much older now after reading that.

 

Yup.


To be fair, he/she constructs sentences and conveys meaning better than most people in their early 20s. (And younger)

 

Kinda like oldboy above - Wanted a toy car. Used to have a Sunbeam Tiger & nostalgia worked its charm. Bought a Miata but my back would hurt when driving it more than 20 minutes.

So changed to a Mini - it is a much more ergonomic seating position for a creaky old guy, but still corners as flat as I dare. No need for an S as I have yet to floor it.

 

I miss my NA Miata, I will buy it back if I find it for sale again.

 

MINI had the most choices and options available in a 2-door, hatchback, manual transmission car. Those three preferences really limit your options in the market today.

If you compromise and opt for a 4-door hatch then that opens up the field, but nobody can compare to MINI when it comes to customization and options.

For example, you can't get leather or sunroof in a manual transmission Honda Fit or Subaru Crosstrek. Many cars don't offer manual transmission at all. Or even a sunroof option (Yaris).

You can get leather and sunroof in a manual Fiesta ST, but then you have a $26,000 (msrp) Fiesta. Same with the manual Chevy Sonic at around $24,000 (msrp). We also shopped the Veloster, but it was just too Veloster-y for our age.

VW is also in the mix, but I won't own another VW.

 

Got tired of driving kids around in a Chevy Caprice wagon. They've got their own kid haulers now so I can quit being responsible.

 

 

I miss mine as well.




Still, I wouldn't buy it back now- I've seen it since I sold it, and it's beat up pretty badly. Rather, I'd like to find an early NA (89-93) with the 1.6L and build my own. I've always loved a white roadster with a nice red interior, and Mazda never saw fit to offer that color combo in the US.

 

Mine was a very healthy and well maintained 1990. I'd buy mine back as long as it hadn't been destroyed. The person I sold it to was not a scene kid, so I wasn't worried about it being ruined.

If I get another one (or my original one back), I'm building it pretty much exactly as I did before but with ITBs and a focus on N/A performance. They are just so cheap and easy to build.

 

Althought its high cost to maintain but i managed and the car still good since the beginning Mini came out 2002 R53 thanks for NAM to get all the idea for the DYI, being said that i just bought another Mini for my wife this time Automatic since she can not drive stick-shift...
Keep Miniiiing..

 

I was looking for something "sporty" to replace my 94 Pontiac Bonneville daily driver. I come from the Muscle-car world as well, LOVE my 67 Chevelle so much that I have owned her for over 30 years now, and have spent plenty on her recently. I asked a female friend of mine to bird-dog me a sporty little car with a manual trans and maybe a turbo. Honestly, I would have loved to get into a Subaru WRX, but those were/are either very high-priced, or beat to death. She found my 2011 MCS BRG2 manual. It (he, Oliver) was low mileage, 21k in 2014, and once I took a test drive, I was hooked! A LOT of mods later, and now at almost 90k miles, still loving Oliver! I live in the hills, so handling was a huge consideration. The 94 Bonnie got maybe 16 MPG, Oliver returns 26.5, even with my "spirited" driving in the twisties. Long trips, which my wife and I take sometimes, usually get me over 36 MPG, even when I get on the turbo a bit. I still love me some big old American V-8's, have several, but the bang for the buck WIN goes to my MINI. I even got the wife hooked, and she now dailies a 2013 Justa Convertible automatic, her first ever convertible. We love our MINI's!

 

... it is just a real blast and a joy to drive...

Motor On!

 

I have an F-150 Supercrew I drive mostly. Needed something better on gas for trips. This got 30+ mpg, it was cheap, and it's a blast to drive.

It's like a little go cart.

 

I was looking for tires for my '08 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab when I bought my first MINI. I stopped at a tire dealer and noticed a Ford dealer next door- I was intrigued by the EcoBoost V6 in the F150, and thought I'd check one out. I only wanted a single cab pickup, which is about as easy to find as trying to find a specific needle in a stack of needles- after the salesman rolled up in the 3rd consecutive extended cab truck, I was ready to leave, when I noticed two MINI's sitting side by side on the used lot- a 2008 Clubman S in Lightning Blue Metallic, and a 2009 Clubman S in Chili Red.



My wife noticed me checking them out and looked at the salesman and asked for the key to the '09. We took it for a drive and I simply could not erase the grin from my face. I left my truck there and brought her home that evening. We kept her for 3 years, until I got the urge for another truck- this time, a '15 Ram 1500 single cab Express.
Since the beginning of the year, we have discussed returning to the MINI fold, and my bride offered up her SUV (Dodge Durango R/T) as the sacrificial ride to replace. Our search led us to Crown MINI in Richmond and a very nice young salesman named Nithin, who helped us find our new one- a '18 Countryman S ALL4 in Moonwalk Grey metallic.



I'm back, and I couldn't be happier- well I could, if I finish the project car (92 Olds Achieva SCX) in my garage, give it back to my oldest son and find the R53 I want for a toy!

 

I've lived long enough to retire and enjoy life without the daily need to work everyweek to survive. I have a truck and my wife has hers. But for a couple decades I've wanted a Mini and since I'm lucky enough to have the choice, I finally bought one.

I figure since the kids are grown and gone, we have enough income to be stable in our retirement, I should finally get what I want before they bury me. Life is good.

 

We have quite a few cars,.71 chevelle,.75 dart swinger,.84 c10,.05 mustang gt,.11 jeep patriot,.and my DD was a 02 jeep renegade which I loved but gave it suddenly to my daughter so I figured it was time to get something newer and good on gas,.my problem was I didn't like most of the newer cars and suv's out there,.I've always loved the look of the minis when they first came back but wanted something with a little more room,although I'd like to get an r53 or r56 one day to play with,.so I started looking at the countryman and decided to look at getting one of those,I'm glad I did because I love the not so little fella,..its my first mini and hopefully not the last

 

Haven't bought one yet......but I test drove one that someone had for sale. Sadly, it was rougher than the ad claimed, so I passed. But the test drive was so fun that I haven't ruled one out. Great shifter and the only other car I have driven that was as fun was a second generation Miata.