Just wanted to see if anyone had any interesting stories about why they decide to purchase a MINI.

I was looking for a new car after my grannymobile kicked it. I was with my family at the International Car Show in New York City. I looked at all the small cars (Corollas, Civics, Sentras, etc.) but came away disappointed.

 

I decided to purchase mine for a few reasons...

Number one.. I lived in the UK for 3 years about 80 miles north of London, between Cambridge and Norwich... and my wife and I would go "motoring" all the time, just getting lost in the english countryside.

Number 2... I love all things unique and individual... it's important to me that my car has the potential for that. The MINI has great aftermaket support and a very enthusiastic community behind it.

Number 3... The Test drive sealed it for me... I was grinning ear to ear the whole time. My Salesman was busy, so he just handed me the keys... big mistake. I came back like 30 min. later grinning so big I must have looked insane. He was quite pissed... told me to get the hell off his lot, as I had prevented others from driving while I was gone. He warmed up to me later... I actually took well over a full year to be able to justify owning a new car... and my time has come!

 

I've loved classic Minis and thought about bringing one over AND getting a daily driver in addition. After studying the situation, though, and being thoroughly impressed by the safety equipment on a MINI (...not to mention the presence of AC) I decided I wouldn't want to drop my $$$s on any other daily driver. So I sorta got a Mini and the commuter car all rolled into one!!! I'm thrilled the option even existed because prior to this it didn't. (...no offence to my dear departed Geo Metro. )

 

I was in the market for a fuel efficient hatchback which performed well. I was leaning towards the VW GTI 1.8T since it gave 32mpg on the highway, had 180 horses stock and handeled well all around. When I test drove the MINI, it was all she wrote for the Vdub!


- The handling and tight steering is awesome! I don't mind getting cut off by your run of the mill Boston driver, because I can get out of their way with ease!

- The styling of the car is attractive, and It is like no other car out there!

- The size is awesome! I feel like I'm driving a larger car, yet I can fit in to a MINI parking spot, the spots left behind after a day's worth of cars parking and leaving.

- The EPA claimed the Mini gave 37 on the highway, so I was psyched about that
(I've never seen this mythical 37, I get 32mpg) but it's better in the city that the 17mpg I got in my vdub passat.

Overall I'm happy with my car but I cannot wait until I get my hands on an S!!! :smile:

Good luck!

 

As I was going to St. Ives....

No wait, that's a different story.

I was on my way to order a 350Z and stopped at the dealer after seeing an ad. I drove a Cooper, and couldn't wipe the grin off of my face for hours.

So I bought one.

That simple.

 

Fuel effeciency.

Classic styling.

I was amazed by the handling.

It's British. British bikes and cars have a common sense styling that no one else can touch.

I have been basically blind in my left eye for over two years, and the mini is easy to park without depth of field vision.

 

I can honestly say i got my Mini as a last resort, and thank god! Here's the scenario:

-had a '94 RX7 (man i miss that car) but was getting in too much trouble in it, so i sold it
-bought an '01 Jeep Wrangler Sahara, fun, for about 6 months
-my partner and I decided we needed something fun again
-how about a Boxster, they start around 35K...yeah, if you want a base model. the BoxsterS i priced on the net came up at more than 50K...too rich for my blood
-so how about a PT Cruiser convertible, at that time due out summer '03, now due out next Fall...or so! can't wait that long
-what about a New Beetle Convertible? I just can't get past the idea that they are a major chick car (sorry ladies)! But they're cool looking! But...
-what about a new RX8? due out in June...not in FL! too expensive, plus the fact that a four-door is no longer a sports car, and i think anything you have to call a "sports-coupe" is an oxymoron.
-so, during a trip to SF, i saw Mini's all over the place. had never even considered one.
-got home, went for a test drive, bought my MCS DS/B two weeks later!
-LOVE IT!! :smile:

 

Its great handling on twisty mountain roads and BMW’s involvement with the design, development, support and manufacturer.

 

Well, it was Christmas and the whole family was visiting. My nephew mentioned my beautiful Honda Accord Coupe. I said yes, but come next December I'll have to turn it in because I did a 36 month lease. He asked what I was going to get next because Honda was changing the look of the Accord Coupe.

So over New Years I went to Edmunds.com and right there on their front page was a photo of a MINI. I thought "Mini Cooper" like from the 60s!!! and after that I read every review. I read forums and by Feb I knew this was what I wanted. I didn't know Cooper or MCS, but I knew I'd have one by this December!! It took me months to decide on the color combo I wanted! They all look good to me. I love how they look!

Then when I found out that BMW/MINI is using performance engineering and options that people who've bought $40,000 BMWs have paid to design makes the MINI the best engineered car for it's price. It was the icing on the cake!

 

I saw it...
I drove it....
I bought it....

The whole process took about 2 weeks.
I found my MCS from a dealer who actually had stock in 07/2002.
If I had to have ordered it, I never would have pruchased it.
No regrets...:smile:
Great car !!!!!!

Peace,
D

I will probably buy the 350Z ragtop the same way....lol.
As soon as I actually...see one

 

Took drives in three different MINIs on three different days.
Like small cars, fuel efficient cars.
I played on MINIUSA.com.
I read as much as I could find (reviews, MCO, etc.)

My main concern is size for four-person family, but second car is a van. Problem solved.

 

We finally had both kids off at school and my wife and I were on a lunch date. We test drove an S on a spur of the moment type of thing,....so we bought it within 3 days...10 days later "our" car had turned into "her" car...so we bought another...

 

:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:

Chow!

Donna
donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

One of my friends and I were heading down to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park in NC for a Mountain Biking/Kayak vacation. While cruising down on of the highways in our grossly overloaded Honda Civic "something" passed us from behind going at least 120+ mph. I said 'wtf' was that and my friend said that was a Mini Cooper. I had not heard of them being in the United States up until that time. Turns out it was a DS/W MINI. Since then I was determined to learn more about these little things. Was hooked after the test drive.

Wham! Now it's in my garage.

 

I was researching cars for my sister and I FELL IN LOVE! Then I went crazy on my sister and practically beat her up when she said she didn't want it. So my family was like, "whaoh, maybe it's you who wants that car."

_________________

 

Its my parents fault. My dad sold his Triumph TR3 when I was born, later he had a Bugeye Sprite, a couple Porsche 356's and older 911's. Spent a lot of weekends at sports car races and autocross events, learned to drive in an Audi. In college, parents bought me an old VW GTI. My first car that I bought was a 3 year old VW Corrado SLC that I just sold. My first brand new car will be the MINI S that I've ordered.

 

I first saw the new MINI and didn't even know what it was, but I loved the way it looked- as others have said, like no other vehicle on the road. Didn't think much about it, since I wasn't in the market for a car at the time. Months later, I saw my next one on a lot, and since I was thinking of another car, checked it out (it was an all black'02 MC w/ a price of 26K- very overpriced). When I found out what they wanted, I figured I couldn't afford one. Then I started doing the research. Turns out I could just as easily afford a new MC as any other likely choices. Further reading of reviews and no one said anything really negative about them. Game over. Hardest part of all: waiting 4 months to take delivery.

 

I just put down a deposit on an in-the-pipe Elec Blue fully loaded MCS!

I've had a deposit down on a G35 sports coupe because it's a totally great car, BUT the dealership made two errors, making my 3 month wait into a 5 month wait. Started having second thoughts about spending so much money (I want to buy a condo someday).

There was NO other car that I liked out there, new or used, for less than 25k, that was still somewhat practical. They were either ugly, boring, or convertibles which I actually don't really like.

Did the research on the MINI, test drove one on Wednesday, fell in LOVE despite the lag in first gear that Edmunds.com warned of, and found one at Midwestern MINI that's coming in right around the time I get my settlement. Woo hoo!

 

I needed a new toy...

I saw the performance potential...

It is the perfect car for a family of four...at least that's what I convinced my other half to believe!

 

Went to Long Beach MINI a week after they opened and got on the waitlist. Test-drove all three models, and decided on an all-Pure Silver Cooper. Built mine online at MINIUSA, printed it out, faxed it to LB MINI, took delivery August 28, '03.

Cheers!
Clover

 

I've always known about Mini from Mr. Bean's comedy. So when, one day, I got the Road & track w/ the yellow MINI on it, I liked everything about. I must have read that article a million times. Since my parents always bought BMW's (and I knew they were good), I knew the MINI was perfect. This was topped off when seeing them for the 1st time at the dealer. I was sold ++.

 

dad first learned to drive in a orignial in the late 50s early 60s

grandpa has 2 originals

thus the mini is in our blood

 

I saw a picture of it.

Plus I am a grandpa who had 2 Minis in Ireland (sold the last one for 150 quid) and I worked on the first Mini Minor in Oxford as a trainee draughtsman in Sir Alex's office. Mostly I was the tea boy.

_________________
If you want to be in the picture you'd better sit on this side of the table...Jesus of Nazareth.

 

I test drove a Mini S a year ago, but couldn't deal with waiting a year or more so I bought a used BMW Z3 - Sweet car, but totally impractical.

Test drove an S a few weeks ago and fell in love. Ordered a LY/B S the same day.

 

i was in the market for a more sophisticated car than my Mercury Topaz. i have a friend in Canada who sent me the link to MINIusa when they first came out. Fell instantly in love, but even the crash results weren't out at that time.

Bought a Volvo 850, Sven was great 'cept -- after a time he lost first gear. And the windshield wipers nomatter what anyone did, only wiped half the window. Drove all over creation in that car - 20,000 mi. in one year. Instead of pouring money into an old, high mileage car (that just went to auction Looks like they'll have to get their themselves....

It also helped that not a single person wanted me to get this car. A steadfast statement that i will not succumb to other people's ideals...

FIN