I've noticed the change around here too. It used to be, "Wow, I LOVE your car! It looks so fun to drive!"

Now (mostly from SUV and 4x4 pickup owners), "Wow. How in the world do you even feel safe driving a car like THAT?" or "I was interested in those cars until I realized you have to use premium."

Most of the vehicles here are 4x4s, so I hear it a lot. Kind of funny how those guys talk to me, it's as though they are a bit jealous. They also fail to realize that I also own a lifted Jeep Cherokee, which I no longer drive regularly because it hurts my wallet too much, and the MINI is a lot more fun to drive.

On a positive note, the ladies still come up with the "I LOVE YOUR CAR" comments, which easily makes up for the idiot 4x4/SUV owner comments. More so if the 4x4/SUV owner who made the stupid comment is still present.

 

For those who are derisive about the Mini, you guys should check out the thread, "Dude, it's a chick car" I & II. Some of the post are funny & creative.

 

We had the driver of a Mercedes C Class motion for us to roll our windows down, at a stop light one evening. He wanted to know about the gas mileage and was thinking of getting a Mini! Loving it.

 

"Now (mostly from SUV and 4x4 pickup owners), "Wow. How in the world do you even feel safe driving a car like THAT?" "
AKIndiMini

The part I liked was telling them about the Insurance Institutes front-end crash test: The 02 Mini completely outperformed the Ford F150 pickup. Tends to shut them right up.

 

The mini is the #1 car for the American Insurance Institute. Also recieved a 4 star crash rating. Hard to beat either of these.

Since I'm a new mini owner, I have to say I've always enjoyed watching a mini on the highway. They just look really cool. I'm just kicking myself that I waited so long to get one. If the upside is good gas mileage, then so be it. One also has to remember that not everyone can afford a mini. They are a mid to upper priced car.

I feel proud to drive one now!

 

I've had the MPG question forever, my response used to be "not as good as I'd like" until I got Tristan.

 

I get it maybe once every to weeks. My usually response is "17 miles to the gallon but only because I am a lunatic."

 

lol... i end up being Mr. MINI Info too.. its like i have this guilty feeling to defend my purchase and 'sell' the MINI brand. I usually start out with 'well mine is supercharged...' then give them the estimates for the '05 year, then mention its probably better with a regular Cooper... and yeah I finish off with "but they just redesigned the car..." and mention the new ones get the best mileage..

and as for the rest.. most people are surprised when I mention it needs premium... and some still are surprised when I tell them the mileage averages cause they feel the car is so small it should be up in the 40's...

 

 

Just today an old bearded guy in a Chevy Silverado asked my that SAME thing. "How do you like it? what kind of gas mileage you get?" ahhaha thats hilarious!

 

+1

 

I was fueling up the other day, when some guy made a HUGE detour on the way back to his SUV just to ask me a barrage of questions. I also had one or two co-workers who were lying in wait to ambush me as I went into the office building... It's better when THEY seek ME out -- that way I don't look QUITE so fanatical.

I just saw this article on MSN -- admittedly it's about the Clubman primarily, but...to me, this article reads biased-against throughout! He starts off with words like "tiny" etc....and evidently HE wasn't bitten by the MINI bug after the test drive, but, oh well. Can't take a joke, take a freakin' bus!!

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/artic...part=passenger

 

I always get approached at the pump but they want to know how much power the car makes and how I put the Recaro's in. 'They' being SUV drivers...don't seem to care much about fuel economy. Guess that's unusual but the income level in my town is much higher than the national average so perhaps they are a bit immune to the silly prices.

 

some times i get the feeling when driving around that my life is really just one long mini commercial

 

After 6 years I still get stopped with questions all the time.....not quite so much as in '02 when they were still rare, and I naturally get more questions about gas mileage these days. But I had a rare harsh (and unusually harsh) comment last night.

I was talking to a couple relatives about the fun I had at the Phil Wicks event at VIR 2 weeks ago. At one point one of my idiot in-laws said "MINI Coopers? Who cares? What's the point taking little boring cars out on a race track? Take 'em out there and wreck 'em all and that would be a good thing....."

 

They were, after all, an in-law. Kinda like getting a champion show dog, but it comes with fleas...

 

Yep. just last week I took my MINI to the car wash and as soon as I roll down the window, one of the first questions is "is the gas mileage as good as they say it is?" But he also seemed pretty impressed that a girl was driving a cute little sports car...

 

Is he/she/it still alive??? Or were you able to run him/her/it over with the "little boring car" successfully?

 

You and me both, sometimes!!

 

I actually thought for a few seconds that I should cram a helmet on his head, shove his fat *** in the passenger seat, tell him to cinch up the harness and then take him out and make him **** his pants. Then I realized the idiot doesn't deserve that kind of fun and isn't even worth the time or breath it would take me to tell him off. Besides, others did that for me.....plus his wife (my cousin) nearly broke his rib with her elbow after he said it.

 

Whenever I get the, "Does it get good gas mileage?" question, I usually respond with, "Not if I drive it right."

This question was posed to me most recently, ironically enough, immdiately after getting the 15% Alta pulley from a guy in a BMW 7 series at a stoplight. I was still giddy from the power, so I kind of gunned it. He caught up to me at the next light, at which point I explained what I had just gotten installed, and he said, "I don't know, I think I could still take you; 7 series sport!" and the light turned green. I didn't really gun it and neither did he on account of other traffic in front of us, but it was probably the most interesting interaction I have had in my Mini.

 

Load him up and come join us for Blimey's Tour of Terror II.
Bring barf bags. Much fun would be had by all (except him).

 

...must be into big and fast 'masculine real-men's cars.' I can feel the testosterone just leaking from their sweat glands

 

That would definitely do the trick, but he ain't worth it! I'd have to reserve such a fine adventure for myself. In fact, I'm tempted.....

 

He's a NASCAR fan..... You know the type, claims he loves the "racing," but get his real kicks from the carnage.