Hi everyone

I am fairly new to this forum even though I have been lurking around here for a while without posting. I am looking for some advice from all of you loyal MINI enthusiast regarding my particular situation. I am 21 years old and am in my junior/senior year of college and I am finally learning how to drive. I didn’t feel ready to take on driving until now; I have found the MINI to be quite an inspiration for me to learn. I am truly tired of relying on the incompetent public transit in Orange County for my transportation. I have also found it crippling in my studies at college being a Fine Arts major that I am unable to participate and be self reliant in going to gallery shows, and other current art events since I have no car. It is not just the issue of wanting a cool car like the MINI it’s time that I rely on myself to get where I need to go. Now to my dilemma I have already visited the East Bay dealership to get the scoop on how long it would take me to receive my MINI Cooper to my specifications about 10 months I was told. After driving now for a few weeks realizing to the fullest that my experience is null I know that driving a new car of my own would be a bad idea. I would love my MINI too much to damage it from my own lack of experience as a driver; also I would be driving it in SoCal, which brings my odds up even more in getting into a possible accident. My mother currently has an old little Toyota Tercel that I can drive and get experience in till I get my MINI. Now my question to you folks is how long should I wait till I get my MINI? I would have to wait 10 months and probably more since I most likely wouldn’t get to place an order till around Christmas time. I have been doing a lot of research on the MINI I love it’s design safety features and I definitely want a 2003 since hopefully all the little quirks should be worked out it by the time I would get mine. Sorry if I have rambled on too long I just wanted to get a little input from all of you

Thanx in advance for you input!

 

Keep driving the little Tercel and getting your confidence up...you'll be fine! There are also driving schools for sports car enthusiasts which would be a good investment for any of us, no matter our driving experience. Do some research...

Cheers!
Clover

 

there's been a few posts along this sort, but if you've been lurking for a while, I'm sure you've seen them. The same advice probably goes.

Do you want a MCS or MC? Manual or CVT? If you need to learn stick, don't do it on a new MINI, it just can't be good for it.

 

Thanx so much for the info clover and advice!!!
That was something I forgot to mention in my post I really want to find a defensive driving school, I figured that would give me some good tools to be a better driver:-)

Multipurpose- I want a standard MINI Cooper with the CVT, anyhoo I don't really need the extra power of the MCS I am going for something a little more pratical for my needs.. although the MCS is kick a$$ and would be fun to have

_________________

 

Wow Clover I am still in awe at the fact that you got your MINI in 3 months that's fantastic, hopefully I can get that kind of service when I go in to get my MINI Again that is so kind to give me that info thanx again really

-Digi-

 

Dear Digi,

It is my pleasure to share the info with MINI-mates. If you wonder about the dealers, be sure to check out the Dealer Rating System, located under "Features" to the left on this page. You'll get a better feel for what those of us who have our MINIs have to say about our purchasing experiences.

Good luck! MINI is a great choice for you! Keep driving!

Cheers!
Clover

 

Wow digital, I'm in a very similar situation as you!

I live in NY(from Cali origianlly!) and although I've been driving for years, driving here is like learning all over again. I too am an art student(Illustaration, Pratt Institute) who lives off campus, and the subway commute with all my stuff(supplies, books, large paintings etc.) has been dredfull! Although my mini will be a graduation present(can't touch it till May ) that kinda of defeats the purpose.

Anyway, my advice to you is to go ahead and put in the order. In your situation, a 10 month wait is perfect! It sounds like you're already a decent enough driver, in 10 months you could be an excellent one! The key to driving, is lots and lots of practice, it has to become more of an instinct than a concious effort. Oh and don't rush! If you're not in a hurry, just relax. I think that's the biggest New Yorker's problem, everyone's so god damn anxious to get where they're going. You know the commant I got most often when I moved out here was, "You're from California, wow, people are sooooo laid back there!" Use it to your advantage!

 

Don't fear the stick shift, DP. As a new driver you're probably intimidated by the idea of a manual tranny, but it's not all that hard to learn and driving a stick is much more fun than an automatic. Driving an automatic is only half the experience. As Giles said on Buffy last year, "I feel like I'm not participating."

The guys on Car Talk have a good method for learning how to operate the clutch--which is, of course, the difficult part. Try their web site (cartalk.com), the method is probably there. Then you just need to talk someone into letting you learn on their clutch. If you know someone whose clutch is almost shot already, he'd be the most likely to let you have a go at it. Or try to find a friend with a calm temper. (Don't try to learn from a significant other.)

Above all else, don't worry about stalling out on a hill with a traffic light. It's going to happen. It's happened to everyone who learns to drive a manual trans. If the people behind you don't like it, stay cool and do your best. They'll get over it.

You'll be glad you learned when you take delivery of a Mini with a 5-speed stick.

 

Ahh cool katididmini;-)) I feel better now knowing that I am not the only one.. hehehe but at least you have been driving before you tried taclking the busy streets of NY. I go to The Laguna College of Art and Design formally know as the Art Institute of Southern California and I am a Fine Arts major:-))) I am especially sick of dragging my wet paintings on the bus for them to potentially get dammaged after spending 10 hours+ of work on them and bringing them to school for a critique Yeah I have been very patient when in comes to driving I waited till I was really ready for the responsibility. Unfortunatley the 10+ month wait is going to be tedious, but I think it will be nessesary for me to get my driving chops up before I get a brand new car. The purrrrfect attribute when it comes to the MINI especially for you and me is that parking is limited in bigger citties and the MINI being short in length is going to be super on parking:-))) BTW what specs do you have in mind for your MINI kati? -Thanx again for your encouragment!

-mmmark I wouldn't mind learning stick actually the problem for me is my mother is very anti-stick shift..lol she thinks it will be to complicated for me eventhough I am open to learning it. Also, since my parents and grandparents will be paying for the car my mom is going to have a bit of say as to what I get when it comes to the transmission:-(( errr Another point is that I am going would be driving my MINI in SoCal and I am going to be in stop and go traffic in a lot od circumstances so getting the CVT might be more practical for my needs. -Thanx so much for your advice

-Digi-

 

This thread brings up and interesting point... its seems like an abnormally large number of MINI owners are artists, designers, etc...

I for one am also an artist (photography), and did my studies at SCAD.

Anyone else out there?

 

I too have noticed that there are a lot of artist that are interested /buying the MINI:-) I think that's because us artist our drawn to the apealing aesthetic nature of the MINI, It is stunning in its design outside and in.

-Digi-

_________________
Chili Red
White Roof and Mirrors
Chrome line bumpers
Combo #2: Sport Package
Xenon Headlights w/Power Wash
CVT
White Wheels
Tartan Red Kaleido Cloth
Automatic AC
OnBoard Computer
Multifunction steering wheel
6 Speakers AM/FM & CD

 

Yeah! We actually did a thread on this awhile ago and there were ALOT.....
I'm an advertising designer for the newspaper in my city......
Within the next couple years I will be back in school getting my Masters in photography!

 

It's nice to not only share the common interest in the MINI w/ all of you but to also share that a lot of us are artist to me that's just icing on the cake!

BTW L.Mini goog luck with getting your masters in photography

 

Thank you!

 

The artistic thing is pretty interesting, especially when I think there is another thread going right now about how diverse we all are.
It's funny, I've never really been a "car person," and when my family said they'd get me one for graduation, I would have turned them down and asked for money instead. Coincedentaly though, the day before they told me, I had run a search online for that really interesting, british-looking, new car I had heard about, and spent almost the whole day on miniusa.com. Now I'm hooked, and it looks like there's no turning back.

-Digital, I'm going through a very similar debate right now; drive a stick in the city or settle for the cvt? I don't know why, but I just really really want a manual transition for this car, and I've never even driven one past 2nd before! This car is going to be more of a thrill ride for me, than an every day commuter vehicle, so a stick seems do-able. But my family disagrees.
The specs I'm thinking of right now are: either velvet red/black or pepper white/black, all three packages(just cuz you don't need the cold weather one! :evil: ) black/grey leatherette, maybe the nav system, and transmission........

The thing I keep thinking about is this friend of mine who drives a manual toyata pick-up truck. He got the car when he was 16, but didn't know how to drive it. His mom insisted on teaching him, but they were never really home at the same time. So every day for like a month, he would sneak it out and try to teach himself. This kid, he knows NOTHING about cars, let alone transmissions. But he totally learned! It's been 4 years now and he still drives that truck everyday(and he does it on the Berkely/San Francisco/Bay Bridge commute).
If he can do it, I don't see why we can't!

 

Check out SpeedFreakz if you want to learn how to drive. A great program by SCCA. :smile:


Florida Mini Owners

 

The artistic thing is pretty interesting, especially when I think there is another thread going right now about how diverse we all are.
It's funny, I've never really been a "car person," and when my family said they'd get me one for graduation, I would have turned them down and asked for money instead. Coincedentaly though, the day before they told me, I had run a search online for that really interesting, british-looking, new car I had heard about, and spent almost the whole day on miniusa.com. Now I'm hooked, and it looks like there's no turning back.

-Digital, I'm going through a very similar debate right now; drive a stick in the city or settle for the cvt? I don't know why, but I just really really want a manual transition for this car, and I've never even driven one past 2nd before! This car is going to be more of a thrill ride for me, than an every day commuter vehicle, so a stick seems do-able. But my family disagrees.
The specs I'm thinking of right now are: either velvet red/black or pepper white/black, all three packages(just cuz you don't need the cold weather one! :evil: ) black/grey leatherette, maybe the nav system, and transmission........

The thing I keep thinking about is this friend of mine who drives a manual toyata pick-up truck. He got the car when he was 16, but didn't know how to drive it. His mom insisted on teaching him, but they were never really home at the same time. So every day for like a month, he would sneak it out and try to teach himself. This kid, he knows NOTHING about cars, let alone transmissions. But he totally learned! It's been 4 years now and he still drives that truck everyday(and he does it on the Berkely/San Francisco/Bay Bridge commute).
If he can do it, I don't see why we can't!