That's a great mod idea! Somebody should also fabricate a huge RC controller and photograph it by a MINI :D

 

Latest talks are about the Honda Accord... kill me now!

 

grab the n....ts man, c'on,

First of all, this thing is taking too much time. You are giving them too much time to think. You are not buying a multi-million company, it is just a car. Just buy the damn thing. Honda or Mini, if not Mini this time, maybe next time, I will still love you with your Honda or Mazda or Toyota....

DO IT

 

Keep your pants on $3.00 per gallon gasoline = MINI COOPER

 

Honda? This isn't the "Temple of V-Tec" forum!

Seriously - if you can't get what you want now, get whatever they want you to have and pick YOUR car next time... or when you can trade it in.

A Honda Accord is a very safe, sensible car...
[TriumphTheInsultComicDog]
For me to P00P on!
[/TriumphTheInsultComicDog]

 

I had an '03 MC.

My 20 year old daughter got into an accident last June. She was making a left turn and a Ford Taurus ran the light, hit the passenger front and spun her around.
The Ford was totaled and the MINI had $10,000 damage.
Airrbags all deployed, wheels smashed etc.

She walked away with a sore shoulder.

After the repair I traded for an '05...did not like the repair job.

Safe car in my opinion or I would not have bought another.

See my profile for the crash photo.

also, MINI has a short crash film online the shows the testing.

 

I didn't read over all the posts, but i needed my parents credit to get a mini i can afford the payments, but i never had credit to my name.

I wanted a MINI, but parents said no. So i bought a miata Got into a fender bender, and my dad shows up at my work 2 hours later in my bright yellow MINI. "I'd feel much better if you were driving this car" Bright yellow=noticed. Lots of safety features, back seat, more cargo space... he was convinced finally... and i got him to cosign, and it's now mine

 

Is that your cat?

 

It is clear as day that your parents are car shopping for themselves. As long as this situation continues, you my friend, will be at the mercy of the next Japanese car they want to shove down your throat.

Unless you take a stand, I see you driving around very soon in a Toyota Echo.

 

How? This is amazing. No joke?

 

Keep this in mind! If you are paying a substantial amount of the car (or eventually all of it), buying the one you like will have several positive aspects because you are putting a serious amount of your own $$$ down:

1) the car will be taken care of
2) they will never have to ask you to wash it, clean it out, etc...
3) you will try to stay out of risky positions because of the $$$
4) there won't be a "new kitty" syndrome* with a MINI
5) if they want to eventually shift car payments over to you, with something like an Accord, you won't want to and may not ("But I didn't want the car"). With the MINI, they could actually threaten to sell it, and they'd get their monthly payments from you.

I know some of these are common sense, but they are bargaining tools.

John


*ie, family member promises to take care of the new pet, takes care of it for first few weeks, then responsibility is eventually relegated to parent or most likely SIBLING who absolutely hates the cat/terror because he made an agreement NOT to take care of the wretched little (cute) thing, and ends up having to take care of it .

 

ChoaZ, Sounds like your parent's heart already set for anything but Mini, and they are trying to find some alternative that you like. If that is the case, you better have them buy you a cheap used car and save up for a turbo Mini later.

 

What's so amazing? I forgot to say there was a 9 month timeframe between buying the miata and getting into the accident... and then an 8 hour time frame between my accident and signing the papers saying MINI is mine

 

Yep, that's Pooky

 

I would agree to any car if I was sure it would be traded in in 2-3 years, however, my dad has a thing about driving the cars into the ground. It could easily mean 10 years before another car (and our family has no use for 3 cars).

I really hate to sound like a whiny brat, but they're dismissing the MINI for all the wrong reasons.

 

You're not sounding like a whiny brat, but... it sounds like your parents have made up their minds are just are not amenable to reasoning. That kind of parental control could bring out the "brat" in anyone.

There is the possibility that you will have to accept the things you cannot change (your parents) and screw up the courage to change what you can change (you).

So what's plan B? How much car can you afford on your own?

The benefits of having a car ... any car... with no strings attached might just outweigh having the ideal car with cables attached.

Is the car you're shopping for going to be "your" car, or a family car? If it's the former, and your parents are contributing to a car for your benefit, then realistically you don't have much leverage as long as you want or need their help.

If it's the latter, and you are contributing towards the purchase of a car that will benefit the family, you should have more say. Ultimately you have the power to walk away.

 

this is all good stuff...I was thinking very similar things...

in the end ChaoZ you kinda have two options...and maybe it's not all you want but it can still lead to the MINI...

I had to wait ruffly three years to get my Mini...

1. cause I didn't realize they weren't here....and got all excited ran to the BMW dealer and they looked at me like I was nuts...it was a year away before they were coming to the states.......

B. after that I was in school and well was broke...so I had to wait...that was 2 more years...

ok so...that's not what you wanna hear...I KNOW....

Minims made some good points about just walking away....maybe just go by some $500 special...yes they exsist...and ride that thing for a year or two till you can get your own mini...via your own credit...etc...

are you contributing anythign monitarily with the current desicion...if not...I hate to say it cause I know I coulda killed when I heard stuff like this...but hey...it's a car...is it as kewl...heck no...is it all the rave you and your friends have been talking about...no...are you going to loose "kewl points" in a hon-aru-ion yeah it's possible...but if it's your friends you are diving around...umm why aren't they driving thier own car

I dunno...BELIVE ME...I want you to get a mini...it's more than a car for alot of us...it's about the comunity...the whole mini expirence....

get what you can....maybe if you tell them...hey ya know I was just really excited about the mini sorry if I came off as a brat...what ever you decide is fine....it will work as reverse psycology


ok enough rambling out of me....

P.S. if that reverse psycology thing doesn't work I will not be held responceable

 

Ummm... if you're living on your own (eventually) how can they dictate what you drive?

 

I think this kind of reasoning could well affect their opinion. I'm not so sure about the "reverse psychology" part - by the sounds of it, that would - almost guaranteed - backfire.

However, if you were to approach them with the:

"Ya know, I really want a MINI and I think there are a lot of sound, rationale reasons for it. If I can't get that, then I would rather just have some $1,000 'beater' to get me by until I can get a MINI."

If you said that and really meant it - I would be a little curious (disturbed maybe?) to find out if it doesn't have a strong impact on your folks' opinions.

Just a thought.

 

I just wonder if you can simpily ask what is your parent's rational for your (their) next car? Fuel economy, size, safty... From what you said Civic, Mazda3, 2.5 RS to Accord?! They are totally different thing, but just 1 common!
If they said since they are all Japanese made and have more value?!
Tell them how good Mini holds the value.
If they said about relibility?!
Tell them Mini have 3 yrs free maintenance and you will paid for your own afterward.
If they said about safty?!
European car has a long history of safer than those Japanese car. And most of the cars on the road today are already 5 stars in crash test, why worried?!
If they said fuel economy?!
25 mpg city , 32 mpg hwy is good enough compare to most of the car on the road. Unless you are talking about hybrid or tdi.
If they already have their mind set to any Japanese brand, then there is no help for now.

 

if he just got a cooper, the gas mileage would be in the 30's across the board.

i avg. 35 mpg.

And if it means anything, i had a 500$ tbird that i ran to the ground, before i paid 2k for my miata, then got my nice fat loan on a mini :P I'd advise against any first car being new... but if you must get a new car, might as well be something YOU enjoy, if you'll be the one driving it.

Do they not know how cheap the mini is in comparison to the other cars?

 

Mini or not, when are they buying? Tell them that you want a pre-owned Honda (everybody falls for that) and save money, make sure they buy a CPO, and get their heads knocked-off.

Obviously, they have no interest in your preferences what-so-ever, let be it.
They have the money, they have the credit, they will play the song this time, selfish...

Actually you know what I thought right now, look at the new Pontiac G6, it is all American (parts are cheap, service everywhere) and looks 10 times better than the Japanese cars you listed. And probably cheaper.

Mini is not going to happen this time my friend, sorry....

 

I find it funny that you're admitting that your parents are going to tell you what to drive well into your thirties... Anyway why not look at buying a used mini on your own? I know they hold their value but a used one will be cheaper than new and maybe you could afford one on your own

 

I think you have a TON of people here supporting your cause (myself included), but if your parents are dictating what you're going to drive for the next 10 years your problem isn't that you don't have a MINI.

Best of luck, man, but if it doesn't work out it's not the end of the world.

 

It has 4 airbags, and is a 5 star crash rating car.. www.bongmonster.com Allen the owner of that car survived a huge car wreck...Thanks to his WRX :smile: