Why is the MINI at fault here? Your parents need to get on your sister and lecture her about having exceedingly stupid friends!!

 

 

I too have felt the pain of having to buy a car behind my mother's back while I was still living at home, due to her disapproval, even though I was completely financially responsible for the purchase and future payments. Let me tell you, it sucks!

I'm sure its just the parental need to be with their children so they don't get "fleeced" or buy a car that turns out to be a deathtrap, but the obvious course of action would be to politely inform them that they have the chance to come down to the local dealership and check out an MCS thoroughly, speak to the MAs, get a sense of the vibe and more importantly take a test drive and realize the solid feel of the vehicle. When properly educated, with facts such as safety info, resale value, warranty and scheduled maintenance information they cannot defend themselves without being downright silly (e.g. "because I said so.")

Other than that, if they still disagree get a night job and start paying rent in your own place, preferably with a 1-car garage.

 

I'm sorry, man. Obviously, your sister's friends are a bunch of losers who have no idea. I'm with everyone else that the most important thing is to stay calm and lay it out to them in a logical and rational manner.

1) Performance - I'm actually surprised that your family wants you to have a high-performance car, but that's another story. It's certainly fast enough. Show them somebody's signature video of them beating porshes and whatnot on the track. I forget who this is, somebody will tell you though. Also, look at Randy's website. He has a couple of track videos.
2) Safety - One of the highest crash test ratings
3) Value - Minis have some of the strongest resale values of all cars
4) Uniqueness
5) Test Drive - honestly though, unless your parents are performance oriented, they won't understand. My parents sure as hell don't, they just respect my decision in buying the car and helped me get financing. They probably would've rather gotten an RSX or Scion TC.

Be calm, gather your materials. As long as you can prove to your parents that you know more than your sister's idiotic friends, you'll most likely win. Look around for magazine articles as well. I mean, I can't even count how many magazine editors heap praise upon the MINI.

 

You bad .......

 

First off, my dad disapproved the mini. So what did i buy instead? A miata. Much less safe. Soft top, very thin metal body, alot lower so the SUVs could barely see me. After a few runs off the road, and the day of m first and only accident, my dad showed up to my work IN a mini saying please, buy this. He let me use his credit for the first year to be able to get it. I wouldn't say do something as extreme as that though.

But like someone mentioned before, i think you have some growing up to do. I'm 20, and my parents are putting a roof over my head. When they said i shouldn't get a mini, i was upset, but i listened. Of course, no one's putting me through college... i just work fulltime. And if they're letting you stay home "to save some $$" that MIGHT play a factor in why you shouldn't get a mini. You could be using that money to live on your own. I chose the car over moving out, and now i'm at the point where i SHOULD move out, and i'm scared to with my car payments.

You may be upset about it all, i know i was when i was in that position, but they're trying to look out for you. They made the decisions they did for a reason, even if you can't figure out what it is. Mini's will be around for a long time, don't rush getting it. Enjoy staying at home for free and getting your education :P

 

Wait a minute.... sounds like her sister stuck her nose in it and I have two daughters and know what they will do.

I am 65 and I love my MCS!!!

A good as any car I ever had and I've had a lot of them over the years. I would not trade my MCS for any car that I had to keep and drive. It handles a LOT better than my wife's current Lexus.

Earl

By the way where are you located. I would be glad to take your parents and sister for a ride and then see what they say about handling. Also her expert friends .. bet I could make them ask me to slow down in the curves.

 

If I were you, I'd search around for reviews of the MINI in well known magazines and their websites like Motor Trend or Car and Driver, then show them the safety reports and find the list of cars with the best resale value where the MINI is up there with cars three times it's price and see if they can be reasonable.

I bought my first car way back when I was still living with mom but she had no say, I paid for every single penny of the car and everything related to it on my own so it really was not in any way her decision.

And anyone who claims to know cars and says the MINI is crap, knows far less than they could imagine. Look at how many people on this forum are serious car enthusiasts who have owned countless great sports cars and how many people track their MINIs. Over my past two years as an owner, every true car lover who has said something about my car has said that they are great cars. Some preface it with "they are too small for me but...." they always comment on how amazingly fun they are.

 

I recommend you shop around also. Don't be so mad and anxious that you pay way more for the car than you should. I'm in SoCal and ordered mine, at list, from out of state dealer - Mini Of Pittsburgh. Am still very pleased with this. Plus there are some good deals if you shop well, for used Minis'. You are young and have a lot of education and other expenses ahead of you. You might be well advised to look for good used MINI, and have it inspected before buying.

 

--Oh yeah when your parents have you on a short leash you kinda have to do what they say or move out and pay your own way. The latter option is REALLY good I promise you. I started taking my parents out of the equation when I was 18. Joined the air force reserves to pay for college so they'd have no say in my course of study. Moved my stuff out a few years later permanently. Never looked back since.

As far as the car though, yeah I've gotta say there are a LOT of naysayers on the opinion of the MINI. I've even talked to a few MINI owners who don't think it's a very reliable car either. If you look at the numbers for the car no one really gets impressed. 168 horsepower. 6+ seconds or 7+ seconds to hit 60mph. An SRT-4 or Ion Redline outclasses it in horsepower and 0-60 times. All for nearly $10k less.

It is a safe car though. Deaths in the MC or MCS are little to none. Auto thefts are real low too because you can't hotwire it, and you can't even open the doors without the key. The only way someone could steal your MINI is by stealing your key.

I've had mine for 3000 miles and 4 months with no problems at all. I love my MINI. It's got a 4 year warranty with 4 years of free maintenance. There are a million aftermarket parts for the car that don't cost that much and are pretty easy to install. She handles like a dream and dominates on the race track. She drives in rain as if she had all wheel drive and I notice my car has more confidence in bad weather than most SUVs on the road. She's got a classic look with some beautiful modern curves. ALL my race track friends from the 300hp STIs to the 400hp Eclipses give the MINI respect because she'll turn laps just as fast or faster than some corvettes.

All this comes at a price though. My MCS with auto tranny, fully loaded with leather and every option except for nav was $28k. $31k after taxes and roof rack installation. That was A LOT of money for a little car. I have the luxury of spending that kind of money for myself. I earn enough to pay for my lifestyle and this car and that kind of liberation comes with time and hard work.

If you want to sell the MCS to your parents look up insurance costs for the MCS versus something like an Acura which gets stolen every 20 seconds in the U.S. Look up crash ratings, maintenance costs for an Acura versus the free maintenance for the MCS. Look up gas mileage for both cars. Look at standard safety features for both cars. Print out all the articles from Motor Trend and all the other car magazines that talk about how satisfied most MINI owners are. Tell them how million dollar athletes and movie stars who could buy the biggest most expensive safest car in the world choose the MINI Cooper instead. Plead your case with all the facts and figures and good plain logic. If you overwhelm them with good info then it'll be hard for them to say no.

If it turns out that you are not going to get the MCS it's not the end of the world. Just keep in mind while you are studying at school and or working. That one day you'll have the freedom to buy what you want, when you want. That's a really good goal to work towards. Freedom. good luck! I know you'll reach it one day.

~pyratio

 

Good call on the insurance. When I was in doubt of my first MINI getting to me in time after my previous car was totalled and I needed something super fast and considered a few other cars, even as a 26 year old female, the RSX insurance was over $500 more a year.

But you do have to remember that your sister is just being a competative and nosey sibling and that sometimes parents have a really hard time realizing that their children aren't children anymore. Reason with them if you can and be careful with your purchase.

 

Respect your elders ... they just might know something you don't know. Their house, their rules. When you pay for the bills, for your health insurance, the roof over your head, the electricity, have to buy furniture, etc. then its your rules.

(I heard that said oh say many, many years ago ... it goes with the territory and oh so true). However, this is the simplest solution ... Get a job, move out, do your own thing

 

Very good advice! A heated argument will get you nowhere. Do your research and present the data calmly. A trip to the dealership with your parents in tow is also a good idea. Let the MA tell them about safety, efficiency, etc. to back up the data you've already shown them. Take them to a MINI event if you can, let them here testimony first-hand from other owners.

 

Yep her friends are idiots!! You will not find any other car that holds it valur like a mini does, I purchased an 05MCS in October of 04 and like an idiot I traded it in on a four door tacoma in July of 05 and the dealer gave me what i wanted for it and asked $500 over sticker for my used MCS which they sold in 2 days! Luckily I traded the Tacoma in on another 05 pretty much identical to my other and by the way due to the fact that I couldnt sell my Tacoma and had to trade it in I gave almost sticker for this MCS with 13,000 miles on it! Its great to have a vehicle that holds it value like that when you want to trade or sell it but you hate it when you go to buy one that is used :(

 

ok--I have to chime in here also--hopefully you won't flunk out of college b/c you are reading all the replies and not doing your homework...
as the chows4us says, respect your elders...etc...take your dad with you, drive the cars, look into the safety,repairs, etc. info...help him see why you want it...
Take adavantage of all your parents' do for you, room/board/ etc....you have your entire life to "live out from under them"...don't rush it...
As for your sister, I wouldn't really pay her much attention...is she still living under their roof as well? Hum...24...hum..maybe she needs to tend to her own life and let you tend to yours....
Respect the parents--let the sister be...
It will all work out...

 

Hello everyone

 

Hello Caherndon Welcome to Mini Anonymous

 

seems pretty obvious to me what you should do......take your parents to your closest MINI dealer...have them take a MINI for a test drive...they will love the car and buy one for themselves......then you can borrow it as much as you want and you can save your money

 

I'm not sure who I feel more sorry for...you or your family ... I guess it's time to grow a set of ***** and move on

 

Boarder,

First off. Relax. It's your money. You can do with it as you like. And let your parents know that I left an Audi A4 for my MCS and I have never been happier. And I had no complaints about the Audi. But this car has character!

Good Luck with your decision but I think your mind has already been made up.

Happy Motoring

 

Its funny because all my "car guy" friends love my MINI. They drive Audis, Jags, Porsches, Corvettes, etc and they all said they would consider the MINI next time they went car shopping. Is that enough proof as to the greatness of the MINI?

Ricers make my laugh due to their blatant idiocy. They have no comprehension as to the idea of weight and wind dynamics, yet they make themselves out to be race car drivers in their bone stock civic with 300lbs of extra weight in it and a wing that makes more drag than downforce. They think that putting a NOS sticker on their car makes them faster and the other ricers believe it and fear the guy with the most decals. Bah! Its disgusting!

</rant>

 

Breathe deeply boarder054...

Yes it's annoying when parents do things like that. I'll echo what a few of the others have said:

• Parents will be parents... if you can maturely reason with them, give it a try. If not, let it go, for now.
• They're putting a roof over your head and you're able to save money, what a deal! save some more while you plan your next move.
• Forget about your sister's friends and their opinions. If you had a good relationship with her before, hopefully this incident didn't hurt that. If not, you'll be out of the house eventually and you won't have to bother with her except during the holidays.. if that.

Hope it all works out... breathe deeply, breathe deeply....

 

I bet they have gun racks and chew tabakky,too.
Jim

PS My 84 year old mother loves to take drives with me in the MINI.

 

Man, that is true!!! Sometimes I'm discussing things w/ my son and I catch myself thinking, "Gosh, you (meaning myself) sound so blasted parental...can't you stop???"

Secret is, parents have to do a little growing up, too, as their kids get a life...and make decisions...of their own. It's not always as easy as it may seem.

 

I pretty sure these are not a racial slurs. They either refer to Japanese cars, or the people who own them, not to the Japanese, right?