okay okay nice rides, This was my FIRST car...
1977 Datsun 280 z..equipped with what we called then "Fuel Infection." I got the 78 celica as a trade because this car was a lemon to me...It was fun though...pic taken circa 1985 You gotta love my moms 77 Dodge aspen in the background...(Backup vehicle for when the Datsun broke down)

 

I spent 8 hours in one shot, minus gas stops, and the car was more comfortable than my wife's Equinox, sure the ride is a little bumpy but the seats fit your body so well. I just think that the bumps are just the way my MINI gives me a massage.

 

Dude, a man after my own heart!!! Brand "new" 1970 240Z!

 

Pretty Funny. . .My wife has a degree in Psychology and her Masters in Guidance Conseling! She new I was into cars, but not to the extent she thought. I've been married to her for 8.5 years and with her for 11. You'd think she would understand. I guess I just don't have too many people to talk "cars" to and she just happens to be around. She's writing up the contract this weekend for the 7 year deal. . .(I was thinking of a personalized plate "7yritch" )I've had 11 cars since I've known her. Mostly Hondas because of their build quality, price, reliability. Now I'm ready for a change. Emailing dealerships as we speak to get a good deal on a new 325i manual/sport/xenon/lthrette. . not big on all the GEE-GAWS they offer..keeping it basic as possible. .

If I brought home a car w/out her knowing . . she'd divorce me!!!! --Can't have that happen to my one and only soul-mate, now can we?? At least she likes the BMW. . that's a BIG +

 

Are we hijacking to first rides now?

Mine:


edit: above pic is not my car, but same color and all. 1969 Mach 1

 

Get the Mini. Get all the packages ( cold weather, sports, premium) and leather seats. We love our Mini ( same color as your potential Mini) and dont regret a thing. If the stiffer ride concerns you, change the run flats to regular tires and dont carry a spare ( free roadsie assistance). We opted for the extended warranty so we pay for NOTHING for 4 years. Also, the resale value is the best of any car in the country, according to Newsweek. Finally, they are fun cars to drive and they haul ***!! Good luck.

 

And, while you're at it, have the wheels plated in gold and encrusted with gemstones. Seriously, this is really bad advice, imo. These over-priced packages will add ~$4500 to the base price of $21k, or more than 20%. Of course, if your primary goal is boosting the bonuses of BMW execs then, by all means, load her up.



Replace the runflats and don't carry a spare. Again, great advice. :impatient

 

'06 MCS PW/B, Premier, Cold Weather, Conveniece, Sport Packages, boot + bonnet stripes, tinted windows, driving lights, rear fog light, leather seats, chrono package, 3M rock protection package, fly wheels

Above all, don't forget the fly wheels.

 

Used to drive a Jeep Wrangler. Loved it! A "rough ride" is not bothersome to me. I like to feel the road.
MINIs are pretty unique - in a class of their own - and that makes them appealing to most. Especially to me.
No kids? Great! No kids for my wife and I either. Space isn't an issue.
The MINI is FUN. It's a camaraderie thing. WAVE and SMILE to/at your fellow MINI driver. You'll be glad you bought the MINI.
Seven year itches don't happen with a MINI. ;-)
Good luck in your decision; I hope you make the right one. :-)

 

Why are they overpriced?

If you want all the options, you save money by going the package route.

The sport, premium, and cold weather packages are must-haves imo.

 

Because they are luxaries you may or may not use.

How many cars have heated seats in this history of cars? Upgraded stereo? Lots of ppl hate the HK ... besides if your really a car nut, you dont listen to no radio, you listen to the car. They ought to have a radio delete option.

on tradein time options other than A/C rarely add anything as the years go buy. The luxary packages are just profit. Buy what you really need is always good advice, after all, if you really want just about anything, there are better aftermarket alternatives, cheaper, and you can still get most every MINI option retrofitted if you cant live without.

Eco 101.

 

You, my friend, are a car salesman's wet dream.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but dont most people order those 3 packages?

Almost all MCSs I see around here have xenons, 17" wheels, and a sunroof. I know these are stand-alone options but it makes sense to just get the packages.

 

Doubtful. In fact some say, and I have read in a review, the sunroof can get way to hot out west. Hence, the graphic to partially cover it up. Take a look around, not just "enthusiasts sites" and you will find many, plain and simple MINIs used as basic transportation.

If your into the "racing" bit, then you know everyone dumps the S-lights ... waste of money to them for lighter wheels. Why not just save the money to begin with.

Convenience pkg is total luxary. See http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/autos/newcar.htm

price of an average new car is $28.4. MCS at $21K is cheap end of the curve. adding luxaries to a low end car isnt the same as adding them to a $40K car.

Just a thought. Your mileage may vary. Whatever makes you happy, of course, is what is most important

 

All very good points. I looked at it this way though:

1. Premium Package - I wanted all of it, and dont regret any of it. I love the sunroof. It is by FAR my favorite option on the MINI. The MFSW is also handy considering I fool around with the radio a lot. The on-board computer is awesome as well...lots of useful info...I use it every day.

2. Sport Package - I wanted xenons and DSC (both safety options, therefore necessities in my mind). I also wanted bonnet stripes, obviously. For only a few hundred extra I got foglights, and bigger (better looking, imo) wheels. If I decide to change them out eventually, they really didnt cost me anything anyway. Again, if you're gonna order xenons and DSC, you'd be crazy to not get the sport package.

3. Cold Weather Package - I live in New England, this gets used daily, well worth every cent.

4. Convenience Package - I agree it's all luxury. I didn't really have much interest in any of it, but at only $400 it's not really a big deal. My MINI doesn't have it though.

I'm happy with all of it, and I dont think any of it takes away from the MINIs sprit.

 

There are those who load up on options and those who don't, just as there are those who ride in their cars and those who prefer to actually drive them. I see mostly no-sunroof, no-leather, halogen, X-lite MCS's around my neck of the woods. I think this probably correlates to a high density of real driving enthusiasts and world-class racetracks.

 

As long as your happy, thats all that matters.

Xenons, I wouldnt be without.

NH, yup cold, I know, been there done that. Understandable

Have FUN dude

 

I agree, to a point. I still dont think people who drive "loaded" MINIs can be classified as "non-enthusiasts" as you seem to be implying. In some cases, yes...but certainly not in my case. I love my car, and all my luxuries, but I also LOVE to drive.

 

on the fence...any OBJECTIVE opinions here??

No. None. Whatsoever. Thats what edmunds.com is there for.

 

 

Are you saying that if your dont do track days that your not a "real driving enthusiast"? Do you think that maybe there are many, many driving enthusiasts, driving many, many different models of cars who could care less about tracking there car?

Think about golf. There are many scratch players or players with very low handicaps yet when they might play against the pros, they find themselves in a totally different league. Now consider all the other golfers with huge handicaps playing everyday on public courses ... are they not true golf enthusiasts?

 

"Who could care less a track?" Not sure what you mean, but chances are that we disagree on this point, whatever it is.

Nope. Sorry, I refuse to think about golf. It is an absolute waste of time and open space as far as I'm concerned.

 

You are aware that there is more to life than cynical retorts, right? Apparently, this isn't a concept you're able to grasp.

Some people may enjoy a thing called "luxury." It's been a while since i've seen a late model 911 without Nav and heated seats. But, going by your logic, these people cannot under any circumstances be enthusiasts.

You may want to look into the definition of an automotive enthusiast. Going to a track and worrying solely about performance doesn't make you an enthusiast. To me (and I'm sure to many others), enjoying cars, taking pleasure out of driving, and having a genuine interest in autos constitutes an enthusiast.

Chows made a very good point that you so aptly shrugged off about the true definition of an enthusiast. Just because someone has better things to do with their time than go to a track doesn't discount the fact that they can indeed be an enthusiast.

As you can tell from my sig, my MCS is fairly well equipped. Each person may have their own preference, but I do enjoy being comfortable behind the wheel of my car. I've grown used to having my climate control system take care of the temperature in my car. I've also grown used to having sunlight in my car - you should try it sometime; it could do wonders to your incredibly cheerful mood.

The bottom line is just because someone likes having features in their car doesn't make them a non-enthusiast. I like cars as much as the next person, but I won't a) sacrifice my own comfort for it and b) define who I am. Nice reasoning, though - it almost worked.

 

Absolutely, to each his own. It's fine that you're into luxury. I'm not. And that's fine, too, right?

No, it doesn't. It just makes them a feature-oriented enthusiast, as opposed to a performance-oriented one. I'm more the latter which, again, I hope is acceptable to you.

Still works for me, everyday. Look, you may like cars as much as the next person, but you obviously like them in a very different way from, let's say... me. I personally see this kind of diversity as a good thing. Didn't mean to come across as negative above. Just stating an opinion.

 

Why can't someone be both a feature AND performance oriented "enthusiast"? This is the part I dont understand.

I mean, are you telling me that auto climate control and xenon lights somehow detract from the performance of our cars?

However, you are correct one one thing, thank God for diversity.