I thought it would be fun to hear stories of what made you decide that the MINI was the car for you. I got this idea from a AudioNToxication post where he said he decided to buy a truck, then walked out his door the next morning only to see PW/B MINI. This changed his mind and bought a MINI instead.

My story is really in two parts. I had read about the MINIs coming to the US the '01 car magazines. I then visited my son in London in March '02 where he was attending college. I was walking about London my first afternoon there and stumbled across the headquarters of Scottland Yard. There parked right in front was beautiful silver MINI. Finally after seeing one in real life I knew I just had to have one of these great cars. I thought it was the coolest car I had ever seen. Then of course I saw them everywhere in London while I was there, Classic and new MINIs.

The real deciding moment came as my wife and I were on the way to visit the MINI dealer to test drive and get info on the MINI. Before visiting the dealership, it was lunch time so we stopped in a quaint little town near the dealership that had a sandwich shop. When we were leaving this eating establishment, there tied up to the parking meter in front of our car was bulldog. I said, "What are the chances of this?" Friendly little guy as all bulldogs are from what I hear. I just knew then and there that this was the day to order the MINI. Of course after driving a MINI, well, THAT was the true deciding moment. (If I could I would have a bulldog as these are REALLY great dogs, but my cat would NOT like it. One day.)

So let's hear your deciding moment story that put you in the driver's seat of your MINI.

 

First time I saw spy photo's in a magazine before it was out. I knew I would own a MINI one day. That day finally came Feb 9th this year!

 

A long test drive on a crazy, twisty road. Even though the salesman said I needed to have the car back in an hour, I struggled to make it back in 1:30. Ooops

 

Always loved the Classic Mini, but didn't get the itch until I saw the MINI concept photos in 2000 (?)

Test drove one and loved it, but my better half said to look around and make sure this is what I wanted. For comparisons, I test drove an RX-8 (fairly new at the time) and then immediately went back to MINI for a test drive. No comparison . . . the MINI felt right and gave better feedback.

No regrets.

 

I buy cars and drive them until they disintegrate on the road. Was most of the way through my 1993 Explorer SUV when the MINI was introduced - and I knew I had to have it with the question being "when". That was answered by two events -

• The electrical system of the Explorer developed a glitch that caused the fuel pump not to work at start-up in warm weather - and no one could trace the problem
• The 2007 model change was announced and I wanted to lock in perfection while I could

Thus, I had to get my ultimate MINI this model year - and I did !! No regrets other than not doing it sooner....

Bill

 

One test drive is all it took.

 

Not much of a story but, my 97'camaro just got all paid off and starting to fall apart so I was just searching around the net not really knowing what I wanted. Then I saw the mini for the first time. It was the coolest new car that I had seen. I'm not really too big of a retro style car like the new beetle and cars of that nature. I guess I don't feel that they every did the origional much justice. Except for the mini!
So I decided to go visit Mini of Peabody and take a ride. No S models were available so we took a regular cooper out. Nothing prepared me for that ride. Even though I really didn't know how to drive stick I did pretty well and could not stop smiling .
I got back and that was it. I had to have one. Decided to buy one used so I could use my old car as a trade in. Origionally wanted black, but then I saw the BRG with the whitle roof and fell in love .

 

Went to the 2005 New York Auto Show with all ready to buy a Pontiac GTO (Australian loyalty and all).

While there I sat in a MINI............It wasn't even running and I was hooked!!

 

Though I don't have a MINI yet, I've known I've wanted one since ~2002. They were still very rare then, so I didn't see to many besides pics. Well, my cousin ordered a PS MC CVT and I took it out for a test drive for ~30mins after she got it. After I drove that I was like "THAT IS MY CAR!" Now I'm waiting for the funds to buy an MCS. Hopefully an 06' or 07' next year around summer.

-Cody!

 

I saw an early model at an auto show and was intrigued. The deciding moment was when I told the SO, "I think I want to get a MINI" and his response was, "Yes! Get a MINI!" The icing on the cake was the test drive I took in a manual S. There was no turning back after that!

 

At first I had no idea what a MINI was. But when I saw one I wanted it. The car is so different from most on the road and I wanted to be different.

Then the fact that no 2 are alike helps.

 

Had an '03 A4 Avant with 13,000 miles, the Audi and I didn't get along well together. I told my wife I wanted a car that made me smile. Two weeks later I took delivery of an '04 CR/W MC. I still smile everytime I'm in it.

 

It was a case of "love at first drive". I had all but decided on getting a Subaru WRX sport wagon, but my brother-in-law (who owns a BMW 328) told me to give the MINI a try. I returned the MINI back to the dealership, with that painful perma-grin on my face. It was over. The months of searching for my next car were over!

 

As soon as I saw the concept, along with the announcement that they were going to be produced (I swear it was earlier than 2000) I told my mother, who kind of needed a new car, that she should wait for one.

She didn't get one, but I found myself in the position to buy a new car in 2002 and, despite trying really hard to consider other cars, kept coming back to the MINI. Took a Cooper out for a test drive, and rode along while my boyfriend test drove the newly-released MCS (couldn't really drive stick yet). That was it. I ordered an MCS of my very own as soon as we got back to teh dealership.

 

the exact combo that i wanted...IB/Blk with R90's just stilling at the dealer waiting to be sold. i just bought it right then and there.

granted, i was thinking about getting one for a while prior to that.

 

I don't have a Mini yet...but I've known it would be my next car since this past Christmas. My wife and I were in Scottsdale, visiting my parents, and I had the opportunity to drive their new cars. I was excited, because both were my suggestions, and cars I liked very much. The first was my dad's Aston Martin DB9, the second my mom's MCSCa.

The Aston was insane (is that suede on the a-pillars? ), a beautiful dream of a car, but it is also so expensive that you want to sit there and look at it, not drive it.

The Mini, on the other hand...my dad and I took it out one afternoon to run errands...and the next morning I had it to myself and took it down Bartlett Dam Road (Phx. residents...if you haven't driven this road, do so, but do it early in the morning before the boat trailers show up). Lots of twists and turns and ups and downs with gorgeous scenery all around.

I came back to the house with a stupid smile on my face, and I was hooked.

 

I got a new job with a 54 mile each way commute. I decided the Ram with 100,000 miles at 15MPG wasn't going to cut it. I looked at various cars new and used until one day I thought "hey, I could have one of those MINIs!". The defining moment came the very next day:

About a year previous I had a job that paid cash. I would get these envelopes full of cash, toss them in the truck console and use it as I needed it. Well, the day after I had the first MINI thought I was messing around behind the seats and saw something under the passenger seat. I pulled it out and it was an envelope with $800 cash in it! With shaking hands I showed it to my girlfriend who said "there's the down payment on your MINI!!"

 

My dad was living and working in Germany and the family went over to visit on a few different occasions. I kept seeing MINIs and thought they were great. I visited over Spring Break and my mom and I were able to borrow a car from the local MINI dealership for two days (Go figure.. I can't even get a loaner here when I go in for service ) The second we opened the door I knew I'd be ordering one once we were back in Michigan. I couldn't drive a stick so we took it out into the vineyards and my mom tried to teach me.

I had a perfectly good 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada so there was no reason to get the MINI. I kept the Bravada for awhile until it was clear that I was always driving the MINI and the Bravada was just sitting there. Sold it soon thereafter.

I'm on my third MINI now and my parents bought a Cooper of their own after falling in love with mine.

 

I was originally interested in the Pontiac Solstice but when GM was somewhat slow getting the car to market in sufficient quantities, I told my wife we would get her dream car first and I'd get mine the following year. We took delivery of her MCSa in June, 2005. After driving her MINI once or twice a week, I got the bug real bad to get one of my own. They are fantastically fun cars to drive.

 

I had a Spitfire and friends w/ Healeys, XKE, Alpines and the like in the '60s and so quite naturally venerated the Mini.

In 2002 I was a member of the Mini (not MINI) Owners of Texas and was working on getting a classic when the MINI arrived on our shores. The presence of six air bags and AC tipped the scale and I knew a new MINI was perfect for me, fulfilling all my automotive needs and...since it's a MINI...all my wants, too. The test drive really only served to fuel an obsession that is still with me today.

Several years on I find there's now lots more MINIs on the road. The initial glances and stares and pointing of passersby have waned somewhat. Still, I am quite content and to be motoring in a little MINI...my personal car of choice.

 

All it took for us was 1 test drive . I never knew driving a car could be so much fun, we bought our first '05 MC hb/b last may, and last night we traded up for a '06 MCS pw/w , we were supposed to keep the '05 for at least 3 yrs, but to make a long story short, our car was in the shop for a issue and they sent my husband home with a MCS loaner (Mini of Nashville), and to say the least, we couldn't see ourselves going back to the MC after driving the MCS . Now to get it broke in before next weekend, I know that won't be a problem

 

I used to think they were cool cars, but somewhat overpriced. But I decided to look at them especially after the improvements in 2005. One test drive and I was hooked, and the rest as they say, was history.

 

...after my Jetta crapped out.
Pulling the #1 & #4 sparkplugs out to clean once a week so it could start sucked. This after forcing the mechanic to redo engine rebuild.
Windsheild wiper stalk breaking, leaving intermittant only and pulling fuse to turn off.
Pouring two quarts of oil in after the last trip into town.

But ever since the MINI was resurected, I've wanted one.
P.S.: Anyone want a '91 Jetta GLI project?

 

Saw the car, saw the price, done deal.

 

I got to know Mini's in '68 while living in England. When the New MINI came out I made a mental note to check them out.

I was visiting inlaws in San Diego in Oct of 02 and was bored one day so I went to Brect in Escondido and took one for a test drive on Harmony Grove road.

I was hooked