I've been considering getting an MCS. I'm waiting 'til the '08s show up at the local dealer so I can check out all the new options like the ones described here: http://www.mini2.com/2007/05/25/incr...del-year-2008/, see if I want the cloth or leatherette, etc.

I have test-driven an '07 and it was sooo much fun! My only concerns are that the leatherette seats were really stiff (which is the reason I'm strongly considering the cloth) and that I will miss my truck. I currently drive an '03 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner (the jacked-up one). I've had it for almost 5 years, I'm very used to it, and I really love the visibility. However, I can honestly say that I really don't use the bed of the truck for much at all.

My reasons for getting the MCS are: 1) I want something more fun to drive. 2) I want something that is better on gas.

Can anyone give me any advice or share their experiences switching from another similar vehicle? Thanks a bunch.

Luke

 

Cool! Im switching to from a Dodge Dakota to a 08 mini also!

mmmm the mini is coming late january so i have no input.
Sorry Im not any help.

 

Well, my last vehicle wasn't as big or powerful as yours, a 2003 Toyota Rav4, but about the only thing I missed from the Rav was the ability to see further down the road in traffic situations and driving up to the drive thru windows and not having to "reach" for money/food. Otherwise, the MINI is just hella fun to drive.

 

Not quite a pick-up, but I switched from a 2005 VW Touareg V8 (305 HP) with offroad tires. Needless to say, it took me a few weeks to get used to the different seating position (relative to the height of everyone else on the road), but the switch has ultimately proved to be just as fulfilling as I'd hoped for.

From a MPG perspective, I went from about 13mpg to 35mpg+ in the MINI. From bi-weekly $80 fill-ups to $45 once a month. That's a no brainer, for sure.

Occasionally, I miss the ground clearance and fording abilities (some puddles on our commute get surprisingly deep!); very rarely, I miss the cargo capacity and overall interior room of the truck.

In the end, I couldn't be happier with the MINI. It's a solid, consistent performer that's a blast to drive, each and every time. It's made me a better (read: more defensive) driver, too, as I need to pay much more attention to everyone around me.

My recommendation is to embrace the fun of the MINI -- before long, you won't remember why you even had a truck before.

 

I just ordered a 07 and am switching from a 02 x-cab Z-71 silverado. My vehicle before that was a 1990 full sized bronco with a 4" Rancho lift and everything you could think of for off road.

My reasons were as follows
1) Gas is going up like crazy
2) Driving a MCS is SOOOO FUN!
3) It was time for me to get a new vehicle
4) Gas again!

My truck is paid off and even though I took out a loan (a nice one at 2%) and will be making payments it still pays off for me. Not only does my insurance go DOWN but also my gas bill is cut in more than HALF! So more fun and cheaper!

 

I went from a 1999 3/4 ton Dodge diesel to an 07 MCS. I cannot have been happier with the switch. I no longer dread driving my vehicle, I look for excuses to go places. The truck had cloth interior, I did nothing but ruin it. The MCS has leatherette. I have noted that they do not breathe as well as some of their competitors (my wife's jetta has leatherette, but the holes are across the entire surface, much better) But it seems durable so far, and it is not an issue when the a/c is running.

I did miss the truck one day, I was moving a table. So that's 1 day for the truck, 70 for the mini. Pretty good ratio.

 

note that on that link most of the additions (i.e. the engine stuff) are for the euro market only, at least for 2008. for the us from what I remember, the main additions people seem to talk about are a usb port and auto up for windows.

anyways I have a '99 prerunner, pretty much the same truck as yours but a facelift behind. Im not sure when (or even if) Im getting one, but my reasons are the same as yours, but more so for the fun to drive one. do you happen to have the extended cab? I was wondering how it compared to the minis rear seats, but I didnt think of that until well after my test drive.

my main concerns I guess would be ground clearance and the tire situation (and figuring out a configuration Im satisfied with...that isnt in the 35k range). Im used to being able to drive into driveways and speedbumps more or less as fast as I want, on the other hand I tend to be really paranoid with regular cars, probably too much. my brother has a 2004 3 series, anyone know how a mini would compare to that clearance wise? I would think the short overhangs on the mini would help a lot (but I want to go for the jcw aero kit which hangs a little lower). with the tires I guess Ill probably go with regular tires once the run flats wear down, mainly out of cheapness. just kind of paranoid about getting a flat without a spare, and repair stuff possibly damaging the tpms sensor.

actually there is one other big concern, probably the main one really, maintenance. my brothers 3 hasnt exactly had a great track record, and Ive seen more than a few comments to the extent of "well, its a bmw" in reference to repairs and maintenance. Im just afraid the car will be prohibitively costly to keep down the line.

...and yet I still cant wait to get one. damn that test drive for ruining my sense of logic.

 

Thanks for pointing out the fact that the engine upgrades apply to the Euro models. I don't recall seeing that specifically in the article, but I kind of figured since all the specs were metric.

Yes, I do have an extended cab (not the crew cab - mine's the one without the extra doors). I can't remember exactly how much room there is in the back seat of the MINI, but I believe that there is quite a bit more than in my truck.

In the almost 5 years since I've had my truck, I think I've had 2 people back there. One was an 8 year old, and the other was a 5' 8" male. Other than that, nobody else has dared to ride back there! The good thing is that it's the perfect size for my golf clubs.

I'm with you on the ground clearance. I like to be able to park where I want and drive through whatever I need to without having to worry about damaging my truck. It rained for almost a week straight about a month ago, which caused a bunch of flooding. A guy I work with who lives near me had to leave his BMW Z4 in a parking lot and have his girlfriend pick him up because he couldn't get home. I made it no problem, after driving through about 1 1/2 feet of water.

I've never heard anyone in these forums complain about the clearance, so I figure it can't be that big of a deal. Any current MINI owners care to chime in?

 

If your lifestyle doesn't demand that you carry a truck bed full of manure on a regular basis, you can get by quite well with a MINI.

On the rare occasion that you do need a truck, it is pretty cheap to rent one. You can even rent one by the hour at Home Depot.

 

I went from a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel. I kept the truck because I need it to tow, though I HATE driving it. Can't park it anywhere, it corners like a whale, and takes a half day to get up to speed.

I also beat the crap out of the right rear tire going over curbs in tight corners.

The Mini changed all that. I now look forward to the commute. Parking is a breeze and I can actually accelerate to merge with traffic, rather than planning an hour ahead of time.

Yes, visibility is not as good, but squirting around traffic is much easier so you can do more with what you do see.

Ground clearance hasn't been an issue. You don't hit parking curbs because you don't have to pull up to them.

BTW, I don't know if the Mini has a tpms inside the tire. I'd check on that before I got concerned about it. Judging from other systems I've read and the various info in the manual, I think the Mini may use the one that detects changes in wheel spin to tell you if you have a flat. It doesn't check pressure at all. The systems I've read about are in the brake caliper and detect a wheel spinning faster using the brake disc.

 

My last vehicle was a 97 Jeep Cherokee with a 4" lift. June of last year I got my 2006 MCS. The switch was no problem at all. Both are fun for different reasons.
On road the Mini wins easily. The nimble handling and acceleration more than make up for the view over other vehicles. The Mini's cargo capacity has never left me dissapointed either. Of course, the Mini isn't going off road on any of the trails I took the Jeep on but on the road the clearance is fine. Just don't go fast through standing water and you'll be OK.

 

I traded a 2005 Nissan Frontier 4X4 for the 07 Cooper. This is the 1st time since 1981 that I have not had a truck. I usually have had a car and a truck. Now I just have the Cooper. I don't miss the Frontier at all as the Cooper is so much fun to drive. If I need truck I'll either rent one or I have so many friends that have one I'll borrow theirs. The Cooper gets over double the gas mileage but about quarduple the fun. The cooper is actually more pratical because everything is locked inside the vehicle. The only time you'll miss it is at a stop sign turning right when you will have someone in the giant SUV drive up to you on the left, you can't see around them.

 

Jeep Grand Cherokee to a MINI. Forget about missing the view. I drove the MINI for more than a few days and then climbed behind the wheel of the Jeep.
It was scarey. I felt diconnected from the road. Took awhile to get re-adjusted.

I like the MINI more.

 

I went from my 1996 dodge 1500 to my MINI. Kept the truck for typical truck use, but the MINI is my daily driver.

 

If you can afford it, get the mini and keep your truck. My daily driver is a one ton Ford crew cab 4wd powerstroke and the wife just bought a mini. They are so different to drive it's like a new vehicle every time you switch. The mini is a whole lot more fun to drive.