So I've had my Mini for 1 week now and have learned a few things.

- When you're looking to parallel parking, if you see another MINI, you can fit 2 MINI's in one parking spot. The MINI is therefore entitled to "spontaneous parking" status.

- You can fit 5 people in a MINI, although not recommended. The back suspension dropped a good 2 inches with 1300 lbs of total cargo. It was only for a 10 minute drive, the braking was pretty useless. Best part is that we drove by another original red MINI and the guy gave the thumbs up!

- Girls love the MINI.

 

Five people, 1300 lbs... That's an average of 260 lbs. per person. That must have been one full MINI.

 

Actually that's including some luggage as well. My friends were seriously uncomfortable and complaining constantly.

When there's four people in the car, people are surprised by the room in the back. The rear bucket seats help give the illusion of more space and a sunken feeling. 90% of the time, it's just me driving so I can live with the unpractical side of driving a MINI.

 

With five in the car, there couldn't possibly be enough room in the boot for their luggage, or did you just each take a change of underwear, and a couple hundred pounds of lead, each? Or, do you have a roof rack?

 

sandbags, lifting weights, mechanical sawing machines, bricks,.....

 

The roof rack is for the fifth person.

 

After further mathematical analysis the total weight was closer to 1100 lbs. There was only luggage for 2 people. The other 3 in the back came along after lunch for a short ride. The pasenger in the front had a dislocated knee from the night before and it took him at least 2 minutes to hoble into the front seat.

 

Love the "spontaneous parking" status. It's amazing the amount of spots I find which the MINI can fit in but no other car (in the US and until the Smart arrives) would be able to. Most of these I avoid as I don't trust the person in front and back not to give me a good tapping on their way out, but it's still cool for emergency and/or really quick parks.

 

I saw a Smart today in Nashville. Glad to have a Mini. Yes the mpg may be good however it can't be very fun to drive.

 

Drove onto the truck scales yesterday with a full tank & weighed 2940 lbs.

 

Is it okay to do that??? Always wanted to just out of curiosity but wasn't sure what the regulations are...

 

They will arrest you right on the scale.

 

Here in BC they close the scales after eight PM but leave the scale on most nights......surprising how many people use them. The mini easily gets all four wheels on!

 

In Europe they park the Smart cars nose in to the spots, not parallel. I'd imagine you could fit 3 Smarts that way. I wonder about MINIs.

 

Doubt it. In pics I've seen the Smart just barely fits that way, so no way the MINI would. That'd be really cool though

 

A little work can change that: