not going to lie, this concept "suv" mini thing looks cooler than the clubman or regular r56. ill still stick with my R53. the r56 is to round looking and doesnt have much of an aggressive look to it...

 

I dunno, having spent a couple of months with the wife's R56, I actually like it more than our old R53s--at least in terms of styling. I didn't think I would, but I find it a lot more aggressive... higher shoulder line, lines off the inlet, and the more 'bull-nosed' appearance up front.

Having said that, don't care for anything other than the hardtop. Clubman, 'vert, SAV... don't do anything for me at all.

 

I need to find the Sign up Roster. Hell Id put substatial amount down on this one. Suicide doors Im soooooooooo EXCITED!!!!!! Everyday Id tell my WIfe..."If they only made a larger MINI that looked like my R56 S (Im not at all impressed with the clubman, IMHO its about as cool as the ford fusion). IN my opinion maybe MINI realized the club thing was a mistake and like bad tomatoes theyll pull it from the shelves . MIni engineers are like Magicians. This is a complete answer to what my second car (would become first) needs to be. Thats very rare when you find an Auto from the factory exactly like what youre looking for. Damn hurry up 2010!!!!

 

Gotta face it, the R56 or R53, or whatever is too small for hauling kids to soccer, etc. With fuel prices, the soccer parents must really be trying to combine trips for those Tahoes, Expeditions or whatever. Glad we don't have that problem, and REALLY glad we sold our old Explorer and bought the Mini's.

 

SUV's are quickly becoming a replacement for the wagons of yesteryear.

I would not trust kids in a mini. Leather and cleats dont mix.

 

I think BMW should concentrate on only one model, MINI Cooper. Now they have Clubman and hoping for SUV (R60) as well. Indeed, they are running after money and try to make more profits but there will be affect on the quality of the MINI. More products, more hesitation, more employees, more technical expertise, more expenses, etc.

 

The Mini's chief challenge is that it is just too small and lacks awd, both of which limit its appeal for many of us who still want a unique vehicle that gets great MPG, but have kids and live in snow country. There are more of us than you might think!

The Clubman edition was a nice start, but missed the mark in my opinion (still not big enough to be truly practical, and no AWD). I also don't care for the rear styling. I just can't figure out why Mini would have wanted to draw attention to the quarter panel extensions with a different body color .

The Crossman theoretically solves these problems by offering a vehicle with about as much usefulness as a swiss army knife. Truly a car for all seasons.

While I have a brand new MCS, it is primarily my company/commuter car to and from the airport, short in-state travel, and for errands. For serious family use, I would need the Crossman to replace my wife's 14 MPG Range Rover, and I bet my wife would be cool with that as well, as she loves the Mini!

 

They seem to be doing okay with the 1, 3, 5, 7, X3, X5, X6, Z4 and M cars. Jeez, there are no fewer than twelve variants of the three series (not counting the two M cars) and that thing wins car of the year awards annually. The N54 engine (which is shared amongst three platforms) has also won Int'l Engine of the Year awards.

Just because they vary the line, it doesn't necessarily follow that quality will be diluted. If anything, parts will become cheaper and your options post-warranty for service will become much wider. Whether I would buy a Clubman or SAV is another matter entirely, but a varied brand is an unmitigated good thing from the consumer's standpoint.

 

And I for one would like to see a car with mini cooper virtues (handling, style, power and especially MPG) but with a tad more "utility". I am obviously the typical american who just "wants it all"!

And while the BMW product lin has plenty of variety, we need more room for the MPG now. Everyone does.

 

I've been following the conversation and thoughts on each side. I traded my 'paid off' Silverado for a used MINI on the lot - a car I thought was something too small and too expensive. With gas prices and a car payment - I find that the 8k miles I've put on my MC has been worth the change.

FYI my actual commute is only about 8-12 miles round trip - but I do drive around the state of Indiana at least once a week for business.

I would be interested in this SAV if the mileage was reasonable.

 

I like the looks over the clubman, but I already have two SUVs at home...

 

Time too sell them why you still can Save the money for a down payment in 2010 I dont think gas prices will ever come back down.

 

I beg to disagree with ya, but the styling on the R56, IMO, is more agressive than the R53!
As far as the SAV goes, bring it on, just don't forget your roots MINI!

 

Pretty funny! Go back through the early days of the '07 forum and you'll see lots of contempt for the looks. I personally agree with you, and evidently MINI does, too. The configurator starts with a bulldog (or did at least when I was shopping).

As for the convertable, don't forget, it hasn't been redesigned yet--not until '09 or '10 (I've heard both from the dealer). Time will tell how they will look, too..

 

Wow, I really like it.

 

I dont know what it is but something about looking at that car makes me feel sick. I wasnt a big fan of the clubman my self eather.

 

I don't know. Gas is bound to hit 6-7-8 dollars in short order. Shouldn't MINI as a company be focusing on going smaller, more fuel efficient? I believe VW is releasing a Diesel that does 50mpg...cleanly.

Whatever MINI releases should do better then that, if they want to stay ahead. If it can do it in a AWD Suv looking thing, then I'm for it. As far as the driving in snow thing, forget that. With the ice caps melting, where is the cold weather going to come from? Scary stuff heading our way.