I'm definitely thinking of trading the '06 Cooper in towards a MCS convertible.

 

Traded-in '05 BRG/W MC in December '07 along with '07 CR-V for ordered '08 Clubman. Loved both trade-ins but had to make both of them into one due to daughter turning 16 and needing a car.

 

I have a loaded '06 MCSC. I've been seriously thinking of selling it for the last year or so. Not because it's lacking in anything - it has every option and then some. And it's a great handling car. With the top down it's great. But with the top up it annoys me. On the highway it is so noisy inside the cabin. It doesn't have the rigidity of the coupe and over bad roads it really feels like there is no much holding the car together. I've even gone all the way from 17" runflats to 15" non-runflats to try to make the thing livable and I'm still not happy.

Then I test drive a GTI. Not a go-cart like the MINI, but very respectable performance and handling. 4 doors! Quiet! Comfortable! Space! And reasonably priced.

If I lived in the city and never left the city, the MINI would probably be fine. And as far as looks and styling it is in my opinion the best car out there.

My debate lately is whether to trade in for a 2nd gen MINI that is a little more comfortable... a Cooper or Clubman, non-S, with smaller wheels and an actual spare.

 

I first had a 02' Mini Cooper in Silk green (discontinued color now) and I was driving over 75 on the highway home and my tire burts out of nowhere and I swirved and luckly prevented hitting him since the road was empty and was late at night. In the process of bursting, the rim crumbled up like a ball and i had to us a crobar to remove it on the side of the road and use my replacement tire to get home. I trade him in (I cryed like a 2 year old in the dealer) since the dealer denied any under warrenty repairs (they claimed it as customer negligence, what gives? talk about BS) and would cost me an eye in the face and felt the shocks or engine could have future problems and couldn't deal with taking him constantly to the dealer for repairs not covered and had no choice but to part ways with him (happily the dealer sold him in less than five days to a new couple up north, so he's got a good home). I got a filler car until now 09' and finally had enough money save to get a new one. Even with the bad experience I still wanted one and that is and will always remain my favorite car of all out there and got him less that 3 months ago in OxygenBlue and I want to keep this one forever (or until i have no other choice but to sell him or retire him to the garage as a collector edition). So there are various reasons to why others sell there Mini. Some are forced, some just always want whats new out there, some have no attachment to there Mini, and so on. I'm scared that the biggest reason now-a-days is the economical situation and the loss of jobs and wages that put many owners in a no choice but to give theres up because they can't afford to keep there Mini (this is my biggest fear and the only reason i would give mine up).

 

The only reason I would sell mine is to get a Porsche Cayman, but the Cayman won't hold my golf clubs!

 

BradB who used to frequent this board sold his MINI for a Cayman. While he enjoys the Cayman he misses the MINI. He doesn't play golf.

 

Hmm. I had an '06 Cayman S and I could put my large framed full suspension mountainbike in the rear hatch/trunk (both wheels in front trunk) so you must have one HUGE golf bag. I had both a MINI and the Cayman at the same time so each had its attributes, my JCW now serves as a decent compromise in one vehicle. But I hope to have another Cayman or Boxster someday, it's an entirely different class of car. Its midengined handling and God's own chorus engine sounds behind your head made it sublime.

 

I've had my 09' JCW Clubman for 3 weeks and trade din my 08' VW R32 - I had some issues with the DSG transmission and the dealer was a useless *****. The R32 is a serious Autobahn car but I live in the San Francisco Bay area and there are no Autobahns- I took the car on the track once and it was a blast- what amayzed me was that a dude in a cooper S was keepign up with us - he was probably 70 horses less and no AWD ! My wife loves the mini and now wants to trade in her mazda 5. I love turbo cars and yes things change but I went from a daihatsu charade GTti, porsche 914, civic Si, mx5 gen2, mx5 gen3, wrx, R32 and now my clubman JCW ! Its a simple car and it works- I'm seeing more and more minis and people always want a ride in my car ? whats up with that - I never got that reaction except from the 914.. but people always thought they were going to die on the fwy with that car.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsejbW9Xxik

 

I can only have one car at a time. Not getting another one (for the moment, specially new) beacuse for the same money I can buy better cars now.

I still love them, but until I can have more than 1 car at a time, the MINI has to wait.

 

I traded my JCW Clubman 2 weeks ago for the new S4 - needed something to drive AWD on the snow. I miss my little guy (esp the MPG!) but the S4 is a seriously great car.

 

I tend to keep cars for a really long time, and I expect to do the same with our 2010 MCS. I might change my mind if it starts to get troublesome, but so far I've had it for just over four months, and it's been flawless. I LOVE the driving experience. And more generally, I just like strange little cars. It's a personal thing - I think I'm a nonconformist when it comes to motoring, hence the '78 MG that shares garage space with the Cooper. I don't like to blend in with the crowd, and the MINI just pushes all the right buttons for me in that department.

Spridget

 

Coming in 2011.....

 

Not with snow tires.

 

Seriously?

I bought a car, I didn't get married.

 

first observation: yeccch--the mating of a MINI and a TeePee. That looks more like a roadster.

second, you can call it what U want, but those of us that have been driving MINI hatches since 2001 are driving "coupes", by definition, a two-door, four seat car-- and what my dealer, my MA, my insurance company, and this forum calls a 2-door, 4 seat car, a COUPE.

 

I love my Mini, I enjoy driving that more than my wife's 2007 BMW 5 series or the 2010 Volvo XC. Get my plums busted a lot for driving a "Mini" but I don't really care. I love this car, emotionally atteched? YES!! The ONLY complaint I have is that I live in Syracuse NY and the closet dealer is Albany or Buffalo, 2hrs either way. 2 hours for an oil change...I'll do it myself