I visited a dealer yesterday so I could finally test drive a Cooper S Hard Top in an automatic. The dealer only had one available and we get in to go for a drive and the MA realizes it has an empty tank. She goes and grabs a gas credit card and off we go. One block down the road the car dies. Whoops! It really had no gas. I felt bad for the MA.

Unfortunately they had to leave the car on the side of the road and I never got to test drive anything. I'll have to go back next time I'm in the area. It's a good thing my lease on my current car isn't up for a few months so I'm not in a rush at all. Just thought it was a funny story since I've never run out of gas on a test drive before!

 

lol - And after just one block you weren't completely sold on the MINI .

Hope the next run goes better for both of you.

 

Kramer would have gotten another 30 or so miles out of it...lol

 

Dont buy the car running a r56 out of gas is a killer

 

Worst part was that it was raining and we had to wait for another employee to come rescue us because the weather was too bad to walk back.

 

 

On a hot day, the FP in the tank is cooled by the physical presence of the fuel....one reason why it's best to keep the tanks above 1/4 at all times.

But given that it was a brand new car, with relatively clean tank/filter, the short distance travelled and weather conditions, I doubt any harm will come of it.

 

Wouldn't buy this one anyway....it was Chili Red with no sunroof. I want Horizon Blue with a sunroof.

 

+1

 

I thought Horizon Blue was discontinued for 2012 ?

 

Hmmm...it's on the configurator, which I'd assume is the 2012 at this point, no?

 

How many acorns on the meter were there. I've read how deceptive the low gas warning can be.

 

I think that is an S vs non-S issue.

 

It was either one or none.

 

I had heard there were few colors coming back and few leaving.

Will check and get back to ya.

 

Horizon Blue (A93) has been discontinued and will be replaced with Lightning Blue (A63.)

2012 changes

 

Sent an employee to come "rescue you?" They should have sent an employee with a can of gas!! This dealer gets points off for lack of determination!

My dealer sent an employee to Starbucks to get us coffee before the test drive. I had left the targa top off of the jeep (my trade-in) ... they sent an employee on a half hour drive to my house to get it so I wouldn't have to make another trip to bring it in! Persistence pays off! LOL

 

I was a little annoyed that they didn't manage to find a can of gas so I could actually test drive the car. I think they were kind of embarrassed and didn't know what to do? The MA was a pretty young girl and probably kind of new, so I didn't really give her a hard time. Oh well. I'll get to drive it at some point.

 

Ahhhhh, now the truth comes out. The MA was hot so he didn’t want to lose his cool...lol. If it had been an old man, he would have gone off and demand they get gas....

We get it now...

Just for the record, you’ll LOVE the automatic. A few years ago I was buying my 3rd mini. It was the day the Clubmans came out. I was going down to the dealer for a test drive with the intentions of buying a Clubman. When I got there, I had to wait because it was already on a test drive.

The SA (she was hot too..lol) asked me if I wanted to take an R56 automatic for a test drive. I laughed and said that’s ridiculous, who would buy a fun car to drive like a mini in an automatic??

So while we were waiting, I drove it.

HOLY CRAP, it was a BLAST!!! The 6 speed hauled butt and was waaaay peppier than I expected. The car was an absolute blast to drive.

You should see the look on my wife’s face when i pulled into the driveway with a brand new automatic S instead of the clubman I went down to buy...

I loved the car....



but after driving it on the track for a season, I realized an automatic was not conducive to that kind of driving so I bought a JCW.

Hope your next test drive goes better.... you’ll love it!


Mark