Should I Get A MINI? First Time Poster and Possible First Time MINI Owner
 

I'm looking to possibly purchase my first MINI in January. I've noticed you guys are almost like a cult here...:lol:. What makes the MINI following so unique and why are you guys such fanatics? I'm looking forward to possibly joining the gang, but I'm still trying to gather some opinions before I decide.

If you can, please give your opinions on MINI, as well as vehicle opinions, pros, cons, etc. I'd love to hear your overall experience with this company and their vehicles.

Also, I'm a 25 year old male...so there is the concern that this isn't exactly the most masculine car. How much crap do you guys get regarding this? Any guys' responses would be much appreciated here.

The thing that draws me to the MINI is mainly the styling and I've heard it's one of the most fun cars to drive on the market. I hear it drives like a rally car...any truth to this? That excites me.

Thanks guys, and I'm looking forward to getting to know some of you and get some good opinions here!

I bought my 03 MC back in Aug. 03, mostly because I liked the looks. It's been the most fun car I've ever owned and I'm, (gasp!), 63. Being an old guy, (or even if I wasn't), I don't give a crap whether somebody thinks my car is masculine or not. I live in the heart of 4-wheel drive pickup country and everybody seems to think my MINI is a cool car.:thumbsup:

So much to comment on from that original post, I don't know where to start.

The "isn't exactly the most masculine car" statement seems a bit like baiting to me. Hmmmm... it's a MINI Cooper, not a MINI Pad. Pretty manly unless you paint it pink, IMHO.

Okay... if you're really seriously considering the MC, then I can only suggest you go test drive one. If you're like most of us, you'll know right away that you don't want any other car. If you don't feel that way about it, then you should keep looking.

Amen. I had a rather rough-looking truck driver come up to me at the gas station the other day and told me how much he liked my car.

I would suggest you read many of the threads in MINI talk and your will find your answers:thumbsup:

Do some reading here, and all of your questions will be answered! :nod:

MINIs don't know age, gender, class, color, etc. They are for EVERYONE who likes to have FUN! :cool:

BTW, my MINI has a significant amount of pink on it. The only people to drive it, other than me, are my brother, father, and boyfriend. :lol: :thumbsup:

Just go test drive one.....and you will be part of the cult :nod:

I have a guy friend who has asked if I would do a time share with him on my mini.... AND I DON"T EVEN HAVE IT YET!!!

It's a car for everyone.

Come on Tex...you want some candy little boy... mu wa ha ha... go drive and join the cult. THEN and only then will we teach you the secret Mini handshake. :)

I'm 42 years old and have owned 20 plus cars, RX-7, old Subarus(the ugly ones), Supra, Fiesta, '69 Buick Skylark(1st car), to '67 GMC Handi-van. Right now my wife, three sons and I own a '99 Passat wagon, 5sp turbo, a Odyssey and our Mini Cooper. The Mini is the best car we have ever owned. It is a go-kart for the street, while still bringing 34 mpg around town. I've gone down to The Dragon and met some of the coolest people. I've done local rally's and gone to track days, the mini does it all.

The back seat is fitted with 3 sets of 5 point racing harnesses for the boys and we have taken road trips of over 500 miles, reachoing as high as 42 mpg on one tank.

The Bad: The car attracks attention, if you are a shy person be warned.
The mini can ride a little harsh over bad roads. Loaded with 3 kids and all of our stuff, it can be tight and a little low on power.

I will always own a Mini Cooper!!!!!

Cult? What Cult?:wink: Shhh don't tell anyone...

Well since I love dispensing free advice, I was in a very similar situation about 3 months ago. I was looking at a few different cars including the Scion TC, VW Rabbit, Honda Civic, etc. I wanted to buy new but I also wanted something fun to drive. The Cooper just seemed too underpowered for the price therefore I didn't really consider it. I finally decided on the VW Rabbit but the night before I went to order one I saw an ad in RollingStone for Mini Takes the States. I've always been fond of MINIs so I decided to check out prices and financing options on their website so the next morning I went to the dealer and the next day I drove off in a new MINI.

I thought I might have some buyer's remorse especially since I had made such a quick decision, but I haven't regretted it at all. There's no doubt I made the right choice. Its fun to drive, stylish, and fits my needs in every way. I am a 24 year old guy and I admit I was a little worried about getting some crap from my friends but I've gotten nothing but compliments. My car attracts attention from everyone and its all been positive, and just a warning the girls will be attracted to your car, but that's definitely a good thing:thumbsup: Its also one of the most fun cars I've ever driven and the enthusiast community is by far the best I've seen. MINI owners are so passionate about their cars and its fun to be around. There are all sorts of great events and people in the MINI "community." And it was great when I was able to go to MINI Takes the States in my new MINI and cruise down the freeway at the front of a line of over 50 MINIs. It was an amazing sight!

So if you want a car that is fun to drive, looks great, and will allow you to be part of the greatest car cult in the world, buy a MINI!:thumbsup:

I actually bought it because I wanted a convertible. I liked it, but drove a Mustang and Solara first to give them a chance. They were OK:roll:, then I drove the Mini:eek2::grin:. Halfway through the test drive, the contest was OVER:razz:. If all these Mini owners are fanatics (and I'm one too now) it is because this car turns you into one. You thought you were just buying a car (at least I did) and I got a brand new obsession, a new favorite thing to do, a "pretend race car", and a huge community of people who apparently feel the same way. If it isn't masculine enough for you, turn it into something really BAD like some of these guys have (girls too) and go kick some GTO gludius maximus. I, like one of the above posters, am old enough at 54, that I don't worry about that anymore, stock is plenty fun for for me. Just get one!:nod::nod:

I'm buying one (my wife already has one) because I'm 43 and it's a sensible mid-life crisis car. :) I drive ~50 miles a day weekdays, alone, and I want something fun to drive, and I'm not in the "hot hatch" demographic. (They're all wedges now, for crying out loud!)

• I'm sick of driving large, boring vehicles.
• I don't want an econobox.
• I don't want a family sedan.
• I don't want to deal with the image or upkeep of a "real" sports car. (JCW would be fun, but the GP is over the top for my purposes -- I need air conditioning.)
• I want a car that handles tight, corners flat, and accelerates well.
• I want decent gas mileage.
• I don't need lots of cargo space. (no kids or dogs)

Yes, that all screams mid-size sports sedan, doesn't it. Yes, I've thought of it. Problem is, mid-sized sports sedans are BORING. The only other interesting cars out there are not as interesting. The MCS will satisfy my desire for simple, practical daily transportation while satisfying my aesthetic sense and my desire for something that actually performs without breaking my wallet. (Although I did build out an '06 MCS online and got it up to $40K.)

-W-

Guys thanks a lot for the feedback, keep it coming!

How is the performance of the car? Does it have good acceleration off the line? Are there a lot of aftermarket mods you can do to boost the performance?

I'm looking for the classy, stylish looks of the MINI without doing too much to alter the exterior appearance, but I'd like to soup it up and make it fast off the line. I want the rally car feel. Is the MCS fast from a driver's perspective? I can look at stats all day, but how does it feel when you're running it flat out off the start? Is it fun to drive on the highway?

Thanks again!

:lol: :lol: :lol: Uh, yeah, a few. :wink:

Well it's ALWAYS fun to drive, but straights are not where MINIs strut their stuff.

You need to do the research. Read the performance threads.

Quick? Compared to what? If you want neck snapping acceleration then no. Does it "feel fast", Yes, its small, more intimate. That doesnt make it fast.

Want some perspective? See this. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=80382

It does very well considering the price point but clearly there are faster, better handling cars.

Can you mod it? Just read the performance mod threads. You will most likely run out of money before things to do:wink: Its a great fun little car!

Is the late release for the 07's simply because of the new model? Or is this a yearly thing with MINI? It's pretty rare these days that you see a model year actually come out in that year (i.e. '07 in '07).

Yes.

So do you guys know if or think the 08's will be released fairly quickly after the 07's? I'm debating on whether to buy used and wait for the 08's or go ahead and roll the dice with the 07's.

I am actually having the same dillema. and have talked to several people on the forum who have given alot of helpful advice. you ask the 01 people if BMW took care of them being that they were trying out the first year of a new model and take that into consideration. Also we wont know much until we test drive them. we can only wonder if the problems will be small glitches or serious problems. IMHO BMW has most of the querks figured out after 6 years. The new turbo could pose some issues but I think that it wont be anything outrageous and I think BMW will take care of you as long as you are prompt and regular with any matenience work that may be needed from first year querks. so bite your nails and wait for a test drive like the rest of us and then decide. either way 07 or 08 it will be a great new car.

I have only had my Mini since Saturday but the car feels like nothing I have driven before. The acceleration, sound and feel of this car is insane .. Test drive one and see for yourself.

I doubt the actual year will matter especially if its just a few months between the 07s and 08s. It will take a while to work out all the bugs either way. Hopefully MINI will take what they learned with the last generation and will be able to eliminate serious problems from the start but new model bugs will probably be inevitable. From what I've read it can take a few years to get things entirely worked out, but it depends on who you talk to. I do know that I've heard very good things so far about the 06 reliability so I'm not complaining:thumbsup: I'm happy to have the best of this generation of MINIs.

Go For It!
 

I'm a 46 year-old male and I've owned a lot of cars in my lifetime - but nothing comes even remotely close to the MINI S IMHO. If it's the car for you you'll know it as soon as you get behind the wheel and take some hard turns. I took one for a test drive and had to have one. :nod:

I could care less what anyone else thinks at this point in my life and yes - I was the target of some teasing from some of my friends (good natured of course). Funny thing is - after taking it out for a spin they seemed to change their tune. Truth is a lot of people have a misconception about the car. I know I did before I started to research and became hooked.

If it's the car for you you'll know it immediately and you won't look back.

Good luck!

Texidian... it sounds like maybe you haven't driven a Mini yet? If not, go drive one... Most likely you won't have any question about wanting it after that. It is a FUN car to drive (and I don't even have mine yet).

If you can't go drive one... search YouTube for some drving videos. Or go rent the "Italian Job"!

Also, if you have the means, you might want to just jump on an '06... the '07 is slightly different and a new production... so there may be some manufacturing bugs to work out. There are issues even with the 06s (read through this forum and you'll discover some) but they are supposed to be the best yet in terms of having worked out many of the bugs. Or, if you can't swing a new one, go used, but I've found that for a few extra grand, you can get a new one, even if it is stripped down a bit.

As for the masculine thing... I'm a guy and I never even thought about that issue. Once you drive one, you won't care! I've always considered it a sports car and the MCS with the supercharger really gives you that extra power.

I can't wait for mine to get here. It is going to be fun. And yes, there are lots of mods you can do. I'm not a mechanical guy, but even I'm thinking about doing some!

good luck!

Listen to the wisdom of the elders young Jedi... Go drive a MINI then you will gain understanding! :wink: :nod: