She Wants A Mini Cooper

Jimmy Buffit · 12-02-02, 09:01

She thinks they are cute, and I can't disagree. She has driven her 99 Civic EX (Black) for 43,000 miles without a single complaint. It is the perfect car for her, from my point of view... great resale, yada, yada, yada.

She can now buy a comparable new Civic EX for an even lower monthly payment...

Altho that should cement the decision, I'm really soliciting comments on the Mini Cooper, causeI think they are sorta cool, tambien.

What say you?

Jim

Jngrbrdman · 12-02-02, 09:11

Uhmmm..... I'd have to say no. They are basicly underpowered and overpriced BMWs. Get the real deal if you want a BMW. They may be hot now, but in a couple years you'll be able to pick one up used for 20 grand. Tell her to hold out a year for when Acura bring us the Euro Accord. Now THAT is a nice looking car.

drewski59 · 12-02-02, 09:12

They are cute.

But they're small on the inside.

My new European Car mag states the best way to make a Mini fun:
1. Buy a Cooper S with as few options as possible.
2. Install a chip.(they really seem to work with the Mini)
3. Buy the lightest wheels that will fit.
4. Replace the air filter.(K&N element)

Do these and your Mini will rock!

Intel486 · 12-02-02, 09:15

Just go ahead and buy a SVT focus for $19K

Now THAT is a fun car!

Sci-Fi · 12-02-02, 10:29

Have to use premium gas in all the various models/engines of the mini-cooper. Might as well buy the mini-cooper s, with the supercharger. After seeing the mini-cooper at autoweek after hitting a tree...

...one wonders about the structural integrity of the body to protect the rear passengers.

Fun car to drive though...a bit too low to the ground for my tastes (go kart).

Nagchampa · 12-02-02, 10:35

If she has her heart set on the Mini, then go for it!! Hondas are nice reliable cars, but they are boring. The Mini is something that not everybody is going to own.

I think that the resale value of the Mini will be high enough for you not to worry about losing $ in a few years.

They are nice and small too, so you can completely detail it in like 10 minutes!

segfault · 12-02-02, 10:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Jngrbrdman
Uhmmm..... I'd have to say no. They are basicly underpowered and overpriced BMWs. Get the real deal if you want a BMW. They may be hot now, but in a couple years you'll be able to pick one up used for 20 grand.

Huh? You can pick up a new one for under 20 grand in my neck of the woods. Quite the bargain if you ask me. I have driven the base model with a manual transmission and found it very entertaining and sufficiently powerful. The engine begs to be wound out. It might be a tad overburdened with the CVT though. The steering was extremely responsive, and there was plenty of interior room in the front. Bonus: it only has to be serviced every 10-15k miles. The premium fuel would be a non-issue for me considering that the thing gets great gas mileage.

Dude · 12-02-02, 11:05

It's small. I mean, it's really small. We're talking small here!

You should test drive one before making a judgment. I know they are cool right now, but they are so small...

The size really limits this car. I can't imagine owning one as a daily driver, even when I was single and lived in cities with scare parking. I'm sure it is fun to drive, but there's just no getting around the size. I will be somewhat surprised if BMW manages to sell many of these once the novelty wears off in a year or two.

Taxlady · 12-02-02, 11:12

What are you going to put on the other foot?

cvcaelen · 12-03-02, 12:10

Quote:

Originally posted by Taxlady
What are you going to put on the other foot?

LOL

Like : don't wear your seat belt: they'll think you're wearing a backpack.

That aside , in my neighbourhood I see some driving around and honistly I think they LOOK cool.Never driven them.

Christiaan

Accent2k1 · 12-03-02, 12:17

When I first seen one of those minis I thought it was a freakishly large waterbug lol

.
But after seeing so many there not so bad looking, different and trendy, but in a few years it'll just become another fad car like the new beetle, pt cruiser etc..
But hey if your wife wants one take one out for a test drive & do as much research as you can online (message boards, owner pages, cardomain.com is a good one, reviews, etc..)

I dont know if you or her are into customzing cars at all but I came across this site http://www.mossmini.com/cgi-bin/db2w...report?T=84026. They have a bunch of neat items to tirck out your car.

Nagchampa · 12-03-02, 12:51

It would also be a great car to promote your business! (If she doesn't mind you turning it into a rolling billboard)