Does anyone here own a Mini?

[MSG Hall]

My wife wants a new car. We will be keeping her van for long trips from Drum to Pa (where our parents live and my daughter goes to college). At home, (when I get back) it will just be the two of us.

She wants the Clubman… I want the S modal, it comes turbo charged and with limited slip… anyway, anyone here have any experience? The reviews are good, but I would like so real time experience.

Thanks guys

4 more months and I get to go home!

[Mike B]

So you are looking for a combo sort of like this:

http://teardrop.blogicalthoughts.com/im ... 005/21.jpg

This belongs to Stephen and Wendy Hughes-Jelen and the picture is from the 4th of July Fun at Carnation, WA in 2005.

Mike
Hayden Lake, ID

[oklahomajewel]

Catoosa Grani and their son Jon both have Mini Coopers and tow their Hunter Shadow teardrop with it.

PM her

[MSG Hall]

I can't see the picture, the site it's on is blocked to me...

My wife has been “practical” all our lives. I could always find justification for a truck, or a boat, or a motorcycle.

She has been steadfast on what we “need” and has never had a vehicle that she really wanted, she always settled for what was best for the family.

Well it’s just the two of us now and I can afford a new car. We have only had one new car (and that was a truck, more for me) in our entire lives.

She can have what ever she wants, what ever it costs. She deserves that. She likes the looks of the mini, that’s the biggest pull for her. She is looking at gas mileage too (old habits die hard) but I wouldn’t care if she wanted a new Mustang that got 10mpg… that’s what we would get.

I was just trying to get a feel for what the people that own them think… thanks guys

[Gage]

Here's a pic of Jim's. He takes it every where. His is an 'S' model. Catoosa Grani's is also an 'S'. Hopefully they'll chime in.

[Creamcracker]

Hi Bruce,

We bought our Mini Cooper CVT in April of '03 and it was delivered in July of '03 --- I love the Automatic especially with the 3 different types of configuration including clutchless shifting!


(For you purests out there if I want to shift I get my MG out!)


My son bought the Mini Cooper S in November of '03. We both love 'em and participated in Mini Takes The States in 2006 -- I led a group of about 70 Mini's -- some from as far away as California on the stretch through Virginia into DC (along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park) I plan on using mine to tow Napsack when it's finished. The Mini is about as much fun as anyone could have behind a wheel! The newer Mini's are different from ours but I like them just as much -- I looked at the Clubman but when I cost it out it comes to more than 30K -- for that I can get another X Type Jaguar!

Go for it -- you'll not regret it!

Regards Philip

[cherokeegeorge]

I used to have one. It was fun but then the novelty kind of wore off and the I got rid of it when I found out how much new tires were going to cost ( about $700) when we bought it the dealer failed to mention they have special tires.

[edlfrey]

Bought a Mini Cooper (no S) in 2003 sold it in 2006. Loved the drive but had more small issues with it than any car I have ever owned. Was afraid to own it out of warranty, retired and not much money to spare IF something BIG were to come up. A had 24,000+ miles on it, MPG was 33 with about 60/40 Highway and 5,500 miles with trailer in tow.

[Lou Park]

I'll be honest, I don't own one of these. I will tell you as a driver of a full size pickup that they seem to get into a blindspot all there own. It's just under where my mirrors can see and in between the mirror site and out my right window. They are just too small for any safe driving. It just makes me wonder where they fall for semi sightings.
Lou

[Gary and Cheri]

Yes the Mini is small, but with the recent revised milage requirements the major auto makers are going to be producing cars that will make the Mini look big. An example would be the Smart car from Mercedes that just started coming into the states.

I have a couple of friends that own the new Mini and love them. Don't buy the "S" unless you are interested in fun. Milage is just OK on premium fuel.

The regular Cooper does not need premium and gets 40ish mpg.

As for me, my Mini is a 1965 "S" that has been brought up from 75 hp all the way to a little over 100 hp. This is on premium and I wish I could get the milage of a new "S".

Gary

I would also remind you that the best crash test results are not on big pickup trucks, they are usually on Honda Civics.

[ssrjim]

We have one and it is a cute little car. It has issues at times and I hope now that the warranty has ran out it won't break the bank.

[Creamcracker]

I'll be honest, I don't own one of these. I will tell you as a driver of a full size pickup that they seem to get into a blindspot all there own. It's just under where my mirrors can see and in between the mirror site and out my right window. They are just too small for any safe driving. It just makes me wonder where they fall for semi sightings.
Lou

Sorry Lou, ya got it bass akward. Those darn full size pick-ups should be banned -- they are way to big! And if you have a blind spot you should adjust your mirrors and add a convex one. And the Mini's are rated as one of the safest cars on the road!

[Creamcracker]

.

I have a couple of friends that own the new Mini and love them. Don't buy the "S" unless you are interested in fun. Milage is just OK on premium fuel.

The regular Cooper does not need premium and gets 40ish mpg.

.

All Mini's are set-up to run on premium gas. Both My Mini Cooper and the Mini Cooper S handbook say to use premium.

[Creamcracker]

I used to have one. It was fun but then the novelty kind of wore off and the I got rid of it when I found out how much new tires were going to cost ( about $700) when we bought it the dealer failed to mention they have special tires.

Seems like you must be buying the "runflats" from a high end car dealership. Many of us replace the runflats for a more conventional tire. However we just put new runflats on the Cooper S and they cost $368.

[Gary and Cheri]

Sorry Lou, ya got it bass akward. Those darn full size pick-ups should be banned -- they are way to big! And if you have a blind spot you should adjust your mirrors and add a convex one. And the Mini's are rated as one of the safest cars on the road![/quote]

I couldn't agree more. Many people feel that bigger is safer and that doesn't seem to hold true with regards crash testing. I have driven/owned small cars, larger cars and a pickup. Up in Wisconsin, in our winter, the pickup with it's light rear end was wicked in the snow. Give me a vehicle that can get out of it's own way any day. Snow just magnifies the lack of traction, but the same dynamics apply on nice dry pavement just to a lesser extent. I personally doubt that bigger is better/safer.

Don't get me wrong. A pickup is a great vehicle if used for the purpose it was designed for, it's just that most people don't buy them for those reasons.

In the final analysis though, pulling any trailer negates much of the handling benefits the smaller car/pickup might have and getting hit by a semi in either will probably have the same result.

Gary