Anyone here ever have a Mini Cooper?

[nolabear]

I'm thinking about getting a car. Mine's just wonderful but is getting really old and I don't want to lay out the bucks to get a new one of the same kind. I want handle-ability, safety, good mileage and all the bells and whistles (useful, not cosmetic) I can eat. And I have to admit, style is a big deal. No real need to put a lot of people in it but I'm a zaftig goddess type babe and want to be comfy.

[Auggie]

1. My friend has one...

he doesen't like it.

[Archae]

2. My oldest sister has one.

She loves it.

When I ride in the car, I'm mostly comfortable, even in the back seat.
And I'm a six-footer.

[Swede]

3. Is that like a dirty Sanchez?

[Inchworm]

5. .

:spray:

You gotta clean up this mess! I snorted my soda :rofl:

:hi:

[Swede]

7. S'up Inch?

:toast:

[Inchworm]

10. Chillin' like a villain

Making homemade pizzas, sipping soda (early day tomorrow), and about to watch Ironman2.

How 'bout you?

:toast:

[Swede]

12. Chillaxing,too.

I might go into work,so no drinkypoos,or I won't be going into work. Maybe some brewskis tommorow.

[Mopar151]

22. Don't park your Sanchez in a mud puddle

and It won't get dirty.....

[arbusto_baboso]

4. Oh, you mean the CAR?

I thought from your sub line that you were talking about a "little person" with the last name of Cooper. Well, she wasn't technically a little person, but at 4'8", well..

Never mind...

[datasuspect]

6. no throttle, pick up whatever you want to call it

plus you can't haul a boat on it, so it's pretty well useless.

[kentauros]

13. That's why you rent if you want to haul anything

or just have large items delivered

[EOTE]

38. The Cooper S has plenty of pickup.

Either the supercharged or turbocharged ones. Not an obscene amount of power, but certainly enough for a car that weighs a tad more than a ton. And their proximity to the ground makes them feel even faster.

[bluedigger]

8. Are you in NOLA?

Go measure the depth of the nearest pothole.


Now go check the ground clearance on the Mini.

[nolabear]

14. LOL! I heard that! But no, not there right now.

[pacalo]

24. Hahaaa! Good point -- a real deal-breaker for tiny cars!

I like the mini Coopers. If I were to buy one, I'd choose the convertible.

[Moondog]

9. I have the "S" model.

I've never driven the standard model as it struck me as being arguably underpowered. The S is a turbo version. It also has upgraded seats standard. If you do not get an S, look into upgraded seats.

It zips. It handles very well, and is as responsive as a go-kart. And gets good mileage. Not the fastest car I've ever owned, but it didn't cost nearly as much as those. Having said that, it is arguably over-powered, experiencing significant torque steer under hard acceleration coming out of a turn.

I'm six feet, husky, and I fit fine. Had it for about two years, and have enjoyed it, but I'm currently shopping around for something else - not because there is anything wrong with the car - I just tend to want something else after about two years, and it's time.

I had this one built to order. The only available option I did not get was a sunroof. I live in FL, and the sunroof is an odd one that doesn't completely block out light when closed. Too much sun / heat for FL. If you live in New England or the Pac NW, get the sunroof. If you don't, give that a pass.

Hope this helps.

[nolabear]

15. Perfect! Just the detail I need. Thanks. And yeah, I'm in the PNW.

[Moondog]

16. You're welcome. Have fun with it!

[elleng]

11. No personal experience, but noticed zaftig goddess type babe with one in neighborhood.

Seems to work well. jmo

[Generic Brad]

17. I have never had a diminutive barrel maker

[Mokoil]

18. There are nicer cars that get better gas mileage

For a car as small as the Mini, the mileage isn't all that impressive.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymodel/2010_Mini_Cooper.shtml

[underpants]

19. Hey hey size doesn't matter!

Cooper can't help his genetics

[mentalsolstice]

20. I have a 2008 S

I love it...I swear I never want to drive any other car. You can pack a lot in the back with the seats down. We've actually taken ours for our monthly haul at Sam's.

[NV Whino]

21. Check out the Honda FIT

Lots of room. 33 to 38 mpg. I love it.

[mentalsolstice]

23. Another thing to consider is low maintenance

I get my oil changed every 10,000 miles...and the car will let you know what it needs when it needs it. It's a fun car and we're totally happy with ours. The other autos we have is a VW Jetta Diesel (great gas mileage for my husband who commutes 60 miles per day), and a Ford 250 diesel truck that is rarely driven.

[Lindsey]

25. I just recently had to get another car and I narrowed it down to

a mini-cooper and a Honda accord. I did my research and went w/the accord. My understanding was that the mini's have to use high grade gas, that the oil changes cost about twice as much as the Honda, and are costly to maintain and repair. I really wanted to go w/the mini but I needed to be practical for financial reasons. Also, the Honda had the highest rating possible from consumer reports while the mini's received a lower rating. If money hadn't have been an issue and I could have afforded the mini, I would have loved to have gotten it. So, if you're in a position that you can handle the money part, I'd say go for it. I think they're really cool little cars and was bummed when I found out what I did. I love small cars and really wish I could have gotten the cooper.

[mentalsolstice]

27. Wow I don't think I've spent more than $100 on service since 2008

YMMV

[tammywammy]

26. I would suggest looking at a VW Golf or GTI n/t

[Lindsey]

28. Mentalsol....that's great that you've spent so little! I swear to God

I wanted that cooper. It's funny because when I got to work after I got the Accord, a gal that has a cooper said the same thing you did. She loves hers, no problems, etc. But all my research indicated that you had to use high grade gas, the oil changes were twice as much,they were expensive to fix.:shrug: :banghead: Dang I wanted that cooper.

[flvegan]

29. Mazdaspeed 3.

Because a zaftig goddess type babe should be comfy, roll in style AND be able to blow the doors off anything else in her automotive class.

Zoom-Zoom, baby.

[hippywife]

30. No, but I want one.

Reminds me of my first car which was a 1968 Austin America. :hi:

[nolabear]

31. I appreciate all these tips. I still haven't decided but will fill in if/when I do.

And when/if I actually manage that test drive. So far life has gotten in the way. Today, maybe.

[hippywife]

32. Here's a clip I watched not too long ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzwgO543cs0


I hope you like the car. :hi:

[nolabear]

33. Hah! Thanks for that.

[nolabear]

34. Okay, I finally test drove that MINI.

Absolutely a blast to drive. It does indeed handle like a go-cart, zips around and has a low center of gravity so you don't feel at all as if it's going to get out of control.

Also surprisingly roomy inside. I mean, I drive an old A4 so I'm used to a close fit, and it's not bad at all. I like the goofy retro analog dash, with numerous hi-tech bells and whistles as well. I don't think I'd go for the run flat tires or the turbo option; I don't care if it takes me eight instead of six seconds to hit sixty. Got so many air bags I wonder if there's room for me if they blow. I worry it might have the same issue that the A4 has had, which is a front bumper that's so low that I can easily whack it against those concrete barriers they like to put in the front of spaces. But hey, it's so short I might not have to pull so far forward.

Yeah, it takes premium, and Seattle has some of the highest gas prices in the country. But to tell the truth I'm not a high mileage gal these days; I fill up just a little more than once a month (I love living in the city). You only have to change the oil once a year (!)

My husband doesn't like that it's front wheel and not all wheel drive, which is good to have on the occasional snow. But I doubt it's a deal breaker.

Anyway, we'll see. No hurry; they'll be there. But boy was that fun, and I'd look great in it, the most important thing, of course.

[hippywife]

36. Cool beans!

And you have much more restraint than I. I probably wouldn't have left without it. :D

I want a dark green one.

:hi:

[Deep13]

37. "Yeah, it takes premium,"

That would be a deal-breaker for me. The fact that it can't use the same fuel as more than 90% of the cars on the road strikes me as a bit of a design flaw.

"I'd look great in it, the most important thing, of course."

What difference does that make? You're already married. :hide:

My suggestions: Honda Civic, Ford Focus, VW Golf.

[EOTE]

40. Requiring premium fuel is certainly no design flaw.

It's typically required of high compression engines. And higher compression engines tend to get better fuel economy than lower compression engines of the same power. So you're typically not spending any more on fuel with vehicles that require premium compared to other vehicles of similar power and weight. High octane fuel can be burned more completely and efficiently in those engines that require/recommend it. Premium often costs around 10% more than 87 octane. If running a higher compression ratio yields a 10% or more gain in fuel efficiency, the move to premium fuel has already paid for itself.

[Deep13]

41. I see.

Since you know about these things, I'd like to ask you about something on a related topic. Don't high-compression engines have more of a tendency to blow out head gaskets than typical pressure engines?

[EOTE]

42. Typically, no.

It's not so much the compression of an engine that would lead to a blown head gasket as it is the temperature of the engine. Engines running well above their normal operating temperature for a long time tend to get them. Assuming that the coolant system is running well, an engine running a higher compression ratio is no more likely to get a blown head gasket than an engine with a lower compression ratio.

[Deep13]

43. Thanks. nt

[nolabear]

46. Why that's just what the salesman said! (grin).

[704wipes]

35. I was considerimg one and then...

my oldest daughter called them a 'clown car', and ever since when I see one I keep expecting the doors to open and ten clowns to tumble out. Can't shake the image.

[nolabear]

47. I thought about that too. I got over it, though. Ohhh, the parking! The garage space!

Edited to add: It being fall and our test drive being on windy little roads, I kept hearing the theme music from "All Creatures Great and Small" playing in my head. I felt very British-countryside.

[guitar man]

39. I want a real one

I have a good friend with an original Cooper S similar to this one and he's got the engine built up to where it will just about give you whiplash when you floor it :evilgrin:

[nolabear]

48. NIIIIIIIIICE. nt.

[One_Life_To_Give]

44. Chewy but gave me indigestion

:7

[GoneOffShore]

45. Don't have one but drive one a lot - a John Cooper Works Mini.

This is the high performance model. 0-60 in 6.3 and will happily get 27-28 mpg in the city with the sport option turned on. 6 speed manual and goes like a rocket. Highway mpg seems to hover around 36-37.

Lots of room - with the rear seats down we get 2 large light cases, a grip bag with 6 light stands, umbrellas and Gitzo tripod, large camera case with a full kit Hasselblad, smaller camera case with a DSR & lenses and a computer bag. Without the gear and the seats down - 1 large Doberman.

Don't drive through deep puddles though. Eight inches of standing water is almost too much.

Without gear or dog it is possible to carry 3 passengers and a tissue box. But the people who sit in the rear must have short legs and be good friends.

[LibertyLover]

49. I have one and I love it -

I'm large myself and find it very comfortable. I have the S type with a few bells and whistles - the Sport package, run-flat tires, the moon roof and the instrument cluster on the steering column. The one complaint I have is that mine requires premium gas. It's not a suggestion, it's a requirement. I do get good gas mileage but still I wish I could use the medium grade gas. I have put my kid and my 100 pound Siberian Husky in it at the same time, so it's not as useless as you might think. Handling is wonderful as is the acceleration. And I love the styling.