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tsipple · Apr 17th, 2002, 04:39 PM

Well, I still haven't seen a MINI on the roads (except for the immediate vicinity of my dealership, Patrick MINI in Schaumburg, Illinois, during test drives). But I was lucky enough to pick up my MINI on Monday, April 15, 2002, around 6 PM.

I've been on Patrick MINI's waiting list since June, 2001. I opted for a "city cruiser" sort of MINI, with CVT and a few select options. I think it was the second CVT delivered by Patrick and about the 20th MINI overall. Although I love the manual transmission, I made that one concession to Chicago traffic and held out for the CVT.

Patrick MINI had the car waiting in their showroom, just in case it was raining. Joel Beekil guided me through the whole process and gave a tour of the features. (Yes, he did actually teach me a few things, so pay attention.) I've been saving for a while, so I wrote a check for MSRP, state and local taxes, title and license plate, and the state-regulated $51.44 documentation fee (less the $500 deposit). Optional floormats, in matching black, were $94.50. (They were ready to go in the car, but I was asked whether I wanted them. I did, of course.) Yes, the purchase price did include MINI-logoed Smints.

The VIN matched, the options matched, and everything looked in order. I said hello again to Robert Davis, the MINI General Manager. Kevin, the other MINI rep, happened to be out that day. Then Joel drove the car out the showroom door to the front of the building. With 13 miles on the odometer, I received the keys, a handshake, and a smile.

I took a couple minutes to adjust the mirrors, seat, find all the controls, and basically catch my breath, and then I set off with the friend who drove me to the dealership. We went to Boston Market -- parked as far as possible on the end space, of course

-- and had dinner. Lots of gawking already. Then I drove back to the dealership to drop off my friend and set off for Madison, Wisconsin (about 130 miles away).

I only stopped to take one photo, and only the next morning (Tuesday, April 16) as I was walking up to the car. (Everything else has been driving.) I thought it was kind of funny. I mean, where else would a MINI stay overnight?

Lots and lots of crowd reaction. A couple of the funnier moments were when a bicyclist nearly lost control, since she tried to stick two thumbs up.

(Madison is one of the most politically liberal cities in the country, and the MINI was well received.) Also, near Rockford, Illinois, a guy passed me a couple times, honking his horn, flashing his lights, and giving thumbs up. I waved several times and honked a friendly hello. And then there was the parking garage attendant in Madison. He was just 30 feet or so from the MINI in his booth near the exit, and he remarked that there was a constant flow of people walking up to the car to take a look, usually in groups. During lunch in Madison, a few minutes after we were seated, a businessman walked in and sat at a table near us. As soon as the waiter came up, his first question was, "Did you see the car outside?" Then he insisted the waiter go to the window to take a look, whereupon he proceeded to lecture the waiter on the "Austin Mini."

Anyway, to make this short, I'm back in Chicago, the MINI is safely tucked away in a garage space loaned by a friend so I don't have to leave the car on the street overnight, and there are a few more than 300 miles on the odometer. In fairly mixed driving I'm getting 31 miles per U.S. gallon, but that's only a hint of true fuel economy at this stage. I'm trying to observe the running in rules. Tomorrow Tirerack.com gets to photograph the MINI, so I'll work out of an office in Indiana.

Here's the timeline for my MINI delivery:

March 13, 2002: MINI born in Oxford
March 17, 2002: MINI boards the good ship Don Juan in Southampton
March 28, 2002: MINI disembarks at Port Jersey and has its tires examined carefully by the customs officers.
April 10, 2002: MINI rolls onto a truck for the ride from New Jersey to Illinois, after a long and thorough checkout.
April 13, 2002: MINI arrives at Patrick MINI.
April 15, 2002 (early evening): MINI finds new home.

If anyone's got any questions, I can try to answer. One thing that surprised me a bit, by the way, is that the glovebox is slightly different (and sturdier) than the Chicago Auto Show cars. Also, the MINI comes prewired for a handsfree mobile telephone, with a microphone and speaker in the headliner up front. I didn't find any details on how to hook into it, though -- I didn't see any mention of it in the owner's manual. I also have the most toothless row of toggle switches possible, since I've only got the windows and door lock switches. I kind of like it that way, though, because it somehow looks better than missing just one switch. Also makes it easier to find each switch without looking.

Apr 17th, 2002, 04:39 PM	#1
tsipple MINI2 Regular Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Chicago Local Time: 02:39 PM Posts: 179 Offline	Another US CVT MINI Owner Well, I still haven't seen a MINI on the roads (except for the immediate vicinity of my dealership, Patrick MINI in Schaumburg, Illinois, during test drives). But I was lucky enough to pick up my MINI on Monday, April 15, 2002, around 6 PM. I've been on Patrick MINI's waiting list since June, 2001. I opted for a "city cruiser" sort of MINI, with CVT and a few select options. I think it was the second CVT delivered by Patrick and about the 20th MINI overall. Although I love the manual transmission, I made that one concession to Chicago traffic and held out for the CVT. Patrick MINI had the car waiting in their showroom, just in case it was raining. Joel Beekil guided me through the whole process and gave a tour of the features. (Yes, he did actually teach me a few things, so pay attention.) I've been saving for a while, so I wrote a check for MSRP, state and local taxes, title and license plate, and the state-regulated $51.44 documentation fee (less the $500 deposit). Optional floormats, in matching black, were $94.50. (They were ready to go in the car, but I was asked whether I wanted them. I did, of course.) Yes, the purchase price did include MINI-logoed Smints. The VIN matched, the options matched, and everything looked in order. I said hello again to Robert Davis, the MINI General Manager. Kevin, the other MINI rep, happened to be out that day. Then Joel drove the car out the showroom door to the front of the building. With 13 miles on the odometer, I received the keys, a handshake, and a smile. I took a couple minutes to adjust the mirrors, seat, find all the controls, and basically catch my breath, and then I set off with the friend who drove me to the dealership. We went to Boston Market -- parked as far as possible on the end space, of course -- and had dinner. Lots of gawking already. Then I drove back to the dealership to drop off my friend and set off for Madison, Wisconsin (about 130 miles away). I only stopped to take one photo, and only the next morning (Tuesday, April 16) as I was walking up to the car. (Everything else has been driving.) I thought it was kind of funny. I mean, where else would a MINI stay overnight? Lots and lots of crowd reaction. A couple of the funnier moments were when a bicyclist nearly lost control, since she tried to stick two thumbs up. (Madison is one of the most politically liberal cities in the country, and the MINI was well received.) Also, near Rockford, Illinois, a guy passed me a couple times, honking his horn, flashing his lights, and giving thumbs up. I waved several times and honked a friendly hello. And then there was the parking garage attendant in Madison. He was just 30 feet or so from the MINI in his booth near the exit, and he remarked that there was a constant flow of people walking up to the car to take a look, usually in groups. During lunch in Madison, a few minutes after we were seated, a businessman walked in and sat at a table near us. As soon as the waiter came up, his first question was, "Did you see the car outside?" Then he insisted the waiter go to the window to take a look, whereupon he proceeded to lecture the waiter on the "Austin Mini." Anyway, to make this short, I'm back in Chicago, the MINI is safely tucked away in a garage space loaned by a friend so I don't have to leave the car on the street overnight, and there are a few more than 300 miles on the odometer. In fairly mixed driving I'm getting 31 miles per U.S. gallon, but that's only a hint of true fuel economy at this stage. I'm trying to observe the running in rules. Tomorrow Tirerack.com gets to photograph the MINI, so I'll work out of an office in Indiana. Here's the timeline for my MINI delivery: March 13, 2002: MINI born in Oxford March 17, 2002: MINI boards the good ship Don Juan in Southampton March 28, 2002: MINI disembarks at Port Jersey and has its tires examined carefully by the customs officers. April 10, 2002: MINI rolls onto a truck for the ride from New Jersey to Illinois, after a long and thorough checkout. April 13, 2002: MINI arrives at Patrick MINI. April 15, 2002 (early evening): MINI finds new home. If anyone's got any questions, I can try to answer. One thing that surprised me a bit, by the way, is that the glovebox is slightly different (and sturdier) than the Chicago Auto Show cars. Also, the MINI comes prewired for a handsfree mobile telephone, with a microphone and speaker in the headliner up front. I didn't find any details on how to hook into it, though -- I didn't see any mention of it in the owner's manual. I also have the most toothless row of toggle switches possible, since I've only got the windows and door lock switches. I kind of like it that way, though, because it somehow looks better than missing just one switch. Also makes it easier to find each switch without looking. Attached Thumbnails Timothy Sipples [2002 CVT Sold, 2004 S Rear Ended in Ride Home from Dealer, Back at Dealer ]