[rusty]

I'm sure you're all the same as me and love your Mini to bits, and any chance you get you are out there cleaning it!!

It's just interested to know why other people went for the Mini? Yes I know it looks great and handles like a dream, but i'm just curious to know what swung it for you? Has anyone traded in a really flash car to get a Mini?

[Jayden]

I was 50/50 on wheater or not I should trade in my 1997 Mustang (which was still in perfect condition) but when I heard Madonna bought one...well, if it was good enough for her, then it was good enough for me.

[Hat]

look at it. Sit in it. Drive it. Then say 'no' & walk away.

[Burning Chrome]

It's one of the few cars out there with any shred of personality that is actually affordable. There are a number of cars out there that stand out because they are so hideously ugly (The Aztek springs to mind), but the mini is about the only one that has personality and actually looks good. The performance and handling are the seal on the deal.

[SugarBelly]

....that 1st drive sold us!

We were ridin' like we were famous Outlaws! An urban-day cowboy & cowgirl team with smiles about to swallow our heads!

Much better than Researched or Imagined!


"But there's one thing you can't lose
And it's that feel
You can pawn your watch and chain
But not that feel
It always comes and finds you
It will always hear you cry
I cross my wooden leg
And I swear on my glass eye
It will never leave you high and dry
Never leave you loose
It's harder to get rid of than tattoos..."
(Waits/Richards)

-SugarBelly

[retroom]

My reasons for buying: Classic styling, affordable, good performance, great handling, unique, fun to drive.

retroom

[addman]

History. HAd an old Mini, loved it but hated that it kept breaking down. Finally got too much in '97, looked around and decided on a Ford Ka.

When the new Mini came out, test drove it and loved it, the handling, the comfort, the cool bits, but couldn't afford £14k at that time. Beginning of this year, my best mate trades his Mercedes C200 Coupe in for a Cooper, and I'm back on the idea again... ordered Feb, here in April. Loving every minute of it. Have done nearly 4000 miles in about nine weeks... must stop soon or it'll kill the residual

Haven't traded in anything for it, but it's meant a two-year delay to replacing my '97 Honda Blackbird with a newer one...

[dmholmes]

Wanted a two door hatchback again. Test drove a Civic Si, Focus SVT, Mini and MCS a whole bunch of times. There were strong points to all the cars but ended up with a Mini Cooper. Had always loved the original ones and got very excited when I heard they were bringing them back to this side of the pond. Love the styling and the "fun to drive" factor is really over the top. There were things I liked better in both the Honda and the Ford but ultimately the Mini had the biggest overall grin quotient.

[justindonn]

I've ordered mine as in London having anything bigger is a waste of time trying to park, or go fast in.

I've got rid of a 4yr old golf V5. I know it was about 50% more powerful, than the Cooper I'm getting, but that doesn't help much in traffic.

Actually driving the mini is a lot more fun than the golf anyway - which doesn't give the same feel/satisfaction

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Colleague had one, saw it, went to the dealer for a test drive, came back and ordered it there and then - love at first sight I think they call it

[Dark Silver S]

I've wanted a Mini since the 60's. I didn't even test drive one. I rode in one one time, and bought it.

[Richard Crofts]

Had mini's in the family since I was a kid. I had one as my first car and I love them!...OK they were basic, cramped and had diddy engines but hell they felt like they were going a million miles an hour and would almost do that speed round a corner! I like tinkering so the simplicity was great for me.

However like I said before the lack of options and space and the drop in fuel consumption if you tuned them meant that I really had to seriously think of upgrading to something else.

Now no offence to the European continental type people here but I cant abide French made and most Italian made cars. I have driven them and frankly put "bits fall off!" Pugs have great diesel engines(indestructable from my experiences at Avis rent a car), but they aint turbo'd diesels and so are slow. I dont rate the petrol engines at all for reliability (just my experience) The worst though is the insides are plastic and drab..and the trims on the outside and stuff fall off (pug 307 is the worst culprit in my view!!!)

Fiat and Alpha (one and the same) are pretty dire in my view at entry level except for the 147, the 156 is a waste of space unless you get the GTV etc etc. And well citroen I wouldn't drive if you paid me (sorry citroen owners, just my choice)

I really love saab's (Vauxhall I know but I like the look and the turbo's) but 2.0l + turbo cars are not what my insurers want me driving so thats out (plus I couldn't afford an 93 aero sport anyhow)

German cars...now here are people who can build a car...but again as a rule they are a bit bland...bit like the Jap cars of the early 90's and the 80's.

Best option then is German build quality. British looks (to be honest we have produced some of the most beutiful sports cars in the world, allowing for ferrari. The TVRs, the Jag E and D types, the Aston Martin DB5 and the new vanquish, and the Lotus Elise (strange but alluring in my opinion). Iconic status(if its possible) and preferably just to massage my self indulgence British built.

Answer to best option is... MINI...Ok its designed by Germans but it uses many of the features from a British(I know the designer wasn't British! )classic. Its got German build quality, although many parts are from the UK. Its built in England and.....its got inherited iconic status (plus a big chunk of it own now its been around for a while) The added bonus is that the interior although somewhat strange is like the Elise...attractive and wild in some indescribable manner.

Long winded but thats the reasoning I had/went through in picking the MINI over all the other options I had.

I poo poo'd many cars on test drives, the points above, my experiences of driving cars for Avis, of customer relations to me and my mates, and the fact that in my heart of hearts I wanted a mini again (even if it couldn't be a classic). there are faster cars, sleaker and more streamlined cars and cars with more options on but for overall brialliantness it has to be MINI.

Plus obviously it has to go alright and be good in the corners...but hell thats almost a given with a mini badge stuck on it...if BMW had of created a wollower and put a mini badge on it, it would have been tantamount to blasphemy and God would have struck them down!!

[RUKnight]

Well I read all the magazine reviews about how it was one of the best handling FWD cars, and also had some power to boot. I also loved the design as I'm a huge fan of hatchbacks (how many americans can say that ) and I my GTI was out of warranty and has had a lot of niggling problems. I went initially just to go and drive one but after that drive I was sold, exceptional handling and I just couldn't stop smiling. Thought it over, and the warranty really sold me...I'm waiting to hear what my production number is currently
Mike

[justamini]

I got my MINI for it *****

S - Style
H - Handling
I - Incredible look
T - Tight cornering
S - Sexy

[Humourl3ss]

I like things that are small, yet perfectly formed.

Jokes aside, it's the best handling and most fun FWD car I can think of. How could I not want to buy it?

-CW