mini ownership

[ono]

Just a general discussion.It seems to me that those of us who own a new Mini are rather like that Honda advert where drivers of other vehicles look down on lesser drivers IE: car drivers look down on cyclists lorry drivers look down on cars and so on,so why do drivers of Cooper S look down on Cooper owners and why do Cooper owners look down on One owners ?,there are those of you out there that will say that this is just paranoia of Mini one owners of which i am,but after a year of owning a Mini all i can say is what i see which is sad because i thought we were all one of the same

[Robert Stancliff]

Sorry if it seems others are looking down on you because of what you drive. If it's true then those that are looking down on you don't deserve even a minute of your time. I try to be friendly to everyone and one of the last reasons for "looking down" on anyone would be what they drive. Smile, wave and have fun.....remember, those who don't respond in a cheerful manner can kiss your.....uh......bum.

[NEMINI]

I agree with you to a point ... but not all MINI owners are like that tho ... there are shallow people in every 'group'. To me the Cooper and the S are just two different cars, for different people with different needs. ( I left out mentioning the One or D because neither of them are over here in America) Its funny I've seen it online but no one at any meet I've been to has ever acted like they're better then me cause I only have a Cooper and they have an S.

[moorlockx]

A MINI is a MINI is a MINI is a MINI.......

[mimicar]

Funny, I've never really thought about it. We have an "S" but while out running errands today I passed 3 standard Coopers going the other way. I waved at all 3 (got 1 reply) but I only thought of them as "Mini's" and never tried to catagorize them one way or another. I sure don't see our Cooper S as being a status symbol. Even the most tricked out Works model is still just a Mini to me. I wouldn't worry about it.

[jacobsen1]

I would agree with GMINI03 on this one too... I haven't noticed anyone talking down to me because I (the wife really) have a cooper and not the S... At this weekends meet He and I were 2 of 3 coopers and there were 10 Ss there... Everyone still had a great time, and I think it is just fun to see others with a MINI... They are still rare enough around here I can go a week without seeing another one... Seems to me that you buy what suits you and that is what we did. I wave to everyone whenever I am driving ours, and if you guys see a nut in a WRX waving, it's me, so wave back...

If anyone talks down to you because you have a ONE they don't deserve to be talked to anyway... In the Subaru world we had that online for a bit by the new STi guys who were getting that as their first Suby, but the shut up quick after getting beat by a few "tuned" wrxs...

To each his own... We love our cooper and have NO regrets with it. A cooper S is too much car for what we wanted, price wise, insurance wise, MPG wise, and my wife picked the car and she will be the first to tell you the coopers look better!

I love em all... I only wish we had Ds and Ones here.

Enjoy you One!

Ben

[stryder]

There are some people who think that, but mostly, its just that they don't just keep their views to themselves. When someone says I'm thinking of getting a One, they probably think they're being helpful by saying 'but an S is faster' In reality, most of the time they're just being annoying.

People like to help, sometimes the help ends up coming off as being a bit conceited. I'll especially vouch for Americans doing this, because the price difference between the two cars is not huge, but unlike most other places, most people don't care about gas milage or insurance that's a very big part of car ownership elsewhere. Even MINI supports this, by not selling the One here to some extent.

Just think positively, most everyone is friendly, and the few who aren't can go sit in their corner.

[dietcokeplease]

Sorry ono, but I think you're the one who is being paranoid.

Go to any MINI meet and you'll find some really nice MINI Ones that way outshine Coopers.

At the moment I am MINIless and I hired a One for the Cotswolds Run. I can honestly say that the One often beats the Cooper and S hands down on the basis of it's price and handling. Even Martin L who was riding shotgun was amazed that over the whole run we only used 1/4 tank, yet his S would be running on fumes.

I can see your point that drivers of superior cars may look down on lesser cars, but most MINI2ers don't really care. BMW 6 cylinder drivers look down on 4 cylinder cars with more venom than any S driver would.

In my neck of the woods, Cooper S's are invariably driven by middle-aged housewives with no enthusiastic interest in the car other than it being a fad - it's these fashionistas would may be clouding your view as they don't wave or flash.

[Paul]

As an ex-Cooper owning S owner with a One owning wife, I think we all get on swimmingly. I don't really see S owners lookomg down on Cooper owners, or Cooper owners on One owners, not on the whole anyway.

As was said above already, a MINI's a MINI's a MINI.... Even the Diesel.

[morrisminiminor]

Don't give a **** if anyone looks down on my MINI One. I bought it for ME. Haven't noticed it happening. Works Cooper S lady driver overtook me during the drive to the cinema but apologised for doing so. I said no problem although I didn't say so I'd rather she'd waved as she went past. Really nice car she had though

morrisminiminor