[justbob]

Here's what I've hauled around in my MCS so far:

1. 24 Happy Meals from McDonalds, with drinks--more difficult than you think, careful packing required.

2. Two different daughters to two different colleges. Suitcases, books, hair dryers, clothes 3x5 canvasses for art students, small refrigerators, microwaves, you get the picture.

3. Four kids and a wife with luggage for a two-week tour of seven states (okay, we took TWO Minis).

4. Lawnmower. Several times.

5. Dehumidifier for my basement.

6. 20 foot folding ladder.

7. 15 gallons of paint.

8. Groceries. For six. For two weeks. With two passengers.

9. Three college students travelling around the world, three full size back packs, three day packs. In the rain. On the Washingtion DC beltway. And beyond.

10. Giant Power Tools, e.g., a huge floor sander, a generator, chain saws, etc. (some of these took two people to lift in).

11. Giant Computer System with 24 inch monitor.

Two great points about the Mini and practicality:

1. You probably don't need to carry as much stuff as you think. The MINI enforces this.

2. If you do need to carry a lot of stuff, you should probably put some thought into how you're going to do it and what you need to bring. You can't just chuck it in the back.

So, it's been pretty practical so far.

Also, it's a GREAT commuter car--I'm never late for work.

 

[justbob]

I have to say that the 24 Happy Meals were the toughest problem--not the burgers, fries, chicken nuggets--it was the DRINKS that got me! Imagine 24 cardboard cups with plastic tops filled with Diet Coke sloshing around 1G turns!

Luckily, I was able to stabilize them carefully with coats, newspapers, and random bits 'o stuff. No spills occurred.

Skatemom sounds like she's doing some serious hauling--I'm glad to hear that she and her family have picked up a second MINI--it is like doing your own run when you go out on the town together--I suggest a road trip to Denver or San Diego with the whole family--now we're talking cruise machines.

Interestingly enough, I just drove my father (84 years old today) back home after he spent a week with us. Here he is, drives a Ford Explorer, arthritis in the knees, and I can't get him out of my MINI--he loves it! We chase a Porsche, we follow an armored car, we zip out of the NJ Turnpike toll booths, we pass people on the right by jumping the curb, going down the sidewalk, cutting through a mall and then jumping back onto the main highway onramp, thus saving 30 seconds in traffic.

Then again, I didn't have to deal with World War II, so this might be mundane to him. His favorite car is still the Ford Model A Roadster.....

 

[justbob]

I smell a future MINI commercial starting justbob in the making!!! Hahaha... Just think about it! It would be awesome showing him in 1.5x speed hauling around all that stuff, loading and unloading, back and forth, etc. Would be cool.

I feel more like I'm in a situation comedy than an advert!

But seriously, the MINI is a practical car--you can fit more than you think in it, especially if you have 10-year-old twins around to help you lift the heavy stuff into the hatch!

Then again, maybe that's the situation that leads to the comedy!

 

[justbob]

Thanks for the input and keep them coming!

I think I can now safely say that there's no way I'll be buying an IS 300 or any other Lexus for that matter. Check out this thread... http://www.mini2.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1238542&postcount=13

Lexus kinda ticked me off yesterday. Short version is that the Lexus Attitude is that you should be grateful that they allow you to buy their cars, but only if they spec it out for you. If you're really well liked, they might let you pick your own color.

Looks like I'll most likely be joining the MINI ranks soon...

Rawhyde

PS Please feel free to keep reassuring me that the MINI can tolerate a round trip commute of about 130 miles per day....

At least it'll be a fun 130 miles! Trust me, it's tough to have a bad time driving this car--you can always think of something to do, even in traffic. See "Top 23 Things to Do While Driving a Mini."

130x5=650, right? That adds up to 650x4=2600 a month, which is 32,200 miles of driving a year. You Lucky B*st*rd! Have a good time!

 

[justbob]

10 year-old twins to boot?!?! Well, then, you are definitely perfect for a commercial! Call MINIUSA right now!!!

Hey, I'd be more than happy to do a commercial for MINI, and I'm sure the twins would love it too!

Maybe I can do an East Coast version and Skatemom can do a West (Left?) Coast version? Grime and gray skies versus blue sky and palm trees?

If MINIUSA calls, I'm there!