Why don't more men drive Minis?

[earlestownflya]

A lot easier to fix than the new ones

yeah..if you can weld and fabricate..and don't mind driving around in a bean can with no air bags..no crumple zones..no side impact strength..no abs....but easier to fix...when you're stuck on the hard shoulder of a motorway with 30 tonnes of hgv whizzing past your nose..yeah..that's the life

 

[Piemaster]

The Juke, Quasquai, Peugoet 2008 are utterly horrible however.

I've had a couple of those as hire cars and can do nothing but agree. How can anything as big as a Quashquai have so little space inside? Rear load sill is nigh on waist high on my wife and as far as I can see its all to give it the 4x4 / SUV look that says 'I am an active outdoors person'.
I can do that by strapping the windsurf board on the roof of my wifes Roomster. While I'll never actually like the Roomster, I can appreciate it being a decent practical car that fits our needs - same can be said with other MPV
But then its something the manufacturers have always done, get you picturing the lifestyle you'll buy into when you buy a particular car, rather than buying the car that fits your lifestyle.

 

[stephec]

I've had a couple of those as hire cars and can do nothing but agree. How can anything as big as a Quashquai have so little space inside? Rear load sill is nigh on waist high on my wife and as far as I can see its all to give it the 4x4 / SUV look that says 'I am an active outdoors person'.
I can do that by strapping the windsurf board on the roof of my wifes Roomster. While I'll never actually like the Roomster, I can appreciate it being a decent practical car that fits our needs - same can be said with other MPV
But then its something the manufacturers have always done, get you picturing the lifestyle you'll buy into when you buy a particular car, rather than buying the car that fits your lifestyle.

Don't forget the, "one life, live it!" window sticker as well.

Compulsory for most new school run Disco's.

 

[vernon]

A couple of mine did not have external seams, lot of work though and I do not need telling I should have kept them.

My friend's aunt kept her Riley Elf in her garage and left it there when she bought her next car. He inherited it rust free and only six and a half thousand miles on the clock. It's now at the back of his garage, its exit to the road blocked by a line of four or five rally minis in various states of repair.

 

[Milkfloat]

Just yesterday Family Milkfloat went for a test drive in a Mini (5 door hatch ). Mrs Milkfloat wants to downsize to something 'cute'. After leaving the Fiat garage a 500 seemed to be number one on the list, a convertible to less. We looked at A DS3, Juke and a Fiesta too. We then went to Mini where the car has pretty much sold itself. Although, the car is for Mrs Milkfloat I will drive it at times and at 6'4" I did not really fancy the 500. However, what started off as a £10k number in our heads has rapidly doubled.

 

[EltonFrog]

I owned a 1275gt mini years a go it was a great big festering pile of shite. It broke down on the A 3 at Tolworth and that's where I left it, never saw it again.

I have had three BMW MINIS my current one is two years old. Does a little over 60mpg, I can get a 7 piece drum kit in it , or two bikes with the wheels off, or four bike on the roof rack, it's comfortable and fun to drive, free VED, free servicing , and quite a bit of tech, if that's your bag . The colour changing mood lighting is a bit of pointless fun. They're not cheap to buy, but they are a quality car for the price.

Mrs P has a 6 year old Fiat 500 from new, she's done nearly 100 k in it and it still drives and looks new. Cheap as chips to run, she has no plans on changing it.

They seem to be status less, as does the VW Golf good value car which I had the pleasure of owning in the past.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I've had a couple of those as hire cars and can do nothing but agree. How can anything as big as a Quashquai have so little space inside? Rear load sill is nigh on waist high on my wife and as far as I can see its all to give it the 4x4 / SUV look that says 'I am an active outdoors person'.
I can do that by strapping the windsurf board on the roof of my wifes Roomster. While I'll never actually like the Roomster, I can appreciate it being a decent practical car that fits our needs - same can be said with other MPV
But then its something the manufacturers have always done, get you picturing the lifestyle you'll buy into when you buy a particular car, rather than buying the car that fits your lifestyle.

Agreed, it's selling the dream.

The Roomster's great, I looked at them when they first came out and it was just to small for our growing family. The Kangoo, Doblo etc are the same, (but uglier) but have good basic practicality. My C8 has done stirling work, it was heavily discounted and has been perfect in every way as a family battle-bus, but no it's done its time and for a while I've been pondering what to get based on need rather than any sense of dream or aspiration. So I've decided based on ... generous boot space, roof rails, economy, simplicity and low purchase price. I bought a Dacia Logan MCV Laureate Prime and am awaiting its arrival. Fully loaded, less than 12k with 5 year warranty, well sorted, reliable and very economic 1.5 Renault diesel, the car is light in weight which also helps the economy, low cost servicing, cheap tyres. We don't particularly look after cars so it'll do just fine for the Motorway hauling it will get to do. The size of a focus estate for the price of a supermini. It'll look out of place among the numerous Jags, BMW's and Audi's in our street, but will compliment the C1 nicely! There also won't be many others like it in Terminal 5 business parking either :-)

Vive la difference :-)

 

[wheresthetorch]

I owned a 1275gt mini years a go it was a great big festering pile of shite. It broke down on the A 3 at Tolworth and that's where I left it, never saw it again.

Oh dear. I think I might have bought that in 1993. Was it black??

 

[EltonFrog]

Oh dear. I think I might have bought that in 1993. Was it black??

Timings about right but it was bright yellow, with a black roof.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I had a Mini 850 when I was at college and it happily ferried me and four friends around - although they had to get out to let me drive over the speed bumps on campus. I think every new driver should be forced to drive one for a year after they pass their test - a lesson in humility.

 

[wheresthetorch]

Timings about right but it was bright yellow, with a black roof.

Some shyster probably resprayed it!!

 

[screenman]

My friend's aunt kept her Riley Elf in her garage and left it there when she bought her next car. He inherited it rust free and only six and a half thousand miles on the clock. It's now at the back of his garage, its exit to the road blocked by a line of four or five rally minis in various states of repair.

Go on then rub it in

 

[steve50]

I have only ever owned one mini, it was quite a few years ago it was a 1 litre mini and it was by far the worst car I have ever owned.
It was the harshest ride, not very economical, noisy and when i got a bus or lorry travelling behind me I felt extremely vulnerable. I had a n incident whilst the mini was in my ownership, an elderly gent in a renault ran into the back of the mini at very low speed, the resulting damage was a badly dented boot lid and whiplash to my neck and lower back pain because the seats offered no support whatsoever. I would never have another mini either old school or the newer bmw mini.

 

[derrick]

yeah..if you can weld and fabricate..and don't mind driving around in a bean can with no air bags..no crumple zones..no side impact strength..no abs....but easier to fix...when you're stuck on the hard shoulder of a motorway with 30 tonnes of hgv whizzing past your nose..yeah..that's the life

What are you saying the new ones don't break down? Or just that when they do the 30 ton juggernauts slow down for you. One of the reasons the driving standards are so bad is all this safety equipment, All being it is a good thing, But it makes people feel so secure in there little boxes,They think they are indestructible, It's taken all the fun out of driving. Hence F1 being so boring now, But i would still rather be driving a proper 1275 cooper s than one of the modern so called mini's

 

[midlife]

I had a Mini 850 when I was at college and it happily ferried me and four friends around - although they had to get out to let me drive over the speed bumps on campus. I think every new driver should be forced to drive one for a year after they pass their test - a lesson in humility.

I had a mini 850 van, once ran by the BCF (remember thgem) . I hand painted it brown . Slidey windows and string to open the door. Great fun but on reflection a but if a death trap!

Shaun