The Smart Car

[souldog]

I should just go check it out. It's too sweet a ride not to make sure.

~Boar

??? I don't know Boar, I can't see a rough dude like you in a girly car like a Mini!!! :laugh:

All's I know is that I sat in a Mini, and I was uncomfortable as hell, and I'm 6'3" 245...

Girly? GIRLY?!?! Soulpupster! I'm old enough to remember the original Mini! It was a RALLY car . . . built for men. Men with five o'clock shadows, grease under their fingernails, British accents . . . and big, clanging brass balls! :laugh:

~Boar

"Justify" it whichever way you want to Boar! I guess if it makes you feel "pretty," then by all means, more power to you! :sign:

 

[360]

At least if any of them won't start you can always jump it with your IPOD

 

[jgohlke]

For what it's worth, I just bought a new 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman as my primary driver. I've been driving a 2003 F-150. I had a couple of Ford Explorers before that. I've had the new Mini about 2 weeks and it has about 500 miles on it. I'm 6'1" and about 210. My son, who is 25, is about 6'5" and 240. We both fit comfortably in the driver's seat with the seat not all the way back and our heads not touching the roof (I have the dual sun-roof model). In fact, we can both fit in the backseat relatively comfortably. The Clubman has a 1/2 suicide door on the passenger side to make getting in and out of the backseat easier. The Clubman is 9.5 inches longer than the regular Mini Cooper and most of that is in between the wheels. It's an easy daily driver and really fun to drive. I went nuts and got the S model (Turbo'd) and a 6-speed (I turned 50 this year!). I'm having big fun scooting around town and still managing to get just over 30 mpg (the truck got 14 and change).

It has a surprising amount of interior space. The back doors (2) open on hinges...they swing out (the regular Cooper is a hatchback). The back seats fold down to make a pretty large space to haul stuff (in the Clubman with the seats folded down, the floor is flat, in the Cooper the seats and floor are on different levels). The sales person told me that a guy bought one and stopped on the way home to pick up his new washing machine which fit right inside!

All the buttons and knobs are distinctly "Mini"...you might find them cute, quaint or quirky....or possibly just annoying, depending on your perspective. The parent company of Mini also owns BMW, so they share some technology. The radio and computer for example, are very similar. It has a ton of airbags, a bunch of structural safety features, etc.

I upgraded to the auto A/C, sunroof, cruise control package. Didn't get keyless, leather, auto tranny, Nav or the upgraded sound package.

So far, no big complaints, other than the Air Conditioner. It's wimpy. I living in Florida and on a nice hot, sunny day, the A/C is going full-blast and I'm still sweating. About 3 days after I bought the car, I had the windows tinted (the Clubman has a lot of glass) and also put in sun shades on both the sunroofs (the Mini "shades" are perforated...you can tell they design and make them in the UK...where it's not that sunny). After those mods, the A/C is easily able to cool the car, even on the hottest day and I only use "full-blast" when I first get in the car.

I was planing on giving her a wash today. Maybe I'll take some pictures and post them after I get her all cleaned up.

Edits: PIctures added....