If it's going to be the car that you drive then it should be your choice not his. Do you tell him what car he has to drive? Probably not. I've been married for almost 30 years and my wife typically gets a new car every 7-8 years. She is now on car #5 since we were married and 4 of those 5 were HER choice, one was mine. Of the 5, she absolutely loved 4 of the 5, the one I picked out she hated and grumbled about for a year till we traded it in on what she wanted, now she's happy as a clam again. This vehicle is now 4 years old and she still loves it and has no intentions to get a new one for a long time. So... tell your husband that you are the one who will have to drive it every day not him so it should be your choice. BTW, my wife doesn't doesn't tell me what I have to drive either, she actually didn't like my MCS when I first got it (called it a clown car) but now has grown to like and and occasionally even drives it.

 

To echo what most everyone else has said, you should drive what you want if it's your car. The two exceptions I can think of are:

1. It's going to be the "Family Car" and you both will be driving it fairly equal amounts.
2. It's more expensive than he's comfortable with.

Outside of those two issues you should drive what you want. That's the deal my wife and I have. She doesn't tell me what to drive and I don't tell her either. I don't even give my opinion of what color car I think she should get. She's going to have to drive it every day, not me, so why should I care? I want her to be happy with her car and me happy with mine.

Just because you're married and you can have mutual decisions doesn't mean every one has to be.

 

The GTI is a better car if you need to use the back seat.
The Mini is more attractive (stands out on the road) and the GTI is more practical but blends into the sea of boring cars. I think the Golf shape looks like a minivan and looks big and tall unless you lower it. I don't really like cars that low or on bags. I hate the OEM GTI wheels. They are stupid heavy and have no tire side wall. The GTI MK6 face lift (from the MK5) is a huge improvement. The MK5 GTI looked even taller and goofy cartoon like with the kidney tail lights and the Audi mostly non functional grill. The Golf MK6 and GTI have lots of reliability issues but so does the 07--09 Mini (chain). Both cars need to be maintained more than say Hondas or Toyotas so if you are not on board for that you should think about keeping the GTI or Mini for two or three years and move on.

 

FireDragon, here's my take on any VW. A lot of my sorority sisters had VWs a few years ago because they were cute, reliable, etc. and all of them ended up hating their cars for two reasons. 1) VW was using some sort of wax that smelled like crayons when it melted in the heat. The odor was so bad that I refused to ride with them when it was warm (in other words, April - October in Texas). 2) Their VWs may have been super reliable for most people but the newer ones had parts that could not stand up to the Texas extreme heat and extreme cold. They had parts breaking that broke long before they should have and they were expensive to replace. I don't know if VW is still having these problems in Texas but I will not ever buy a VW if I know that there's even a remote possibility that I will be living in Texas while owning it. Good luck with the decision!!! I hope that you get what you want!!!!!

 

Mini uses wax too.

I know the smell that you are talking about.

 

I would imagine that a lot of auto manufacturers do but whatever VW used/uses is inferior. My MINI has never smelled in the three years I've owned it and it's been subjected to the same temperature extremes as my friends' VWs.

Any update on your progress, FireDragon?

 

I agree. I think the VW (on late A2s, A3s and A4 Jettas made in Mexico) smell comes from the wax, carpet and or the sound dreading pad under the carpet. I think it is moisture under the carpet with the wax and or the glue drying out from sun and or heat exposure. It smells like vomit, BO and crayons and the smell gets in the seats too. When it starts the smell sticks to any soft plastic or fabric. I too will never own or ride in one of them. If my Mini ever gets that smell I will toss the keys to a shady looking guy in a bad part of town like they did on Seinfeld. .



A dismissed BMW class action lawsuit was seemingly pulled from the pages of the “Smelly Car” episode of Seinfeld. Suit was filed in federal court in New Jersey in October 2009 on behalf of owners of BMW Model E46 owners, who alleged that a noxious odor permeated the cabins of their ultimate driving machines. Alban v. BMW of North America, LLC, Civ. No. 09-5398 (D.N.J. 2010). The 20-page complaint actually includes quotes purportedly pulled from various websites dedicated to the issue. Some favorites from the complaint: “It kind of smells like a mix of BO and crayons.” “[The smell] burns your nostrils!” And finally, as if quoted from Elaine herself, “I shampoo’d, etc. Nothing helps.”

I noticed this same smell (not as strong) in the loner 2009 BMW 3 series I drove from the Mini dealer this year. BMW has the same problem.

 

This thread smells!

 

Firedragon having read this thread again, I didn't see anywhere you mentioned what your husband drives. What does he have and how long has he had it? I am also not sure whether you have kids or not. Presuming you don't as I didn't see it mentioned.

I see a marriage as a partnership. I would never nor would my wife make a major purchase without agreement from the other. I work and my wife is a stay at home mom (Was since our baby is almost 18). She handles the bills and has complete freedom with the money. She has almost complete freedom with house decorating too.

That said. If she wanted a new car and we could afford it, she would get it (limited by color). Up until just recently she has always gotten the new car and get I her old one (Hence the color limitation). Right now I can't get her to give up her Toyota mini-van she has had for 8+ years. Even for a new one. Which is why I got a MINI. That was great for me.

I would be really interested in why who makes the money is the issue but I know it is personal. Would also like an answer to your husbands car. Thanks.

Best wishes.

 

Even though the $30,000 MINI is the wife's - I have balked at getting her a garden tiller for years. It's a small 10'x10' garden and "we can mix it with a shovel". Well Spring is here so I get an email at work a few weeks back, and I can tell she's been digging in the garden: "I am getting a tiller this year, I don't care what you say". ... So here's another story on keeping the little lady happy....

Sounded pretty firm and I bought a Stihl chainsaw just a couple months ago to handle downed trees from a rare ice storm in the Seattle area. Also bought the Stihl Kombi yard tool with trimmer, edger and hedge attachments a couple years prior.

So I promise to research the brands. Low and behold Stihl makes a sweet little unit that competes with the Mantis tiller that's been around for decades. Researched it and found a guy that's been using it on a huge 40x50 garden for 5 years with no problems. A bit more expensive than the Mantis, but you get what you pay for - I could see a lot better quality in the Stihl. I also could have just got a tiller attachment for my Kombi yard tool, but I could see that would be ackward and not user friendly for her to run.

Bought the Stihl for her last night - she loves it and so do I - it's such a screamer that we named it already and I made a matching orange name tag for it - "Honey Badger"...... after the hilarious Honey Badger Don't Care videos. Her little 10x10 garden is going to have very well mixed soil.

They have a free wheel set deal going on now, and if you buy a 6-pack of their excellent synthetic 2-stroke mix oil, you get double the 2 year warranty to boot. I chose not to get the oil, as I just did that on the chainsaw and it will be years before I use the oil up. I told the salesman besides, you are like Maytag repairman, you never have warranty work. Stihl is an excellent brand known the world over - just like MINI.



STIHL YARD BOSS aka the "Honey Badger".

 

wow, so any update?

Here is my take. I am 35, married with a 2 year old daughter living in the country back roads of Ford City, PA!! I live on a dirt and gravel (dusty) road and drive over 100 miles a day back and fourth to work 5 days a week.

I was driving a few different (good) MPG mile cars (08 Scion XB and 11 Lancer). After being in the car for about 3 hrs a day i decided i wanted a car that i can have fun driving, good gas mileage and i wanted a forced induction car I researched all kind of 4 cylinder's but nothing could compare to the MCS. Also has great resale value and a very safe car in its class.

Keep in mind when we go out as a family we use my wife's 08 Mercery Mountaineer (i also have a 99 F250).

That being said i am a huge fan of VW's and allways have been. All my friends in Maryland still drive VW's and Audi's. I have owned a 87 GTI 16V, 96 Jetta VR6, 99 Passat wagon 1.8T and a 01 Golf (2.0L with stage 2 turbo setup).

I would suggest like previous post that he test drive a 6 speed cooper S on a back road. There is no VW out there that can compare to the mini's stock suspension.

Comparing the VW to Mini they are very close in so many ways. So that would be a hard sell.

Both are Hatch's.
Both come in a turbo version.
Both have 4 door options.
Both have great MPG.
Both are priced close.

It really boils down to looks, style and driving.

on a side note my wife was against the Mini when i told her i was looking for one. She said having a kid it was not a smart choice. I have had the car for 3 months and she has been in the car twice!!

She thinks its a cute car and matches my personality!

 

Never had any issues with the smell in my VW's nor any rust issues except the air-cooled models.

 

too goddamn funny - thank you!

this is a great thread. one of my absolute favorites.

kind regards,

Charlie

 

Dude I salute you. Truly.

It might be me, but I hear the battle of conscience that I know so well. Gotta say m'love? Got to looock up in the eyes of your best friend, and say "sweeie?", no I am sorry let me re-state y'all say "S'weetie"??

I have this Jones. Y'know what I mean? It's a Jones.

You say - "think about it, now this is your best friend talkin' now - hear me".

You say listen' this is safe see? It's the safest form of auto sport in the world!

You say - this my thang, this is my main thang, my only thang, thang that's pure damned man-foolishment. I's a good provider now, but I'm a sinner - this hobby is not your enemy, it is your friend?

You think... and you start again...

You try this one -- the overall cost per mile on the well maintained car is actually quite similar to the cost per mile for your car. See?

You realize you are in trouble, and fall back...

Aw baby, y'know that bonus that I might have gotten? Perhaps we oughta' speak about something the house needs?

And then?

And then?

To each their own...

Cheers,

Charlie

 

Thanks, see my driveway is even gravel



You can even see my F250 in the background!



I got carried away last weekend with the Plastidip

I gotta say that i have never had a car like a Mini cooper! Besides my wife and daughter nothing else makes me happier!!! It is a blast to drive....and hearing the charger whine is music to my ears!

HMMMMM maybe your husband just needs to hear the turbo spooling to sell him

 

Ya thunk? Might as well get the car sprayed with truck bed liner....

 

MCS Fever ........ thank you for your comment. It was very helpful and i am sure i will look into "truck bed liner".

I am sure the OP will take that into consideration when she talks to her husband.

Have a great day....its nice out...you should go drive your hardtop S.

 

^^^^ that was called sarcasm!!!

 

I was obsessed with picking up a Mini as well and the GTI wasn't really on my shopping radar at all. But, in my search I turned up a certified used GTI with just 8,000 miles that had everything but nav for less than a new base GTI or Cooper S. And it had the longer CPO warranty and a 100k drivetrain warranty. Too good of a deal to pass up and I loved it on the test drive. They're pretty similar after all, hard to not like one if you like the other.

I think the GTI is a better enthusiast's car, just doesn't have the same quirkiness factor that I love on the Mini.

 

You all are making me laugh, Honey Badgers. I've gotten no farther here. The golf diesel is nice, but the MINI just calls my name more.

I sometimes haul the grandkids. They are the only ones that have been in my back seat in 3 or 4 years. The only time we take my car is if we have to park in the city since it's smaller then the Blazer.

 

As was my comment - although it's been done on truck exteriors. You do drive the gravel road from hell.

But I don't get the MINI mod that involves making it look cheap with plasti-dip, that's for sure.

HONEY BADGERS DON'T CARE!

 

First post, but,

Shouldn't you be able to have whatever you want? Terms like "allow" and "let me" don't make sense to me. My wife wanted a Mini and I went out and got her one. The dealer said it was test driven that morning by a lady who wanted it but her husband wouldn't allow it because it was impractical. Very strange.

As a former owner of many a water cooled VW, I would never go back. Our car (05 MCS) is a blast and makes her happy, and that is the single most important thing isn't it? In turn I am very well fed and get to play xBox with my friends!

Britt

 

Maybe it is time to trade up to a husband that appreciates MINIs.

 

This is an old topic but I loved reading each and every story within it, since they remind me so well of my own situation.

I first wanted a Mini when I was a little girl..... by the time I had grown up and afforded my driver's license, the new MINI had just come out. I was a student and married to a nice young man but very authoritative - it was his way or no way. Since he was the only breadwinner (I just had students jobs), I accepted that. I wanted so badly to have a MINI but we could afford only one car at that time and we already drove his Toyota MR2 roadster (as our only car !) I always kept coming back to the MINI but he didn't like it at all and was adamant about that.

A few years later, for many other reasons that had nothing to do with the above, we divorced. I met another very nice man a while later, who has been my companion since. He's passionate about german cars and particularly Audi and has driven Audis since I've known him. Personally he would have preferred that I would get an Audi A3 or A1 but never more than hinted about that, as he understood how much I loved MINIs and yearned to own one. So finally in 2008 I could afford my first MINI, my trusted Cooper diesel "Betty Boop", which I kept for almost 4 years.

We've been together for almost ten years now, and I'm on my second MINI, my lovely MCSC which I just got two months ago. He loves my car almost as much as I do and loves the way my driving has improved since I have this "little bomb", as we call her. He occasionally drives her himself.

Everything in a relationship is about balance, and understanding. Sometimes I like to think of my MINI story as an illustration about happiness, balance, understanding and true partnership in a couple.

Well, I wonder how "a Dash of Red"'s story ends...

 

LOL , wow... I posted this and completely forgot about this thread. My NAM viewings come in very errant spurts.

Yeah, most of the color west of VA, came when I did a cross-country drive and back in my MINI back in '09 for my 30th bday. I was supposed to put up a post about it back then but yea...I got lazy. I actually was thinking of doing a road trip to key west and back last year for my birthday again but the timing of it just wasn't good for me financially. Who knows, might work up enough money and time to make it happen in the future, car is still running pretty good! Up to almost 90k!

As far as the OP, hope she made her decision by now... I had a similar experiences to many of you, I wanted a small hatch, and naturally wanted to go the VW route. I did a quick, non intensive check out of some local used VW's back then and then one day I was checking out MINI's website.. and boom... I just started thinking to myself "I think I want a MINI." Went to the dealership, did a test drive.... and that was it, I was sold. Ordered one off the website and that's all she wrote. All bought and paid for now!