If it's important to show respect to your wife's peers, then let them buy the car of their choice for you

If 25k is not expensive enough, buy one for everyday of the week and take turn driving each into work

 

Ahhh, the old "My wife is concerned trick"...oh come on, like your wife really cares...we know this is about you from you. I say, don't do it if you are that worried.

 

I actually am an IT manager a company with a chain of technical colleges, and I work at one of the campuses, so in a way I almost do work in a high school.

Everyone has made wonderful comments regarding my situation, and I really do appreciate it. I'm a little surprised by the number of respondents so far (a lot), but I guess MINI people are nothing if not passionate.

I agree that the MINI is a step or two above my old Beetle both in class and in demographic, so I am trying to take that into account. After hearing from so many of you that are in a similar situation as me, with the means for something more expensive anyway, I feel that I can make a much better case for the MINI with regard to the perceptions issue.

The one thing I really do have to take into account is the child seat issue that I mentioned earlier. While we will be adopting from China (we won't get her until she's almost a year old so the rear facing seat thing will be shorter than most) I still have to take into account how much of a pain it will be to deal with a small-ish two door car as an everyday car. My wife's current car is a two door coupe, and is not much better backseat wise.

Please continue to offer more advice on the perception issue though because future MINI noobs like me will be able to learn a lot from it.

Anyone that has insight into the child seat part is encouraged to take a look at my other thread covering that issue.

Thanks!

Mike

 

Congratulations to you and Mrs Mike for bringing a lucky baby into our side of town I'm Chinese (so we don't have to do takeout ) and I DO know what's so great about this country As for the seating situation, we've done this many many times and it's been worth it everytime even though we've had the luxury of driving our other "spacious" SUV instead. A few extra moments of elbow time is worth the safety and the blissful drive in the Mini. Sides, I take advantage of these intimate moments to steal smooches from the little guys. The Mini's not the most practical car you can buy but neither is adopting a child from China. You won't regret either

 

I'm currently in the criminal defense business. My friend who's been at the same trade for 31 years or so just gave me the nod of approval and peer to peer respect for the quality finish. Believe me, we have seen everything in this business. But then I drove a motorcycle for the first six years or so, so I don't really have much of a thought about what others might think of me, because of what I ride around in or on. HECK I even took the CITY BUS to the jail a few times early on. Gave me a chance to cover and update my files. The office could NOT figure out how to reimburse me for my bus fare.

 

I can buy damn near any car I want.....you name it.....I have had more fun in my MCS than in any other car I have ever owned....I do meet with CEO's and travel internationally for business, and have no problem picking up anyone, or meeting anyone out at Smith and Wollensky's or Morton's, etc.....

I am comfortable in my skin, and don't care what other's think of my car.....my neighbor's BMW745 is nice, but I don't need that big of a car...even when my wife and 2 year old want to go for a roadtrip, either......my wife drives a Volvo Station wagon, and my other car is a Yamaha Royal Star.....

Sounds to me like you are not comfortable, and need other's approval....maybe a self esteem or self help conference is in order.....(OK, that was not nice...I am sorry, but it is meant a bit sarcastic)

 

I'm glad you added that last bit on there because I thought I was going to have to get annoyed with you despite your excellent post.

I have no issues personally, but there are absolutely professions where the car you drive can make a difference as to how you are perceived, and how far you'll go in the company. I'm not sure how a MINI will play to the audiences that I have, so I just wanted to hear other people's experiences.

I'm glad it's worked out well for you, and I hope it does so for me as well.

Cheers!

Mike

 

Hmm... I always wondered why when ever I get a survey after buying a car the key concern is what image the car portrayed and how that influenced my desire to purchase. Never anything about how it performs as a car. I used to think that it was the steering feel, grip and performance level, the positioning of the pedals that swayed me one way or the other. If I think a bit more deeply about my recent decision to buy a MCS, perhaps the marketeers are correct; it is all about image. After all, with three Porsches, I suffer treble damages to my ego what with all that talk about P-car ownership as compensating for the size of my manhood. So maybe, this purchase was indeed the product of a subconscious Freudian desire. I suppose I had to buy an MCS as if it has to be small, it oughta at least be cute.

Seriously though, like all cars the Mini has its strengths and weaknessses. I'd evalute it on that basis. If at the end of the day you're looking for tipping points one way or the other, then by all means sum up whatever intangibles you'd care to. If image is one of them, knock yourself out. But frankly, having just gone through this exercise, in this or any other price range, there is no comparable car to the Mini. Its pretty unique in terms of US available roadcars. There are some that are perhaps as competent, but few with its level of road feel and certainly none with 1/100th the personality. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

 

You can spec out an 06 JCW to where it will be at 40K!

 

What an awesome post.

Thank you MSFITOY.

 

Oh yeah... and if you really are concerned its just too cute, buy it in black with the aerokit.

 

Hmm... I've had a totally different experiance than many posters on this thread. I am 31 and work for a large Pharma and take home a sizeable income (by most people's account). My wife is a tenured Professor at a nearby University. We own a house in a nice part of NJ not too far from NYC. We travel considerably for business and pleasure. We have 2 boys (5 and 3)... AND WE HAVE A MCS (on order)!!!!

Who's to say what's "professional" or not? Heck, EVERYONE I've mentioned that I'm buying a Mini has pretty much given me a big thumbs up! People at work, parents, inlaws even my 87 year old grandparents think its great!

I too work in an environment where it is important to act and appear professional and I can't imagine that what car you buy would somehow affect others perception of you... unless they were already looking for a reason to not like you! Heck, as long as I continue to do a good job and keep out clients happy I don't think anyone could give a rats a$$ about what I do on my free time!

 

WOW.. I guess I am so far OUT there that I thought the MINI would play out just fine in impressions with the professionals I run with. So far, it has...

SUV's are over, Cadillacs and Mercedes are always a safe bet to conservatively impress, Volvos are really the 80's, VW's are nice enough, and one asian import looks pretty much like the rest. Pick'em'ups, everyone's got one. Hummers, not that cool now with oil wars going on across the globe.

I guess if Madonna and Jennifer Hewit can drive them, then I can to.

 

I'll bet dollars to donuts, it the wife's way of subliminally VETO'ing the small car, now that she may have a new baby on the way. She needs to see the crash photos where the passenger compartment of the F150 is folded up like a pretzel around the crash dummy and the MINI passenger compartment is left relatively intact, all after a 40mph run into a fixed object. Wives are like that, remember it's easier to be forgiven after the fact than to get permission prior to...

 

I always get positive reactions to the MINI-no matter who I am talking to. People like things that are fun and different (even if they don't think it is the right car for them)..............................I am thinking that if this is really an issue to someone that a MINI just isn't right for that person. It isn't right for everyone..........

 

Get the MCS. Let them laugh at it. Take the laughers for a ride to demonstrate the handling potential of the MINI. They'll only laugh once - guaranteed.

 

I would really like to narrow this down to whether this is about a concern about what other's think or would this possibly have any actual affect on your jobs. So Mike K... what affect on your jobs could this have. I read your post about what you do for a living and it doesn't seem to me that your job could be afected in any way. but I am not in IT and I don't know so maybe you could clarify. I also saw that you said your wife is a lawyer at a large firm. Is that right? Does she ever drive clients around? Would this perception problem then come forth? Would her bosses expect her to have a large expensive car? If answering these questions is difficult then maybe its more what is in you and your wife's mind than in other people's mind. If that's the case, forget about perceptions and get the MINI. With all that has been said I don't want you to lose touch with how great the MINI is and how it is so worth owning.

 

You might be on to something there CDMINI. Now that you mention it, the "how will it do in a crash" question did come up over the weekend. I'll have to start researching that end of things. Got any links of the kind of photos you mentioned?

Mike

 

You're right, it has nothing to do with my job since I don't drive clients around or anything. My wife would likely not drive it to work ever, and she's a young associate, so driving clients and things around isn't an issue either. The big concern that we have, other than the child thing that may or may not be an issue, is that her employers will think it odd that we aren't spending money on prestige cars like they do.

Now that this thread is almost three pages long, and people like you have made some very good points, it seems as though the issue may just be our own issue. Maybe we both just need to allow ourselves to enjoy driving, I mean motoring as you all like to call it.

Thanks again to everyone for the insight and constructive criticism.

Mike

 

Maybe it's time to search for another firm to work for.

Seriously!

I'm an attorney, I drive a MCS and if anyone ever questioned my decision to purchase my choice of transportation I'd have a few choice words for them that can't be mentioned on this family site.

 

I'm in a position to get a more expensive car as well, but I love the mini, and I really don't care much about any negative thoughts. Life is too short for that.

As for the kid issue, I have two little girls (3 and 19 mo.) and I would reccomend the convertible! Before ordering my car I brought the older one into the showroom with the child seat (front facing) to see if she would be comfortable in it. The kids won't ride in it often, as the kid mobile is a Volvo V70R, but for little trips to the beach I wanted to make sure they would be happy.

What I found is that the convertible is the easiest car I've ever put a kid in. Simply lower the top, walk around the side of the car, place the kid in the seat, buckle him/her up, and then raise the top if its too cold. Otherwise, leave it down and get them a cool pair of sunglasses.

 

Screw what others think and get what you like!

I just picked up my new 2006 MCS and love that thing. I also own a SVT Lightning and a 03 F150 Harley Davidson Ed. but still I have more fun in the MCS. Sure both of my other vehicles can go faster but the MCS is just more enjoyable.

 

So now....what color are you going to get? Let the husband wife discussion/arguments now commence about all the choices that go into selecting your MINI. We are here to help thoroughly confuse you on every single matter of personal preference.

 

Good Lord, please don't fall into that shallow thought process. Buy the MINI.

 

take off the skirt, put on some pants and buy what you want. You aren't going to please everybody, ... please yourself. If you have to ask what others will think, then you aren't excited about a MINI.

I said, screw what others think, this isn't their car, it's mine.