Hi everyone,

First off let me say that is is an outstanding site! I'm a geek by trade and by nature and I love to be able to find forums for things of interest. This site does the MINI proud.

Here's my question. Does anyone here drive a MINI when they can afford something a whole lot more expensive? I've been looking at $40k cars recently, but I just drove a MINI for the first time, and I think I'm in love with the MCS (no surprise to everyone here I'm sure). It's just that I'm a little concerned about the image it portrays. My wife is concerned that it will come accross as being something of a toy, and I'd lose respect from businessmen that I work with. I realize that's caddy, but she does have a point about how people can perceive cars.

One of my previous cars was a Beetle Turbo, and I got lots of comments from people about it, and not all of them were good. She'd rather not see me go through that again. She's also an attorney in a large firm, so she's looking out for herself as well.

I know this is an emotional subject (I've seen some of the "chick car" threads), but I just wanted to see what the MINI people think since you all deal with people daily.

Thanks for any constructive comments.

Mike

 

Hmm...How shall I begin? Well, first off, it's a little disturbing that you would place such importance on what other people think about what you spend your hard earned money on. Personally, I couldn't give a rat's who who about what others think about my choice of cars. I buy them because I like them and I enjoy driving them. As for the MINI being a toy, well...it IS a toy! But sometimes we deserve toys. The MINI is a car that makes you want to drive for the sheer joy of driving. Its a car made to enjoy.

If you still feel guilty for not spending enough money on your MINI you can always get involved with your local chapter of the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) and start racing it on the weekends. There's no limit to the amount of money that can be spent in that endeavor.

I say damn the torpedoes! Full steam ahead! Seize the day!...Well, OK, you get the picture.

 

there's a few guys I know who have 100+ k cars and they love thier minis more....cause they are more fun

 

Umm, don't most people think of expensive sports cars as just toys for the rich (to show off that they could afford to waste money on a toy like that)?

People seem to think similarly of Minis, even though they cost far less and are actually practical... shhhh

 

--I get a lot of looks from porsche and mercedes owners as they drive by. It's that sad "I wish I bought THAT!" look. I've actually found people walk right up to my car and just gaze at my car in the parking lot.

However I've also had quite a few soccer moms in SUVs and Minivans give me a disgusted look while driving by. They give me the "Ooh I hate yuppies in exotic cars!" look.

I'd say if you love the MINI buy it. Nevermind what people say. One of my co-workers called it a "pregnant skateboard". But he really liked it when he saw mines in person. My race-track friends all revere the MINI as one of the ultimate track cars. One of the local MINI drivers regularly tailgates a corvette C6 on the superlap races.

If you're a person that puts a lot of weight in what other people think tho, and won't be happy if you get a lot of dissapproving looks, then don't buy it. Buy an Acura or something more mainstream. You won't please everyone with a car like this, and if you think about it nothing will please everyone. But I'd say about half the people that see the car "get it" and the other half really don't get it. Although almost all the people that ride in one will totally get it. And understand that it's more than a sporty car. It's a fun car that has a lot of personality and style to it. Along with some really nice engineering under the sheet metal.

I'm about 30 years old and live in the primarily liberal Democrat state of Hawaii so it suits me fine. My older co-workers say I'm about at that age where I can buy an "exotic" and get away with it. When I'm ready to have a family I'll buy another "family" car, but the MINI is mine until I die. It's a passionate ownership experience. When you take a test drive, you'll either "get it" and it will suit your lifestyle, or you won't. Just mho tho.

--pyratio

 

Decide whether you want to live your life for others or live it for yourself. Only one way will truly make you happy..the other, you'll be faking it... Buy the Mini.
which brings me to a joke you can tell at one of your wifes get togethers...
a blind rabbit and blind snake run into each other on the grass. they each apologize for running into each other. The rabbit says.."Can you feel me and tell me what I am? I am blind so I don't know". The snake feels him and says, "you have a little nose, floppy ears and a bushy tail. You're a bunny!" The rabbit says thank you and then the snake asks the bunny to do the same. the rabbit says..."You're cold and slimy, no backbone and no *****. you're a lawyer well maybe not at your wifes party...

 

When I decided that I'm going to get a MINI, my friends were very mixed about the idea. I found that the general perception of the MINI Cooper is that it is a "cute" car. That somewhat discouraged me, I don't want people to look at it and think "Oh how cute!". I've found that the main drive behind this is because most MINIs you see on the road are yellow, red, or blue, with contrasting bonnet stripes and roofs. BUT--If you look at a dark silver/black MINI with a matching roof and perhaps tinted windows, it looks much more serious, and general perceptions of the MINI being a "cute" car fade away for that moment.

So, if you want to impress people with a classy car that is still very fun to drive, just pick your colors wisely. I highly recommend the chrome-line interior option, as it does wonders for making the inside experience feel much more high-class.

 

It's also disturbing that this wonderful MINI community would immediately jump on someone who has ended up in a career where what other people think really is extremely important.

Anyhow. With the thought in mind that the original poster has already mentioned that due to his (and his wifes) job other peoples perception is very important and that just up and leaving the job/ignoring others perceptions are both steps that require a lot of faith - more the longer the situation has been there, there are some things to think about.

If you have friends that can appreciate Ford SVT vehicle's then I guarentee they can also appreciate a JCW MINI. It's also worth noting that getting a MINI up to the $40K mark is pretty easy when you go the JCW route, add all the options including the panther leather and NAV if you want to really show off the toys and you'll have a car for over $40K that is great fun to drive and very different.

If you have friends that have trouble with anything that is not a "true" luzxery car, as in it should be marketed as such, then maybe a BMW M-Series would be better. You can still get classy and sporty togeher that route, it just won't have the handling, community, and sheer "fun" factor of the MINI.

I've been thinking about the whole "VW - Drivers wanted" thing a little in the last few months and figure that the reason VW wants drivers is because MINI currently has them. If you really like to drive it's for you. If you wouldn't give up a stick shift even if you knew you'd be in stop and go traffic (sub 25 MPH) for 80%+ of your next 10 driving years, the MINI is for you. If you would rather use cruise control every time you'll be at the same speed for more than 2 minutes, then the MINI is not for you.

If the business people you work with have enough of an open mind to get into the car (even if it is with a little snickering) before passing final judgement than as someone said, they'll be sold. A fully loaded MCS JCW (MCSC if you prefer that route) is going to kick their socks off on the way to lunch (one of my favorite quotes is that your passenger will call 911 long before your MINI's tires squeal on a cloverleaf, the other is something about them pulling their spleen out of the door) and will do it in style with a full leather interior and more luxery-type bits than you would think. Oh, and your back-seat passengers will be able to see the skyscrapers going by through the dual-pane sunroof. As long as the ride is an hour or less they probably won't get uncomfortable either.

Anyhow, good luck.

 

Thanks a lot elbum0. You've pretty much hit the idea of what I was trying to express. That's good advice about the colors too. I couldn't agree more with the ability to change the character of the car with the way you customize it.

For those responders that think I'm too obsessed with what people think - it's not that at all. I'm very much my own person, but it tends to bring you down if the people you work with always put the car down, or don't take it seriously. I had that problem with my Beetle. I liked that car a lot, but people were very on or off about the car. If they liked it, they loved it and asked me lots of questions about how I liked. If they didn't like, then they hated it and never wasted an opporunity to put it down as a cute car or a chick car.

I have other considerations that I have to deal with as well when considering a MINI. Take a look at my post about babies, and you'll see what I mean. I need to make sure that two two-door cars in the house will be doable with a baby. I may have to pass on the MINI and go with a more practical solution, but I'm still waffling.

Thanks for all the responses everyone!

Mike

 

I am in one of those snooty professions and I can afford much more than the MINI. In fact I have a substantially more expensive vehicle and it mostly sits in my garage because I enjoy driving my MINI so much more. So many people in my profession drive expensive/luxury vehicles and yes doing so denotes success. And yes I get a lot of wierd looks and comments from others in my profession and everyone seems to think its goofy. I think that this is true of not just snooty professionals but so many people in all walks of life think the MINI is odd and very few non-MINI people have any idea what a cool and great car it is. Partly in my case the odd reactions can also come from the fact that I am a big guy (6'3" tall). Bottom line is I don't care what people think in my profession or otherwise. If I care at all about what people think it is that I actually enjoy being seen as different. I am guessing that I am substantially older and therefore more established professionally than you and so it is easy for me and everyone else to say why bother with what others think but in reality the MINI does not project an image of success or seriousness whether that perception is deserved or not. The real question is do you think that this car choice will actually affect you professionally? In other words would this perception problem actually result in a denial of promotion or loss of clients? If so, then perhaps you need to put the MINI off until you can afford both the success car and the MINI.

 

one point that hasn't really been brought up is that the MINI demographic is both older and higher income than any other car in it's category. I'd say that a large percent of people could easily afford a car much more expensive... they just don't. The MINI is a drivers car and any true automotive enthusiast will 'get it'... even if they need to be shown what it can do. There will always be people that think you haven't done yourself well unless you're driving a bmw, mercedes, jag, acura or lexus. While being thorougly in the throes of junior executive-dom, the majority of my peers are getting the c-class or 3 series... with an occasional G35 thrown in. Just getting a MINI says 'I'm fun when I take the suit off' if you ask me. Some may chastise me for acting like a 'boy' by buying the MINI, but those are the same people that will be asking my opinion on issues that relate to a younger demographic. It's like the real life version of the movie Big :LOL:

 

Everyone has some good points here, and if this were a perfect world we wouldn't have to worry about what others think of us, or how we dress or what we drive, or who we associated with.

Anyone who says that you can completely ignore the opinions of your neighbors or co-workers either 1) lives in the woods and has no neighbors or 2) owns the company or 3) isn't likely to advance where they work

I'm an IT consultant. 6 figure income, fair amount of travel, lots of face to face client interaction, nearly 8 years with the firm (in consultant years that's more like 30). However, I don't drive clients around, or have a high profile position with the company where I meet other CEOs etc. If I did I'd likely have replaced my A4 with a new Audi.

Now, in my case, my client's generally think that the car is cool. And so do my co-workers. HOWEVER, if I though the car would ruin my chances for advancement at my job I would have to consider that in my decision to buy any car. Perhaps it would cause me to re-consider where I worked as well!

Remember your car is similar to your dress code.

What would you think of your Doctor if he pulled up in a rusty Honda Accord wearing a stained shirt? Would you think he was successful? Would you feel comfortable? What if they pulled up in a Hummer? I'm betting you'd have at least a few internal comments about his wasteful ways.

Well, the compromize for having a high paying job with advancement is a certain amount of conformity. This is unfortunate I suppose, but reality.

After all that being said... Get the MINI, and tell everyone else to blow

 

MikeK,
Image and status is important to many people, especially in some professions and social environments. Your wife makes a good point and her view should be given serious consideration.

IMHO MINI is not an image or status car, except maybe to teens and 20 somethings, since it is "in" to have a cute MINI. MINI is cute, different from most cars, great handling and just plain fun to drive. A new MINI is affordable to many people and you can join a MINI club. MINI demand is greater than supply and people paid higher than MSRP and now still pay MSRP + sometimes an unreasonable documentation fee.

BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti,etc. - luxury cars - more image/status cars and to some people's view a sign of business success.

Japan: Toyota's, Honda's, etc. represent a more middle-upper middle class/conservative status - you get dependable transportation that lasts a long time. MINI has a long long way to go, if ever, before they will be considered a dependable and reliable car.

You might consider the MINI as a second car, that will bring a big smile to your face and you'll have great fun when you drive it.
Then again, you could get two MINI's for the price of one mid $40K BMW. Tough choice but it is great that you have the choice.

 

Mini to me is more then just "a car". Mini is like self expression through your wheels. To different people it means different things but I think to all people who drive them it means: joy, fun, excitement and individuality.
Sure, one Mini may come from the factory with the same options as another but i guarentee that it's not long before the driver is making a little mod here, a little mod there whether it be cosmetic or performace.
There are plenty of Mini drivers who can not only afford cars of "supercar" caliber but have them and admitingly have more fun in their Minis. Yes, a car is somewhat part of your "dress code" but at the same time wouldn't you rather not be in the "uniform" of driving a boring car and be in vivid color of a mini stating your individuality.
If you get a MCS and your peers give you the look of disapproval take them for a drive - or better yet let them go for a spin in your MCS ... maybe they will loosen their ties and remember what it was like to have fun in life and behind the wheel before they joined the "daily grind".
Just my 2cents

 

No matter what car you buy, there will always be at least one person out there who doesn't like it for one reason or another. You can never please all people all the time. Not to mention I wonder about people who will judge you and form an opinion about you based on what you drive without taking the time to get to know YOU.

Keeping that in mind, I look at it this way:
It's not their money being spent, it's my money. What I choose to buy is my choice, not their choice. I bought the MINI because I liked it, and I am the one making the payments and driving it.

If someone doesn't like it, that's fine because everyone is entitled to their opinion. It's my car and what matters is what I think about it. (Of course they will never know how much fun they are missing!)


Besides, if they don't like my choice, maybe they can spend their money to buy me what they think I ought to drive.

 

First of all, the MINI is going to have a considerably better image overall than the beetle did. Of course, just about anyone will think you more successful if you drive a 3-series.

Secondly, yes, I'm sure quite a few here would buy something more expensive if it were an option. Personally, I would rather have an elise than the mini. Of course, that's still a toy, just a better one.

I guess if I had a job that required me to drive clients around frequently, I probably wouldn't use the mini. Then again, I'm not one of the fanatics. It's just a bad-weather car for me. I prefer to be on a motorcycle.

 

I can appreciate the concern expressed by MikeK on this one. I got questioned quite a bit by friends and family when I first mentioned I had ordered a MINI. What on earth made you choose a MINI? Isn't that an unusual choice? Why didn't you get a CTS-V, an M3, an S4, or something else? Are those things safe?

However, those who previously questioned the choice but have now seen the car are usually favorably impressed. Now I admit I didn't skimp on the specs - I got the English leather, the chromeline interior, the chrono pack, anthracite dash and headliner, the nice embroidered floor mats, etc. All of those things are subjective, but I think in total the interior is quite classy. Sure I still get the occasional yahoo who thinks it's a rolling death trap, or that I should have spent twice as much money because I could have... but those folks are easy enough for me to laugh off. (You think THIS is a death trap, I'll take you for a ride in my Monster Miata!)

Is there a small part of me that wishes I had gotten a Z06 or an Elise? Maybe. Sometimes. But then I bang down 30+ MPG, or go plowing through 4-6 inches of snow without fanfare, or just enjoy a really nice drive through some winding roads and I get over it pretty quickly. Overall I like my MCS far more than a LOT of the nice cars I've previously owned. Most of my co-workers and clients seem to appreciate that, if not the car itself.

 

Hmm, where to begin without this turning into a "girlie/gay car" thread.

"People's perceptions are their reality" (unknown)

Mike, your wife is right. Whoever sees your car will think whatever they want and there is NOTHING you can do nor say to change it. The usual party line about "take them on the twisties until they throw up" doesn't apply. Why?

The fact is, if your in some kind of position where image is important, then those folks probably could give two sheets to the wind about how "cool" the car is, or how "fast" it corners. Sometimes MINI enthusiasts forget that the masses are quite happy in their four door sedans with the A/C, stereo going, floating like a boat over the bumps. THAT is REALITY.

If you took the same person, put them in the passenger seat, they would complain about the "harsh" ride, the noisy "whine", and wonder why the car keeps backfiring ("the burble").

Don't try to change people, usually they dont change.

SO ... if the image thing is important, just remember that others perceptions are NOT going to change just because you took them for a ride (in fact, it will probably get worse because those bumps can be brutal on a bad back).

Now, on the other hand ... if you are very CONFIDENT in yourself, very self-assured, and really like the car but have to live within your work environment, then you shouldn't care less what others think. Success breeds success. You will succeed in your field because your good at it and can laugh at the rest because "they don't get it".

You like Yellow or Blue or Purple, then stick it in their faces because its YOUR money, not theirs. You like a picture of Madonna on the roof ... then stick it up on there. etc. etc. etc.
As someone once told me ...

There are those that lead ...
There are those that follow ...
and There are those that wonder what hit them on the head.

Being a leader is sometimes hard work

 

I live in one of the most geeky and wealthy areas in the world, Microsoft's back yard. I know people who are 10's of millions of $$$ wealthy and drive 14 year old Honda's. I also know people who are much less wealthy and drive $100 K Mercedes. Around here, one quickly learns that appearances can be deceiving and that you can't really tell much about someone's financial status by their wheels or their apparel, for that matter (my husband used to work with a fellow who wore the same sweatpants to work day in and day out, sometimes even backwards, and was a multimillionaire married to an ex-supermodel .) I don't know what it's like where you live, however. If it is a very status conscious area and you will be judged by what you drive, what will driving a Mini say about you?

Personally, I really wanted a convertible. In my area, BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes convertibles are a dime a dozen. Whenever the sun is out, I will pass more than a dozen of them on the way to the grocery store. But MINI convertibles, well that's a different story! That's a big part of the reason I got a MINI, even though I could afford one of the "other" convertibles.

I think MINI's make a statement. I wanted something fun, something sporty, and something that, even here where there are so many people who collect cars, race them, etc., was relatively uncommon. My MINI is way more fun to drive than the other cars I test drove. I also like that they defy easy classification as far as "status" goes. You can spend anywhere from around 20K to up to 36K.

Now that I think of it though, the most status-conscious of my husband's friends were not impressed with my choice. My younger brother's-in-law, however, are totally impressed, as are all my friends. I guess it just depends on who you're trying to impress. I was really just trying to please myself, since I'm the one who's paying for the car, and I'm the one who'll drive it.

 

If my wife's job, my job, and both of our reputations were judged by the car I drove, if other people's opinions were more important than my own, and if I had to please a wide range of people with different tastes and beliefs, I would probably buy something like a Toyota Avalon.

It is a nice high quality sedan that will not attract anybody's attention. Nobody will think that you are a snob with a BMW, nor will they think you are trying too hard to impress with your exotic sports car, and they certainly won't think you are driving a toy. Even the people that expect you to buy American will be pleased once you inform them that this Toyota is built in the US. I don't think you can go wrong with the Avalon, you just won't have any fun driving it and I doubt any other Avalon owners will wave at you (they probably won't even recognize another Avalon on the road!)

 

For what it is worth, everyone where I work tends to think that the MINI is much more expensive than it is, but my coworkers are probably a different crew than the coworkers in question in this post.

I love my cute car . It makes people smile. I plan on making it even cuter, but that is one of the good things about MINIs, you can really customize them!

I don't think it is totally fair to say that the car your drive is the same thing as a dress code. I would be thrilled to see my Doc or lawyer or banker driving in a MINI, but I am not in the business world, so I guess my perspective isn't really relevant.

 

I still don't get it, do you work in a high school? The whole idea of letting anyone else's opinion of what I drive have an effect on me would be laughable.
I knew someone (deceased now) who was a very powerful, very wealthy individual, on the Forbe's Fortune 500 for years, his business sense was what people remembered him for. You know what he drove to work almost every day? An old Ford Country Squire station wagon, in showroom condition of course, that he maintained.
The people who have a clue about cars (not the one's who keep the Robb Report on their coffee table to look cool) will know what the MINI is, the history behind it, what it's capable of and that the person who drives it is a true lover of cars. Like many on this site have said, if they're not paying for it, why should it matter.
As to the children aspect, I personally don't think that a MINI is the easiest car to use when it comes to baby seats, toddler seats and buckling kids in and out. I do have kids (9 and 14) and they are old enough, finally, to get in and out on their own. It would be fine for the occassional trip, but I'm assuming you'll have a second car with better access to the back seat?

In the end, you should buy what you'll enjoy and what will work for your situation. If that means buying something you don't feel you'll have to defend owning, then so be it, it is after all just a car and you shouldn't have to feel like it's adding stress to your life.
Good luck with your decision,
Annette

 

MikeK,
Like a few other listers, I am not in the demographics for which the MINI was intended to be marketed and sold (I'm almost 60!). The MINI was intended for the twenty and thirty-somethings as an attractively priced first new car for people in the beginning of their career so that they would be potential BMW customers when they could afford a "real" car. Look at the ads in auto magazines and on TV and you'll see that these ads are typically homorous and cute, something the older generation don't appreciate when shopping for a major purchase. This is one reason what the MINI perception is. Your co-workers and clients see these same ads and might put you in the "mid-life crisis" group. Most people think of cars as getting from point A to point B and having a "status" car is a vehicle (pardon the pun) to show affluence. The MINI is not that car. What BMW did was to make an unfortunate mistake in marketing because many of the buyers fell outside their intended demographics and they still haven't caught on. I think I read somewhere that 40% of buyers were older than 40. This has caught them by surprise as the over 40 group should be buying their more expensive BMW's. Like anothert lister said, with a muted color, the MINI could look similar to a number of hatchbacks and not stand out (other than performance, of course). To the listers in the intended demographics, if you're an enthusiast now, you'll be one in twenty years, as well, although most of you ill go through the minivan era bringing up a family. I am in the group that was brought up in the original Mini era and owned one of those as well. So MikeK, I too would suggest a "stealth" colored MINI if it would alleviate your fears because the MINI is one great motoring experience.

 

My MINI might fall into the "cute" catagory since it's Electric Blue/White (and it's a cute! ) and I've had nothing but respect from others at work.

I work at Herman Miller, and I've had a couple of VP's track me down just to ask questions and tell me how much they like my car. On my first day back after taking possession, our VP of creative design (who drives a silver VW bug) told me he wished I had picked Giles up a week earlier so they could have used it in an ad campaign! As is, he rented a BRG MINI, but he likes the color on mine so much more and would have preferred mine instead.

The only person at work who thinks my car is a toy is a friend in database management who drives a third hand Chrysler minivan.

 

KarenTKD got it right - in certain circles it works the same way, only in reverse. I work in a communications design firm and from the creative point of view the more exotic your ride (in taste, not cost), the better off you are with your co-workers and clients. I have a client who drive a MINI and although he is not the fanatic that I am (previous owner of a '68 Riley Elf and a '91 Mini Cooper), he appreciates my choice and continue to mention it every time I see them.

The bottom line is that some people get it, and some people don't. Revel in those who do and don't let those who don't drag you down.

I think that BRG is the perfect color for an MCS!