This inquiry should apply to married and single status owners, parents, etc.

Assuming that the MINI is yours to begin with, at what stage do you entrust to another person?

In my case, this would be the girlfriend. Not anywhere near wife stage (hope it will work out though), recently met (about a month, about 6 dates). I'm basing this on at least 6 months into the relationship before lending her the keys.

Immediate family are a no brainer. If they crash my car, I set an agreement that I get to commute with theirs until they help me get another MINI. No supervision required.

Distant relatives and trusted friends, I let them test drive, of course, but without supervision by myself, I would say yes. I entrust that if they ding or total my car, they'd pay up for it. Not immediately, I understand, but down the line over time.

Co-workers, test drive with supervision, but never hand over keys.

I drive an MCSa, so that's a no-brainer. However, had it been an MCS only, then that would play a factor as to if the other person knows how to drive stick in the first place.

So, back to the question, assuming that the MINI is yours to begin with, at what stage do you entrust to another person?

Please include the some neccessary information in your first initial post, for example:

Status: Single
MINI: MCSa
Relationship: Girlfriend
Time known: 30 days (6 dates, bazillion phone calls, a few text messages)

 

My girlfriend has let me drive her MINI for ages, but I'm wary about her driving my MINI... Is that fair?

As far as anyone else, only few and far between would be allowed to get behind the wheel of my MINI... Auto or not. Father, yes. Mother/Stepmother/Stepfather/Brothers, no. I have a close friend who I would trust to drive, but most I wouldn't. So I guess this means no more going out drinking, since I can't have a designated driver...

 

I let my son and daughter drive the MINI now and again when they ask to. My daughter has her own Cooper and my son drives a Honda Civic, but both are manual so driving my MINI is a "just for fun" thing.

 

My daughter has driven my MINI several times by herself. I trust her because she is a good motorer. And she adores the MINI. She graduated college last year and now has a Yaris (couldn't afford a MINI, sadly).

My wife drove my MINI once, got a less-than-stellar report from my daughter who was a passenger and then had insisted on motoring back.

My wife drives a BMW 328xi which is one powerful machine, black with gray interior. And while she is a very good driver, she is not a true motorer in the MINIverse which she has called (GASP!) "weird." Failed to pass the doughnut test to boot.

So she calls me **** that I won't let her drive my MINI. I call her BMW ample compensation for my quirkiness.

Status: Married 31 years come 26 June
Relationship: We met on college newspaper in Fall '72 and soon became item
Shared Interest: Colonial and Revolutionary History
MINI: '07 MC CR/W with bonnet stripes, checkerboard sunroof & mirrors, auto (with those fun paddles on the steering wheel), premium & cold weather packages, rear spoiler.

CROC 411

 

Honestly I am at the age (47) that I trust pretty much anyone I know to drive my MCSa.

That is if they can pry me out of the driver seat.

All kidding aside my 17 year old daughter drove my MCSa all around when I was visiting her in Minnesota recently.


Status:Divorced
MINI:MCSa
Relationship:Single

 

As the title of your message states. "trust". in the past I have let co-workers and family borrow cars, and while the car was never returned as clean as when I gave it, it was a good act of faith and trust on my side. No real regrets except when I lent my 1988 eclipse to my sister in law for 4 month. she was a smoker, and had promised not to smoke in the car, but judging from the soot and smell of the interior, she smoked like a furnace...

 

My wife drives mine. Actually, I encourage her to drive it to work because she has a farther commute than me and we'd save a few bucks on gas. My 19 year old step daughter asked me if she could use it to go out with her girl friends. Cute mental image, but I didn't think that was a good idea and said no. She's only driven a manual once to my knowledge. She's a pretty aggressive driver and I'd rather let her abuse a clutch that is not mine.

 

Status: Married
MINI: MCS
Relationship: Husband
Time known: 4 years+

I just got Tweek a week ago today. It's my first standard ever, and so far so good. I learned on my husbands Camaro SS, but the mini is a completely different animal. I have let him drive it twice so far, on small trips. Once the first tank of gas is gone, then I will let him drive it more freely. But we are both only children and have an understanding of mine and ours, so he isn't pushing to drive Tweek yet.

::edit:: once break in period is over then it moves to, "anyone who knows how to drive a standard and will let me drive their car, can drive mine." I figure if I am trusting you with my mini, then you can trust me with your car

 

I'll let anyone drive my car. It's just a car.

 

 

Umm... not yet she's too new. Maybe after break-in if they ask nicely and I ride along.

 

My decision has nothing to do with trust. It has to do with taking a hit on my car insurance if someone else driving my car gets into an accident.

Most folks assume the person driving takes the insurance hit. Not the case. Insurance goes with the car, not the driver.

So if you loan out your car, be prepared to have YOUR insurance deal with any issues your borrower caused...

Same reason i really avoid borrowing a car. I would feel totally bad if i got into an accident and I had to put a claim on my buddy's insurance.

This does not apply to rental cars of course.

 

I have a really great insurance policy that covers my car, not me. It doesn't matter how irresponsible I am as far as handing the keys over, the car is covered. If I hand the keys over to person A, and they hand them over to person B without my knowledge, it's still covered. So I don't worry about it. In an effort to expand the MINIverse, I'll let anybody try it out, except maybe a perfect stranger.

Married: 38 years & 4 days
MINI: Justa Cooper
Relationship: Whoever
Time Known: Varied

 

you are different than me. no way do i want to risk my insurance rates/cost going up b/c a buddy bonked my car..

 

anyone who wants to drive my car can. i love my car, but it only a car and can be replaced.

 

My sentiments exactly, though I would never say that within MS MINIVER's hearing!

 

Well, while I agree it's "only a car" and can be replaced, I'll let my wife and adult children drive it, perhaps another MINI owner/friend, but co-workers? Never!

I have a problem letting the guy drive it out of the touchless car wash........

 

It depends on your insurance coverage. If yours doesn't cover other drivers, does theirs cover them driving your car? If no, don't let others drive it! In fact, it might be against the law in states where minimum insurances coverages apply.

 

Funny thing with me is this. Before I ordered my MINI, I was debating whether or not I'll get a manual or auto. I've been driving a manual since I was 10 and let's just say I was thinking of making a change. But then I did some Pros and Cons about it. I don't have a problem with family, they are all good manual drivers. But with friends, out of all of them, only 2 know how to drive one. Finally decided to stick with the manual.

So here is my pros and cons with friends:

Cons: When you go on long trips, or just basically driving anywhere, noone else can drive your car.

Pros: Noone else can drive your car.

Status: Single
MINI: 08 MC

 

GF of 13 years. 100% trust, but she doesn't trust herself with her manual driving abilities. She is content with being the passenger. Funny thing is she learned how to drive a stick on my M Coupe and she was fine putting around that on her own

As for friends and family, nearly anyone can drive my car with me present, but only a handful are allowed to drive it to their satisfaction. Mostly my autox buddies who I know can handle a car and it happens on the autox course of course

 

If they have proven they can drive, they can take my car. My sister who is an excellent driver, she takes my 335 whenever she needs it..and I don't worry. My wife.. I still love her..

 

I don't have a strong attachment to any object. I let anyone drive my BMWs and obviously my Cooper is fair game. If the cars get destroyed, so be it. I could walk outside today, find my Cooper crushed into a tiny cube, shrug and make the call to my insurance company. I don't keep anything in my car and I am sure I can replace it with something else.

My dad's the polar opposite. He has an insulated trailer for his show cars, rubs them with diapers and can tell you every part of the vehicle. But don't ask him to drive a car hard...no, to him cars are pieces of art. To me, cars are replaceable, disposable toys.

I've never turned down a request to drive one of my cars. Never will.

 

My husband has driven my MINI exactly twice without me in the car, once to work and then the same day to the airport so he could pick me up in my car (it was a bad week and he really wanted to put a smile on my face). Other than that, he doesn't drive her. He said that he likes living and does not want to see the look on my face if he were to come back in my MINI with even the slightest hairline scratch in the paint.

He's also not entirely sure that Viola actually likes him, but the good news is that he likes her enough that he's decided that his present to himself when our kids start college will probably be a Clubman S. *grin*

Status: Married
MINI: Just a Cooper
Relationship: Husband
Time Known: 16 years

 

that is my point. a drivers insurance policy only covers his/her car. if they get into someone elses car, it is the owner of the vehicles insurance at play.

i only know of USAA that lets you pay an extra fee to cover you driving someone elses car.

it is very rare.

 

The MINI is to replace my 01 Jetta, but my wife has expressed interest in driving it once in a while. I will most likely let her, but after she has learned how to drive a stick, which my MA has graciously offered to teach her. I'm okay with this arrangement because knowing her, she will not want to drive it all that often just for the fact that she prefers her 530i, or at least that's what she says now


Status: Married
MINI: MCS
Relationship: Wife
Time Known: 6 years