OCBen

I'm in the market for a commuter car now that I'm about to retire my daily driver, my beloved 300ZX. She's been with me through thick and thin, and now that she's about to turn 21 next month (her build date: 4/85) it's been long overdue that I let her retire from the daily 70 mile grind of a commute. Her engine's still strong at nearly 250k miles, but her tranny is going weak again and I can't see sinking in another $2k to have it rebuilt - not to mention a few minor things that need to be taken care of.

The wife's been after me to get rid of it, but it's hard to let go of your first love - my first sports car after graduating from college. Her excellent body shows the love I heaped on her - always garaged, always car-covered outdoors - and she still gets compliments wherever I take her.

I've looked into getting a Prius, a Honda Civic just for fuel economy, but I can't picture myself driving these dorky looking cars, even though I could use the carpool lane if I attach those FUGLY stickers (fat chance I'd ever do that!) But the thing I like about my hatchback Z and a big reason why I haven't replaced it yet is the cargo room it affords. I've hauled TVs, furniture, X-mas trees - all inside that huge cargo space. It's been my mini-hauler. And the only car I see able to replace it is a MINI Cooper, for its equivalent cargo space.

So I shopped for a MINI Cooper and I was surprised to see some of them priced as high as $30k or more. I looked for used ones - 3 or 4 yrs old - and they were going for 18k, 22k with like 50-60k miles. So I asked how much is a new one base price, and I was surprised to learn it's only $18k! The reason why so many of them cost so much is that they're optioned to the hilt! I just need a basic commuter car, so a stripped down version will suit me just fine. The only must-have option for me are the Xenon headlamps, for driving before the crack of dawn. So I've had to resort to ordering one.

Here are my specs:

2006 MINI Cooper ............... $17,450
Destination & Handling ............... 550
Royal Grey (looks like Slate) ...... 450
Xenon Headlamps ...................... 550
Center Arm Rest ........................ 200
Anthracite Headliner ................... 200

TOTAL ................................ $19,400

These options are cheap by comparison, aren't they? The car comes with power windows & power doorlocks but no center arm rest, so I had to order one for the long commute - it also has a storage compartment built in. I ordered cloth seats, a no cost option, instead of the standard leatherette seating (vinyl). The standard headliner that extends to the inside of the A-pilars is light grey in color, so I ordered the darker one to blend better with the dark interior.

The tranny is a 5 speed manual and the car is rated at 36 mpg highway. Comparing to my current daily driver the difference is 17 mpg. I'll be moving soon and my commute is expected to grow to about 90 miles roundtrip, so that means I'll be saving 26.5 gallons of fuel per week, or $66 per wk at the current price of $2.50/gal. ... Not a bad deal. And I'll be driving in style to boot!

Soulteacher

I love the Mini Cooper. Great car (nowadays anyway). Good job, Ben.

Although the 997 will be my daily driver, I bought a 2002 Nissan Elantra yesterday for those occasions and events that I do not dare to take my Porsche to. Like you, I was thinking about a Prius, Civic, etc., but in the end the deciding factor (besides price) was the crashtest ratings (www.crashtest.com). I would hate to get killed in one of those little things.

Seamus H

One more possibility to add to the list is the new Golf GTI, its about $22k, handles very well, and with the optional DSG gearbox is a turbo rollerskate.

OCBen

My buddy rides a motorcycle to work and has tried unsuccessfully to convince me to get one. Talk about being vulnerable in an accident!Do you know what the MPG highway rating is?

Soulteacher

I hear ya! I would LOVE to ride a motorcycle again, but I'm simply not willing to take that risk anymore. When I was young, I wasn't a very good rider to begin with, and now several other factors would make me even more prone to end up under a truck or at the foot of a tree.

Seamus H

You certainly have to keep your wits about you on a bike more than a car. If I didn't have so much open space (and Rte 1) nearby I probably would not have a bike. Its pretty hard to beat the power to weight ratio.

Highway mpg is 31-32 (see http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Sp...ew)&trimid=-1).

zumaron

Let's Motor!

The Mini is a great car for zipping around town. Good mileage, stylish, handles like a kart and it has those solid doors with a good sound. ;-]

The hatchback is nice and with the seats down you stuff a few things back there. Did you consider the "S" model -- the xtra HP is nice to have even as a daily commuter. What color combo did you choose?

I recently sold my 2002 Cooper S.

OCBen

Hey Ron, nice Mini.

I decided to go with the base model for increased fuel economy. And with the 15 inch std wheels and std suspension the ride will be more gentle on a long commute than with the 16 inch wheels and sport susension of the S model. Those look like 18s on yours, were they?

I didn't care for the base colors (bright red, bright yellow or white) so I opted for a premium ($450 )metallic: Royal Grey. Looks a little like Slate. The interior is the standard black but instead of silver for the dash and door handles I opted for the darker Anthracite (no cost).

Yeah, let's motor!

THPorsche

Nice choice, that would be my choice too if I don't have to take 2 kids to school in the minivan...oh wait, I will be driving my cab everyday then...never mind

by the way, what do you guys think about the Audi Q7, I am thinking about trading in the minivan

zumaron

Yes, they are 18's with Eagle F1 tires. Ultra stiff ride with amazing handling. I don't have the long commute as you've described.

E55AMG

Was going to suggest the very same thing

Coochas

Those are fun little cars Ben,...good job. Don't they make them in Speed Yellow?
Have you found an appropriate owner for your Z or is it going the 'by the pound' route?

OCBen

If they made them in Speed Yellow it might look alright. The yellow they use is a really bright yellow called Liquid Yellow which looks like a Canary Yellow - really, really bright. Doesn't suit my tastes.

I'll probably advertise my Z in the Penny Saver for around $1500 or best offer. Here's a pic I took last month after I cleaned her up. It's not a good pic really, but you get an idea of what the car looks like.

ronmart

Cool, post pics when you get it. I like the Mini Cooper S quite a bit. In fact, my wife wanted me to buy this one that we saw at the car show INSTEAD of the 911. Its a cool car, but that wasn't gonna happen!

lawjdc

A good friend of mine has a Mini Cooper S. He wanted me to drive it. What a blast! Slot car handling and lots of interior room. I want one of those! Unfortunately, we only have a 4 car garage and the CCR's prevent construction of an additional garage. Go for it Ben!