[ProSchmo]

Hello all,

Last year I made the very impulsive decision to purchase a used low mileage 2007 Mini Cooper S Convertible. It was love at first sight, I thought that love would last forever. It lasted about 2 months. The car was too small, too expensive, and was in the shop way too often. Not to mention that shop was a 2 hour drive from my house. So less than 6 months later, I made the decision to purchase a more economical car.

After much research, I decided on a Kia Soul. I loved the way look, and it was on more than one "Most economical cars to own" lists. So about 3 or 4 months ago I pulled the trigger on a 2013 Soul + with m/t and could not be happier. Its small enough to fit in my garage and large enough inside so my 6'6" 350 lb husband has no problem sitting in the back seat comfortably. The m/t is a blast to drive, even in very hilly Tallahassee with its horrible stop and go traffic.

Now when I'm on the road and see a Mini, I always think to myself, "I wonder if they still like their car?"

 

[thewerzinator]

Yep, as fun as they are to drive, and as nice as they look, they are quite pricey and do often need repairs (also pricey).

I'm hoping you got a good price for the trade-in, they have very high resale value. When I was first doing car shopping, I realized I could get a new Soul for the cost of a used Mini with 70,000 miles!

Enjoy your new ride! Welcome to the forum

 

[conwelpic]

welcome to the forum, many members have had Mini's previous to purchasing a Soul.

 

[Stvek]

Welcome!
I was looking at a Mini Countryman before getting a Soul, and was not impressed with their service record, especially for the price! For what I got in the soul, a comparably equiped Countryman would have been about $10,000 more, and with a worse warranty.
We have 6k on our Soul and I love it so far!

BTW
My wife has a '07 mini convert and loves it so much that she just ordered a Mini Roadster! We've had it for about 5 yrs and only needed to replace the AC, so we've had a good experience with it.
Min also gave us $11,000 for it on trade with almost 90k, so they do hold their value.

Steve

 

[ItsAlwaysSteve]

My sister had an 05 S with some JCW parts (blower pulley, lowering springs, and other suspension goodies) and it was a total blast to drive. However, in the two years she had it (2010-12), it went through 2 sets of tires, never got better than 23 mpg in combined driving, burned out an exhaust valve, burned through a catalytic converter, had an intermittent CEL, and finally threw the harmonic balancer off the front of the engine, leading to it rattling itself to pieces.

The clutch was awfully stiff for a little front wheel drive car; it was a maintenance nightmare, and it was in the shop about once every 2 months, often to the tune of at least $500 every time.

But oh -- taking a 30-mph on ramp in third gear and leaning into the throttle the whole time almost made it worth it. Putting it through its paces in the hills of the NC piedmont almost made it worth it. Or so she says. I only got to drive it once - for about 15 miles around the hills surrounding Lake Norman -- with her boyfriend.

My wife still wants a mini but a used base cooper is more in budget. They're small but the square proportions make it feel not so tiny. We drove a few coopers when we thought we were going to need to buy a second car but since we work in the same building that isn't necessary.

The Cooper S, to use a bad relationship analogy, is like the short, cute girl you date in college despite the fact that she has a number of undisguised and untreated mental illnesses. There's tremendous fun but you know it has to be a brief fling because your physical, mental, and financial well being are in danger as long as she's around.



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[ProSchmo]

The Cooper S, to use a bad relationship analogy, is like the short, cute girl you date in college despite the fact that she has a number of undisguised and untreated mental illnesses. There's tremendous fun but you know it has to be a brief fling because your physical, mental, and financial well being are in danger as long as she's around.
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HA HA! That's funny because I tell everyone that the mini for me was a fleeting romance, but I quickly lost interest when she became too high maintenance.

 

[RickB]

HA HA! That's funny because I tell everyone that the mini for me was a fleeting romance, but I quickly lost interest when she became too high maintenance.

I ditched my Mini S for the same reason in 2012.

 

[Buzz]

Howdy and welcome to the forum!

 

[scirocco]

My Soul is over 4 years old and I still love it and love to drive it. Good luck with your new Soul!