andrew carter

I have owned a BMW 328i since 1999. It’s been a fantastic car. I’ve loved every minute of owning it. However, it was 8 years old. Stuff was starting to wear out. I did the brakes and tires last year. This year, the ABS/DSC control unit went out ($1200), the wiper motors were beginning to fail (~$1000), and the driver’s door window motor also was starting to fail (another $1000). So instead of putting over $3000 more into the car, I decided to look at something new.I’ve been a huge fan of the modern MINI Cooper. In fact, I have been on the waiting list to buy one twice before but backed out before putting in the order. With this year’s redesign and the aging of my BMW, I decided to actually go through with it this time.So here it is:I first attempted to order one at Northwest MINI in Tacoma. They offered a 9 month waiting period just to get a build slot. I understood this in 2001 when they came out. But now? I tried Rasmussen MINI in Portland next. I got a build slot as soon as I could make up mind what I wanted and put down a deposit. That was in June. The car was expected to be here in September. Instead, here it is a month early and in my hands!I drove down to Portland on Monday to trade in the BMW and get the MINI. Although Rasmussen was very good, it still takes a lot of time to do a car deal (especially with a trade-in). My BMW was worth even less than I feared. I waited too long to sell it. The big ABS warning light coming on wasn’t helping my cause.When I finally rolled out of Portland, the traffic was so bad and I had a long way to go, I didn’t enjoy the MINI that much. In fact, I was more bummed out about parting with my BMW (I really loved that car). I was fatigued and the sport suspension and seats were tiring after 6 total hours driving.However, that’s changing rapidly. You see, the MINI isn’t your usual car. It needs a special road to hook you. And when it does, you are all in. I got a taste of how fun the car is racing it around the past week to work and showing it to some friends. But this morning I finally got to take it on a proper drive. I took the back roads from my house to Snoqualmie Falls and back. There is an incredible stretch of twisty roads I will not share with you (I can’t afford to let anyone else know it exists). It’s a series of 25 MPH corners coming up out of the Snoqualmie valley back up to the Issaquah plateau. It takes about 10 minutes to make the full run. By minute 2 or 3, you are in love. Nothing handles like a MINI through a corner. This car is simply made to eat them up.I’ve become a car enthusiast since buying my BMW. I did the M School in spring 2006. I learned a lot about how to drive high performance cars. But the reality is that as fun as an M3 is, it’s really only at home on the track. The MINI on the other hand can be immense fun even at 40 MPH. And for the price of an M3, you can buy 3 loaded MINI Coopers. Not to say that MINI’s are cheap, just that they are a good choice for a performance car without spending outrageous money.On the more practical level, the MINI is a very functional car. Its size is a great advantage in some situations. Parking in the city is much easier. It’s plenty big as a commuter or general run around. I feel better about driving it by myself than something larger. And it does get good gas mileage (if you don’t drive with too heavy of a foot). I got 30 MPG on the drive back from Portland and 28 MPG with my admittedly spirited driving this week. Given that I drive to Seattle frequently, this is all good.The technology improvements in the past 8 years are welcome. I love being able to just plug in my iPod and get fantastic sound. Bluetooth phone integration is more than a luxury - it should be standard on all cars (because everyone still uses their phone while driving). It’s much safer than any other way for calling in the car.It’s not perfect. I don’t care for the dinner plate in the dashboard. And my iPhone’s address book doesn’t work correctly with the Bluetooth. The lack of memory power seats is a pain with more than one driver. There are some pieces that seem a little cheap (like the center armrest). But overall, this car is a BMW even if it isn’t in name. There is no mistaking the handling and road feel as anything else.Specs:

• 2007 MINI Cooper S
• Lightning Blue with Black Top/Mirrors
• 175 HP Turbo
• Front Wheel Drive
• 17″ Run Flat performance tires
• Sport Package
• Black Leather interior

Flickr photos are here.