New Car

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 1:26 AM

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I was driving a 2007 VW GTI. Good car in theory, but I had some issues which turned me off (mostly off VW in general). Right when I drove off I had issues with the brakes, and they ended up replacing the brake master cylinder and my A/C has stopped working twice now. The car makes excessive road noise, it's unbearable. Do you know what they told me? It's the bridgestone tires, they are noisy and I should replace them. I basically asked them why the fuck they sold me the car with them in the first place. Anyway, yesterday I decided to get a new car....and voila...2009 Mini Cooper S.

It's more money than I wanted to pay, but the monthly payment is cheaper than on my VW.

http://i433.photobucket.com/albums/qq56/firecat_786/09092009145.jpg

NecroJoe · September 10th, 2009, 1:50 AM

Nifty.

Yeah, VWs never sat right with me. Could never find a comfortable driving position, and the blue dash lights drove me berzerk! Is there a worse color for fucking with your night-vision? I don't think so...

Just...please don't tell me you went shopping for a payment? That's the worst way to buy a car. "I'm looking for a new car, but I don't want to pay more than $300 a month."

*Cha-ching* goes the salesman's eyes as he rolls someone into a $290 a month 7-year loan, when if they would have negotiated the price first, could have gotten $310 for 5 years...

thevictor390 · September 10th, 2009, 1:54 AM

I wouldn't want to be in a loan longer than 4-5 years for a new car, 3 for used. That's a nice Mini though. Love the color and the wheels.

NecroJoe · September 10th, 2009, 2:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thevictor390

That's a nice Mini though. Love the color and the wheels.

Agreed. Also, the more I see it, the more I prefer the re-done face.

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 2:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NecroJoe

Just...please don't tell me you went shopping for a payment? That's the worst way to buy a car. "I'm looking for a new car, but I don't want to pay more than $300 a month."

*Cha-ching* goes the salesman's eyes as he rolls someone into a $290 a month 7-year loan, when if they would have negotiated the price first, could have gotten $310 for 5 years...

I went in wanting to get a lower payment than my VW. And I did, even though the value of this car was at least 3,000 more. I wasn't looking at any other cars though, so it was probably this or stick with my car.

But I knew beforehand the range of payments would have been anyway.

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 2:11 AM

I still need to get it tinted, and I was thinking of doing the stripes on the bonnet. Not 100% sure.

It has a lot more than I wanted, I'm not really big on options. I will probably get a darker tint on the sunroof because inside the car there is just a perforated shade, so I'm concerned about sunlight (I live in Florida).

On the drive home the engine or oil light came on, not sure what it was. So I called them up and they said it happens sometimes, I guess because the car was there on the lot. They will check it out, they owe me a full detail as well because it got late by the time I was done and they couldn't do it right away.

They had some cars on the lot with awesome 17inch wheels and stuff. I had no idea just how customizable a mini is.

NecroJoe · September 10th, 2009, 3:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firecat

I had no idea just how customizable a mini is.

Stay away from eBay. :-p Honestly. It'll blow your mind. A co-worker of mine bought one for about $17K and ended up spending something like 5K on just random shit he bought of eBay, from decals to replacement mirror shells, to wheels, to exhaust, etc etc. I think he's on his 4th roof decal/vinyl...

Redliner · September 10th, 2009, 3:13 AM

MUCH better than a GTI. Congrats!

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 3:19 AM

I'm really glad all of you approve, because for a moment I wasn't sure how great a choice it was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NecroJoe

Stay away from eBay. :-p Honestly. It'll blow your mind. A co-worker of mine bought one for about $17K and ended up spending something like 5K on just random shit he bought of eBay, from decals to replacement mirror shells, to wheels, to exhaust, etc etc. I think he's on his 4th roof decal/vinyl...

I've never done much to a car, other than tints. If I do spend any money it won't be that much!

killpanda · September 10th, 2009, 3:25 AM

The mini with black wheels looks really good, great choice!

MadCow809 · September 10th, 2009, 3:35 AM

What tyres are you running atm? Cos a factory stock Mini normally comes with RFT Bridgestone tyres.

btw, congrats on your new car.

Let me know what you think of the car, I've been dying to know the handling difference between a GTI and Mini Cooper S.

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 3:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadCow809

What tyres are you running atm? Cos a factory stock Mini normally comes with RFT Bridgestone tyres.

btw, congrats on your new car.

Let me know what you think of the car, I've been dying to know the handling difference between a GTI and Mini Cooper S.

I'll check on that and let you know. Ditto for the handling (once I break it in).

nouseferaname90 · September 10th, 2009, 5:47 AM

those tires look ones of similar aggressiveness as the ones stock on my acura. If that is the case, you are going to want to replace them. They don't last long, and they are utter crap at handling. 1 crest run pretty much destroyed them...but then again, mine were a different company and were mx4's.

p0w3r · September 10th, 2009, 5:53 AM

didnt you have a M3? what happend to that?

darkshark0159 · September 10th, 2009, 7:41 AM

Congrats! The MINI S is one of my favourites. TBH, I'm really not feeling those rims. At all. But whatever. Excellent car otherwise. images/smilies/smile.gif

Firecat · September 10th, 2009, 7:47 AM

They had some 17" ones that looked much better. But looking at the cars on the lot, these rims were a lot better than the standard looking ones...it makes a whole lot of difference. I still haven't checked the tires yet, but I know they are run flats (which I'm really not a fan of).

I had the 2004 M3 for 3 years and then moved to the GTI in 2007 because I wanted something with lower payments. I figure I will keep the MINI for a couple of years and then go for an exotic.

Der Stig · September 11th, 2009, 2:01 PM

Awesome- I love the Mini. How's the powertrain compare to the GTI? I know the Mini's only a 1.6L, but the power levels are similar.

darkshark0159 · September 11th, 2009, 7:25 PM

They say that without speccing the Cooper S up to JCW level, it can't quite compete with the GTI's performance. I'm sure Firecat can better judge that though.

And no way. Stock rims from a basic MINI would look better than those uglies... images/smilies/tongue.gif

Firecat · September 11th, 2009, 8:27 PM

I'm still breaking it in and have been pretty gentle. There is a magic "sport" button that I haven't tested yet. I think it will handle better than the GTI and will stop better (my GTI brakes were shitty, and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor which annoyed the heck out of me). However, I think the GTI probably has it beat on acceleration (i'll follow up after the break-in period).

The standard rims I saw on the other minis looked funny to me, and some had these plastic covers on it which seemed cheap. But to each their own, they did have better wheels...but I'm not that fussy.

I'm going to try and price out some Huper Optik tints. From what I understand, they are great for rejecting heat but not really great on privacy. Should I consider putting one on the windshield? Because I would imagine a lot of heat coming from there. It's illegal, I know (and probably stupid as well). Just a thought.

thevictor390 · September 11th, 2009, 8:31 PM

Are you in the U.S.? If it's illegal it probably won't pass inspection which would be bad, but there are some places that are very lenient on such things.

September 10th, 2009, 1:26 AM	#1
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	New Car I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I was driving a 2007 VW GTI. Good car in theory, but I had some issues which turned me off (mostly off VW in general). Right when I drove off I had issues with the brakes, and they ended up replacing the brake master cylinder and my A/C has stopped working twice now. The car makes excessive road noise, it's unbearable. Do you know what they told me? It's the bridgestone tires, they are noisy and I should replace them. I basically asked them why the fuck they sold me the car with them in the first place. Anyway, yesterday I decided to get a new car....and voila...2009 Mini Cooper S. It's more money than I wanted to pay, but the monthly payment is cheaper than on my VW. __________________

September 10th, 2009, 1:50 AM	#2
NecroJoe Joined: Apr 12th, 2005 Last Online: 7:28 AM Location: San Francisco area, CA, USA Age: 30 Posts: 4,887 Car: 2001 Mercury Cougar V6 Rep Power: 226	Nifty. Yeah, VWs never sat right with me. Could never find a comfortable driving position, and the blue dash lights drove me berzerk! Is there a worse color for fucking with your night-vision? I don't think so... Just...please don't tell me you went shopping for a payment? That's the worst way to buy a car. "I'm looking for a new car, but I don't want to pay more than $300 a month." Cha-ching goes the salesman's eyes as he rolls someone into a $290 a month 7-year loan, when if they would have negotiated the price first, could have gotten $310 for 5 years... __________________ There is no such thing as a stupid question.* *but there are a lot of inquisitive idiots.

September 10th, 2009, 2:11 AM	#6
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	I still need to get it tinted, and I was thinking of doing the stripes on the bonnet. Not 100% sure. It has a lot more than I wanted, I'm not really big on options. I will probably get a darker tint on the sunroof because inside the car there is just a perforated shade, so I'm concerned about sunlight (I live in Florida). On the drive home the engine or oil light came on, not sure what it was. So I called them up and they said it happens sometimes, I guess because the car was there on the lot. They will check it out, they owe me a full detail as well because it got late by the time I was done and they couldn't do it right away. They had some cars on the lot with awesome 17inch wheels and stuff. I had no idea just how customizable a mini is. __________________

September 10th, 2009, 3:13 AM	#8
Redliner Joined: May 19th, 2005 Last Online: 6:49 AM Location: Brazil - South America Age: 30 Posts: 5,290 Car: Fiat Palio 1.6 16v Rep Power: 114	MUCH better than a GTI. Congrats! __________________ God told me to give you candy.

September 10th, 2009, 3:25 AM	#10
killpanda wants to fondle your manboobs Joined: May 22nd, 2004 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Vancouver, BC (but I'm French :-p) Age: 23 Posts: 2,048 Car: 2006 Ford Fiesta S TDci (in France) Rep Power: 69	The mini with black wheels looks really good, great choice! __________________ Ouh yeah !

September 10th, 2009, 1:54 AM	#3
thevictor390 Joined: Mar 9th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Massachusetts Age: 19 Posts: 1,999 Car: 2006 RX-8 Rep Power: 65	I wouldn't want to be in a loan longer than 4-5 years for a new car, 3 for used. That's a nice Mini though. Love the color and the wheels.

September 10th, 2009, 3:35 AM	#11
MadCow809 Joined: Feb 23rd, 2006 Last Online: 6:14 AM Location: Durban, South Africa & Los Angeles, CA Age: 24 Posts: 5,055 Car: 2007 E87 BMW 130i & 2008 VW MKV GTI 2.0T DSG LFS Status: Rep Power: 71	What tyres are you running atm? Cos a factory stock Mini normally comes with RFT Bridgestone tyres. btw, congrats on your new car. Let me know what you think of the car, I've been dying to know the handling difference between a GTI and Mini Cooper S. __________________ Supporting : Kimi Räikkönen \| Jenson Button \| Robert Kubica \| Sebastian Vettel \| Petter Solberg \| Mikko Hirvonen \| Andy Priaulx \| Jason Plato \| Mat Jackson Nokia N95 8Gb Nokia N97 32Gb RM-505 Unlocked v11.0.21 -> v12.0.024 -> v20.0.019 09 VW MKV Golf GTI 2.0T DSG \| APR Stage 1 \| LHD 08 Honda Civic Coupé \| LHD 06 BMW 130i \| RHD ~~05 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS \| RHD~~ 05 Ford Bantam 1.3i \| RHD ~~95 Mercedes Benz E320 Sportline \| RHD~~

September 10th, 2009, 5:47 AM	#13
nouseferaname90 Joined: May 28th, 2008 Last Online: Yesterday Posts: 2,382 Rep Power: 39	those tires look ones of similar aggressiveness as the ones stock on my acura. If that is the case, you are going to want to replace them. They don't last long, and they are utter crap at handling. 1 crest run pretty much destroyed them...but then again, mine were a different company and were mx4's. __________________ ~~I want to own a Saab one day...but not if Saab is bought by the Chinese~~ I support Koenegsaab GM, An American RE:TARDATION

September 10th, 2009, 5:53 AM	#14
p0w3r Joined: May 21st, 2004 Last Online: 3:52 AM Location: New York City! Age: 20 Posts: 1,294 Car: 2008 Audi A4 2.0T Rep Power: 28	didnt you have a M3? what happend to that? __________________

September 10th, 2009, 7:41 AM	#15
darkshark0159 Joined: Dec 24th, 2007 Last Online: 6:53 AM Location: a snowy land Age: 18 Posts: 1,848 Car: Mercedes-Benz C240 W203 Rep Power: 80	Congrats! The MINI S is one of my favourites. TBH, I'm really not feeling those rims. At all. But whatever. Excellent car otherwise. __________________

September 10th, 2009, 7:47 AM	#16
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	They had some 17" ones that looked much better. But looking at the cars on the lot, these rims were a lot better than the standard looking ones...it makes a whole lot of difference. I still haven't checked the tires yet, but I know they are run flats (which I'm really not a fan of). I had the 2004 M3 for 3 years and then moved to the GTI in 2007 because I wanted something with lower payments. I figure I will keep the MINI for a couple of years and then go for an exotic. __________________

September 11th, 2009, 2:01 PM	#17
Der Stig Joined: Dec 19th, 2008 Last Online: November 20th, 2009 Location: College Station/The Woodlands, Texas Age: 20 Posts: 703 Car: 2004 BMW 330i Rep Power: 15	Awesome- I love the Mini. How's the powertrain compare to the GTI? I know the Mini's only a 1.6L, but the power levels are similar. __________________ Vehicles: 2004 E46 BMW 330i 6-speed Looking for W116, W123, W126, R107...cheapo project

September 11th, 2009, 7:25 PM	#18
darkshark0159 Joined: Dec 24th, 2007 Last Online: 6:53 AM Location: a snowy land Age: 18 Posts: 1,848 Car: Mercedes-Benz C240 W203 Rep Power: 80	They say that without speccing the Cooper S up to JCW level, it can't quite compete with the GTI's performance. I'm sure Firecat can better judge that though. And no way. Stock rims from a basic MINI would look better than those uglies... __________________

September 11th, 2009, 8:27 PM	#19
Firecat Politically Charged Joined: Mar 23rd, 2005 Last Online: 6:42 AM Posts: 4,449 Rep Power: 48	I'm still breaking it in and have been pretty gentle. There is a magic "sport" button that I haven't tested yet. I think it will handle better than the GTI and will stop better (my GTI brakes were shitty, and the brake pedal went all the way to the floor which annoyed the heck out of me). However, I think the GTI probably has it beat on acceleration (i'll follow up after the break-in period). The standard rims I saw on the other minis looked funny to me, and some had these plastic covers on it which seemed cheap. But to each their own, they did have better wheels...but I'm not that fussy. I'm going to try and price out some Huper Optik tints. From what I understand, they are great for rejecting heat but not really great on privacy. Should I consider putting one on the windshield? Because I would imagine a lot of heat coming from there. It's illegal, I know (and probably stupid as well). Just a thought. __________________

September 11th, 2009, 8:31 PM	#20
thevictor390 Joined: Mar 9th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Massachusetts Age: 19 Posts: 1,999 Car: 2006 RX-8 Rep Power: 65	Are you in the U.S.? If it's illegal it probably won't pass inspection which would be bad, but there are some places that are very lenient on such things.

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