I'm not sure why, but I've become very interested in the min cooper cars built by BMW and sold over on Maryland Road. The thing is, they are impractical for me because there are 5 people in my family but the car only seats 4, and 2 of the 4 should be on very good terms.
A friend of mine drives one and when I first saw it, I couldn't believe how differnt it was, inside and out, from the cars turned out by most manufacturers.
Since I probably won't buy one, I am currently content with building one electronically at their web site .
One of the guys I worked with this summer spent pretty much the entire summer trying to decide whether or not he wanted a mini. Much like you, he has five people inhis family, but decided that if all five of them ever needed to go somewhere together, they could take their other car. Anyway, after thinking and thinking about it, he finally bought one at the end of the summer. I have to admit, when he showed it to me, I thought it was really cool. (His is a baby blue S.)
Posted by: david at December 18, 2002 9:39 PM
Right, I've thought about that argument but it didn't hold much water at home. Here's the gyst of the discussion (expletives deleted):
Spouse: But we can't all fit in there.
Me: But we never all take my current car, we always use the minivan when we're all together.
Spouse: But suppose the minivan breaks
Me: Then we'd have to rent another car anyway because we probably need two cars.
Spouse: I don't know....
Notice how it's the last line that is the clincher: the admission of zero knowledge and yet it was the final word on the subject...or was it ?
Posted by: rkc at December 18, 2002 9:52 PM
My dad (also a father of 3 kids) was just telling me yesterday how he can't wait to ditch the minivan when we're all done with college and buy a new car for him and Mom. He's getting close too, since my younger sister is now a college sophomore. Until then, he's settling for that minivan from Honda with the map navigation thing. And finally he will get the Mini or some other equally non-economic car. By that time I guess he's earned it or something.
Posted by: Amy at December 19, 2002 11:32 AM
My father made the mistake of buying a car that my mother disapproved of during a midlife crisis. He bought a Toyota Camry Solara, which while not something crazy like a Porsche, has only two doors. Huge doors. And of course my mother hates it. In fact she hates it so much everytime she gets into it she makes a point of hitting her head on the frame so that she can complain about the car. Tread warily into a car where a wife disapproves.
Posted by: Nathan at December 19, 2002 12:35 PM
Hmmm. I don't know. My motto:
Walk softly and carry a big (6-speeds forward, console-mounted) stick
I think the idea of staging a midlife crisis has definite possibilities. Mini, you are almost mine.
Posted by: rkc at December 19, 2002 6:17 PM