Mini - New Four Door

[Jeremy]

Going by that link, the only two cars that look noticeably larger than the originals are the mini and fiat 500. So it actually goes against the point you are trying to make. :

Yes to be fair, those 911's look virtually identical in fact I'd venture that the new one was actually slimmer than the old one.

And the new Polo being bigger than the Mk1 Golf doesn't really merit any consideration, because the name 'Golf' doesn't imply compact dimensions in the way 'Mini' does.

As Stevoraith so eloquently put it, "Haterz gunna hate!" Pictures and actual dimensions are all there so you can draw your own conclusions.

At the end of the day I have no allegience to the BMW Mini but find the internet 'fist wringing' against them quite amusing at times. Jethro Bovril words hit the nail on the head perfectly.

The way my thought process goes, if I go out tomorrow to buy a new Fiesta I consider that car on it's own merits v's the competition. Any kind of statistics relating to a Mk1 Fiesta or a Model T are of zero relevance and interest. If such things matter to you then fair play.

Regards,

Jeremy

[DDtB]

I stand by my opinion that the Clubman should not have been allowed to be sold in the UK.

They designed it with a single rear door that opens onto the pavement side in Europe. I remember seeing a press release or something that they didn't need a door on the other side because you shouldn't be letting your kids out onto the road anyway as it's dangerous.

Yet in the UK, if you park in the direction of traffic (which I believe you're supposed to) then you have no choice but to disembark the rear passengers onto the road. Really surprised in this H&S culture that they allowed it to be sold, but meh .... I wouldn't buy one anyway. Mainly because I think the mahooooosive speedo in the centre console is retarded.

[campbell]

[quote="DDtB"

Yet in the UK, if you park in the direction of traffic (which I believe you're supposed to) then you have no choice but to disembark the rear passengers onto the road. Really surprised in this H&S culture that they allowed it to be sold, but meh .... I wouldn't buy one anyway. Mainly because I think the mahooooosive speedo in the centre console is retarded.

[/quote]

Incorrect. The suicide door is of no consequence to safe unloading of pax. Both front seats fold and slide identically. Both front doors are identical size and similar to the "Hatchback" ones. I agree the extra aperture makes things easier in principle, but without it, entry and exit is exactly as per the std MINI "Hatchback".

Indeed, we don't always open the 3rd door when James (whose side is the drivers side, always!) is entering / leaving the car.

As for it being "on the wrong side", well, that only depends how often you park at the roadside. I find this is increasingly rare in any case thanks to modern parking restrictions. More likely (for us - as a family) is loading up on the driveway, and unloading at the leisure centre car park, supermarket, cinema, retail park, Knockhill, etc etc [delete as appropriate!]. In which case, it's utterly irrelevant. And thus works well.

There is also an *advantage* to positioning adjacent to the driver's door. An even quicker getaway, whether loading a pax or throwing your rucksack / handbag onto the back seat via "the big door".

I have said it many times. A MINI Clubman makes a credible small family car. Definitely more adaptable and useable than the std hatch. Oh and so did the *original* Clubman, which my brother and I piled in and out of quite happily in the late 70s...with bikes, buckets of Lego, holiday luggage, you name it.

It's a MINI Adventure


PS - the large central speedo allows our little darlings to keep an eye on Lisa's speed. They are well up on road signs, believe me...