Anyone scared to drive a Mini?

[jordanLINY]

I'm really interested in a Mini (sometime off in the nebulous future when I have a real job ... :eek: ) I drive with the semis every day. Any Mini drivers afraid of getting plowed in by a semi whose front end you're lurking under, or someone driving a Ford Excursion talking on a cellphone and not giving a s*it what's on the road? I just don't want to end up squished under some Hummer who forgot I was even there.

Jordan

[Mr. The Edge]

nope, my wife drives one every day.

When we go out and about on the weekends, we take the MINI.

[ZBB 325Ci]

Originally posted by atyclb
nope, my wife drives one every day.

When we go out and about on the weekends, we take the MINI.

I agree with Aty... my girlfriend also drives a MINI almost every day... We took it on weekends almost exclusively for the first couple of months... now we split a little bit more.

Couple things -- when you sit in the MINI -- you don't feel your are in a tiny car... If feels much more substantial. And the Cooper S has more than enough power to get out of the way!

[Kaz]

I see quite a few of them on the road, and their height and width are significantly bigger than they look on dealer lots.

I've looked at the numbers and they're not much removed in size from a late 80s Honda Civic, and larger in some dimensions than things like Aspires and Metros.

[AKDejaVu]

It does not matter what you are driving if you get hit by a semi. Its going to hurt. The only people I know that have been killed in collisions with semis have been driving trucks or SUVs. The only person I know that was in a "collision" with one and lived was driving a honda.

The Mini has a very sturdy body, good crumple zones and tons of air bags. That makes me feel secure. It does not sit lower than other cars on the road, so its not like I feel I'm in a smaller car.

Dunno... don't see how it is any more dangerous than most other cars on the road. The precautions are built in, if you are hit hard enough for them to no longer be effective... it wouldn't of mattered what car you were driving.

[jordanLINY]

Another thing -- part of getting out of accidents is not getting into them in the first place. I'll admit I'm not all that observant a driver sometimes; I get lazy and don't give trucks enough space etc. So I guess it's not only the car but the person piloting it.

Jordan

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

A mini is probably safer than an E36...

Especially the early ones with the iffy steering columns...

[jordanLINY]

w-w-w-what iffy steering columns? :yikes:

Is this a Pinto-esque problem waiting to happen? (I drive an early e36)

Jordan

[Nick325xiT 5spd]

Originally posted by jordanLINY
w-w-w-what iffy steering columns? :yikes:

Is this a Pinto-esque problem waiting to happen? (I drive an early e36)

Jordan

My old '94 was recalled so they could bolt it down more securely. Very reassuring. :p This was also the (a) reason BMW cited for not giving any steering wheel adjustments (possibly only in later models... I think I heard about early ones having it).