So when all the numbers were crunched Sue decided that it might be time for a new MINI. What caused this? Sue could probably explain it better, but I’ll give you some of the basics. Recently another MINI owner I know bought the newest MINI, the Countryman. They checked out the trade-in price and one of the limitations (MINI’s do retain their value) was the mileage. So since Penfold (my MINI) has almost 90,000 miles, and has a few mods I figured I would get nothing for him. Sue’s MINI was stock, and wasn’t that bad when it came to mileage, although now out of warranty. So I thought it might be a good idea to check out the Countryman, & see about leasing one for a couple years (use it a a cachingmobile) since Sue really is looking at the two-seat convertible coming out in a couple years. So the Monday before her MINI went into limp mode, we had been in the dealership looking at a Countryman. The numbers at that time didn’t work out for us. Then Sue’s MINI broke. Was this the first time? Sadly no. Sue’s MINI has had some issues so when Sue found out how much the repairs & regular maintenance was going to be she checked to see if the offer from Monday was still on the table. With some deals being given on the hatch (R56) Sue decided to go for it and we now own “Poppy” a 2011 MINI Cooper S.

Yes, another MINI. Why? If you talk with some MINI owners you’ll see that after MINI introduces a new model they do what is called a “refresh” after a few years- fixing those things that people complain about. In the case of the 2007-2010 MINI there was: the cold start rattle, the amazing melting hood scoop, and the poorly designed center stack. Personally there are people who say that any MINI pre-2004 should also be avoided since the refresh happened in 2005 (when I bought Penfold). Is this scientific? No, anecdotal data, but still… When Sue was asked about leasing or buying (she wanted the two-seater so a two year lease seemed about right) she decided to buy. She says she’ll wait until the refresh comes out.

So now the question is what is going to be Poppy’s first road trip?

Presto Chango
Posted on February 25, 2011 by Bruce
So when all the numbers were crunched Sue decided that it might be time for a new MINI. What caused this? Sue could probably explain it better, but I'll give you some of the basics. Recently another MINI owner I know bought the newest MINI, the Countryman. They checked out the trade-in price and one of the limitations (MINI's do retain their value) was the mileage. So since Penfold (my MINI) has almost 90,000 miles, and has a few mods I figured I would get nothing for him. Sue's MINI was stock, and wasn't that bad when it came to mileage, although now out of warranty. So I thought it might be a good idea to check out the Countryman, & see about leasing one for a couple years (use it a a cachingmobile) since Sue really is looking at the two-seat convertible coming out in a couple years. So the Monday before her MINI went into limp mode, we had been in the dealership looking at a Countryman. The numbers at that time didn't work out for us. Then Sue's MINI broke. Was this the first time? Sadly no. Sue's MINI has had some issues so when Sue found out how much the repairs & regular maintenance was going to be she checked to see if the offer from Monday was still on the table. With some deals being given on the hatch (R56) Sue decided to go for it and we now own "Poppy" a 2011 MINI Cooper S. Yes, another MINI. Why? If you talk with some MINI owners you'll see that after MINI introduces a new model they do what is called a "refresh" after a few years- fixing those things that people complain about. In the case of the 2007-2010 MINI there was: the cold start rattle, the amazing melting hood scoop, and the poorly designed center stack. Personally there are people who say that any MINI pre-2004 should also be avoided since the refresh happened in 2005 (when I bought Penfold). Is this scientific? No, anecdotal data, but still... When Sue was asked about leasing or buying (she wanted the two-seater so a two year lease seemed about right) she decided to buy. She says she'll wait until the refresh comes out. So now the question is what is going to be Poppy's first road trip?

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