Since it was announced on the scheme i have watched as many decent videos and reviews on You Tube as i could possibly find, it was almost becoming a bit of an unhealthy habit at bed time ?
Why was i so interested in a Mini? Rightly or wrongly i have always thought they were a bit of a hairdresser motor ( still kinda do tbh ) never been a Mini fan growing up, they never suited my personal taste or lifestyle, never even contemplated having one and they are absolutely night n day from my last few cars in terms in almost every possible way ?
But the intrigue still remained, i visited a few dealers to see in the flesh, Sat inside to get an initial feel that was not positive, had a 30 min test drive ( which is pointless )
Then i visited a different dealer and had a great easy going chat, I explained where i was coming from and my fears. in the end she suggested i come back in a couple of days and take her managers car out for as long as i needed.
So… i had a 4 hour solo test drive last month, I actually wanted to hate it just to finally rule it out and put it firmly into the “Absolutely Stupid” Ideas folder , For the first 15/20 i really did hate it!
Then to my surprise a little smile started to grow , i quickly got used to the driving view and different position etc and found it comfortable and very very fun to drive!
My perception that every car on the motorway would tower over me and i would feel vulnerable and pretty silly was soon blown away when i passed Golfs, 3 Series ( normal sized cars ) etc and they looked no lower to the ground than me. A friend has a TT and is nowhere near as low as that thankfully
The JCW i had was fitted with the optional 18 inch run flats which were very surprising in a positive way, i didn’t find them really that harsh at all, when i hit uneven parts or bumps i felt the noise was more intrusive than any jolt to my back, which i is was dreading – and when you live in Scotland there are plenty bumps and potholes to endure!
I may have driven SUV’s for my last few cars but they have all had sports suspension and low profile large tyres, However i am not going to sit here and say it was like floating on a cloud cos it certainly was not lol, but nowhere near as harsh/firm as i was expecting – for me completely liveable/enjoyable
I did make a couple of stops along the way, getting in was easy enough but i will def have to work on my exits – not graceful at all ? But the 4 hours literally flew in, Ive not been able to drive my own car for that length of time for years due to the pain it causes so to say i was impressed to how my body was holding up was an understatement
I know that engine, the car in general and the fun and excitement it creates would have certainly helped mask any pain i felt that day, better than any pain meds i take – But after the sudden passing of my little beloved Dog and companion last year the car actually gave me a little bit of respite from the grief and replaced it with a little slice of positivity albeit for those few hours – and that is a very welcome break indeed
I figured after driving the car for 4 hours and wanting more that i was as sure as sure could be that i could live with the cons of the car
So after a further week of thinking things though, going through all the various colour combinations i placed an order
Delivery sometime in May
Its something completely different for me in every possible way and now for the first time in a long time i have something that i am allowing myself to look forward to and if makes my life even 10 % better than i’ll take that ??
If it turns out to be the completely wrong decision ( like many in my life ) then i’ll put my big boy pants on , take the hit financially and slide back into SUV life
So all i can say is if for whatever reason this car appeals to you and you have ruled it out before you have even sat behind the wheel ( like i did ) then find a dealer who well let you have one for a few hours and try it for yourself
you never know it could help bring a little happiness back into your life ?
When life hands you melons...,
Make melonade!