The rise and fall of the large SUV; small is the new black

Definitley a fun car, and I would rather be behind a mini more than a Suburban! But I'll stick to my 55-60 mpg Prius thanks!

 

	Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
0	Mini Cooper	2010 Prius
1	premium	regular	gasoline
2	automatic	automatic	transmission
3	33 MPG	48 MPG	EPA highway mileage
4	25 MPG	51 MPG	EPA city mileage
5	76 ft{3}	94 ft{3}	passenger volume
6	6 ft{3}	22 ft{3}	luggage volume

So with the Mini, one gets less and pays more to operate.

Bob Wilson

 

my gf has a base model mini.. gets between 33 city and 40 or so on highway...

it IS a fun car.. (a lot more fun than my prius) but doesn't quite have the space that my prius has.. shrug...

the only drawback is premium fuel... and higher maintenance cost due to a faster suspension that also dies quicker... shrug...

 

people were eventually going to get sick and tired of SUV dynamics and switch back.

 

But you can't compare the Mini to the Prius. The Mini is a european enthusiasts car. Driving prowess the Mini puts the Prius to complete shame. Thats like saying you pay more for a BMW 3 series for less room than a Camry. Totally different cars, and totally different buyers.

 

The Mini ... it's cute & all. But it's neither a hybrid, nor & EV. Well ... they DO have a few EV conversions that mini did ... if you can swallow a LEASE ONLY ... over $600 a month ... and NO rear seat because the butt end of its lil' shopping cart sized rear is full of batteries ~
so much for 'hybrid news'


.

 

very true. As a friend said when I was looking curious at a mini parked by us, "you want to like it but its just wrong". Its a quirky niche car, and I doubt anyone has traded in a suv for one. Its not a bmw or even a miata or mazda 3. The car is a poser, but if you like it, its your choice.

 

Here's an interesting clip from Wiki on the MINI:

"From 2008, all non-U.S. Mini models are equipped with BMW's Efficient Dynamics fuel-saving technology. This includes a start-stop feature that shuts off the engine when the car is stationary; when the clutch pedal is depressed, the engine is restarted with electricity generated from Brake Energy Regeneration. The Cooper D model attains 74.0 miles per imperial gallon (3.82 L/100 km; 61.6 mpg-US) and emits 104 g of carbon dioxide per 100 kilometres. A Mini One D is available in Europe since 2009, attaining the same fuel efficiency and emissions of greenhouse gases as the Cooper D, which is itself quite comparable to the Toyota Prius for fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions (potentially better than the Prius at higher rpm). With the wide-spread use of its Efficient Dynamics feature, Mini is the first automotive brand to have all models in its range classified as mild hybrids (Mini's parent, BMW, is still in the process of implementing Efficient Dynamics across its older models)."

Mini (BMW) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Must be news to the car companies. They are still making lots of big SUVs and those silly "crossovers" that both get bad gas mileage. What's needed is a 40 mpg all-wheel drive vehicle to keep all those soccer moms safe in the snow. The reckoning will come with the new mpg rules in 2016--but that's a long way off.

As an addendum, the mini Cooper has always struck me as too small a car for its price. I don't think THAT small is the way to go for gas mileage. Plus, having owned several BMWs, I'm not fond of their customer service. And yes, premium fuels are a waste. That goes for Lexus, too.
Shame on you, Toyota.

 

Eh, its not my kind of car but you can see the appeal. They handle very well and are very fun to drive, they have a unique upscale style. I don't see how its a "poser", a "poser" of what? The Mini has been around forever.

 

I hear that about the smart car too. But for many - the shopping cart sized vehicle is not the best fit.


oh, and what does all the have to do with prius- "hybrid news" ... just wondering

 

For some reason those Germans love to mandate Premium fuels for their vehicles, it must be a status thing, everyone else seems to run fine on regular. Perhaps they just hate making economical cars and throw stones at those who buy them, by making the thrifty customers spend big bucks on fuel anyway. Oh look at me! I run Premium fuel in my car, it must be fast!

 

Indeed, Wikipedia does say 104g per 100 km. Unfortunately that is outright fiction, on par with a 6000 mpg carburetor. A contributor is being far too hopeful.

On the UK government's New Car CO2 emissions: model search site, I find, depending on model and transmission: Prius, 89-92 g/km; Mini Diesel, 104-126 g/km; Mini Petrol, 127-154 g/km.

Not quite what I'd describe as 'comparable'.

 

The worst part is the press keeps touting "crossovers" as being "fuel sippers" and "fuel efficient". I hate the term crossover because it's so generic. What is a "crossover" anyway? A look at http://www.edmunds.com/finder/segment.crossover.html;f=%2Busein%3Anew?cat=Crossover&reFacet=vehiclecategory%3ACrossover&p=cvehicledata%23%23-1%23%23-1~~f66||43726f73736f766572~~q#resort=price_desc&search=open.eq..amp.p.eq. shows that they range from a ~$15K Jeep Compass and include vehicles like the Toyota RAV4, Honda Element and go all the way to the $89K BMW X6 M!

The X6 M has a (not surprisingly) lackluster EPA estimate of 12/17, 14 mpg combined. Having a 555 hp turbocharged 4.4L V8 doesn't help any.

As for the 2016 rules, they aren't THAT big a deal, IMHO. See CAFE, EPA Math: 35 Equals 26 - Auto Observer and New Federal CAFE standards officially released, 34.1 mpg by 2016 — Autoblog Green. I listed some "CAFE mileage" figures for some vehicles at http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...-standards-50-mpg-poll-finds.html#post1125402.

 

I think the point he was trying to make is that the Mini handles very well and also gets up to 37mpg.

And, I'm assuming he is hoping that Toyota will make the Prius handle better in the future. Maybe an independent suspension and more nimble during quick lane changes for accident avoidance from distracted drivers in 6000 pound SUVs who appear at times to be driving a vehicle so large they can't really control it or keep it in one lane.

(and something is odd about your table because BMW has been advertising the Mini as 37mpg highway)
..and Yahoo Autos says 37 MPG http://autos.yahoo.com/2010_mini_cooper_hardtop/

 

On average, European cars have better handling than Japanese cars. The mini is no exception. Even a Volkswagon will handle *very slightly* better than the Toyota. But Japanese cars last a lot longer by tens of thousands of miles, and are way less expensive to maintain. This is why Japanese cars have been so much more popular than European cars for the past years.

American SUVs are an entirely different story. They offer little the way of European handling or Japanese value. Indeed, American cars are just a bottomless bag of disappointment.

 

Per Side-by-Side Comparison, the 2010 Mini Cooper has an EPA rating of 25/33, 28 combined for the auto and 28/37, 32 combined for the manual w/both on premium. Bob's table is correct.

 

This evening I saw the Mini ads on TV and realized this posting, this whole thread, is just another attempt to solicit Mini customers from the Prius community. Understand, I have nothing against the Mini but it doesn't meet our requirements. So I began to wonder, does PriusChat have an alternate forum for such bald-faced, marketing?

When the next one shows up, perhaps the 'powers that be' might create an "Other Car" forum to hold this latest marketing thread. After all, we're seeing a number of Mini-advocates show up who probably would be happier without Prius advocates . . . something common at a website titled "PriusChat." <GRINS>

So let's have some fun with our visiting Mini-advocates:

• It is too small - not even close to the size needed for North Americans.
• It costs too much to fuel - it uses Premium gas, easy increasing the per gallon cost by 10-15%, and in the best possible mode, burns 25% more gas than the same "head-to-head" Prius.
• Attracts risk-taking drivers - handling appeals to those who treat our roads as 'race tracks' and take unusual risks. The insurance rates are soon to follow.
• Purchase price - ranges from $18,000 to over $30,000, not that far off from the Prius, which gives more volume, a quiet ride (especially with the engine off.)

No my Mini Cooper friends, you might have more luck visiting TDIclub or some of the other forums that attract "handling" crowds . . . that have no concept of efficient transportation. You are welcome to stay but we'll point out the 'facts and data' about the impractical Mini Cooper. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

 

When push comes to shove I'll probably buy a hybrid, PHEV, or EV if I have to buy another car. But I find the mini-cooper very attractive. My daughter can barely breathe when she sees one.

Then I think of the oil wars and spills, and I remember my priorities.