Comments on: MINI 50 Mayfair and 50 Camden anniversary models

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:27:21 +0000

Agreed the Mini is a fun driving vehicle, it is pretty quick and handles well, but for the money it is hardly justified.

Price aside my biggest problem with this car is its cheap plastic dash console- the materials are just rubbish and the switches and tactile feel of the interior is not nice.

For that I think the Fiat 500 has a far better designed interior and although a smaller car is actually larger inside than the Mini.

At the end of the day, I think when (and if) VW brings the new Scirocco over, that will be the Mini’s biggest competition and the VW is a far nicer car all the way around.

By: RdS

RdS — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:13:45 +0000

hehe.. nice! definetley go the ‘mayfair’ in the metallic brown. looks great, and so oldschool.

By: 4:20 All Day

4:20 All Day — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:19:31 +0000

Since when has Camden become a ‘distinguished” borough? Last time i was there i saw a guy get stabbed. Classy.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:25:07 +0000

Correction for the last line ^^ I meant to write simply “beat it” rather than “beat the it”.

As far as these two cars go, I think they’re great. I would love a Mayfair model because the brown paint looks wonderful. I wish it would become an option on the hatch. I also wish the wheels on the Mayfair would become an option. The only thing that dissapoints me is that the wheels on the Camden model obviously look like alloys, but the actual design of them is really quite close to the wheel covers on the new Mini First. But the white looks magnificent with the dark headlights. I really am quite tempted about a Mayfair, but I think I’d have more fun tracking one down in thirty years and paying some paltry amount for it.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:13:30 +0000

Deco, as an owner of three new Minis (one new Mini, two new-new Minis), I shall tell you why they are worth the money. Quite simply, they offer a wonderful ownership experience. They may be small, they may have almost useless back seats and they may come with very little as standard, but they are great fun to drive, they are safe, they are excellent quality, they are reliable, they are stable at high speed and they are a joy to own. The thing is that, on paper, you are right – $35,000 is an awful lot to pay for such a small car that can basically seat two, but it goes far deeper with the Mini because you are actually getting a car that you will enjoy owning (well, you in particular may not) and a car that you will be as happy driving in five years as you are today is worth any amount of money.
Think along the same lines as owning an MX-5. To a lot of people, an MX-5 isn’t worth the money for what it is. But to the people who own an drive them, there’s not much that’s better. That’s how I feel about my Minis and I think that’s probably how most feel about their Minis. They are wonderful cars and you may not understand why you would pay a large sum of money for a small car, you may even think it’s all down to badge, but you’ll obviously never buy one, and that’s why you can choose to put your money into something functional.

So go ahead, go buy your something functional. I know it will never bring you the style, the drive, the character or the joy that a Mini would. But you obviously don’t care about that which makes me question just what you’re doing on a car website in the first place.
But my main point is that the Mini is well worth the money you pay. It’s worth far more than $15,000, but you’re obviously not the sort of person they are trying to sell to anyway. May I suggest you keep an open mind and go and test drive a Cooper S one day? You may not change your mind about pricing, but you may also get an insight into why people lay out so much money for their Minis. They are class leaders and even a rear wheel drive supermini would have to do an awful lot to beat the it.

By: Deco

Deco — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:12:53 +0000

Tell me what is worth 35k+ about a mini. It has no features any other car in that price range has… It just isn’t worth it.

You can get a small useless car if you want, I’d prefer something functional.

By: C

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:42:54 +0000

for those who cant justify spending that much on a MINI, go test one…drive it around some familiar corners and then decide.

@ Deco….$15k will probably buy you a Proton Savvy with some change for doof doof. I can’t believe you have made that statement 15k pounds perhaps?

By: Jake02

Jake02 — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:38:05 +0000

The darkened headlights on the white one (the Mayfair) make it look fantastic! Pretty darn good, but I’m sorry I can’t justify spending $50k + on a MINI, no matter what it has!

Give me the new Citroen DS3 please – its one fine looking car and promises lots from the future for Citroen! AND it has the same engine!

By: AAA

AAA — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:37:12 +0000

Oh and the New Mini diesel vs the Prius fuel consumption article that is coming out on CA soon. The only thing they have in common is the fuel consumption. One is significantly smaller than the Yaris and the other is between the Corolla and Aurion for size.

By: AAA

AAA — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:30:12 +0000

I thought the Mini has grown in size. But it has not. The other day I saw a New Mini parked next to a Yaris at a shopping centre, The Mini looked about half the size of the phat Yaris.