MINI Cooper

oballeani

Thanks for the insight hpulley4. I would hate to get the car, and then regret it in a February snow storm.

minimike2

5000 mile oil changes is an overkill. The oil companies and oil changing companies are selling us on that garbage so we buy more oil and more changes. 10,000-12,000 is plenty good enough. 7,500 if you feel especially paranoid.

How Mini gets up to 15,000 I don't know...I think 15,000 would be pushing most cars and most oil products. The synthetic oil though can handle higher temperatures before breaking down because they are a "purer" product...I'm sure you've seen the commericials. Funny how when the manufacturer pays for the oil change it can go 15,000 miles but when the consumer pays for it, it only lasts 5,000....I call that captalism.

crcoxe

If MINI does come out with a soft top, and perhaps a 4-door model, they could do some serious damage to the VW market share in the US. And I could get even longer items in the back!!! (Yes, the 8' chair rail was solid pine - ran it all the way from the closed hatch to the floor on the passenger side)

FYI - I just got back from a road trip and averaged around 35 mpg and squeezed out over 450 miles on one tank of gas (93 octane). City mileage is still a little less than expected from such a small car, but I was happy with the MC's performance on the long haul. Speaking of gas, MINI suggests running premium only. My dealer said it really doesn't matter, but I am hesitant to go less than 93 octane based on my limited knowledge of these things. Any suggestions?

hpulley4

And with modern knock&ping sensors even 87 probably wouldn't damage the car but I'm running with at least 91 here so the computer doesn't have to retard the timing to avoid knocks&pings.

Wow, that's great mileage! The best I've got on a tank so far was 7.0L/100km which is 40MPG in our English gallons or around 31MPG in US gallons if my calculations are correct. You're right about city mileage being harder on it -- if you really drive it hard the mileage drops a fair bit.

I've found the gas mileage is a bit better with 91 than with the 93/94 stuff but that might be because all the 93/94 stuff I've tried so far has had 10% ethanol which doesn't pack as much energy as gas by volume.

segesta

Remember, running cheaper gas means you may get worse gas mileage, thus negating the lower cost of the cheaper gas. Just a thought.

And I have only been getting 32 mpg on the highway, never as high as 35. Good work, crcoxe (but then, I wonder if at 75 - 80 mph the Mini's aerodynamics start to work against it... I should try a highway trip at 60 - 65, if I can stand it, and see if my mileage improves).

Finally, I think the Mini schedule is 10,000 miles for the first oil change, not 15,000.

crcoxe

We had the cruise set at 75 the whole way, but most of the time it was cool enough to keep the A/C off, which of course helps mileage. My mileage number is from the trip computer. I didn't do the math myself, so it's possible the computer was a little off. I'll still say I got 35 mpg though. By the way, I don't think I could stand it at 60 either.

And yes, the first service (including oil) is at 10,000. Every 15,000 thereafter.

tomburke

Hi Guys,

Are dealers still extracting premiums on car sold these days. When I originally ordered in the spring the dealer nicked me for an additional $550 fee. Is that still happening around the country?

Tom

mgreene1

My local Mini dealer is adding a required package ($595 for Mini and $795 for Mini S), but dealers out of state will sell at MSRP with a longer wait (about 6 months). I've ordered a Mini S locally and will give the devil his due, mainly because I'm an impatient [non-permissible content removed], and some of that extra cost is what I want anyway in accesories, except for the worthless paint and sealant protection.

footie

I have been watching ebay auctions for Mini's for the past few months. It seems to me that there are more and more showing up 'truly used' 4K, 5K miles on them. Also the premiums are just about gone. For the first time in the last few weeks, cars aren't meeting reserves and going unsold in the auction.

Maybe the 'new' and 'buzz' is wearing off.

rickrover

My MINI dealer has their cars delivered to the BMW dealer. I was in getting the oil changed on my X5 and wandered onto the back lot while I was waiting to see what was there. I saw 20 MINI's and 14 of them were S.

tucsonazmike

What has been your experience driving long distances in your MINI? Comfortable? Do you have the standard seats or leather seats with 2-way adjustable lumbar support?

hpulley4

I've done 2 hour trips in it no problem. I test drove standard and sport seats and much prefer the sport seats, though mine are just leatherette so mine don't have the lumbar support but I don't think I'm missing anything. I have the heaters which are nice for warmth or a massage.

stryder

I drove a 4 hour trip, 8 1/2 each way round trip twice (two different directions) and a 1 1/2 each way round trip. I found it especially compfy, and I have standard leather seats. As I got more towards the middle of the drive I would move the seat farther back so my legs could strech out (I have a tendancy to drive close to the wheel for better control) and depending on the time, I would ocasionally drive without shoes. (something I have never done before). For whatever reason, there's little toe space in the footwell, so I end up hitting the pedals very sideways, which becomes much easier with either small sneakers (converse allstars) or socks.

Random thought: (I haven't posted in a while, but I've noticed this for a while) Why is it that Edmunds.com refuses to actually call the car a MINI and instead calls it a Mini? I realize its a MINI just because BMW decided it should be to distinguish from the previous model, but if you're going to oblidge BMW and HUMMER, as well as looking at the badge on the car, shouldn't it be listed correctly?

wolf22301

I've been on a waiting list in VA since March. My sister knows someone who just walked in to a dealer near her and bought one off the lot. I called and have ordered one from them. So I have to visit my sister to pick up the car, not such a sacrifice. I've driven several MC and the MCS twice. I settled on a 2003 MCS in White over Yellow, Sport Package, but with 16" wheels. I don't like the look of the 17" and think the 16" are better in snow. Now the waiting begins. I'm told it will be late October, but that's better than the March '03 date in VA. I'm paying MSRP and not a cent more.

footie

What dealership did you go with?

dasteph94

I was thinking of buying a Mini but the articles I've read about the recalls have me a bit spooked.
(Also, local dealers are still playing games charging more than MSRP!)

Those of you who have Minis, what problems have you had to endure due to the recall or due to other quality problems?

Thanks!

stryder

I haven't had any problems with my car besides a loose rear grab handle, I got the recall done (courtesy of info from MINI2 and the wall street journal) well before it was official, so that avoided it actually breaking (I think the official notice was it was about 3500 cars in the US it affected, who knows how many actually broke before the recall). If you actually look around, the vast majority of people have only had minor problems with their cars, those who had really early cars that were seriously broken have been replaced. Certainly they're not approaching the quality of a Toyota, but its not generally horrible, and everything that's been a real issue has been fixed at the factory for new cars. As far as charging more then MSRP, depending if you want a Cooper or an S, you may have to wait a bit, but plenty of dealers around the country will only charge MSRP, and then you'll have a roadtrip to pickup your car and save lots.

hpulley4

The top of the back of the driver's seat popped off and wouldn't stay on. The dealer replaced it. The replacement is also off a bit but I guess that's the way it is (haven't asked for a second replacement yet, not sure I will as the new back is just off a bit, probably only I would notice). I guess I could ask for a whole new seat but right now I'm not worried about it.

I got the gearbox fix done as a precaution. It didn't go on me or anything during 6700km of driving. The take the battery out when they do this fix and they were a bit sloppy about it, forgetting to reset my clock and not putting the battery box lid on properly. Not what I expected of a MINI/BMW service department. I complained about it, they fixed the lid for me no problem but I hope the next time I'm there (hopefully for nothing but the oil change) will be better. They didn't even give me a free coffee mug or anything and I left my old "GM Goodwrench" mug in the car as a hint too! ;-)

So, for a first-year car (mine was built in February) I'd say one interior issue and one recall is not bad. Time will tell how well it holds up over years of service. Newer cars (built May and later) have new gear linkage and seat designs so supposedly those problems are not found in recent deliveries.

It is still a wonderfully fun car to drive over 4 months later (too much fun, perhaps, as I really learn where the edge is while cornering), it still gets admiring looks from owners of cars costing 2-4 times as much and interesting questions from strangers in gas stations and mall parking lots.

rickrover

on the road yeasterday. There seems to be 4 or 5 Coopers in my area (one a couple blocks from my house) and now this S. It still had the temp tag on it.

Hpulley - I'm on my 4th BMW - You will never get a freebee from a BMW dealer, you'll pay for everything, and their service techs are hit and miss as well. If you run accross a good service tech you can request that they only let him work on your car. I have a favorite tech at my BMW dealer - he is the only guy that touches my X5.

hpulley4

The BMW service consultant mentioned how 10/10 is a pass and 9/10 is a failure on the JD Power Surveys but they need to pay attention to details if they really want 10/10! Our other car is a Saturn and so far I know why they are rated #1 for service!

Had a look at the last-year of Saturn's 'original' SC2 coupe while I was looking into the MINI but it is just too old tech. now and the new ION replacement just wasn't attractive either (beam-axle rear suspension, rear drum brakes, yucky interior). If only BWM/MINI could learn a thing or two about service they might get that 10/10 they desire...

rickrover

In my experience BMW dealers only pay lip service to JD Power and C.S. scores. It's obvious they only go through the motions and don't have the slightest intention of "dazzling" the customer. I get the "take it or leave it" message loud and clear from sales to service at my BMW dealer. My friends and business associates that drive Bimmers have similar opinions. No big deal - just an annoyance that I have to put up with, it wouldn't keep me from owning a BMW.

My customer survey's always reflect my dealer experiences by the way.

wolf22301

I bought thru Mini of the Hamptons in Southampton, NY. They seem to have a lot of cars available, but all are loaded. As a serious Honda fan, I too considered carefully before straying from the safety of Japanese quality. But after careful reading of several Mini owner websites I decided that the overall assembly quality (for a totally new vehicle) was pretty good and getting better with each passing month. Regarding recalls, none appear to required serious redesigning of systems. I also note that Mercedes and BMW too have their share of recalls. Today all cars are so complex that things do need to be corrected after the fact. What would scare me away would be serious engine, tranny or electrical problems. I note that the Mercedes SUV has had these sorts of problems. IMO for a new car the Mini does very well.

kleinc

has anyone put carseats in the back of their mini?
any problems?

hpulley4

We have an Evenflo Odyssey 5-point Comfort-touch seat for our 17-month old son (we've used it since April) and it fits fine. It is an old seat-belt style one, not one of the new LATCH ones.

Only little niggle is I have to remove the rear headrest of else the top of the seat doesn't sit flush -- this is simple, just tilt the seat forward, pull the headrest up while pressing the little button in and it comes right out. I leave the headrestraint in the trunk while my son's seat is in place.

Getting my son inside is not a problem either. The doors are large and there is so much headroom that I can stand in the back while buckling my son in. He loves watching the speedometer in that car!

kleinc

I test drove the car with a booster seat and didn't know about the headrest. The booster seat didn't seen to fit right. now i know why. thanks.

eman5

Any news about getting a dealership in TX?

nyccarguy

Is anybody on the board leasing their Mini Cooper? With its high residual & free maintenance, this looks like a car that would be very attractive to lease.

hpulley4

I'm leasing. The payments are good compared to cars with crummy residuals. That said, I'm leasing more because I wasn't sure about the long-term reliability of a 1st-year car. If it is not great after the term is up, I'll return it -- if it is still a great car then I'll likely keep it unless the depreciation changes (which might occur if they are poor in the long run) and the buyout is much more than I would spend on a similar used one. That's my current thinking, anyways.

lostwages

I was at the BMW dealer today for service on my car. I had fun walking through the MINI dealer (just opened in the past month). They had an S in the showroom that appeared to be loaded (leather, double sunroof, no nav). The asking price was $25,000. Is this in the ballpark?? Please advise what you are seeing for S prices (w/ leather, etc but no NAV). I am debating trading in my 540i for a MINI - my wife thinks I'm nuts, but what else is new!!

BTW - great input on child seats - that is ONE of my wife's hangups with the MINI. She is also a BMW car snob (which she readily admits)!

crcoxe

Perhaps your username is the answer to my obvious question -- why trade a 540i for a MINI?? Granted, I love my MINI and all, but these two cars couldn't possibly be any different. If you don't mind the massive downsizing into the MINI, I highly recommed the move. That is, of course, as long as you can convince the wife to go along with it. When we got ours, the only convincing I needed was to let her test drive it. Now we fight over who gets to drive.

Oh, and $25K for a loaded S sounds about right. They start around $19K or so. Add leather ($1250), premium pkg w/sunroof ($1250), sport pkg ($1250) and a few other goodies and you are right up there at $25K. We found it all to easy to also load up the car with extras like bonnet stripes and lo-jack, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Just don't let the dealer require add-ons that you don't want.

toyotaboyesl1

Hi, I am a young teen researching cars to buy for when I turn 16. I think the Mini looks pretty nice and will for sure get plenty of looks. Right now, there is only one in my whole town and we are good friends with the owner. He is the husband of the music and band instructor at my school and my piano teacher. They have two girls and the younger one is my younger sister's best friend. My sister just got to ride home in it today and was just saying how great it was. I saw it in my driveway and really liked it even more after I was it up close. It sounds like the perfect little car for me, but I am not sure. Are they reliable, knowing that they are German luxoury cars, they are probably going to be high maintance and cost lots of money. Is this true? I know they must be fun to drive because she was just saying how fast and smooth it was; but this could mean high insurance, couldn't it? How much is insurance on it? Let me know what you think.

hpulley4

Gee, I wish I'd had that problem! I had a 10+ year old car of my parents to borrow when I first got my license and was glad to have access to it!

The MINI isn't that high maintenance really, only requiring oil changes every 10000 miles on the first change. The bumpers are expensive with lots of lights inside them, etc. but most vehicles these days are expensive to repair if they are involved in a collision and the MINI isn't a standout in that regard. Only really expensive item is the tires if you get the performance runflats -- they don't last that long and are expensive to replace so the base non-runflat all-season tires would probably be cheaper to use.

If you do a little research you'll see the 2002 first year had a few problems but they are mostly worked out by now. By the time you are thinking of buying one it should be a well seasoned vehicle.

The insurance is quite different location to location but here in Canada I am paying the average insurance on it for all cars across the industry. I 'just' have the base model. Being a young driver I don't know how expensive it will be to insure but I know a few younger guys around here that don't complain about it so maybe you'll be alright.

stryder

If you get a Cooper insurance shouldn't be much more then any other comprable new car costing a similar amount, depending where you live you may also get discounts for its disabiling alarm, anti-lock brakes and daytime running lights. If you are thinking about an S, I would imagine insurance would get really expensive really quickly. As far as looks, I would imagine in aproximately a year people will have gotten used to them in every major market, so if you're counting on it being the "cool" car to have, its debatable. Especially with the new Z and rx8 coming out, I'm sure it will be upstaged shortly. Otherwise besides it being expensive to repair if you get in an accident, and your near requirment to pay BMW labor and Parts charges, (of course free scheduled maintence for 3/36 and the 4/48 warranty offset this) its an fairly economical car. A BMW (because under the skin that's what a MINI closely resembles) will never be as reliable as a Toyota, its a personal decision if you want to trade some of this reliability for the benefits/differences of owning a German/British car.

Depending on if you plan/are allowed to carry people around you may not want a car with limited rear seat room. If you have accomidating friends it'll work out, but keep it in mind and be sure to sit in the back to get an idea of the space. Another general idea about the MINI, I'm not sure the CVT would be the best transmission to learn on. It ads $1250 to the price which is a huge percentage of the cost, and if you get used to driving it, you could be rather skewed when moving onto other cars. Perhaps the 5 speed is your best option, but I have no idea of your preference.

nippononly

is the future. Get used to it!

stryder

I don't want to get into an engineering debate on the ups and downs of a CVT, but I agree that they do have a place in the future, unfortunately because of their inefficiences (non-pure rolling motion being a key) and inabilities to adequately handle large amounts of torque, I doubt they'll be in mainstream cars or trucks anytime in the near future. Sequential Manual Gearboxes (or whatever else you want to call them as trademarks) seem much more promising to actually replace manual transmissions with something remotely driver related. In either case, I don't see dramatic changes any sooner then 5 years from now. Audi now has a CVT in their new A4 convertible and front wheel A4, saturn has it theoretically in the VUE I think and then there's MINI. It seems much more like experiments in reliability and implementation in niche low-volume vehicles for the parent companies (VW, GM, BMW) then a real breakthrough at the moment.

hpulley4

Saturn indeed has it on the VUE. It was months late but is finally available. It will be on their upcoming ION sedan and coupe too. The Prius hybrid also uses a CVT. I've never driven a MINI with one. Time will tell how well people buy them, how well the hold up, etc.

I'll take a manual gearbox or sequential manual gearbox over a continuously variable transmission or fluid torque converter transmission anyday!

nippononly

Audi is going to introduce the CVT on all its V-6 models next year - big strides are being made in the development of these things, plus they are more efficient which is why Prius uses one, and now Ion.

Every review I have read of any of the sequential manuals out there (BMW and MR2 reviews come to mind) say that driving them around town in full automatic mode they shift harshly and jerkily, with nowhere near the smoothness of a regular automatic. So I think they hold a lot of promise for real sports car applications, but for regular cars I don't think most consumers who don't want to shift will care for them.

I think it is great that Mini decided to incorporate one - it is just one of several features on this car that I find surprising to see on a sub-$20K car.

muffin_man

MR2 doesn't have a full automatic mode.

rickrover

I am totally facinated by these new transmissions - if you haven't driven them don't assume an opinion from what you read in a magazine - you really owe it to yourself to drive one.

I've driven MR2 sequential and Prius CVT (last week), BMW M3 SMG and Audi A4 CVT.
The MR2 was an absolute blast to drive - no auto mode is correct, but it does blip the throttle on downshifts to match RPM's to speed. It has 4 buttons on the steering wheel to up/down shift(2 front/2 back) or you can use +/- on the console shift. It isn't the fastest or smoothest shifting sequential but totally acceptable and perfect for a sports car. I felt like one of those rally drivers on the Speed channel. That little MR2 felt fast and handled really well - a total kick in the pants to drive. This type transmission would be perfect on the MINI S.

M3 SMG is much more sophisticated than the MR2. It has an automatic mode with several (5?) programs that dial in the speed of the shifts and max rpm's, it blips the throttle on downshifts and the more sport modes shift way faster than humanly possible. The throttle blip engine sound in an SMG M3 alone is worth the price of admission. In full non sport auto mode just cruising around it's shift smoothness is totally acceptable, shifts are not as imperceptable as the conventional automatic in my X5 but perfect for the sporting nature of the M3. BMW expects to sell 80% of M3's with SMG and I can see why after driving one, it's awesome. Soon SMG will be available in most of the models they sell.

Audi A4 CVT - I drove both the 3.0 and 1.8t CVT and manual transmissions back to back along with triptronic automatic 1.8t. Audi has the most advanced CVT out there - the most dramatic comparison was the CVT 1.8t and tiptronic 1.8t. Tiptronic had the typical sluggishness off the line you'd expect of a 4cyl automatic car. The CVT 1.8t felt like a manual transmission off the line, no power loss at all, very impressive. Audi CVT has 6 artificial "gears" in manual mode that are a waste. In full auto mode it has 2 speeds, normal keeps the engine at the highest economy constant RPM and when you floor it it switches to high RPM mode (not redline) for fastest acceleration at higher constant RPM.

The most impressive test drive for me by far was the Toyota Prius, the technology of this car blows me away. The driving experience is amazing, like driving a Lexus. Totally transparent transfer of power from electric to gas engine, very smooth and quiet with plenty of power. The touch screen display on the center dash that shows power management between electric/ gas and regenerative braking system is facinating. Plenty of room inside it's well designed interior, very nice material quality. I had 4 people aboard for the test drive and everone was slack jawed the whole test drive - you'd have thought we were test driving a V12 S Class Benz. As far as the CVT in this car goes I really didn't notice it, the whole driving experience left me in awe. All for 20 grand - the Prius is the deal of the century - plus you get a $2k income tax credit for it's "Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle" status, 8 year 100k mile warranty, 52 MPG in the city, I could go on and on. You owe it to yourself to test a Prius, just for the heck of it.

I need to get in and test a MINI CVT - I've test driven an S - ended up with an 02 turbo GTI that I've modified to 240 HP that I'm quite happy with. VW will have a sequential transmission available in most of it's cars in the next year or so.

nippononly

the Prius! I had one for a couple of weeks, there was a time when I almost bought one, the CVT and the whole package in general is amazing.

What I meant by automatic with regard to the MR2 is that when you are shifting it using the buttons, the shifts are not as smooth as a normal automatic's shifts would be, at least that was my experience when I drove it.

Have not driven any of the BMWs with SMG, but I assume they are similarly excellent. The press has described them as jerky in full-automatic mode.

I think the press may be part of the problem with CVT perception in general - they always describe them in demeaning terms...but even they have to admit that a CVT usually will easily beat gas mileage figures for a conventional automatic on the same car, and sometimes will beat the manual as well...they are the most efficient transmissions around, i think.

mgreene1

I've got a MINI S on order to replace the WRX, but have the SLK320 as a 2nd car. Truth be told, I wouldn't get a MINI if I was in high school because of the crap I'd have to take from clueless teenagers. It's a terrific driver's car but teenagers are a tough crowd and it would be a pain in the butt constantly defending the MINI. For about the same money, I'd go with something more mainstream, like the RSX or the Sentra SE-R.

rickrover,
Hybrids are cool. Amazing technology, refined, and very smooth. I test drove the Civic Hybrid and was impressed, although it definitely won't win many drag races. I still think the stock GTI handles like a pig, but with stiffer springs, it might be okay and that 1.8T is definitely one of the most tunable motors you'll find.

rickrover

I could see how SMG could be discribed as jerky, I'd call it abrupt or maybe hard shifting - difficult to discribe. I agree the MR2 shifts are nothing like a normal automatic. I could also see how some people would hate a seqential type of transmission. I think it's one of the best automotive developments to come along in a long time for sports car nut types.

A distant second to the Prius of course :-)

mgreene - Yep - stock GTI is somewhat of a pig handling-wise. But I stuffed a racing suspension under mine. No car fits everone's needs from the factory - The turbo GTI was the best pick for me for a car that I could cheaply transform into exactly what I wanted if you consider all the aftermarket support it has. WRX was way up on my list too - but the GTI won out - I'm a sucker for a nice, fast, well designed little hatchback.

drivinisfun

I took delivery of our new '02 CVT MINI Cooper 11 days ago. The car is a blast to drive and still couldn't be happier about our decision about having opted for the CVT transmission.

Since the car is still at the beginning of the break in period, we have been driven it only in "Normal" mode. The day we picked up the car, our dealer suggested to take a second test drive in a demo CVT Cooper to get acquinted with the transmission before the 30 mile drive home.

The Cooper's CVT has 3 modes: Normal, Sport Mode and "6-speed" Steptronic. I am very satisfied with the off the line response shown by the car in normal mode but is definetely stronger in Sport and Steptronic modes.

So far so good. The CVT is very smooth and makes excellent use of available engine power in all driving conditions. Indeed this is not your everyday 4-speed overdrive automatic transmission but it is impressive overall.

If you live in a dense urban area where bumper to bumper traffic is the order of the day, I highly recommend considering the Cooper CVT.

hpulley4

You were here months ago asking about the car and we hadn't heard from you since. Glad to hear you are enjoying it!

hpulley4

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/nationals/2002/results/hs.html MINI takes 8 of top ten spots, including second (beaten by a BMW 318i) in H stock.

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/prosolo/2002/finale/results.html MINI takes first place in H stock and Ladies Class 1. The MCS didn't fare as well in D Stock (16th was the highest, by the same driver that won H stock) but according to the driver, the course was set up in such a way that the S wasn't much faster than the Cooper (not many straightaways).

Sounds like other H stock car owners want the MINI out of that class and up into G stock but MINI S owners want to go down from D stock.

revka

and congratulations on your new 02 CVT MINI Cooper! We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience. Happy motoring!

Revka

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phkck

Test drove at Baron MINI/BMW today. They have 4 02 Coopers available for immediate availability. Wait list for Cooper S's.
I found the car OK today, reasonable acceleration and large enough drivers area. Don't think this is the commuter car I have been looking for, but nice enough just the same.
Baron stated sticker plus $7-900 in add-ons. Seems a bit stiff as the 03's are on the way.

saturnfreak01

While this is the mini cooper room, and while I like the mini cooper for its go cart like handling, high quality materials. I would personally suggest something a bit less expensive as your first car. Something that you can "practice with".

If your're looking in the $ 20,000 range, why not consider something a bit more functional, perhaps a small sport ute such as the Toyota Rav 4 or a Saturn VUE? As a Saturn owner myself, I can answer any question you may have regarding their full lineup of vehicles. One major advantage that I can see for you to consider the Saturn VUE, or the all new ION is the polymer doors, and fenders, which resist parking lot dings and will never rust. Would certainly come in handy in a high school parking lot. Also, compared with some other dealers, a Saturn retailer won't discriminate against you due to your age. IMHO

drivinisfun

Or better yet, get a cheap used car to "practice".

Unless there is a specific need for a SUV, I do not recommended them in any size or shape.

Revka: Thanks for the welcoming!

revdrluv

On the other hand having a car that is special might just make a young driver learn to drive and maintain their car with greater care. I know I developed many bad habits from driving around those old ford pick-ups.