Opinions from Owners?
 

Looking to buy a compact get-around-town car for Maggie. Charleston streets very narrow and parking is hell - I have whittled it down to the Prius, Fiat 500, and Mini Cooper.

Not buying new, as I don't eat someone else's depreciation any more - something 2 or three years old with 30,000 or less on the clock. As I tinker with old cars, I will only buy from a private owner who is a "car person" (enjoys talking about both the flaws and fixes, has stacks of records).

Will be an automatic (sacrilege).

Anyone have experience with any of them? Thanks!

http://pictures.dealer.com/b/brownsc...6639f9b12a.jpg

http://www.knieselsauto.com/wp-conte...per-Repair.png

http://www.invitationtotuscany.com/c...04/Fiat500.jpg

I like Mini's, but they're literally the least reliable car on the American road, along with the Jeep Wrangler.

The Prius has absolutely zero soul. My sister bought one and sold it immediately for that very reason.

No personal experience with the Fiat 500, but my son rented one for a week in southern Spain and had a ball.

In terms of build quality, performance, mileage and driving fun, I'd recommend looking at the Mazda3. It's one of Car & Drivers Top 10 (along with some very hot cars). I've owned both the 3 and 6 and both are great cars with among the very lowest depreciation in the business.

Prius. Otherwise one of the Japanese or American subcompacts. The Mini and FIAT are imo poor value and durability.

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The Prius isn't all that small either. The Fiat wins that prize. And I agree with finn. The Mazda3 is the way to go. It's a little screamer.

Mini's what?:p

Danged Hokies!;)

Are you an owner or just pretending again?

Don't like any of them. Too small, no balls.

Sorry I couldn't help.

Did you quote the wrong post on purpose or are you just a moron?

Did you read the title of the thread or are you just drunk & without a real life, spending every precious moment you have left in this place? :rolleyes:

Have you considered a Toyota Yaris ? Got my wife one back in 2008 and its been a great car. Gets dam near the same mileage as the Prius and no worries about silly expensive batteries. We have owned it since new and only had one serious issue with the trans and the dealer replaced it free of charge. Otherwise been nothing but maintenance and fill it with gas and let me tell ya it sure is nice filling that 9 gal tank when gas hits 4-5 bucks a gal. We average about 42-43 mpg on long trips with the AC going. Not too shabby..

I was thinking the same thing. We bought a new 2004 Civic Hybrid but those days a $7,500 tax credit was in play here in CA. Best I could get out of it was 36 mpg and always wondered it the difference in price between a conventional engine and hybrid was worth it.

We then bought an Mini Cooper (2008?) after she totaled the Civic and the Mini is going strong but she babies it and only drives if she cannot take one of our cars. So no idea what the long term reliability is going to be or how many miles on it.

Friend really wanted a Mini and bought one. Turned out to be a costly mistake, he took a not inconsequential loss to finally get rid of it.
Now he's back to bimmers, go figure.

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Did your friend know that the Mini is a 'mini-bimmer'? :)

"La la la" (fingers in ears), he can't hear you.

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Mini are very cool but I have a problem with any car that you have to call a tow truck when ya get a flat. No spare is silly, but there's no room for one..

They give a can of Fix-A-Flat with the car?

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Just pick it up and carry it to the shop! :)

Or kick it there, assuming exasperation and local dealer/service. Drop kick if further.

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Have you ever seen a "Mini" next to a real Mini? The fake ones aren't really so small.

http://images.caradisiac.com/images/...car-255279.jpg

I used to go to a hill climb event at Chimney Rock in the hills of North Carolina. One year it was raining pretty hard and the Mini-Coopers were king of the hill. Light weight and front wheel drive ruled the day.

http://www.chimneyrockpark.com/event...gofthehill.pdf



.

I need a Humvee with a snorkel - downtown Charleston completely flooded.

From Jaoquin?

Or something else?

No - hurricane a non issue, won't get 700 miles from us. Low pressure system sitting on us for 2 days dumping non stop rain plus abnormally high tides.

Downtown 6 feet below sea level. They spend millions on new drainage every year trying to defy the laws of physics.

And now my back porch roof is leaking.

It seems South Carolina may receive a 1000-year rainfall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...-this-weekend/

Noah is in our kitchen having a ham sandwich. I hid the cats.

I lived in New Orleans when it rained 17" in one day (~May 1978). It was the day I took my oral finals for my masters at Tulane. I walked from work to Tulane (about 7-8 blocks) in waist deep water. My professors (who were stuck on campus) said I could postpone, but I had nothing better to do, plus Tulane was on my way home (I had to leave my car at work).

You are fortunate your legs didn't rot and fall off from walking in that garbage soup.

Jeeze! I remember those! There was another hillclimb in Duryea, Pennsylvania back then. That was pretty cool too.

BUT! For a real hillclimb, you have to go to Pike's Peak. Truly scary!

I don't think Joaquin is a total non-issue. The rain that low is pulling in is from Joaquin I think.

Ham???

My best friend since high school prepped a bike for Pike's Peak and then dropped over dead just a short time before the event, three years ago. Another friend took the bike and ran it in David's memory, but he wasn't near the rider David was. Still, a nice gesture.

Pre-Abraham. B-B-Q OK.

Funny, I haven't heard any bagger talk of abandoning Charleston because it's below sea level like there was of New Orleans.

Oh, wait!

Charleston is a center of WHITE culture!

Hahaha. If nothing else, you are dependable.

It's a mess down here, but the good outweighs the bad through the calendar year.

Actually, although only getting the academic and social recognition it deserves in the past 50 years, Charleston is one of the centers of black culture.

Google Gullah, Geechie, or Avery research center.

The black population is the majority in Charleston county and a political and financial force.

http://www.geechieboymill.com/wp-con...nRightImg1.png

I always thought the Gullah culture was fundamentally rural.

The origins certainly are, and very few young people can speak the language any more - I don't try to speak it but I understand it when spoken.

The sweetgrass basketmaking has survived and thrived on the lowcountry coast; art form brought by the captured slaves from mostly Sierra Leone, it is still handed down from one generation to the next.

They fetch big money - I have a closet full of them, couldn't afford them now.

Since when is 28.6% a majority?


http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/45/45019.html

Sucks having someone like me around to check stuff you say doesn't it?

Well, I'll be darned - I was sure the black population was still a majority.

And actually, I should have checked - good call.

I understand.

When a preppy white boy like you finds himself in a place were 28% of the people around him are black he probably does feel outnumbered. :eek:

Damn - you were not kidding - you are angry all the time.

But the "boy" part I appreciate.