The Mini Countryman is NOT a Mini!

[elsiegee40]

I parked next to Mini Countryman today and couldn't believe the size of it... it's ENORMOUS!

It towered over my car and didn't seem much shorter... I was driving our Volvo V70 estate!

As the former owner of a 1970 minivan, I think the Countryman must fall foul of the Trades Description Act... it is definitely NOT a mini!

is there a point to these vehicles? They probably cost nearly as much as proper 4x4s

[Dos_Box]

One parked next to Lexus RX300 the other day. It was almost the same size. There was also a 'normal' mini parked next to that and it was dwarfed! The thing is, if they wern't there for scale you wouldn't have noticed the size increase (which is substansial).

[TechMonkey]

Last I heard the new "Mini" has the same wheelbase as a small Landrover (Defender 90). That is not a Mini.

[Netman]

But, but... it's not a mini - or even a car per se... it's a 'lifestyle choice'

[mats]

I've long held that the new Mini should have been called the Maxi on account of its vast size.

Can't think why they didn't.

[elsiegee40]

I've long held that the new Mini should have been called the Maxi on account of its vast size.

Can't think why they didn't.

Perhaps you're too young to remember the original Maxi... it was even less inspiring than the Allegro!

[broc]

Austin Allegro, wasn't that launched with a square steering wheel?

[sted]

I've long held that the new Mini should have been called the Maxi on account of its vast size.

Can't think why they didn't.

well mini should certainly be against the trade descriptions act. Then theres the version with access to the rear seats only on the road side because bmw diddnt add doors to both side or properly convert it to rhd. Best of it is for a "big" car the mini still has no boot or passenger room

[synaesthesia]

The Maxi was a car in it's own right too, a damned good one at that! (Have at thee, Austin haters!)
So it's not a Mini, it's not a Maxi.

It's just another bloody beemer

[sted]

The Maxi was a car in it's own right too, a damned good one at that! (Have at thee, Austin haters!)
So it's not a Mini, it's not a Maxi.

It's just another bloody beemer

0.5 series (iq of a lot of drivers)

[DT2]

Yeah, I have to say; a mini is no longer mini.... I was on the car park the other day (m62) when one pulled up the side of me. For the first time ever I felt small, and I have a LR Discovery! It is not a mini, it's a biggi!! And it's damn horrible too! For a car of its size, there's just about the same room inside as what there was in an old mini...
I guess that's BMW for you. The new Disco 3s & 4s are the same, bigger overall, but smaller inside. How the hell do they manage it?

DT

[Andrew_C]

and square road wheels... Or so it seemed. The AllAgro; what a car!

[elsiegee40]

My husband's first car was an Allegro estate inherited from his dad... I remember being overtaken by a Morris Minor with 5 people in it!

EDIT

I should add that he's still rather proud of managing to be done for speeding in it!

[shenley]

Cars always get bigger. When I was an uni in the 1970's, my friend owned a Honda Civic. It was 3.5m long with a 2.2m wheelbase. The latest Civic is 4.3m long with a 2.6m wheelbase.

[Arthur]

Cars always get bigger.

Fat people and EU safety laws are to blame, aren't they?

Although there's an increase in small-car sales worldwide, rising obesity levels mean that carmakers are having to go to elaborate lengths to accommodate supersized drivers.

Mercedes-Benz is testing stronger versions of the grab handles positioned above doors, so they can cope with the extra weight of heavier drivers and passengers hauling themselves out of their seats.

Ford has increased the size of dashboard buttons so that drivers with large "sausage" fingers don't accidentally press several at once. And many manufacturers now offer electrically powered steering wheels that lift away from the driver when the engine is turned off, to aid an easier getaway.

Manufacturers are taking a scientific approach to the problem, too. BMW has recruited a group of 800 "guinea pigs" to study mobility in a car's cabin - to help it ensure its models can fit 95 per cent of body sizes.

The firm has developed seats with "comfort adjusters", adjustable side bolsters that will grip thinner occupants and still be comfortable for larger ones.

Ford and Nissan have created fat suits for their engineers to wear while developing control systems, so that buttons can be placed in convenient locations for larger drivers.

The fat suit can already claim a change to the cars - it is responsible for the movement of the hazard light button from below the steering wheel to the top of the dashboard. (Source)

If cars get any wider, you won't be able to open the doors to get in and out since most parking spaces are already too small!