elsiegee40 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Last I heard the new "Mini" has the same wheelbase as a small Landrover (Defender 90). That is not a Mini.
Netman Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 But, but... it's not a mini - or even a car per se... it's a 'lifestyle choice' 1
mats Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 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! 1
broc Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 Austin Allegro, wasn't that launched with a square steering wheel?
sted Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 and square road wheels... Or so it seemed. The AllAgro; what a car!
elsiegee40 Posted February 1, 2012 Author Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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 Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 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! http://i.imgur.com/IxXJn.jpg
GrumbleDook Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 If you want to get a proper small car there is always the SMART car ... ... Stop that sniggering at the back ... you know who you are!!! It's not big and it's not funny ... (and neither is the car!)
Arthur Posted February 1, 2012 Posted February 1, 2012 it is definitely NOT a MINI! The MINI Countryman is still too small according to most American's. Fancy that! According to research MINI USA has just received, the number one complaint from US about the MINI Countryman is that it’s too small. Yep, the largest MINI ever made, the one that has caused a huge uproar within the MINI community is apparently not large enough for some within the American market. Sound familiar? It was the same complaint that the US market had about the R50, R53 and R56 hatch. As you can guess, MINI USA finds it all a bit ridiculous. (Source)
Sirbendy Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 If you want to get a proper small car there is always the SMART car ... ... Stop that sniggering at the back ... you know who you are!!! It's not big and it's not funny ... (and neither is the car!) Or an Aixam, or a Microcar - both quite fun..or for utter comedy value, a Reliant Robin with a yellowtop engine, minilite WIDE wheels and a wheelie bar
Earthling Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 If you want to get a proper small car there is always the SMART car ... ... Stop that sniggering at the back ... you know who you are!!! It's not big and it's not funny ... (and neither is the car!) Someone here has a bright pink Smart. Nuff said.
elsiegee40 Posted February 2, 2012 Author Posted February 2, 2012 One of the teachers at son's school has a pink one "powered by fairy dust" according to the graphics stuck to it... and there's another with long false eyelashes around the headlamps driving round the town
shenley Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 If you want to get a proper small car there is always the SMART car ... ... Stop that sniggering at the back ... you know who you are!!! It's not big and it's not funny ... (and neither is the car!) I'd like a Smart FourTwo but sadly I can't afford one. They are a brilliant drive. For a small car, try a Peel P50 - The Worlds Smallest Car. There are only going to be 50 of the new ones and costs £18,000.
witch Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 Another car that has become enormous is the Astra - we used to have one that was half the size of my Cavalier but now I think they are bigger
mats Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 Perhaps you're too young to remember the original Maxi... it was even less inspiring than the Allegro! I remember it - not old enough to have driven one tho'.
K.C.Leblanc Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 If you want to get a proper small car there is always the SMART car ... Our RE teacher has one, from a distance it looks like an empty parking space.
localzuk Posted February 2, 2012 Posted February 2, 2012 When I finally learn to drive and get myself a car, the Smart car is at the top of my list of choices. I don't know why, but they just seem cool to me.
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