The Anti-MINIs

[gasp!]

Ironically, only one of the five “Anti-MINIs” are currently availible in the States. I’ll stick with what I got!

Slightly underpowered on the highway, the Ford Fiesta is actually a fun little car with real space for four adults and overnight bags. Perhaps unintentional, it even has a little exhaust note :)

But for some people it’s all a bit too much — driving along dripping retro cool from every duct and dial just isn’t their idea of a motoring good time.

Yes, those people are what we refer to as “boring”.

And wouldn’t an “anti-MINI alternative” be a MINI? A “MINI alternative” would be one of the cars on the list. An anti-MINI alternative would be an alternative to a non-MINI car…i.e.: A MINI. Discuss.

an alternative to anti-minis, or an alternative as anti-minis?

Looks like a familiar page, Gabe! Glad it was worthy of passing along.

I hadn’t heard of any of these cars. As far as I’m concerned, the anti-Mini would be a Hummer (by the way, there’s an interesting book about the appeal of Minis and Hummers in America. It’s called “The Hummer and the Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New Trend Landscape (by Robyn Waters”. Interesting. Check it out here:

http://www.amazon.com/Hummer-Mini-Navigating-Contradictions-Landscape/dp/1591841364/sr=8-1/qid=1168960145/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-7039339-5810314?ie=UTF8&s=books

Anyway, I consider my Honda Civic the anti-Mini, which is why I’m getting a Mini this time around!

If money was no issue my other car would be a hummer. My only issue is that they are too overpriced

I have to admit … If I didn’t have the money, and I did not care about style, performance, individuality, resale value, handling, exclusivity, or motoring fun … I would buy one of those cars … if somebody had a gun to my head. Except the Dodge … I think I’d take a round before I’d buy the Dodge. :-))

Funny article. To me, the wording was rather cheeky and fun.

Plus, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to drip cool, retro or otherwise.

Well said, GZ!

I wouldn’t swap my MINI for a dozen of those things.

Rawhyde

Being an ex-pat Brit, I recognise most of them. If I had to rank them, and couldn’t choose a MINI, I guess the Fiesta would be at the top of the list, probably followed by the Caliber. My Mum drives a Jazz, but that wouldn’t stop me putting it at third above the other two. I would probably rather walk than pay 12K for the Skoda (even though they’re now just VWs underneath and nowhere near as awful as they used to be)… And I’d rather crawl to where ever I had to go than pull up in the Citroen Berlingo..!

I didn’t buy my MINI as a fashion statement – retro cool or otherwise. I bought it because it was one of the few small fun cars that are even on sale over here. If the US could choose from all the ‘supermini’ class rivals that the MINI has in the UK, it would be a much more interesting place to be a driver..!

I’ve thought further about this article, and what’s significant is not that the article is about either an alternative or the antithesis to a MINI. The significance is the article is not about what you can purchase instead of a Honda Civic, Mazda 3, VW Golf, Dodge Caliber, or any other small car on the market. Those cars can be summed up as simply “another small car.” The MINI is different. It opposes the trends in small cars by being presented as premium, high performance, customizable, and retro (even though I don’t consider it so). You are not going to be asked questions by strangers about your Chevy Aveo.

The combination of size, appearance, and performance makes the MINI stand out in a field of mundane small cars which are primarily designed to get you from place to place cheaply and efficiently. Whatever an individual’s opinion of a small car’s purpose is, the MINI when examined makes one re-examine that opinion. A test drive is required examination, of course. :D