150 Reasons to Buy a MINI over the Fiat 500
So the president of FLUCC (Fiat Lancia Unlimited car club) came up with 75 questionable reasons why one would buy a Fiat 500 over a MINI. The reality is we tend to like the idea of the 500 and are looking forward to testing one later this spring. But a list like this can’t go unanswered by the MINI community. So we want you give him double the reasons why anyone should buy a MINI over the Fiat 500. Yes 150 reasons why a MINI is superior. Let’s get started.
(and incase you missed the original list, check it out here)
<p>Isn’t the list a bit premature given the fact that few MINI owners have even sampled a North American production Fiat 500?</p>
<p>The brand is more performance oriented.
<a href="http://youtu.be/lgd6VaM1HVA" rel="nofollow ugc">http://youtu.be/lgd6VaM1HVA</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Chrysler dealers.</li>
</ol>
<p>MINI’s better looking</p>
<ul>
<li>MINI’s are PREMIUM small cars (not average)</li>
<li>MINI’s have more trims </li>
<li>MINIs have a usable back seat</li>
<li>MINIs are better at putting power down</li>
<li>MINI’s have JCW <em>win</em></li>
<li>MINIs have a following</li>
<li>MINIs have a lifestyle to go WITH the name</li>
<li>MINIs are gokarts (don’t hear that in the Fiat 500 marketing)</li>
<li>MINIs have torque</li>
<li>MINIs have a better shifter</li>
<li>MINIs have more supportive seats</li>
<li>MINIs have better range of options</li>
<li>MINIs have an attractive body kit FROM FACTORY</li>
<li>MINIs have factory suspension upgrades</li>
<li>MINIs have different power options ON TOP of base, s, and JCW models</li>
<li>MINIs have a 6 speed </li>
<li>MINIs have valvetronic</li>
<li>MINIs have great brakes</li>
<li>MINIs have personality</li>
<li>MINIs play with porsches on a daily basis</li>
<li>MINIs can keep UP with a porsche on a tight track (pretty sure Fiats don’t exactly measure up to their Enzo relatives) </li>
<li>MINI’s owned by BMW (a NON struggling car company… and you Fiat??? )</li>
<li>MINIs have customizable Interiors</li>
<li>MINIs have wheel options</li>
<li>MINIs have NAVIGATION </li>
<li>MINIs have MINI Connected</li>
<li>MINIs have ipod connection :P</li>
<li>MINIs have BMW</li>
<li>MINIs have TWO moonroofs</li>
</ul>
<p>to much subjebtive points in the list!!!</p>
<p>just keeping the list like the fiat list :P</p>
<ol>
<li>You get what you pay for, happy to write a check for an extra $5k if my car does not look like something my son snapped together from a happy meal.</li>
</ol>
<p>BMW build quality</p>
<p>Very different cars, love them both</p>
<ul>
<li>The MINI is purpose built, while the 500 is a rebodied Fiat Panda.</li>
<li>The MINI has a fully independent rear suspension, while the 500 uses an inferior semi independent torsion beam rear axle.</li>
<li>European reviews have placed the top of the line 500 Abarth Essesse only between a regular Cooper and a Cooper S. So the Cooper S and the JCW are better than the best 500.</li>
</ul>
<p>500 Arbath vs. Cooper S (not even JCW), and even though the video is in Spanish, I’m sure all of you will get the picture.</p>
<p>By making this list, fiat is going to lose customers. someone who is looking at a 500, is not a mini customer, until they see it compared, then god forbid they test drive both…</p>
<p>Thanks for the free advertising Chrysler, fire whoever thought that idea up!</p>
<p>Still built in Britain (other than the Countryman) since ’59, the 500 has now moved production to Poland.</p>
<p>The MINI sticks more to it’s true roots – The original 500 was rear engined for example.</p>
<p>For driving the Abarth, objectively each element of the Fiat is 2 or 3 notches below the Mini, now if you want to make your experience and waste your money…</p>
<p>Surely as the original list was full of errors, we should only need to come up with 5 or 6 valid reasons to beat their 2 or 3.</p>
<p>The rest are just preference…</p>
<p>MINIs do not come inside a box of cracker jacks.</p>
<p>robbie – LOL</p>
<p>The Mini name doesn’t spell: Fix It Again Tony!</p>
<p>Because lists like this are as pathetic as the MINI vs Porsche stunt, and end up making both sides bad.</p>
<p>Who tunes a 500? Mini has way more potential than a 500. Honestly I don’t even get why they even try to compare Mini and the 500.</p>
<p>Drove a 500 this week. MINI has way more interior space for a tall driver with more headroom and legroom than the Fiat. The high seating position they are touting as a benefit did not make the call feel sporty at all for me.</p>
<p>Because the MINI moves me! I see one and I WANT one! Who cares about the remaining reasons? Buyers don’t. The mini is desirable! That’s all that matters. Perhaps Fiat’s president came up with that list while on therapy for depression ‘cos the it’s just that simple: buyers desire the MINI.</p>
<p>You can’t get an ugly, brand-diluting SUV at a Fiat dealership.</p>
<p>Charlie Sheen say’s the MINI is WINNNNING!!!</p>
<p>Most of the posts in these two articles are why I don’t like this type of “competition”. It’s like a couple of drunk guys at a bar bragging about who has the bigger d*ck.</p>
<p>There is room in the market for both cars. They both have strengths and weaknesses. That’s fine by me. But this type of thread will not be either FIAT or MINI fans finest day, by a long shot.</p>
<p>Matt</p>
<p>The Fiat 500 looks like a Chevy Aveo or a mouse.</p>
<p>I’ll add to the list.</p>
<ul>
<li>MINIs on the Dragon</li>
<li>A MINI Vacation in Vegas</li>
<li>MINI Takes the States</li>
<li>MINI United</li>
<li>MotoringFile</li>
<li>White Roof Radio</li>
</ul>
<p>Will be interesting to see how the Fiat community in the US builds out over the next 10 years.</p>
<p>In the U.S. and Canadian Markets Boot to Bonnet Maintenance!!!</p>
<p>Hey Matt. By the way this is for fun and I personally like the idea. No need to make this out to be a Sicilian Blood Feud. It’s all in good fun.</p>
<p>Because MINIs are given unique names, but all Fiat 500’s are named “Luigi”!</p>
<p>I agree with Dr Obnxs and others, and am glad to see brands like Fiat and Alpha Romeo making a return to the US. More choice and competition = better for all.</p>
<p>Yup; free advertising it is. Graci.</p>
<p>I don’t think we need to do this. If we had another car that even remotely met the fun, performance, and customer loyalty of the Mini, we’d all be very lucky consumers. What are the chances this sad looking meatloaf shaped car is going to inspire that kind of customer loyalty? Don’t even get into knocking Chrysler – R53 owners remember what is under your hood. Lets just check back in a few years and see what kind of club culture grows up around the car, what kind of after-market products have developed, etc, and then we can judge. For instance, the Hyundi Accent, arguably a better looking car than the Fiat, has been on the market current model for about 4 years, and has engendered none of this Mini like culture. They’ve also never tried to latch on to comparisons to Mini to boost their status. If people who care about cars like it, a culture will grow around it. Even if the ads are lame.</p>
<p>@DB No love for MINIs On Top? ;-)</p>
<ul>
<li>Bonnet Stripes</li>
<li>MINI Connected</li>
<li>Just cause you’re small doesn’t mean you can compete with the MINI</li>
</ul>
<p>I sat in a Fiat 500 at the Washington DC autoshow a couple of months ago. Nice car. But I like the Mini better. It’s a personal preference, but since it’s my preference, it’s the one that matters. :)</p>
<p>Ok so I drove an R56 for 3 years and just a couple weeks ago I test drove the new Fiat 500. Here’s my take on why mini is better than fiat.</p>
<ol>
<li>The fiat’s interior is very unfriendly to navigate. All of the buttons are flat, no knobs or raised buttons to be seen. So you need to take your eyes off the road to accomplish anything with your climate or stereo controls.</li>
<li>When in the drivers seat you have to crane your neck every which way to check your blind spots. Done even try to check the drivers side blind spot all you will see is 5″ thick pillar and there is a blind spot mirror in the side view mirror for that. Too much work. </li>
<li>The mini feels much more solid when cornering at higher speeds.</li>
<li>The MINI has more premium materials. The interior of the Fiat just feels cheap and it looks it to. Hard fake plastic surface.</li>
<li>The sound system claims to be superior because it is Bose but It didn’t sound any better than the stock radio in my 2001 Honda.</li>
<li>Not a single lighted vanity mirror</li>
<li>Very difficult to fit into the backseat and I’m a thin guy.</li>
<li>Not a very lovable car. All MINIs are lovable</li>
<li>Little room for customization. </li>
<li>The aux connecter is in the glovebox. How very inaccessible.</li>
</ol>
<p>This story has 32 comments at this point and the fiat 500 blogspot has only 10 comments thus far. Of those 10 comments 5 are pointing out errors in the list. I like the 500. However, is not a replacement for the MINI for my purpose.</p>
<p>While I also think there is room for both cars in the marketplace, the comparisons are inevitable, so I think it only natural for the MINI community to take part in the discussion.</p>
<p>I went and drove the FIAT two weeks ago. It was a Sport with the 5speed manual. The car had surprising pick-up with a rev-happy engine. The Multiair does have an interesting idle noise/tick, a bit different from direct injection engines. The handling was spritely, mostly due to the very small footprint, track and wheelbase. Around town, it was nice, not quite like an R56 and certainly far from the feeling-full steering of the R50. The car felt excessively light and not very well planted over 60mph, especially at 75mph where the MINI is always planted like a German brick.</p>
<p>The interior was well screwed together with attractive surfacing and some fun details. Materials were a notch below the R56 and certainly below the R60. There were already multiple surface scratches on the low mileage demo I drove. The most difficult part of the interior was the lack of me being able to get comfortable. At 6’3″, I know I’m on the taller end, but the steering was too far away (it doesn’t telescope) and in order to reach the pedals my knees were scraping the bottom of the wheel. You do sit very upright and high in the 500. This is in contrast to the MINI in which (for all generations & models), I can easily find a comfortable position. Also, the back seat was much smaller. I couldn’t fit back there at all and it was much more difficult than in my MINI to get my daughter’s carseat installed.</p>
<p>So, it’s a nice little car, but very different from the MINI. I believe the FIAT would be great for around town, in the city, but would not do well on long highway jaunts or very involved back road carving when compared to a MINI.</p>
<p>I have to agree with Matt as well. While it can be in good fun, some people, even on here and the previous post, already turned it into exactly what Matt describes. I have always liked MINI, and will continue to. What really grew my appreciation for the brand was the people (other MINI owners). Specifically, members of metroplexmini in Dallas. Although I no longer have a MINI, I still have my membership card, and memories of people from all different backgrounds coming together b/c of something they loved, not to bash other people’s preferences or act like a-holes. I look foward to driving the 500 Abarth, but I will still probably get another MINI.</p>
<p>Hey DB!</p>
<p>Don’t forget the PUB in Cleveland (6/18/11)! 200+ Minis for charity deserves a shout out!</p>
<p>Mini drivers have HEART! Will Fiat do something for charity?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.pubminimeet.com" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.pubminimeet.com</a></p>
<p>Because I like to drive my cars, not visit them in the repair shop!</p>
<p>So if the posts above are any indication, MINI sales people really are not going to have much to say to the potential buyer who asks, <i>“So why should I buy a Cooper and not the Fiat 500?”</i></p>
<p>23% ($5k) lower price <i>and</i> free maintenance!? Better crash ratings and more safety features? Base Cooper sales are going to be hit <i>hard</i> by this car.</p>
<p>As a MINI sales person… there really is NOOOO competition between these two brands. If you want to give more profit to a dealer and buy a car that costs next to nothing to build but looks Ok, you should go for the 500. If you want a car that will never go out of fashion, expensive for the manufactuter to build PROPERLY, without cutting costs and sacrificing profit, the MINI is the right car for anyone within that market. Drive both, then make your decision. The two really aren’t in the same ball park !!! Think future investment… I price these cars everyday, and with so many 500 customers in tears over how much money they’ve lost, I would advise people to research their investment before making their decision. News of the World names MINI best residual value again this week, don’t be fooled by the shit that comes out of Fiat’s mouth!!! </p>
<p>I welcome the 500 and all competitors to MINI. The competition will only make MINI better.</p>
<p>Also, if MINI continues to up-size, the 500 may be the only true mini around. Hearing what ever comes out of the Rocketman not coming here to the US will only make the 500 more popular, especially due to fuel prices.</p>
<p>I just wonder if the website MotoringFiat.com is already taken?</p>
<p>This could be are arch rival to NAM and MA?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.viva500.com/forums/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.viva500.com/forums/</a></p>
<p>I just saw the inside of one of the dealerships and it follows MINI design.</p>
<p>DB</p>
<p>It will not be long till Fiats are on the Dragon.</p>
<p>But they dont have MTTS and AMVIV.</p>
<p>It looks like a bubble. Bubble cars don’t appeal to me.</p>
<p>@alpinamike thanks for mentioning VIVA500.com</p>
<p>I think the list was meant to rattle some cages, and it looks like it has. ;-)</p>
<p>We love 500s, but personally, I love MINIs too (and read MF daily). So, feel free to stop by our site for some good-natured ribbing. We are all inclusive!</p>
<p><a href="http://viva500.com/forums/showthread.php?155-75-Great-Reasons-to-choose-Fiat-500-over-the-MINI" rel="nofollow ugc">http://viva500.com/forums/showthread.php?155-75-Great-Reasons-to-choose-Fiat-500-over-the-MINI</a></p>
<p>Ciao,
Ron
Founder of VIVA 500</p>
<p>and founder of Focaljet to boot 😉 Hey Ron.</p>
<p>I don’t agree, that.guy.</p>
<p>You could say the same thing about the Ford Fiesta. In fact, the Ford Fiesta is the most “logical” choice of all of them. It’s more efficient than either the MINI or 500, it’s as cheap or cheaper, but yet it has more space, is probably more reliable, cheaper to insure, cheaper to fix, and has excellent safety test scores. However this hasn’t crushed Cooper sales as far as I know. That said, the 500 will find an audience because it’s a little less “mainstream” than the Fiesta, just like the Cooper continues to find an audience because it’s more unique, more premium, and more performance-oriented than any of the others.</p>
<p>…saw the other day a Fiat 500 Abarth and after several minutes looking at it; the car does not have “wow” factor even if it’s an upgrade version.</p>
<blockquote>I don’t agree, that.guy. You could say the same thing about the Ford Fiesta. </blockquote>
<p>Sorry, but <i>I</i> could not say the same thing about the Fiesta. The MINI and the 500 share a distinctive neo-retro design approach that will appeal to a certain segment of style-conscious buyers, most of whom would not look twice at a Fiesta. Different classes of cars, design-wise.</p>
<p>When the Fiat was launched, I saw three models lined up in a shopping mall, with banners and big displays around them.</p>
<p>Each one had a drip-tray underneath it, to avoid spoiling the marble floor. Says a lot, I think!</p>
<p>I’ve never driven a FIAT, let alone seen a 500 in the flesh, however they look interesting.</p>
<p>I would pick the MINI over the FIAT because of its BMW heritage and the personality in them. The 500 looks like a great car, but MINI makes one kind of car, small and fun to drive. FIAT makes many different kinds of cars, so they can’t focus on one. Because of this, the MINI was built ground up to be what it is, while the 500 is just a different body on a Panda.</p>
<p>The BMW brand also brings some great luxury options and pedigree to MINI, while FIAT has never been one known for luxury.</p>
<p>All this said, I’d love to test drive a 500 Abarth, and compare it to my 2011 MINI Cooper S. For now, I’m convinced there’s no other car on the road that is so much fun to drive and yet so well built. Yeah, the MINI is expensive, but it FEELS expensive too.</p>
<p>Fiats couldntbeat ladas in the Stalingrad gp, but mini took back every race to berlin.
And the Monte Carlo, in Italy
Winning</p>
<p>Lavardera- the tritech is a chrystler product like its a mercedes product… a collaboration does not mean they built it. Cast bottom end and forged internals are only in the forced induction minis, no one else got those, wanna take a stab at the part numbers on those?</p>
<p>The fiat will do fine, id love to see them race with smart cars and fiestas. They came after mini directly and that will prove to be a mistake. Apples to peanuts</p>
<p>Minis for kids . Org</p>
<p>At NAIAS 2011, Fiat shown a Mopar edition, I guess to find a spot now until the Abarth Edition.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/10/fiat-500-mopar-detroit-2011/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/10/fiat-500-mopar-detroit-2011/</a></p>
<p>I was there and saw the launch, not a big fan of mopar, but its the extra which the basic Fiat is missing.</p>
<p>Anyone bringing up the Fiesta or Accent or Fit is revealing themselves to be no harbinger of cool, I’m afraid to say. 😉 None of those cars are MINI competitors for anyone buying a MINI for more than just transportation. For the rest of the MINI crowd, the Fiat 500 hits a lot of the same buttons because of its retro-iconic styling, its truly small size, its “flair”, and some genuine performance “baked in” (in non-abarth / essesse trim, less than the Cooper, but more than many are giving it credit for).</p>
<p>But to help the cause here and add some technical items to the pro-MINI list:
– independent rear suspension;
– longer wheelbase for greater stability at highway speeds and on longer sweepers;
– great “in house” support for performance upgrades via JCW;
– extensive aftermarket support.</p>
<p>Mr. Bean drove a Mini. Bean never drove a Fiat. Ever.</p>
<p>Enzo Ferrari drove a Fiat to work daily. Enzo never drove a Mini. Ever. WRONG!!</p>
<p>Mini designer Alec Issigonis and Mini tuning specialists ‘Downton’ built this specially tuned Mini Cooper for their friend Enzo Ferrari, shown below with the man himself in a couple of interesting old photos:- <a href="http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/classic-mini-talk/127755-enzo-ferrari-mini-pics.html" rel="nofollow ugc">http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/classic-mini-talk/127755-enzo-ferrari-mini-pics.html</a></p>
<p>Mini has its own unique chassis platform and factory in the UK.
The Fiat 500 is built on the shared Fiat Panda/Ford KA chassis platform and running gear built in the same factory in Poland. It is not even built in Italy….</p>
<p>ie. Its just a Fiat Panda in a party dress!</p>
<p>Why the FLUCC would anyone want a Fiat when you can have a MINI?</p>
<p>ydrolina,net & mygeekodssey.com – what other car has comics that include them? I’m not sure of any comic has a FIAT 500 in it.</p>
<p>I never said the Fiesta was a real competitor to the MINI or the 500, necessarily. I said that the argument made about the MINI vs. 500 could be made with the 500 vs. Fiesta, too.</p>
<p>The claim was that the MINI is going to get hit “hard” by the 500 because it’s cheaper, more efficient, and “safer”… but as anyone who is honest will say, you’re giving up a bit of character and “fun factor” to go with the 500.</p>
<p>So, it’s a logical conclusion that you can say the same (or similar, if you want to play semantics) about the Fiesta/Fit. They’re “cooler” than most cars, but don’t have as much character as the 500/MINI. You could easily take the paragraph above, and substitute 500 for MINI and Fiesta for 500:</p>
<p>“500 is going to get hit “hard” by the Fiesta because it’s cheaper, more efficient, and “safer”… but as anyone who is honest will say, you’re giving up a bit of character and “fun factor” to go with the Fiesta.”</p>
<p>Is that not true?</p>
<p>All that being said, you can’t now go back and try to deflect the obvious analogy I’ve made by saying that the only two real competitors are the MINI and 500 because they’re “neo-retro”. Why? Two reasons (at least):</p>
<ol>
<li><p>The same people that are always arguing AGAINST the MINI are the ones who say that the brand is being diluted by people who are buying the car not because of it’s character and enthusiast nature, but because it gets great gas mileage and has relatively low true cost of ownership. So, if that’s the case, and people are just buying MINIs because they’re practical, then you can’t write off the fact that the Fiesta is very arguably more practical and, therefore, <em>will</em> be a consideration for those who are “diluting” the brand. You can’t have it both ways. Either people are diluting the brand and are just buying the MINI because it’s practical, and therefore they would consider other practical cars, or they aren’t and they won’t.</p></li>
<li><p>Jim McDowell said that the most cross-shopped competitor to MINI is the Prius. That’s not neo-retro… it’s just practical.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I’ll probably be written off as a MINI fanboy, but my argument stands:</p>
<p>-The Fiesta is to the 500 as the 500 is to the MINI… a little less character, but arguably more practical.</p>
<p>-The analogy can’t be disproven by claiming people will only cross-shop “neo-retro” cars, because the most cross-shopped MINI “competitor” is the very much non-retro Prius.</p>
<p>@ Blainestang – Well argued. And don’t worry we are all MINI fanboys here. 🙂 Further, I agree that the most “high flight-risk” MINI owners are those that shopped it primarily for its “practical” aspects (termed “brand diluters” by some and, if we’re honest, less likely to be on an enthusiast site like MF in the first place).</p>
<p>However, extending your well-constructed logic can quickly lead to an improbable (though rational) conclusion: namely, why not then a Mazda3 5-door (same price, much more “practical”)? Point being that “practicality” is a difficult term – it is mutlifaceted and complex and shape-shifted by marketers to suit product strengths. It is better termed “perceived practicality”, as it requires knowledge of a buyer’s specific intended use criteria.</p>
<p>With that in mind, the cited fact of the Prius being most cross-shopped with the MINI proves only that one set of criteria can lead to two cars that differ in kind, not degree. What is being argued by most here – and in the original “reasons to buy a 500 v. a MINI” post and rebuttal – is that the MINI and 500 DIFFER NOT IN KIND, BUT IN DEGREE.</p>
p>@goat</p
<p>I absolutely agree that “practicality” is a vague term. When I said the Fiesta is arguably more practical that the MINI/500, I meant that it has a lot of qualities that make it useable, yet inexpensive to own. It’s relatively inexpensive and is bigger than the MINI/500 while still achieving better gas mileage than either.</p>
<p>That said, as you suggest, practicality is somewhat based on the consumer. My wife and I were considering a 4-door GTI and a MINI. We decided we didn’t need the extra space and doors, so the GTI was no longer more practical for us, so it had one fewer advantage over the MINI at that point. Therefore, our “specific intended use criteria” made it so that the GTI was no longer more “practical”.</p>
<p>I also agree that there is somewhat of a continuum of MINI owners. On one end we have people who buy MINIs simply because they are the “practical” choice for them… big enough, efficient, low cost of ownership, etc. Then there are people who buy it because it’s fun to drive and it’s got lots of character. In short, “practicality” vs. “character”. As you said, it’s the people on the former end of the continuum that could be lost to more “practical” options. The people on the latter end are more likely to be lost to unique, sporty cars, if at all. The people in the middle, who are willing to give up a little of the “practicality” of the Fiesta/Elantra/etc and a little of the character of the MINI may go to the 500.</p>
<p>My original point was simply that if people are willing to move down the continuum some to the 500 (same kind, lesser degree… practicality has gained ground vs. character), then it stands to reason that some may move down the continuum a little more to the Fiesta/Fit crowd (different kind as practicality surpasses or eliminates the importance of character).</p>
<p>I have been with MINI since the lauch in 2002, and am leaving to run our new Fiat store. It feels just like when MINI launched. Remember, the MINI was a little “cheaper” when it first came out and now look at it. I think the Fiat 500 will make people think twice, especially with MINI pricing itself out of the game. And MINI needs to get quality and repairs under control. Same warranty, less money, a lot of character and history also…..but I will always love a MINI!</p>
<p>There is an early strange phenomenon happening, at least here in NYC area dealers. The dealers I signed up to follow on Facebook seem to be making deliveries to primarily Italians of all walks of life.</p>
<p>Flex beam rear suspension on the 500
That’s mkI GTI technology</p>
<p>MINI’s have bigger tires…you know what they say about cars with bigger tires…;)</p>
<p>I love both…great cars</p>
<p>People can argue all they want about the tech in the FIAT rear suspension. I flogged it hard, and for a stock car, I didn’t find it wanting.</p>
<p>From other posts, it seems like MINI sales are doing just fine. And as the FIAT numbers start to roll in, we’ll see if it’s accepted here in the US as well. I think there’s room for both, but the market will speak. Wise or not, it always does!</p>
<p>Matt</p>
p><b>@Blainestang</b A Prius is “just practical”? That is a whole nuther can of worms, but… I’ll crack it open. My experience has been that the average Prius owner is more interested in making a “green” environmental statement and making an “alternative” automotive purchase choice than in practicality. (Although when you add up the total environmental impact of building a hybrid and inevitable impact of disposing of one, the Prius is clearly less green than other choices on the market…)</p>
<p>So an interest in making a social statement with your car purchase and being able to differentiate yourself from the seething masses of “average” car buyers is something that Prius and MINI buyers share. And in both cases, these buyers are willing to pay a premium for making said statement. Fiesta buyers… not so much.</p>
<p>Oh, and my Alfa GTV had a live rear axle and it was <i>fabulous</i> to drive. Better than many indi-rear cars I’ve driven. It’s all about the execution.</p>
<p>Because a Mini isn’t an underpowered piece of shit</p>