Well, as you know, I have been having trouble with my MINI in the last few weeks (remember this POST?). Anyway, after a number of little mishaps with my car, I have fallen "out of love" with my little Mini. I contacted the Dealership and set up a meeting with the manager, wanting to get out of my lease (which still has two years on it). I wasn't going to fold, I wasn't going to take any fancy schmancy offers, I wanted out.Guess what, I got it.
The team at Yaletown Mini was really cool and basically said that they could buy out the remainder of my lease with no fee to me. Huh? What? I heard from almost everybody that getting out of a lease is harder than getting a divorce. Not so.
All I have to do is pull the trigger. Let me tell you, it's a nice feeling knowing that despite my recent troubles with the car, my memories of it will end with a high note. Overall, it's been a great three years with the MINI, despite its recent issues. It's still a great car and even though it's issues are covered by warrenty, it's time for us to part ways.
Now... when do I get rid of the Mini? And... what am I gonna drive next?
14 comments:
Get soemthing that works with your life style and isn't going to kill you on gas.
H3-Hummer. Perfect.
I like the Hybrid idea (would probably please enviro wife as well)...or maybe a moon ship...
MOON SHIP! MOON SHIP! MOON SHIP!
Best idea yet!
Looks like many of us are on the same page; I was going to say Prius. (Buckley, on the other hand, has gone off-script.)
SMART CAR!
The Honda Civic Hybrid gets 61 miles per gallon in the city, nearly double what the Escape Hybrid gets. Prius is another great option. Bottom line, if the majority of your driving is city driving, might as well go Hybrid. You will save a tonne of money in the long run, especially since oil prices are going nowhere but up, up and up.
The Smart Convertible does 80mpg and is way, WAY cool looking. I mean, come on! It's the coolest car on the planet! The Prius actually doesn't do that well on gas, according to more than a few reports.
Also, don't forget with Hybrids, you have to swap out all the batteries every five years - which is not only horrifically expensive (between 3 and 5 grand) it's also god-awful for the environment.
SMART CAR!
Liar Gamble!
From Hybridcars.com
The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and ten years, depending on the car maker.
Hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.
There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.
SMART cars are diesel, and as we all know, diesel exhaust is way more unhealthy than gasoline exhaust.
Then again, you could probably use your local McDonald's fry grease to run it.
Then again, you could probably use your local McDonald's fry grease to run it.
That's true. I met a woman who runs a '83 Diesel BMW off of grease that she gets at pow-wows and local businesses. I think the conversion kit is relatively cheap and most businesses are more than willing to give you their used grease as they usually have to pay someone to take it from them. No idea if there is an adaptor kit for a Smart Car.
Dodson is a cut-and-paste whore and the SmartCar is still cooler than they gaylord four-door dad-mobile Pre-wuss.
Two doors. Fuck four. Four = family wagon. I went a step further and bought a vehicle with one SEAT.
Dodson is a cut-and-paste whore and the SmartCar is still cooler than they gaylord four-door dad-mobile Pre-wuss.
I miss you Gamblor!
Hybrid: Great idea but looks more gay than Gamble on a Friday night.
Jo Blo from Surrey will never get one becasue it doesn't replace what he has. They need to start producing ones that look more like a sports car or a mean truck of some sort.
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