Looking at New Cars and Need Advice

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

Chrysler vehicles are shit, I had a Jeep and don’t even have the time to list all of the issues it gave me. I’ve had many friends and acquaintances with the same experience with Chrysler vehicles. Mini Coopers on the other hand seem to be well made cars. Pretty sure BMW owns them (good or bad thing depending on your opinion of them). My friend got into a horrific accident in his late 2000’s Mini Cooper S and the thing saved his life. Not sure if the newer models are as tough but his was literally a little tank. He rolled it 12 times without wearing a seatbelt and both occupants survived. Firemen on the scene said any other vehicle that size would have disintegrated or rolled into a ball. In the pictures I saw you could easily still identify it as a Mini Cooper. That thing was also pretty fast, I know he had taken it to a track and gotten it up to 165 mph. (Note his accident was not due to speed.)

Eh, Chrysler had a dip in reliability for a few years (thanks, Obama), but I think in general they are fine. I had older 80s and 90s Jeeps that ran a long time. I currently have a 2013 Ram with over 100k miles that I drive almost every day and a 2019 Grand Cherokee that is nicer than my wife's Lexus RX 350. To me a Wrangler would be much more fun than a Mini especially if you don't do a lot of highway driving, but yeah like Biff said you've got to dump the stock tires and go with the soft top. But one of the fun things about them is that they are relatively cheap and can be customized in about a million ways.

 

[Deacon923]

I recently acquired a 2016 Honda Civic in the Touring trim level (which is basically all the bells and whistles). It's very fun to drive and as a bonus I get Honda reliability and super gas mileage. You could also go with a Civic Type R hatchback which would be similar to the mini, but faster, more fun, and probably more reliable.

But between the two cars you asked about I'd probably go with the mini unless you are actually going to do off-road stuff in the Wrangler. That wasn't mentioned in your post, so I assume it's not a factor since the other choice is not remotely off-road compatible. Don't understand the point of owning a Wrangler that never leaves the pavement. Perhaps an unpopular opinion.

 

[leftcoastdeac]

Convertible Mini - most of the benefits you get from airing out a Wrangler, but in a more comfortable package.

 

[DeacWatcher]

Convertible Mini - most of the benefits you get from airing out a Wrangler, but in a more comfortable package.

Thats what I am thinking or the Countryman with the Panoramic top and turbo but I don't get to choose here. Kind of feel like 923 in that if you aren't leaving highway, why get a Wrangler? Not knocking them, just my .02

Anybody used Carvana to buy a car?

 

[Biff Tannen]

You can't take the doors off a Mini.

 

[2&2 Slider To Leyritz]

You also look, and I imagine feel, like Eurotrash in the Mini, like you should be riding shotgun next to DV7 in your Liverpool jerseys yelling Bloody Hell at the traffic. I'll take looking and feeling like a redneck or beachbum over that any day.

 

[DeacWatcher]

Again it's not for me. You already said your wife rolls around in a Lexus, so its not like she is neckin it around.

 

[DeacsPop]

Just be sure you check the status of the air bags and have documentation they were replaced.