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Help from Mini Cooper owners

#21
I've had a Skyactiv Mazda 3 sedan for about a year and a half now. With the backseat down, I can fit my SWR Workingman's Tower, GK 1001 RB-II, 3 cased basses, stands, and accessory bag, with some room to spare. It drives pretty well and gets great gas mileage. Fun to take through the mountains. Never touched my brakes, all gears. Very easy to drive very fast in that car. I've taken mine up to 110, but she was itching to go MUCH faster. According to the manual, top speed is "approximately 168.4".

...and I smoked a BMW M3 trying to race me off of a red light. Left him in the dust.
 
#22
Checked your measurements in our 2002 Mini Cooper S.

24" wide 38" high and 16" deep will fit with the driver's seat back for my driving position (I'm 6'2"). I haven't checked out the newest versions, don't know if they're smaller inside.

We bought a used one and saved a ton of money.
IMG_20120615_232237.jpg


It's been relatively trouble-free, there's a couple of very active forums and it's fun to drive.
 
#23
deeptubes said:
I've had a Skyactiv Mazda 3 sedan for about a year and a half now. With the backseat down, I can fit my SWR Workingman's Tower, GK 1001 RB-II, 3 cased basses, stands, and accessory bag, with some room to spare. It drives pretty well and gets great gas mileage. Fun to take through the mountains. Never touched my brakes, all gears. Very easy to drive very fast in that car. I've taken mine up to 110, but she was itching to go MUCH faster. According to the manual, top speed is "approximately 168.4".

...and I smoked a BMW M3 trying to race me off of a red light. Left him in the dust.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with this model. Details?
:D
 
#24
Pietzsa said:
I own a Countryman and I'd be willing to bet it would fit. I also owned a clubman two years ago. I was able to fit my Swr Goliath 4x10, Swr 750 head in the back with the seats folded down. I'm a Mini freak so I've learned to make it work for my love of the car.
Click to expand...

Can you fit two basses in hard cases in the back of a Mini Clubman? Behind the front seats?

I have the same question about the VW Beetle. Will be investigating this weekend.
 
#26
The guitarist from my previous band had a GTI (hatchback) and we had no problem fitting my peavey 215 (the deep version, mind you) in the car plus snares and guitars.

With smaller cars, hatchback is really the way to go. The same peavey cab also fit into my toyota echo (altough the bass, head and other stuff had to ride shotgun with me in the front), but it was more of a hassle.
 
#27
Today I test drove a Mini Cooper Clubman and a VW Beetle Fender Edition. I brought a hardshell bass case along. With the second row seats folded down, in the Mini, the bass will fit from back to front with probably about 3" clearance. Sideways, behind the front seats, it also fits, just barely. The Beetle interior is actually slightly longer and wider (but not as high, especially at the back due the sloped design), so the bass fits pretty easily positioned back to front, and also sideways right behind the front seats. I was pleasantly surprised at how well both of these cars could work as gear-haulers. Very difficult to decide which one I liked better. I drove the turbo versions of both. The Mini seems a bit sportier and the Beetle a bit more comfortable.

(Also posted in separate thread because I thought people might be interested in the comparison.)
 
#28
I have a mini cooper, but it has not been out of the driveway since last Halloween. I do not really like it, but I am 6' 4" and my normal driver is a lifted F250, extended cab. My basis of comparison is not really fair and unbiased for the little thing
The cooper is here because I needed a tax write off, and this way I have something to show for my money, instead of giving it to the govt, to spend on $500 toilet seats.

but anyway, the dimensions the OP gave for his 215 will easily fit in the back, when the back seats are down.
 
#31
I have an 04 Subaru Forester (it was free or I wouldn't be driving it) and it has a nice amount of room for a small car. Too bad the gas mileage sucks.
 
#32
Have an 09 mini clubman, plenty of room in back, doors swing wide open and it's an easy lift, just over knee high to the carpeted bed. The problem with the Mini, IMO, is the 1.6 liter engine that sucks on acceleration if it is not turbo charged, and if it is, like my S model, then it is pushing a small engine and I can't see getting 100k miles before it blows.

They are stylish but the low profile tires make for a rough ride. I am looking at the Lexus 300HR, with the Prius drive train with the upper end passenger features, although that back door looks way to small for my liking.

Subarus are functional, like a modern American Motors Rambler.
 

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