Not a good start really........

[marinabrian]

........Yesterday myself and Mrs MB went car shopping.

Lat weekend we had arranged to test drive a 2 litre manual Cooper S 5 door hatch, and had a long conversation with the salesman about my wife's aversion to automatic cars.

So yesterday, up we go to the Mini dealership, and the salesman proceeds to bring us the test car.

Chris opened the door, then shut it immediately, I wanders over, sure enough an automatic

I said to the salesman, we don't want an auto, my wife wants a manual car...his reply "the autos are nice and everyone wants one after a test drive", to which I reiterate
"she wants a manual".

His reply "well you are here now, why don't you take it for a test drive"....OK I replied, but this car is not for me, it's for my wife.

On the road, it's fairly ok in the built up areas, and he directs me to a stretch of open road, now it should be noted I'm diving like miss Daisy up to this point, but one I hit the open road I planted my foot into the carpet.

The result of this 189 BHP car was to make lots of noise, nothing else for about five seconds while it decided what to do

I asked the salesman if this was normal, his reply "you should use sports mode" so I pulled over to fathom out the quite frankly non intuitive driving controls, and selected sport mode.......well what can I say !!! disappointing

So on our return to the dealership, I gave the salesman the key and said our goodbyes, as we were heading up to the Honda dealer to look at a new Civic......desperate to hold out for a sale, the salesman said "wait a minute, I'll see if I can sort out a manual for your wife to drive"

A few minutes later, out he comes with a 14 plate Cooper s 2 ltr manual 3 door hatch, wheel arch trims missing, bumped and scratched with 40,000 miles on the clock.......I said what is this then, one previous careless lady vicar owner?

So Chris got to drive this time, liked the car (despite the brakes banging as there was so much rust on the discs) so after the same journey, back to the showroom.

The specification she wanted was the comfort plus pack, with Solaris Orange paint, so based upon the spec she wanted, a factory order car came in at a shade over 27K.

Salesman then proceeds to try and sell her a "similar" spec car from another branch, in grey, of one in silver, to which I replied "it's a girls prerogative to choose a new car in a pretty colour, and primer with lacquer applied over the top is not pretty"

The result, no sale, but as it happens I've found a better specced one in a dealer down south, registered on an 18 plate with 560 miles on the clock for 19K.



The blue is nice, and I'm sure Chris is going to enjoy her new car

Brian