Via TC, from SFGate (and don’t think I miss the irony of catching a stateside article via a reference from a guy in Taiwan):

The Hummer 2 treats boulders like pebbles, lakes like puddles and has hood handles designed for helicopter transport. But the 3-ton wonder designed for tearing across a desert or racing up a mountain is more likely to be used by soccer moms bent on homeland shopping.

Ignore the 10 miles to the gallon, 5.5 times the nitrogen oxide polution per mile, etc. etc..

The Mini Cooper website uses a tagline along the lines of “here is where the anti-SUV revolution begins”, and dammit if that isn’t enough right there to make me want to buy one. I love driving my truck and being able to see over or around the other Escalade assholes on the road, but jeez we’ve got to start somewhere and it might as well be with me… I’m sort of a hypocrite otherwise. I’m buying out my truck lease and turning it into a ‘normal’ car loan in the next month or so, which pretty much means that I can then trade it in for something else.

I’d lose some of the benefits of the truck but I don’t want to be one of those assholes driving something they have no real use for just because they can (don’t get me wrong — pickups are de riguer in SoDak) — as I’ve said before, just because the problem is huge doesn’t mean I have to be part of it.

Maybe one of those Outbacks — room for family and dogs — as much as I love the mini’s, I’m pretty sure that it’s not a logical choice for my life :)

I dig the Minis, but being 6'5" I'm kind of stuck with an suv or a truck. My friend had an Outback that I liked very much. It was comfortable and the all-wheel drive let it handle amazingly well in rain. If I were in the market for a new car I would definitely think about one, though my heart really belongs to the Dodge Ram.

Doyce,
Good for you! Man, I am sick all of the SUV soccer moms claiming that nothing else provides reasonble foul weather traction and safety. I recently bought a VW Passat, TDI. It is mid-sized and gets about 45 mpg. I am 6'3" and have plenty of leg room. I miss the 220 hp in my old Taurus SHO, but I am dealing with it.

I'd really suggest you consider a Volvo 240 station wagon. Reliable, people on the road can see though you, you yourself have just kick-ass views on all sides -- and you can fit a twin-sized mattress in one. Not to mention any other bit of furniture your house holds, plus a bunch of boxes and bags and various bits of whatever else your heart desires. How many other cars boast secret compartments? My heart filled with joyous mocking laughter every time I saw a SUV trucking down the road with a Christmas tree -tied to the top-. Ha!

I think they're comfortable in seats both fore and rear, too. I haven't found the rear seats of the Outback to be very comfortable, but I gotta admit the seatwarming and 4WD is nice.

Man, if you give up the pick-up, who am I going to bug to bring home tons of fencing material?

Dave: Your fence is done :) Alternately, when you pick up a new car, consider the Baha (with the optional bed-extending flip-out cage) -- four doors, and there's a little trap door at the head of the truck bed that lets you push really long things through into the (persumably collapsed) backseat area. The advertised yellow ones are gaudy, but I saw a silver one today that looked quite snazzy.

Madeline: I have indeed looked at those Volvos. Unfortunately, to look at one is to notice the price tag on the rear driver's side window, and know that it is not the car for me :)

Mike: We're renting a Passat for our trip through Wales in February and I'm looking forward to getting that chance to basically test-drive one (and by extension the Jetta), because they too have a hatch-back version, a la the Outback (need that connected 'trunk' space so I have a place for the dogs when I've got a full load of people).

Xkot: Love the Dodge Rams -- my current vehicle is a Dakota that I am indeed loathe to part with, but the simple fact is that I don't need it except to help people move. Granted, my height makes some cars less feasible, but I don't need anything that big.

I do remember how much I hated not being able to see anything from behind the wheel of the last car I drove because everyone else is driving a damn SUV and that situation can only have gotten worse, but there you have it.

Is the new Mini that small inside? I recall the old one was surprisingly large inside considering its size. Larger cars and trucks that are higher off the ground aren't necessarily larger inside; the Hummer certainly isn't. It's positively cramped in one of those things.

I don't even own a car, nor have I had one of my own since the 80's though. At 5'11" I've never been cramped in any car, but any car is a nuisance in Taipei, much less a large, unwieldy one. I'll stick with my motorcycle (don't even really need that with the excellent subway we have now).

My next car is either going to be a '69 Camaro SS or an Australian 70s Ford or Holden* muscle car.

I like my truck too much to give it up. As for the Minis, they have a suprising amount of head/leg room, but wait for the BMW 1 series and the new smaller Benz which will be sharing a chasis with the new Neon. On the American/Euro fusion front, the new GM Epsilon class is a big hit in Europe according to Car** and the next Malibu and Grand Am will be Epsilon.

* - Mad Max's Pursuit Special was a '72 Holden HQ LS
** - The only car rag I read is Car, and boy I wish we could get some Fiats/Seats/Skodas/French cars in the states. Don't rent a VW, rent something you can't get here like a Citron or a nice Skoda when you go to the UK.

Actually, I'm 6'2" and I was perfectly comfortable in the new mini's I checked out. It isn't really a problem of fitting me, it's a problem of fitting me, my wife, Justin, two dogs and (x) hypothetical future Testermans. Testermen. Whatever.

It it were always going to be Jackie's vehicle when we went on long drives (or, really, anywhere with all of us) then I could get what I like (the Outback sport is really quite small and cool, and might even have enough space for the dogs in back, for instance), but I don't know if I think that's such a hot idea. (Partly because I'm not entirely comfortable in her vehicle.)

I don't really like the look of the new Citrons, and while yeah, I want to drive something I can't get here, at the same time a five-day test drive sounds good.

Originally, we were going to rent a Mini for the week in Wales, but we're putting for adults in our car, with luggage, so that's not really mini territory.

Dude, if you're looking at Subaru's check out the Forester. A bit taller and with more cargo space than the Outback, it's like the perfect compromise between car / station wagon / SUV.

4 months without a car payment and Dan is already trying to convince me to buy one...

Oh dear gods!! I have committed the Great Apostrophe Error (tm)...KILL ME NOW!!!!

Doyce

I helped my mom check out cars two years ago. The outback rocks. It does well in the mountains (70 right up floyd hill and both tunnel approches), great in the city. Great milage.

I also test drove the Mini. I want the cooper S. If I only had money...

Doyce

I think that the Volvo 240 wagon that Madeline was refering to was the one that she currently owns. She just didn't tell you the year.

Dunno what we're driving yet in England, but I look forward to your adventures in the Passat -- it's on my probable list for the Great Springtime Car Purchase.

Now, if I could afford it, I'd be all over the H2. It has some serious off road capabilties and I'm there.

Since I have no kids, and a pet that doesn't leave the apartment, I can dream about things like '69 Camaros or even better the 350Z or that new Mazda RX-8. Use Wankel in a conversation at work and enjoy the looks you get.

I really like the Citron Xsara and C5 but the Airdream is very sweet looking.

Renault and Peugeot have some nice models in the pipeline too, as much as I dislike the French, it's hard to admit that and the fact that the Rafale swing-fighter is a nice lookin' plane as well. But the fact that thier new Aircraft Carrier was too short for flight ops is classic.

The new VW Lupo will have gullwing doors...in 2006. In spring of '05 is the new DC A Class Benz to compete with the Volvo XC50 and BMW X3.

I'll stop dreaming now.

Day rigger

Isn't that the guy you hire for the day to do fence repair, or odd jobs around the Ranch head?

I've been anti-SUV until recently...I want Ryan to have one, but for me, I like itty bitty cars...cute cars...but since I'm also the bill-payer, I can't get those ugly hybrids out of my head...word is someone is working on an SUV hybrid. I hate going to the gas station, an SUV would put me there more often.

If you're serious about considering an Outback Sport, just say when and I'll send mine home with your wife for an evening. You can play with it to see if you love it as much as I do.

Um... Yeah, Boulder dude's caught me out. The last year Volvo 240 wagons were built was 1993. (I wouldn't necessarily trust the recent Ford-Volvos, anyway.)

But, hey, get the depreciation out of the way on someone elses's dollar! Isn't it nice to buy a car out of petty cash? And in ten years, the original price plus all repairs will likely still be less than what you'd pay for a new car (and would the new car need repairs? Probably.)!

Heh.

As for the Forrester, the mini-SUV look doesn't do it for me. My main objection to SUVs, though, is that you can't see through them... But the thing is, many sedan-type cars these days are what I think of as "high-butted"; you can't see through them, either. I recently drove a Pontiac Alero, and I guess the high-butt is for fashion and trunk space, but every time I backed up I knew damn well that if there was a little asian person behind me I wouldn't ever know to stop. Tail fins were a much more practical fashion.

I wish there was a gas-electric(-solar) hybrid station wagon... With tail fins! ;)

Are you talking primary family vehicle or commuter? If commuter, sure go for the mini... It's so Cuute! (heh) If not well I hate to be the goober in the gears here but how come no one has suggested the simple mini-van? My 92 Grand Caravan has room for three kids, Mama and me and all our luggage (baby gear takes up a lot of room) You can take out the seats and haul plywood, boards, a furnace, couches you name it. Lotsa room. Average 28 hwy and 17 city. You sit up tall enough to see, the seats are comfy, even for me. We've got the 3.3L V6 and it's got lots of go. The mechanical systems are mostly easy to work on.

Of course, I'm not trying to prove anything to anybody about my pocket book or the size of my willie.

Oh yeah, and you can get parts about anywhere, including salvage yards.

I think I've decided that I'm basically looking for the commuter -- Jackie has the family car.

As for pocket book and willie size... well, the mini is small and cheap, so there you go :)