Heather Foeh

I am the proud owner of a 2007 MINI Cooper. The newest member of our family is named Maude and she’s a lovely Oxygen Blue color with black bonnet stripes. She joined us in April and fits right in. I will admit that I shed a tear when I said good-bye to her predecessor, Millie — a 2004 model. No offense to dear Millie, but Maude ROCKS. It’s hard to believe, but she’s even zippier than Millie, the turning is better, the shifting is tighter, even the giant speedometer in the center of the dash is bigger.

But here’s the really cool thing about owning a MINI…the MINI people love you. Just this week I received a lovely black box in the mail emblazoned with the words “MINI ADVENTURE FIELD KIT”. It contained a mouse pad, a pen, a driving journal, an antenna ball, window cling messages, etc etc etc. I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. Post-sale marketing is the best way to keep your customers happy and it’s one of the reasons I bought a MINI again. (Another great way to keep your customers happy is to create an excellent product, which is the biggest reason I bought a MINI again.)

When the original Millie turned 1, I received a Happy Birthday email from the folks at MINI. And last summer they launched a “MINI Takes the States” driving tour where you could meet up with other MINIs and see the sites. (Alas, I couldn’t attend, but I hope to if they ever do it again!) This kind of community is wonderful…maybe it’s part of the reason we MINI people wave at each other on the road.

If you’re thinking about getting a new car, take a look at a MINI…it’s the most fun you’ve had driving since you turned 16.