A Mini Cooper driver who leased the car for three years declared it one of the biggest mistakes of her life. She advised young, aspiring car owners to not only steer clear of Mini Coopers, but also to pump the brakes on any hopes to own a so-called “dream car.”
The video confessional comes from influencer Coco Mocoe (@cocomocoe). It received more than 134,000 views since Friday. She speaks from the Mini Cooper that she’s about to turn in after a fateful three-year lease.
“Three years ago, I made the worst financial decision of my entire life, that I’m still paying the price for to this day.” she begins. “So, I wanted to make a little video just warning you guys, especially if you’re in your early 20s And you just got some new money, maybe you got a raise at work. Do not make the mistake that I made.”
She goes on to share that she’s had bad luck with cars in the past, including a used Ford Fiesta that she eventually got rid of once it was ruled as a “lemon law” car. But Coco declared the Mini Cooper her dream car for years. She says she decided to impulsively lease one from the closest Mini dealership to her. It is a four-door sport model, which she describes as “red with black detailing … a super unique Mini Cooper.”
She adds, “I even paid extra money for, like, the warranty and maintenance for the three years. That was another dumb decision that I’m gonna get to.”
Things went downhill fast
“I knew within a week that the car was like a really bad decision once the honeymoon phase wore off. But I couldn’t get out of the contract because obviously like I looked at the contract you cannot turn the car in early. So I just have to stick to it,” she says.
Her specific complaints include it having no Apple Car Play and being far too small. She observes, “It’s not that reliable. But the insurance on the car, because it was so new, was over $300 a month on top of an over $500 basically monthly car payment lease. So I was putting in about $1,000 a month to keep the car up and running.”
She adds, “Not only that, but the maintenance and warranty that they, like, roped me into. I was, like, ‘Cool, like, I’ll pay like the $4,000 extra up front.’ So any time I bring the car into Mini Cooper, BMW, they would find the most crazy fine print in the contract and be like, ‘So, actually your warranty doesn’t cover this. It only covers windshield wiper fluid and an oil change.’ … What did I pay like $3,000 for? It doesn’t cover anything.”
“If you’re seeing this,” she adds, “please do not make the mistake that I made. Literally just go get a used car, have a cheap car payment, have cheap insurance on it.”
She recommends putting that $1,000 a month toward a nice apartment.
“If you really have a dream car, like I did, literally just rent it for like a week from Enterprise and call it a day. That’s my rant,” she says.
@cocomocoe ♬ original sound – Coco Mocoe
According to Consumer Affairs, the Mini Cooper rates an average of 2.8 stars. That’s on a one-star to five-star scale and from 727 people surveyed. One reviewer also warned against leasing a Mini Cooper. They said they got stranded in Yellowstone National Park for two days and received no help from the company. They shared that they had to turn to their insurance company for help.
Viewers praise reliable brands
Viewers recommended notoriously reliable car manufacturers in the comments section of Coco’s post.
“Toyota. Lexus. Honda. Acura. The end,” one shared.
“Please get a Toyota corola or any toyota brand car because they LAST! I’ve had mine new since 2014 and the only issue I’ve ever had is changing the battery maybe twice,” another shared.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Coco via email and TikTok direct message and to Mini via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
Sign up to receive the Daily Dot’s Internet Insider newsletter for urgent news from the frontline of online.
The post ‘I was putting in like $1,000 a month’: Woman says driving a Mini Cooper for 3 years was one of the ‘biggest mistakes’ of her ‘life’ appeared first on The Daily Dot.
WATCH VIDEO
DOWNLOAD VIDEO