In this week’s Ask Nathan:
- Is Mini going through an identity crisis
- Slate should build a postal truck
- New career means a new (very inexpensive) professional sedan
This week’s first question comes from a Mini Cooper fan who is worried that the automaker might be on the way out.
Q: (Via: AskNathan@TFL.com): RE: Mini has an identity problem
Hi there TFL fam! I was wondering because many of you have owned and love Minis in the past if you thought that the car maker is in trouble? I hear that the sales future looks bad and with tariffs they may stop selling in the USA. I love my R56 Mini so much and I love being part of the Mini culture. Then I see the new Mini Cooper and Countryman and it makes me kind of sad. No manual are you crazy? No spedo or tac in front of the driver is nuts!
I’m worried that the whole company may go away if they keep building cars nobody wants. It’s like BMW wants Mini to suffer or something.
— Chuck T in Reno
A: Thanks for dropping me a line.
I don’t think it’s all doom and gloom for Mini.
It is true that Mini sales dropped to under 27,000 units in the United States in 2024, but part of that was due to changing over to new vehicles. I suspect they will regain some of their momentum in 2025. Still, you’re right about the automaker having to surmont some difficult obstacles. I agree: getting rid of the manual transmission option was a bummer, but so few people bought them, it’s hard to argue about their decision.
In time, I think we’ll see momentum change for Mini as they have some interesting vehicles coming our way in the near future. Maybe they will adopt a new image to punctuate their push for a new image? I like these design concepts and sketches I saw on BMW Blog a while back. These were created by Sean Keun youngh-oh and Sang-yeop Baek. It would be epic to see something like this, even more inexpensive, with the least expensive one having a manual transmission of some sort.
That’s my two-cents.
— N
The next question comes from a fan who wants to see Slate build a postal truck.
Q: (Via:Nathanadlen @Twitter/X) Had a great idea! Maybe Slate should build small postal trucks?
Hi Nathan! I’m a longtime fan of the Fast Lane and I am so happy to see so may of your successes! I also saw your Slate videos and I love the idea of owning one. Did you know how hard up the US Postal Service is for new trucks? I did a delivery route for 13 years before I got injured and now work at USPS dispatch. There have been attempts at replacing mail trucks before but companies like CANOO have fallen apart. The new units are huge and expensive. What do you think about Slate making a small one for the USPS? I think it’s a great idea! We once had old Jeeps and some of the postal crew still use them in the boonies. They were cheap and easy to run. Why not build a small truck for shorter and smaller routes?
Have a blessed week and tell the gang they have a friend in Portland!
— Star Pitcher
A: That’s a great idea!
I’m just not sure that the USPS has the bandwidth to get a second new vehicle after all of the difficulty they went through getting a new one. With that being said, I would imagine with the modular design of the Slate truck, you could make a delivery version. Engineering a sliding door and a steering wheel on the right side might be a challenge, but it might worth it.
Thanks for the message!
— N
The last question comes from a fan who needs something a little more grown up than his current Honda Civic.
Q: Nathan, need a suggestion.
I just got a new job that could be my career path and I’m excited. It’s like a combination of real-estate sales and public planning. All rolled into one. I need to take people with me and I want to set an image of a professional. My intention is to eventually get a newer Lexus IS or GS but that will have to wait. Right now I have a set budget of less than $5,000 and I need it to be something that won’t make me look like a child. I prefer sedans. I’m not able to finance so it has to be a cash buy. I currently own a 2007 Honda Civic coupe and it’s way past its prime and kind of roached.
Do you have any suggestions? I live near Dallas, TX.
Thanks!
— Oscar
A: Hi there Oscar.
That’s a tough one. Used car prices are beginning to rise again, and it could keep going for a while. With that being said, there are a few vehicles that might fit the bill. Keep in mind: when you’re buying a car at this price, it might need extra attention from a mechanic. I included a few options below after looking at the market in Texas.
- 2007 Lexus ES 350 with 173K miles – $4,700
- 2005 Acura TL 3.2 Sedan 140K miles – $4,500
- 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis GS – 167K miles – $4,900
All three vehicles looked very clean, are said to be in excellent condition and everything (including air conditioning) are supposed to work well. I tried to find vehicles with less than 200K on the odometer, and ones that look like they would look good after some detailing. These are just a few possibilities, but it looked like there were quite a few available.
A word of warning: there are German, American, British and Swedish vehicles that were in your price bracket as well. While many are well engineered, they tend to be extremely expensive to service, so be careful. The last thing you need is a hefty repair bill you can’t afford.
I hope that helps!
— N
