Quote Originally Posted by triggerman222 View Post
Good day to everyone,

What would you prefer for everyday use?

What image would each car project?

I use the car around 15,000 km per annum.

Which is better in terms of value for money? long term use? maintenance cost?

Thanks and more power to everyone
For everyday use, I suppose that will depend on your requirements. But for me, I find it rather impractical getting this sort of car considering the high admission price, its rather barebones condition (no AWD, normally aspirated 1.6L engine), and the fact that it can easily be trumped in terms of performance and utility by cars less than half its price. So I'd go with the Explorer for this one because I occasionally need the extra seating capacity and high ground clearance. And since you are looking at cars at this price range, I suppose gas money isn't a big problem for you, right?

As for the image. I'd still get the Explorer. Even though both give an upscale image, the Explorer gives the more mature, responsible, and "accomplished person in life" image as compared to the more of young, 2nd (or more) generation rich yuppie image of the Mini. But then, its upto your preference still.

For this price range, I find the Explorer to be of more value for the money considering the features involved, extra seating capacity, and higher ground clearance. As for maintenance cost, IMHO the Explorer should be cheaper to maintain considering the long term maintenance cost and parts cost and availability of Euro cars here.