My parents leased a Discovery about 8 years ago, and it was a great, sturdy vehicle. Really solidly built. They're still owned by BMW, right? Well, it certainly seemed so at the time. It just felt like a really solid car. Have things changed so much since then?

How much "BMW-ness" does the Mini get? I test drove one and was suprised at how crappy the plastic was on all interior parts. The turn signal and wiper levers seemed especially chinsy, at least compared to my Honda or my fiancee's Toyota.

ps- I'm not a fan of SUVs at all, but I sort of enjoyed driving the Discovery. Of course, the thing I liked best was the horn. Compared to all the utterly pathetic horns in the Japanese cars I've driven, I felt like I was driving a Mac truck. What is it with the Japanese and their terrible horns? I drive an Eclipse sometimes, and when I honk at someone it sounds like a wheezing cat.