Hey everyone, I'm Nathan. I live in Manhattan and have been carless since I moved here in 2011 and sold my Subaru WRX. I'm now married and my wife is pregnant and we think having a car again will help us get out of the city from time to time without so much hassle. We'd like a Mini because the small size will make it easy to park. And, of course, I want something that I'll actually enjoy driving.

Does anyone have any experience with a car seat in an MCS? Everyone tells me I'll want a 4-door car with a kid, but I suspect they're just lazy. If they're right, however, we might consider the 4-door hardtop.

We're going to buy used because

1. Living in the city the car is sure to get dinged, and
2. We're pretty frugal and won't drive often enough to justify the cost of a new car.

Any particular years we should avoid? Or years that are a great value? Our budget is in the $8-10k range. From browsing the forum it sounds like 2007-2010 MCSes aren't so reliable, but could I get a good 2011-2013 within my budget?

 

Mini four door hardtop isn't going to fit your budget. Get a different brand. Initially loading small child in car seat isn't that hard but eventually you will want the four door. Sounds like a car rental is a better deal for you. I lived in NYC for a few years and had a car, but also had off street parking. Without parking , no way would I have had a car.

 

We rent cars as needed now. The trouble is that it's really expensive in Manhattan (think $150/day for economy cars) or we have to travel to one of the airports which is a huge time suck. Add a kid into the mix and I'll probably have to drive BACK into the city to load everything up.

The other factor in owning is flexibility. My wife's family lives upstate and we can both work remotely. We might like to go up there for more extended visits with the kid without having an expensive longer rental. And we'd like to know we could drive back home on our own time rather than when we'd need to get the car back.

I can deal with parking. If it gets too bad I can get a spot in a garage (with pre-tax money). But there's always spots to be had for small cars. The biggest headache is moving it for street sweeping.

I'd be willing to increase our budget, but it might be difficult to convince my wife. How much should I really be worried by the 2007-2010 models?

 

After reading more posts here it sounds like the 2005-2006 models are pretty well-loved. I had mostly assumed I'd want the newest one I could afford...

 

I would stay away from the 2007 - 2010 MINI Cooper S Model with the N14 engine...problems include the timing chain, carbon buildup and the possibility of excessive oil consumption. The non S from that time-frame is okay.

 

The 2005 - 2006 is a good option if you can do your own maintenance...keep in mind that these things are now over a decade old.

 

Probably not so much then. I used to do some with the help of more mechanically-inclined friends, but in the city there's nowhere to store tools or anything.