I ve been an owner of a 2009 JCW (R56) since 2013. Got it 2nd hand and at a price hard to resist.

I love the little car. It's the only car I own at the moment and that's very unlikely to change, as I live in a country (somewhere in Europe) which doesn't love cars. Tax is high (compared to average income), fuel is very expensive and majority of road network is crap.

I don't believe it's a very practical car, but yet again, I never cared about having a car that is practical. Due to bad/bumpy road, the ride is not very comfortable. Boot space is too little (can't even fit a 20kg suitcase without dropping the back seats). Speaking of the back seats - there's no leg space - unless we are talking about people shorter than 1,5m. And although I take good care of it, my MINI hasn't been very reliable on me either. But, all in all, I love my car. I like the way it handles. From time to time, it always puts a smile on my face. And that's whats matters the most I think.

It's been 5 years since I m driving this car, during which period I ve been lurking around here as a guest, reading on about various issues that came up in the car (and how to resolve them). I decided to join, as I need to talk about some aspects of my car that need to be addressed somehow. But more on that on the appropriate sub-forum

 

Welcome! Check out the FAQ for the Gen2 cars. There are no doubt some differences between the EU and NA cars, but also a lot in common. Hope you find what you need here.

 

json,

Welcome to the forum. Few people would say that MINIs are the most practical cars to own. While I understand bad roads, are there any open roads outside of town to enjoy the MINI?

 

Some open roads do exist close to where I live, but most importantly there are also some twisty roads too. I just have to get the hours right (so that there's no traffic)

 

Welcome

 

Hi and welcome to NAM!
Congrats on years of ownership!