I think all the questions like this are always so funny, because I grew up getting in and out of the back of jaguar xjs convertible, and that entire experience was an act of contortion. Then he inherited his dad's 76 450SL, and I contorted my way into that into my 20s. And I don't plan on giving my kids any different, actually the F56 I have now would be a blessing. :P

I'm glad you like the F55, I really enjoyed the test drive I had. It's a lot roomier than people think, but getting in can pose a problem.

 

Times have certainly changed and cars have grown a lot since the mid 90's. It's become a common idea to buy an SUV or Mini Van when you have kids. This all because gas is relatively cheap in the USA. Go to Europe and you'll see many middle class families that use a mid sized to small sized hatchback as their only family car. It can be done. I have a car seat in my 2015 Cooper. I have to kneel in front of the car seat with the passenger seat pushed forward to get my 3 year old in and out. Use it daily to take her to pre-school.

 

to you!

 

Great and congrats, any pics ? The back doors was the only real issue i have seen.

 

Congrats on your purchase! I currently have an F55, bought it with the thought of keeping it long term and eventually making it a family car. I used to have a R56, and I really enjoyed it but my thoughts when I had it is if MINI every came out with a 4 door hardtop I would get it.

Most of the time it is just me in the car, but sometimes it is my gf and I. We are not tall people and with the seats adjusted for our comfort there is plenty of room in the back seat. If you are very tall in the front it may pose a problem with the rear passengers.

I am glad so far it is working well for you! What your are doing now with it is what I hope to do with mine in a few years.

 

This may sound crazy to some of you but I have cars for spring and summer and cars for winter, and when winter cars go in for storage I needed something to take my dogs (one being my 8 month old Brittney who is already close to 50lbs and way bigger than her breed should be) places. They are not fond of loud cars and since I sometimes need to keep one hand free I needed an automatic. I took my twin boys to test drive the 4 door (also drove the countryman was not a fan), and I bought this one from dealer stock. Was not the color combo I wanted buy it has all the options I would have ordered. Pick it up Friday

 

Congrats. I'm sure you will smile every time you get behind the wheel. I'm still grinning at 9 months.

 

Finally trying to post a picture. It may look like its towing a large sailboat, but its not really...

 

Definitely family friendly.





Kids are happy. Mom and dad are happy.

 

It's called being a kid...remember riding in the back of a Datsun 210 and Ford escort ....
Me and my sister fit...
Coddle kids too much, and they will live at home till they are 30+ and ask for $$ till they are 40+!!
Bet they will be on their phones, or Nintendo 3ds's so much to notice the lack of room.....
More of a question of where do you put your bags on an overnight trip....

 

It could fit a decent amount.

 

Had an XJS until a couple of years ago. Wonderful car but my boys had so little legroom it wasn't even funny. We fit in my R52 much better!

 

We pack very light when we travel. Only the essentials. My husbands camera equipment is more of a problem than actual luggage.

 

After seeing how well my family of four fit in our (new to us) 2007 Cooper S convertible, I traded in my large family sedan for a F56. For sporting around town, this car fits the family just fine.


See? Everyone fits and is happy.

Full disclaimer: we also have a Pathfinder for big shopping and road trips but, on most days, you'll find the SUV parked in front of the house and our Minis on the road.

 

Awesome! Love the smiles. Looks like everyone is enjoying the Mini

 

As another poster did, I'll use percentages:

90% of the time, it's me.
6% of the time, it's me and one other.
3% of the time, it's me and two or more others.
1% of the time (although going up), it's me and my German Shepherd.

It helps that the only time I've had to put people in the backseat, they were in the 5'0" - 5'2" range.

When I was 3, I rode in jump seats behind the front bench in a Datsun / Nissan 720 pickup truck from Maryland to the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone and back. When I was in high school, I had to ride in the back of an Acura Integra Coupe for three years.

Kids today are too damn spoiled. If they're not in safety seats, throw 'em in the back and if they complain, tell 'em to get a job and buy their own damn car. If they're in safety seats, go ahead and grab a Clubman.

Edit:

Another Datsun survivor! I had my older sister kicking me the entire way, too.

 

I certainly hope that its not punishment to ride in a Mini. I didn't buy the car to make anyone miserable, least of all my kids.

I helped drive a bunch of teenage boys last weekend, they were all fighting over who got to ride in the Mini. Cool lights, panoramic sunroof, the novelty of seeing a "manual" transmission. All 3 of them loved it. Still fighting over it on the way back.

 

I've had same experience with the neices and nephews. They want to ride in the cool car, not the minivan or SUV.

 

Summer after my freshman college year four of us spent all the time driving around in a used mini. That was 1966. Nobody complained. In 2005 I bought a cabrio, followed by an R56, followed by an R60. R60 was BIG compared to the others. We now have an F56 and F55. Our family is two plus a golden. F55 works best.

One more thought - It is a MINI and we MOTOR all over.

 

I had a F55 for about two weeks as a loaner. It works if you have one 7 months old baby. The baby carseat was actually easy to attach and take out. The rear doors requires less clearance to open all the way making it easier for the garage too. However, I didn't like the rubber trims and window frame on that. It looks like an afterthought.
I didn't try installing a car seat for 1+ years old though, so it might not be a good option.

 

That sound like me! I have a 1st gen (2006) Mini Cooper base right now. I am getting an R55. My thoughts are the same as you, right now it'll be me and my gf most of the time but I want to keep it long term (maybe as long as my 2006 mini) and some day make it a family car. She'll always have a bigger car than me but I wanted to stick with Mini but have something I could grow with. Now comes the 6 week wait...

 

After going to the dealership to try out the F55, we opted to wait for the F60 Countryman. In the interim, we have an E46 wagon that my wife absolutely loves... too bad it's parked right now due to the airbag recall

 

I'm a millennial. And it wouldn't deter me. But I admit I am a dying breed....

 

lol so am I... most of my friends never learned how to drive manual. The only vehicle I have that doesn't have 3 pedals is my truck

 

Pretty much all of my friends can drive stick. I taught my wife when we were in college on my Impreza 2.5RS in an afternoon. Her first MINI was a stick and so is the new one. I loaned my FR-S to a coworker's kid for prom and he figured it out in a day. It isn't that hard with synchros, drive by wire, and modern clutches.

I've owned 5 manual shifts and 4 automatics. The manual shifts were either cheap (when I was a broke *** HS kid) or sporty. The automatics make sense in the 3 SUV/CUVs and the one hybrid wagon. I much prefer the 5AT in my 4Runner to the 6MT in my dad's Tacoma. It fits the purpose of the vehicle better. The 6MT in my dad's 2003 F250 was total garbage.