Once upon a time I was listening to Click and Clack on CarTalk Radio. One of them suggested that if you're ever in this situation of rarely needing something big -- buy what you really want (e.g. a second MINI) and rent a big Suburban once or twice a year. What you may save on the gas over the course of the year will be enough to pay for the rental.

Another option would be to buy one of the MINI clone trailers or a roof rack for the occasional need to haul something larger. Got a friend with a manual transmission pickup? I bet they'd love to swap you for an afternoon while you're hauling your plywood from Home Depot.

Bottom Line: Find a reason to buy as many MINIs as you can!

 

All I drive is my MINI, no ball n' chain and I'm childfree. I'm amazed at how much I can put in this car!

4 adults, 2 purses (you should see the purses my friends carry)
4 adults, 1 case of beer, 1 bag o' munchies
2 adults, 2 dogs, bags in the back
16 clowns

My father passed rather suddenly this last summer and I made a few runs to Philadelphia to move stuff before actual furniture move-out day when we closed on the sale of the house. Each time I had the neighbors out there watching and betting at how much I could fit in there, we were all amazed! Two medium u-haul boxes, 3 smalls, 2 copier-paper boxes and tons of misc items (including print sized framed artwork) here and there with my luggage in the front seat.

On one run my brother's friend (a BMW leaser through and through) was nay-saying my car packing abilities. I let him run his mouth, after all he was the free muscle carrying my stuff outside to the car so I let him see how much he could fit. When I pointed at the wrought iron plant stand and the queen size bedframe he laughed. Uh huh! A doubter! A challenge! So I unloaded everything (while laughing at his n00b packing skillz) and put everything back including the bedframe and the plant stand with room left for more. Everything fit, all windows and doors fully shut. He was amazed!

Never doubt the power of a clown car! The furniture of course required a rented truck, MINI's are good but not THAT good...

But in all seriousness this car is huge IMO. I was driving a 2-seater del Sol before I got this so I'm positively giddy over the hauling capacity. The del Sol had a massive trunk, I will give it that, but it was shallow and you really had to work it to get it shut if you tried to haul anything substantial.

The only time my MINI has let me down so far is in the snow, I'm hoping proper new tires will fix that.

 

I knew all those years of playing Tetris would pay off! I've amazed and astounded my friends on more than one occasion with how much I can actually fit in my MINI. Like a majic trick... our last trip included 2 people, 3 suit cases, 3 duffle bags, a bag full of more shoes than my wife really needs, and a beagle. Ta dahhh.

We checked out a Clubman at the Houston Auto Show yesterday. It definitely has more room. It's got more trunk space and more leg room for the back seats. If only I could grow to like the looks of it.

 

I don't have "only" a MINI, but my other vehicles are smaller (an antique Alfa Romeo coupe and a motorcycle). So, I can confidently say that it's no big deal to live with just a MINI(s). As long as you don't have kids, this is no issue. Groceries are no problem, though on a big run I'll need to fold the back seats down. I can get stuff from Home Depot or Lowe's as long as I have it cut in half there. My bicycle fits in the back if I take the front wheel of. This has been our only daily driver car for 4 years now, and we don't regret any of it.

 

My MCS is my only car. If I can't fit it in the car, I don't buy it (great way to save money!)... unless I really need it (like my tv), in which case I call in a favor and borrow their gas guzzler

 

What you don't have, you don't need...

If you absolutely NEED to carry something, you will find a way to make it work. It might be complicated, time-consuming or expensive, but if there is any way of justifying it, go for the second MINI.

 

We're a 3 MINI family... i have 2, mom has 1

 

Nigel is the only car for me. I had a hard time convincing the wife that there would be enough room, but I won her over. We fit plenty of stuff plus our little dog for long trips.

I'm trying to convince my wife to sell her Jeep and get a MINI so we too can be a 2 MINI family. We don't have kids now, but she is stuck on the fact that you need lot's of space with kids. I say little kids and MINI's are perfect together. Little kids don't need a lot of leg room.