For all of those who have a MINI with a baby, what are your biggest complaints or issues that you've had?

The wife and I are seriously looking at starting a family this year, her car needs to be replaced and I thought Clubman, but she prefers the coupe.

How is accessing the baby seat in the back? Stroller? How about when they get older?

Any info would be much appreciated!!

 

teh infant seat is easy, it's when they get into a rear-facing seat that's tough. Having a 6mo old myself, if I was buying an R56, I'd get a Clubman. Instead, I bought an '01 Cherokee to haul the bugger around in...easier than dealing with the MINI and we get enough snow here to make it smarter and safer than taking her in the MINI any day.

I got my Jeep three weeks ago and was rear-ended one week ago. It needs new bumpers. Had I been in the MINI, it would have been totalled. The Civic that hit me was and the driver spent a week in the hospital. MINI's don't fare well in rear-end crashes (as far as backseat passengers, which a child would be).

 

Don't have the mini yet, but I have a three month old in a rear facing seat. I'll see if I can dig up the official car seat thread for you.

Now, we have an SUV for family trips. Jeep Liberty. Gav's carseat only fits in the middle of the back without moving a seat forward. Now, the child seems to have inherited more of his dad's family's traits and is HUGE. I'm talking 95th percentile so far. So we're about to outgrow the infant seat here shortly. (Graco with the base and infant carrier). So I'll probably be getting a Britax Roundabout or Diplomat to go in the mini (for baby and me only) trips and toss it into the Jeep when we need to have more cargo space. Unless the growth spurt stops, then I'll just order a second base for the existing car seat.

The thread I'm thinking of also talks about how the Peg Perigo Aria fits perfectly in the boot.

I'm not a mini-van gal, and I'm looking forward to the MINI as my mommy mobile.

I'll post and then see if I can find you that thread.. or just search for "car seat" or "britax" and you'll find it.


Everyone's told me minis and kids are silly. Thanks to NAM, I know it is doable.



Edited to add: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ar+seat+thread


Further edit-- go to BabiesRUS and they'll let you try out different car seats in the car-- you can find the best fit that way without having to purchase and return.

 

I was going to refer you to that same thread - it's long, but good.

I drove the Clubman and it drives like a Mini with some room - which is good. The boot on the coupe is kinda small, but that thread tells you which strollers fit (IIRD), or do a search on "stroller".

We took a trip from Pittsburgh to NJ ()5.5 hours each way) with 4 in the Mini, my wife and I in front, and my 15 and 10 year olds in the back. I've got a Minidomore received hitch and back box, and it was really no problem. Wouldn't want to do it routinely, but we had a blast!

 

We had out first baby last year. I used the Mini to haul her around no problem. For me it was far easier to load her in from the boot. I'd open the boot, drop the drivers side rear seat, then swoop her in and the car seat would snap into the base. No problem.
To get her out from the drivers seat I reach back and unclick her from the base, then go around back and do the opposite of putting her in.
I just found it was much easier than trying to stretch and contort and shove that carseat through the passenger side.
That said I have 3 vehicles and the Mini is just a summer toy to commute to work and now the morning daycare run so I don't have to worry about doing this 365 days a year. I might have different feelings...