I've seen the reports which reviewed the MINI's front seat safety and gave it high marks, but I also read that they couldn't get the rear seat results because a crash test dummy wouldn't fit in the rear seat. Sounds a bit lame to me on the part of the testers, because in a car like the MINI you probably won't have full-sized people back there anyway most of the time, rather, they'd be kids, or babies in car seats. Which leads me to my question...

How safe are the rear seats? I guess that because I'm child-less, for the time being, I never considered what an infant or a kid would endure in the back seat if a lumbering SUV were to rear-end the car. Being that the seats are so close to the hatch, it was an oversight on my part not to ponder this. I love my MINI and all that it stands for, but I'd also like to plan ahead if I'm going to have to sell it two years down the road to avoid finding the answer out the hard way.

Anyone have any experiences in this area? Thanks for any insight! :smile:

 

I think this is a good question. I have a 16 month old that rides in back. We only put him in when necessary. Usually he rides in another car that we own that is much safer.

There are no tests showing the safety of a car in a rear end collision. I can only assume that the MINI would not fair well in a rear end collision. At least not for children. However I do think that it is just as safe or safer than other small cars.

I look at it like this... We can always buy a safer car. But who wants to drive a Lincoln Towncar (5 Stars all around). I did my homework and bought the safest car in it's class. The Ford Focus received a 1 star rating for side impact. This is inexecusable. Buy the safest car you can resonably afford.

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...c=17918&19 heres my post adn you can look at my car... I tw as jsut recently hit from teh rear.. and the car ramped up my left back side a little bit.. you can see both pics of my car and his adn the accident happend a roughly 45 mph.. I was at a stadnstill. my fiance was in teh rear.. we're all ok and the inside f teh car looks liek nothign hhas happened t it.. this is a tough little booger and I'm impressed engouh with its safety to buy antoher one.

-Chris

 

The photos are not there and the links don't seem to work...????

Can you check it out?

Thanks.

 

Sorry to hear about your MINI loss. Have you ordered another?

 

Pics would be great. I'd love to have them to show to people that question the safety of the car. For my own piece of mind as well. My 16 month old rides in the back a lot.

I couldn't get the links and pics to work either.

Thanks for posting and let us know what kind you order!

 

I just checked out the photos and all I can say is...unbelievable. Looks like the occupants are surrounded by a helluva strong steel case which would explain why the MINI is so heavy for its size. No more doubts for me...

Alex

 

>>I've seen the reports which reviewed the MINI's front seat safety and gave it high marks, but I also read that they couldn't get the rear seat results because a crash test dummy wouldn't fit in the rear seat. Sounds a bit lame to me on the part of the testers, because in a car like the MINI you probably won't have full-sized people back there anyway most of the time, rather, they'd be kids, or babies in car seats. Which leads me to my question...
>>
>>How safe are the rear seats? I guess that because I'm child-less, for the time being, I never considered what an infant or a kid would endure in the back seat if a lumbering SUV were to rear-end the car. Being that the seats are so close to the hatch, it was an oversight on my part not to ponder this. I love my MINI and all that it stands for, but I'd also like to plan ahead if I'm going to have to sell it two years down the road to avoid finding the answer out the hard way.

This is a good question. There are no good tests that directly address this issue for any car. Don't assume that size or mass matters as much as solid contruction and excellent engineering. Furthermore, if the MINI can avoid the accident so that the passengers don't risk injury that counts much more than if the accident occurs in the first place.

I closely follow all of the reports that come to MCO about accidents because I am very interested in safety. I have been extremely impressed by all accounts of the MINI in accident avoidance and accident toughness. Drivers and passengers have an excellent injury record. I cannot say the same for almost every car that can had the misfortune to collide with the MINI. The injury list is very long indeed.

I have sat in the rear seat and it does look like in a bad accident there is not much there. I suppose if just the right size bus hh..ided with the MINI at just the right angle and there was no where to escape (bounce free) then yes it would be bad but it would also be equally disastrous in another sedan-all would do poorly.

So if you have safety on your mind I would say that I feel very comfortable with the excellence in safety engineering I see in the MINI. I drive with respect to the road conditions and always drive defensively watching for problems so they don't become my problem. Even with this awareness I attend driving schools and practice the emergency maneuvers needed to avoid accidents whenever possible. Given that not all accidents can be avoided you just have to rely on some of those airbags and safety features to do their stuff when the time arrives (hopefully never). If you have children and put them correctly into child restraint seats in the rear they should be as safe as can be in any car.

The most important variable is the driver and your skill and awareness everytime you drive. Don't be distracted and talking on the phone or doing things that are not part of driving. Be aware of the road situations and be careful out there.