So ive fallen more inl ove with MINIs ever since my fiance bought her 2012 countryman. before that ive always liked the body styling of the classic MINIs.

im at the point where i need to trade in my miata since its not going to work with plans with having a family, which will be in june 2013. ive come across a 2006 chili red hardtop for $9.9k with 63k miles on the clock.

just curious about what i should look for when i check the car out. is there any transmission issues with manual transmissions? does this year have issues with cracking/mushrooming with the strut mount? will a 2 door fit a car seat and one passanger?

 

Number one check: http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

I believe the rear seats are set up to put a car seat in. I've had 2 passengers in mine, but a fourth won't fit, mainly because I'm 6'4" and I can barely put my fingers between the back of my seat and the rear seat . But I believe a car seat should work.

 

psh, I fit 6 people in R53 at one time.

 

im 5'6'' and my fiance is 5'even. haha. thanks so much for the article. i will make note when i check the car out. thanks!!!!

 

psh, I fit 6 people in R53 at one time.[/QUOTE]


I fit 7 in my R53, granted one was a midget lol

 

It's not just about fitting, it has to be comfortable. In my situation, I can comfortably fit 3 adults and a baby lol

 

I'm not sure if a hardtop would be a wise decision if you're planning on having a family. It's not enough to ask if a car seat will fit in the back. It's how much space you have for the bags, strollers, etc. Not to mention i sat in the back of a 06 hardtop and it's scary back there when you're being tailgated. I wouldn't put my baby in that situation. I have a Clubman, which offers a bit more space, but i'm not counting on it to be the baby-mobile. That's what my wife's Prius V is for

If you're still going for it, from what i've read on this forum, Gen1's seem to be more prone to the mushrooming. Not hard to fix though and you can buy strut plates to help with the issue in case you hit a pothole.

 

my car has baby seat holders or something in the back, so i think your good. it may be a pita to put the chair in/out of the car. maybe consider the clubman? i drove one as a loaner for a while. handles just like the regular mini!

aside from "regular" car stuff to check, id try to look closely at the bushings for the suspension, those tend to go due to simple age of the rubber. see if the low speed fan comes on, listen for the wheel bearings to be bad, and make sure the power steering isnt excessively loud (indicative of bad lines or worse). Good luck!

 

Sadly car was sold. Currently looking at an 09 with 60k on the clock for 15k. I'm getting desperate to pick on up. :-/

 

I'd say go for a clubbie or an R56. Although I'm an R53 girl, the R56 has a bit more room inside and a softer suspension, which would probably be more comfortable for the baby. And although I've heard of many couples raising kids in the hatch, the clubbie would be much more convenient with the club door making it easier to put in a car seat. You do already have the Countryman though, so if it's not going to be the primary baby-hauler, the R53 will suffice.

 

I own a clubman and have used it successfully with both a rear facing and forward facing car seat. my wife is 5'2" and a rear facing car seat could fit behind her and she sat in comfort, can't say the same thing with a r56. The extra room in the boot is a huge plus as well for hauling a stroller or a bunch of groceries and a large diaper bag at the same time. now that my daughter is in a forward facing child seat I''ve been eying some r53 with the JCW factory kit.

getting in and out with a clubman is SO much easier than a regular cooper as well.

on a side note I moved from a mx5 when my daughter was born as well, and while I do miss dropping the top, the mini is just as much fun to drive, and I can take my daughter with me which makes the clubman far superior for me.

 

i ended up grabing a R55 S. thanks so much for all your help and input guys!

 

welcome to the club, now share the details and pictures please!