Mini's generally leave us with a positive and cheerful feel.

However, for the many owners here who gladly overlook the shortcomings in favor of the go-kart like handling, cuteness beyond compare and the utter joy of motoring, what are the compromises you have made while owning your MINI's?

Has the limited cargo or passenger room proven inconvenient?
Does your knee hit the center console from time to time?

Please share your feedback. Although I love the MINI enough to order my 06 (which is happily getting on a boat now) I'd love to see what i am getting myself into from the otherside of the fence.

thanks !

 

As for the knee hitting the console, they make a pad for that. And I LOVE my MINI, but I had to compromise and buy used! But still....I love everything about a MINI, honestly...

-Cody

 

the only thing ive found in the mini is that if i carried a lot of things in mine it would very well annoy me is that there is very little storage space. i like to keep my car very organized and anyways only carry like 5 things, but all 5 things pretty much get shoved in the only real storage space which is the center counsel, no big deal for me, but if i carried a lot of things id freak out since itd be tough to havea lot of frivolous things and keep them organized

 

Edit: for reference I've owned Pearl for 10 months and we've motored ~32k miles

My gripe with the MINI is it is too big! It has tons of tiny little space for me to store "stuff" in when I don't need or want to be carring around tons of stuff.

Cargo limit was only hit once, and even the the average sedan wouldn't have been able to handle the load, and I'm going to need a truck to move everything else in one shot.

Passnger room well I've riden back seat in my MINI and another MINI and I'm a full size 250 lbs and 6'1" tall, both times there was an adult sittign in front of me; anyhting less than 2hrs and I really wouldn't mind it.

I rest me knee on the console all the time, they make a pad but I don;t see the need for it.

Because of my height the comfortable seating position for me means I don't see the top half of the 4k RPM tick mark; also because of the handling I tend to slide around in the seat a little more than I'd like too, but I also feel they are the best OEM seats in any car under 75k.

The boot is a pain to keep clean, but I wash it every week and we get along most of the time.

People look at you everywhere you go, I;m not terribly fond of this much attention, although it does make me giiggle from time to time.

I was lucky enough to get to know and be known by dealer on a personal level with lots of minor work to be done (clock too fast, that kind of thing) so yeah there not perfect, but that doesn't mean I don'y love 'em any less. I still dread the times I have to drive anything else beacuse of how well the MINI is designed and built.

Its hard to judge speed (always feels slower, then you ralize your way outside the NAM guidelines) for the first few months then you'll get a feel for the car and not even have to look down to know.

Let me know if you have any other questions or if I can go into more detail in a specific area for you. The MINI was and is my dream car, so I know I'm a bit biased but I'll do what I can to be fair; and all that stuff about never drive your dream car, complete BS .

 

Oh, there's loads of room in the MINI hardtops! I've taken four 2-month springtime roadtrips, every year since 2003, and pack her to the hilt!

To live out of a MINI for 8 weeks on the road, with conditions ranging from snowy weather to the 95F-degree humidity of New Orleans, is quite an adventure! I've always been amazed at how comfortable the MINI is on the long trips.

My biggest complaint is trying to keep an all-Jet Black MINI clean on roadtrips.

 

The seatbelt bugs me. It gets caught on the lever EVERY time I put it on. Other than that, no gripes.
Annette

 

Try moving your seat back a notch or two. Solved the knee knock for me.

And I am amazed at how much space the car has. You ever look at a Miata or Boxster? Car has serious utility for a go cart!

regards,
Red

 

The knee pad is great (www.mymini.com).

My wife finds the ride to be a bit harsh if she is the passenger... She is too busy having fun when she is driving to notice!

The boot does get dirty in a hurry. Forget about drive thru washes unless there is a hand dry afterwards. I used to use a 'touchless' wash on my old daily driver now and then, but if the boot is even SLIGHTLY wet, it absorbes every speck of dust for miles. I love washing the MINI, though, so it isn't that hard to deal with!

On my road trip (900 miles) to the Dragon, I had one person (me), a suitcase, my laptop bag, a copy paper box w/ stuff for an event I was organizing, a spare wheel, a case and a half of beer, 2 folding chairs and a folding table, a bucket with detailing supplies, a dufflebag w/ emergency gear (jumper cables, siphon, etc) a cooler and lots of other miscelaneous stuff. I still had room to spare.

 

You must realize that many of us zeroed in on the MINI - before we got to know it personally - EXACTLY because of the cargo capacity it offers. I migrated from my mid-size SUV because I felt very wasteful and ashamed to have this huge vehicle moving just little old me around day-to-day on the off chance that I might occasionally have something large enough to fill up the cavern in the back of the SUV (actually happened only once or twice in 13 years of ownership).....

My MINI has been the perfect vehicle for the transportation needs of one or two people - and can occasionally handle four (how many of the comparable sports cars - Miata, Boxter - can do that???). I can carry whatever I need in the normal conduct of my life and have done long multi-state trips comfortably without scrimping on luggage, even in the cabrio. The storage space is more than adequate but is not huge and wasteful.

If I need to carry construction materials from Home Depot or move furniture to a relative's house, I will use our Minivan or rent a vehicle - those needs actually turn out to be so rare that they should not shadow the fact that the MINI is a darn efficient choice for DAILY transport needs where you can make the cargo room work for 98% of daily needs. Of course there will be things you can't fit in your MINI - but you are not buying it for that, are you????

The above represents the rational approach to evaluating cargo needs (I hope)... Once you get to know the car, the passion and commitment we develop for it makes the emotional bond as strong as the rational argument - which is why those of us who have a lot of experience with the car (I am not there yet - only 3000 miles !! - but will be soon...) just feel that there is nothing like a MINI, because that is basically the truth !!!

Bill

 

I have owned and driven MINIs for the past 4 years. Before 2002, I could have have never picture myself: a) Driving a small car and b) living with a 3 door hatchback. I always used to own "practical" 4 door sedans and large ones at that.

But the MINI totally and completely changed my perception of small cars FOREVER on a very big and positive way. These cars are not only a pleasure and joy to own and drive but they are surprinsingly practical for the everyday needs of a normal human being. Most people buy cars based on "infrequent" needs. To this day, I don't miss that big V6 engine (Specially with today's gas prices) or the huge back seat and rear doors. In reality, I never really used them. I can fit more stuff in my MINI that I ever did on my midsize or full size sedan.

We have covered thousands upon thousands of miles worth of roadtrips in our MINIs that we never did in our "comfortable" sedans. MINIs have this very powerful and overwhelming way to change your "old" perceptions about small cars.

My father in law is 6'2" and about 250 pounds. We have ridden 4 people in our MINIs with not a single complaint. Everyone aboard has a blast riding.

I can go on and on and on but all I can say is this... If you decide not to get a MINI, you are denying yourself one of the greatest driving pleasures and experiences in life. No other car can beat the MINI at this price point, period.

The quality and reliability of my 3 MINis has been legendary. Let's just say that it has put the reliability of my numerous Hondas and Acuras (And GM's) to shame.

 

Lots of little things, but nothing to regret switching of course. Harder to do drop-offs of my girls at the school without the four doors I used to have. A few less enclosed storage places within easy reach of me when I'm driving. I could get one of the armrests, but not sure I want to do that. I keep a briefcase/bag in the boot for odds and ends, which keeps the cabin clean & organized. There are some small rattles & such, but nothing too much and I haven't had the car serviced yet to have anyone look into that.

I used to carry larger loads on occassion in my old hatchback (e.g. a basketball hoop in a large box and such), but that was rare for me and after a whole week of ownership I haven't missed anything yet. ;-)

The pluses totally swamp the minuses, but in the spirit of the thread I'm just mentioning some of the compromises I've noticed so far.

 

Oh and I forgot to mention that my beautiful wife is 4 months pregnant and there are no plans to get rid of either MINI once our baby boy arrives!

 

I've got approx. 900 miles on mine, and so far I don't like the air vents. They don't have enough directional adjustment. I mostly drive with my hands in the 4 and 8 position, but sometimes I'll move my hands to the 10 and 2 position. No matter where I direct the air, it still blows on my hands. I hate that!

I also don't quite like the AC in general. I have the automatic AC and it doesn't seem to cool very well in the automatic mode, so I use it generally as a manual system. My wife has a Mazda 6 with an automatic AC and it works much better in the automatic mode.

The H-K sound system has some sort of distortion at certain frequencies, even at moderate levels. It was 550 bones for that option. WTF?

I also friggin' hate orange dash lights! Make 'em red or better yet green. Red is good for not ruining your night vision and green is the easiest for the eyes to see in the dark (that's why the the U.S. Army has the lights green in their helicopters for night flying).

Sometimes there is a whistling at the windshield when my speed gets into the 70s.

Other than these issues, this is by far the greatest and best car that I have ever owned.

 

My only beef is with the ride- it sometimes gives me a backache. I would replace the runflats if I thought it would solve the problem, but I am afraid it might not make much difference. (?)

Otherwise its a great car, fun to drive, and no problems with cargo room.

2006 MCS, 3500 miles

 

Now don't get me wrong. I love love love my MINI. But, the one small thing that bothers me is the fact that I always "bump" into the co-pilots arm when I'm changing gear. That's because there's no nice groove for my arm to rest on the sport seat and I'm practically taking up all the room in between the two seats. Am I the only one with this problem??

 

I am one of those that has the sport suspension and 17" run flats and do not find the ride harsh, rough or painful.

So beside the constant presence of my friend, brake dust...to be solved soon with Hawk ceramic pads...I don't have any complaints.

 

Be sure to fiddle with your seat position until you find your special perfect comfort spot. Play with pumping the seat up or down, and fiddle with the seatback position. It definitely makes a big difference!

 

The Hawk ceramic pads are fantastic! You'll be shocked at how little brake dust you'll have after you install them!

 

I don't like the fact that I cannot display the trip mileage and clock at the same time and also don't like that the clock is soo small inside of the HUGE speedometer. I cannot otherwise fault the design of the car- 2006 MCS. I really like that I can shine the headlights into the sky- that is soo cool.

 

while a "newbie" with a new mini w/only 2K miles, my mate who drives the car everyday uses it as a way to move tools, props, sets and a bunch of stuff, (in theatre).
We have a company explorer, but usually use the mini because of the fun.

I agree with others on the ride. A bit rough, but what I expected (17" run flats)

Griff

'06 MCS, CR/W, Premium, Sport, Cold Weather
CROC #126

 

2900 miles and i LOVE it.

that said, gripes follow:
ergonomics suck. have to lift the armrest to use the counterintuitive seatback adjustment lever.
seat height adjustment is for the rear of the seat only (pivots on a fixed front mount), so the higher you jack it up, the more the bottom inclines forward and the less thigh support you have.
top of tach is blocked by the wheel unless you sit low.
no way (with the auto a/c, anyway) to just get highway speed air through the vents w/o running the fan.
on a 15 hour trip the a/c blowing right on my hands on the steering wheel got old.
if you actually USE those tiny cupholders, your drinks (8-10 oz water bottles only) block the toggles.
if you swing the US spec cupholder all the way to the left to make more passenger knee room, it hits the fan button on the auto A/C and turns it off.
no 1/10 miles on the standard odometer, and you have to turn off the clock to use the trip odo.
no variable intermittent speed for the wipers.
wiper control switch is VERY sensitive, you need practice to use it and not spray unintentionally, especially the rear wipers.
tiny windshield tank, i emptied it on the aforementioned 900 mile trip.
DSC intrudes so much, you end up wanting it always off, which negates it's ability to save your butt when you would really need it.
you need to train your right elbow to not constantly slide open the cover of the armrest.

off the top of my head. i'm sure there are other things that annoy me too...

all that said, i still love this car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You do that by fiddling with the button with the arrow toward the head. Press on the button, hold it down. If you hold some of the a/c controls down, you'll find you have a wide range of adjustments.

Adjust the direction of the vents! No need to have cold air blowing on your hands.

If you have the rain-sensing wipers, it is quite variable.

This is a well-known thing in a very small car! Always carry a nice big jug of bug juice in the boot, preferably under the OEM cargo net, to prevent rolling!

Use it in inclement weather, only. I use it on the Dragon, in wet, snowy, and icy conditions.

Arm rest! I don't need no stinkin' armrest! I always have a variety of small pillows for long roadtrips to adjust into the most comfy position for supporting my arm.

Yes, we do.

 

My right side pant leg gets caught on the seat jack lever when getting out.

Damn MINI's...

 

um, not exactly. in every car i've had previously, including two with auto a/c, it was possible to open the vents with no fan, only the force from being driven. like having a window open. when you use the manual fan control and turn it down to the lowest setting, it is still fan driven. one setting lower, and all the vents close, no air at all.

did i mention that i love this car?

 

Yes, exactly! Fiddle with the a/c buttons and you will see that there is a wide variety of settings!

You did, and I absolutely agree!