Hey everyone, this is my first post here and am happy to be here. I am still in the market to getting a Mini. I am trying to convince my wife into letting me get one. How many of you use your Mini as a family car?? I have two kids, one needing a rear facing car seat and the other a front facing seat. I am just curious on the practicality of a Mini in this situation. I love the car to death and am eager to get one. Does anyone have any input on this??

 

I think it would be OK if it wasn't the primary car.
If you can only have one car, I think, with two kids,
I'd get a WRX....

 

A more practical choice would be a Honda Accord. I would not want to get two small children out of the rear of the MINI on a frequent basis. YMMV

 

Welcome, nlsmini!

I have 2 kids, both in front-facing car seats, and the MINI is working out great as a secondary family car for motoring around town...both seats fit in the back with no problem at all, and the MINI has lots of airbags and other safety features built in to make us feel secure enough in spite of its size. There is also room enough in the boot for trips to the grocery store and to carry an umbrella stroller or two.

I would not recommend it as your primary family car, unless you don't plan to ever take any vacation road trips. There is simply not enough space in the boot to carry all the gear you would need to take 2 toddlers on a 1-week vacation, for example.

Bottom line: a great choice if your other car is a minivan!

 

My wife and I have a two-year-old, and the MINI is our second car. The majority of the time I'm in it by myself, commuting.

The backseat handles a forward facing car seat easily. A rear facing seat may be more of a challenge, since they tend to extend forward pretty far. If the person sitting in front of the forward facing seat isn't that tall, they should be able to move their seat up far enough for everyone to fit. You might find someone with a MINI in your area, or go to the dealer, to test fit your seat.

I agree that it would be tough to have a MINI as the sole car for a family with two kids. We have a Passat wagon for out of town roadtrips with kid, dog, luggage, etc. The MINI is an ideal second car for commuting though.

 

yeah, this would not be my primary vehicle. it would be the car that i would commute by myself with most of the time, but on occasions, we may need to put the whole family in it. my thinking was also, that i would have the luggage rack installed on the roof so that i would be able to pack more for the longer road trips.

 

Get it then!!!

 

I consider my MC to be a 2-seater. Sure, it's got 4 seats but I've got both front seats all the way back so legroom behind is minimal. I'm single so it's all good with me

 

nlsmini...welcome to NAM!!! I'd have to agree with the overall sentiment expressed above. I remember having problems with a 2-door in general...it was fine when the baby was tiny (...and light), and it was fine when they were a bit older and could climb in the seat by themselves. In between though (...once the child got a bit heavy) I nearly threw my back out hoisting them in!!!!

 

>>My wife and I have a two-year-old, and the MINI is our second car. The majority of the time I'm in it by myself, commuting.
>>
>>The backseat handles a forward facing car seat easily. A rear facing seat may be more of a challenge, since they tend to extend forward pretty far. If the person sitting in front of the forward facing seat isn't that tall, they should be able to move their seat up far enough for everyone to fit. You might find someone with a MINI in your area, or go to the dealer, to test fit your seat.
>>
>>I agree that it would be tough to have a MINI as the sole car for a family with two kids. We have a Passat wagon for out of town roadtrips with kid, dog, luggage, etc. The MINI is an ideal second car for commuting though.
>>

Countrym (a fellow Novemberite) is correct. Our 8 year old fits best, 'cause she only needs a small booster. Our 5 yr old needs a full seat - which isn't fun to put in and out all the time. Like Countrym, we too have a Passat wagon, so it's not an everyday event. However, I note that my family (especially my wife) like to pile into the MINI far more than they did my 20 year old Accord.

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'04 CR/B MCS Prem, Sport

 

Welcome to NAM. I've had 2 people in the back on my MCS on several occasions without too many complaints as long as they weren't tall. The MINI is a very safe car and I think it's a great family car (of course I don't have kids yet so can't speak from experience). One piece of advice is to go with the plastic (letherette) seats for easy cleanups.

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IMHO, the MINI is a perfect commuter and substitute, short-term family mobile. We, too, have a Passat wagon for all around family duty. Next spring I'll be trading in my Maxima and getting a MINI for commuting (100 miles daily). On rare occasions, when the Passat is in shop, my wife will be hauling around both kids in the MINI. All four of us should fit OK despite the youngest girl being in a full car seat. In reality, most of the time if my wife will have the MINI it'll just be her and the two kids and that should be very comfortable.

I already thought it all through, presented it to the family CEO and got approval. Should there be an occasion where the wagon is unavailable and the MINI won't suffice, there's always car rental. I refuse to buy a larger car, truck, minivan etc. for hauling capabilities that I'll only need once or twice a year. Then the other 364 days a year I'll be stuck driving something that handles like a seacow.

AlexR

 

We have 2 MINIs in our driveway. I am married but we don't have any kids yet. These cars work wonderfully as "Family" cars. We often go out with my inlaws and they both love riding in the MINI (They are used to big American sedans). My father in law is over 6 feet tall and generally a big man. He loves to ride in the back of the car and no complaints. 4 people have travelled in the car for about 120 miles in perfect comfort.

My wife and I last month took a 2,800 mile roadtrip on her Cooper CVT from Miami to Williamsburg, VA and back. Not a single problem. the car is sooo comfortable in the highway it is incredible.


When you own a MINI you often wonder why the heck you ever bought that huge sedan or that useless SUV...

 

>>IMHO, the MINI is a perfect commuter and substitute, short-term family mobile. We, too, have a Passat wagon for all around family duty. Next spring I'll be trading in my Maxima and getting a MINI for commuting (100 miles daily). On rare occasions, when the Passat is in shop, my wife will be hauling around both kids in the MINI. All four of us should fit OK despite the youngest girl being in a full car seat. In reality, most of the time if my wife will have the MINI it'll just be her and the two kids and that should be very comfortable.
>>
>>I already thought it all through, presented it to the family CEO and got approval. Should there be an occasion where the wagon is unavailable and the MINI won't suffice, there's always car rental. I refuse to buy a larger car, truck, minivan etc. for hauling capabilities that I'll only need once or twice a year. Then the other 364 days a year I'll be stuck driving something that handles like a seacow.
>>
>>AlexR

Alex, I agree 100%. Most people based their car purchase on infrequent needs. If you ever need to haul that big table or piece of plywood, rent a truck from Home Depot for $20 a day.

 

My wife and I have a four-year old daughter who loves our MINI. Although we did not intend it to be our family car, it now is. We use it all the time. My daughter can get in and out by herself now though so it is much easier than if, say, you had to lift a kid out from the back seat. If I had to do that for two kids I suspect it would get old really quick.

 

Is the MINI a family car? Sure. Some familys may fit better than others.
If the driver and front passenger don't need to push the front seats back too far that will leave more than enough space for children up to mid to late teens. My 12 year old son and 16 year old daughter fit into the back if needed. All four of us will go for rides but nothing like 100s of miles (mostly because we are on an island not because I wouldn't do it).

Our other MINI is a MiniVan by Honda so if we have something too bulky or 5 people then we go to our second choice.

 

Sounds like you've got mini kids. They will fit in a MINI just fine. Now, just how big is your wife?

(Welcome to NAM, I'm usually nicer than this, really, ask anyone.)

God speed.

 

I have 2 kids 12,11 and they love my mini. The day I picked it up, I went to their school to pick them up as a surprise and ended up being the talk of the school. Their social status was kicked up a notch by having such a "cool" dad

 

>>A more practical choice would be a Honda Accord. I would not want to get two small children out of the rear of the MINI on a frequent basis. YMMV

Welcome to NAM! I agree with this or a civic sedan. But the mini is much more fun then any civic.

 

thanks for all your input fellas! i think the Mini will be perfect then. my wife is only 5'4", so having the front seat moved up a bit will definitely help, so that the rear facing car seat will fit. im with you guys on giving up the big oversized suv's. considering i really only USE the suv once or twice a year. if i need a big vehicle, i will rent one!

im convinced now, i am getting my Mini! :smile:

now, i just need to convince my wife! (much harder problem).

im thinking by this summer i will have my MCS! :smile:

 

nlsmini,
I'm not trying to be a downer, but I would bring your rear-facing carseat into the dealership to see how far forward one of the front seats would have to be to accommodate it. I can't imagine how it would fit without your wife being crammed right up against the airbag - not a good place to be if she'd prefer to survive an accident without serious injuries. 12" is the minimum recommended distance between airbag and passenger. The MINI is without a doubt the most fun car on the road, but maybe you should think about waiting a few years until the carseat isn't an issue. By that time, you'll get the Peugeot engine, convertible option, and maybe even some luxuries like functional sun visors!

By the way, I'm with you 1000% on buying a smaller vehicle that will address 99% of your needs. Maybe just not QUITE so small, for now.
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