Howdy all... I'm a newbie here just looking for some opinions! I test drove a mini for the 1st time ever last night, and thought it was a lot of fun. Am going back after the weekend to re-test drive and then perhaps place my order.

I'm just conflicted because I've never owned such a small car, and am apprehensive about it. I currently own a very functional, small SUV with plenty of ground clearance, cargo room and seating capacity. So I guess my question for the Mini-folk out there is how often you feel hampered by owning one of these. Do you often find that you can't bring stuff home from the hardware store or grocery using the Mini? Do you have trouble in winter weather because of the light weight and low ground clearance? Is it true that bugs hitting the car will chip away my bonnet stripes? Is the car comfortable for longer distance driving?

I appreciate the input, I value the opinions of people who drive a Mini every day... thanks!

 

owning a mini is all about fun. i really have not had a problem since buying mine a little over 8 months ago. snow has not been a problem unless its deep, and then its a problem for everyone. the winter handling is fine. front seat space is fine but riding in the back is limited. i never ride in the back -- so i could care less. i will tell you that i have never had a car that is genuinely more fun to drive-- owning a mini is all about fun, fun, fun.

 

I took delivery of my 06 MC April last year and love it. I traded my 4x4 Truck in on it and have not looked back. Great in weather and it likes long drives and have plenty of room to haul things....figured that if it was too big to fit then I would probably have to rent or borrow a truck anyways. My MINI loves to make Costco runs as well so load her up!

 

It's truely not an SUV
that's all i can say
Yes there are times when i would love to have a big SUV.
( hauling stuff or 5 feet of snow)
but those time are much less then the amount of times when i say
I love my MINI

 

You are about to get a bunch of answers that say:

NO
NO
NO, and
YES

Just realize that its not a SUV. Despite getting winter tires, its the ground clearance that matters in snow. Your not going anywhere if you turn into a plow.

As to hauling stuff, you can get a lot of little stuff in that hatch. Probably more than most trunks. But, your not going to haul plywood or 8' lumber either. If its your only vehicle, you need to consider what your true needs are.

If you need to hit Home Depot constantly with heavy loads and large items, well its probably not for you. If you can live within the limitations and have stuff delivered or a friend do the hauling, then you will be OK

Its up to you!

 

or if U have a cheap beater truck to haul the big stuff-- U have ot evaluate your needs. I wanted most performance bang for the buck (in 04) under 25K and the MCS won out hands down. So cheap beater truck does the stuff my MINI wont, like haul or winter driving, and I sail along with a big GRIN on my face in my perf car

 

Thought I'd pitch my $.02 in...

You didn't mention if you were planning on keeping your SUV if you went ahead and purchased a Mini.

I also have a smallish (yet very practical) 4x4 - a '94 Jeep Cherokee. Decided to keep it since it was paid off and hasn't had any mechanical issues. Figured I would drive it when the roads got really bad (I live in Alaska, afterall) or when I need to tow or haul something.

Here's what I've found:
1. No - I do not feel hampered by owning a Mini, even though I live in a fishing community where 4x4s and SUVs dominate the road. I love how my car stands out from the crowd. So far there's only 6 Minis on the road here, including mine... These cars will leave you with a "perma-grin"...yes...they're that fun!

2. So far, I have yet to run out of space for things purchased at the grocery or hardware store. The rear seats fold down and that opens up a ton of space. If you need to haul 4x8 sheets of plywood - rent or borrow a proper pickup...not likely you'll easily fit one of these sheets in any SUV smaller than a Suburban or Expedition. With a smaller car, you also learn how to pack it more efficiently. You'd be surprised what you can fit inside a MINI!

3. Properly outfitted with a set of studded snow tires (we get LOTS of ice here), the Mini is an absolute champ on winter roads! I couldn't believe it myself! Ground clearance can be an issue though - leave the Mini at home if the snow is deep and/or hard. You'll wind up knocking off the plastic pieces underneath like I did. I actually feel safer driving the Mini on slippery roads than I do in my Jeep - so I've been driving it a lot more than expected this winter! Just don't expect to plow through lots of snow in the Mini, and you'll be just fine.

4. The bonnet stripes are vinyl, so I'd imagine that bugs hitting it won't really affect it. They're easy enough to replace when the time comes.

5. I have yet to take trips longer than a couple hours in my MCS (I live on an island afterall), but I'd say YES, the car is quite comfortable to drive for long distances once you find your sweet spot. The sport seats are quite adjustable and offer lots of support. I love them!

I'm so glad I finally bought a Mini. After owning countless numbers of 4x4s/SUVs - I was a little worried about 'downsizing' to a Mini. I haven't looked back since buying my Mini, sometimes downsizing can be a wonderful thing!

Hope this helps!

 

I have hauled molding from Home Depot by putting the top down . If ragtops aren't your thing, get a roof rack, or a trailer hitch and a small trailer. When I gave up my truck, part of my logic was that being able to haul a lot of stuff was just making it too easy to get involved in the kind of projects that hurt a lot more now than they used to.

 

On the subject of long(ish) distance driving:

I regulary drive to Wales and back in the same day in my R56 MCS. This is a round trip of 740 miles. I'm 6 ft 5" tall and 250 lbs and have no isusues with comfort.

People here still see the MINi as small, in actual fact it is not small, much bigger than the classic original.

Seating capacity is for 4 only in reality and if you or the front seat passengers are tall, then not for too long.

On the other hand, the acceleration and handling are beyond the comprehension of SUV owners and will embarass people who paid a lot more for their cars.

 

When we got our first '04 MCS, we also had in the family a Ford Escape FrontWD, and, were a bit apprehensive about the MINI in the snow.

With the traction control, we were stunned that the MINI was better in the snow than the Escape! It would plow through anything, as long as the snow wasn't severely compacted.

My wife had complete confidence in the snow, it is a great car for that!

 

I had some of the same worries you had for about 10 minutes then changed my point of view. I have had my Mini exactly 1 month today and I can honestly say I love driving again. Did I lose cargo space? Yes. Can I carry a bunch of people around in my car? No. Is it a pain in the butt? Sure, sometimes. You learn to work around what you have for what you love. I have learned to be creative with stacking my groceries in the boot + the backseat if need be. My 4 1/2 year old rides in the back with plenty of room and loves every minute of it! There are trade-offs with the Mini but you have to figure out if you are ready to make some sacrifices to enjoy driving again. PS - Here's some pics of my groceries in the boot and this was a small trip! I actually got 12 bags in there last week

 

Ditto....I just LOVE my little car and I haul 40 lb bags of cat food and birdseed, etc. Have even laid down the seats a time or two for large paintings, etc. Where there's a will there's a way. For my MINI I will make a way. :-)

 

Thanks, I appreciate the responses, they've really buoyed my confidence in trading in my SUV. Of course, even once I place my order I have the long, long wait for my Mini! (The sales guy told me I may be in for up to 3 month wait...)

 

This really isn't the place to ask if you should buy a MINI, We all have them and love them, decided for yourself.

 

You need one of those t-shirts at SwagHappy www.groovysoup.com

You know the one that talks about "Truckonometry 101".

The size of your wheels.....

JPS

 

Umm, something's wrong with that link.

 

and it goes to the parent site. Try this:

www.SwagHappy.com and you are there.

JPS

 

Actually, the bugs bounce of the stripes ok, though the front end does get dinged up over time. That said, I'm ****, and it doesn't bother me.
My previous (ok, and current ) cars are a CRX and Miata, so the MINI actually seems big.
I've done 3K miles in five days, and 2,500 miles over a week, and the sports seats in the MCS were great.

 

You'll be amazed at what you can fit in your MINI! My husband's is our "weekend/date" car and we have made those Wal-Mart runs where you forget you don't have the SUV and overbuy---things like a "put it together yourself" 5-shelf bookcase. NO PROBLEM! It was probably comical watching us load all the stuff in the car, but it all fit and we actually made more stops and crammed more in.
I'll admit---it was a consideration in ordering a second MINI and losing the SUV. I literally put our two HUGE suitcases in our R53 to make sure they fit. It was at that moment I knew I'd go for the second MINI. They are just too much fun to worry about plywood (that didn't fit in the SUV either).

 

You might want to read a little on the Clubman -- what is it the R60?. If cargo room is important to you and you still want a MINI that one will be bigger. There is also talk of an AWD on the horizon maybe the R60 will be offered with AWD. I would say a combo of those features might be just what the doctor ordered. I have my MINI R56 for about 10 days and we just got about 14 inches. I would not even attempt to drive out of the mound I'm in. With a taller monster whelled vehicle I would. But it's all a trade off and as fun as this car is I don't mind digging out for all the fun I get once it is out. I do not expect it to be any worse than my Accord -- I actually expect it to be better. Lighter cars actually can be great in the snow because they don't dig in as much and get sunk. Look at the old classic VW -- it rode over everything. If you are expecting a MINI to haul furniture or large/heavy stuff naturally a MINI would be not be practical. No car does everything well.

 

I'm sure the Mini can haul enough groceries to tie a family of 4 over for 2 weeks, put the rear seat down and hit every aisle As far as winter driving, todays snow tires are awesome, so its another thing that shouldn't be holding you back.

 

I'm thinking about buying one also

 

this car is a genuinely fun car to drive. at my restraunt, there are alot of people (long beach, ca), who have traded in their trucks for tsuch a small car, and they loved it.

so it guess its just preference, ( i don't have one of my own but i will get mine in a couple of months so :P )

goodluck on your decision! if you get one pOST PICS :D and welcome to nam :P

 

If you like FUN, go for it man!!!