Anyone here own a MINI Cooper?

my husband has been looking at one for about a year...but I have one question...

Is this a car that can be driven every day on long commutes? Would it hold up in the snow????

I have to be the voice of reason because I don't want to end up with a car that is only for driving on nice days....

I think there are better and cheaper options. Just an opinion.

Riding in the back seat should be limited to those Bush wants to torture.

but ever since we traded in his sports car (Ford Probe) for a station wagon when our son was born...he has never gotten over it...

The Probe was appropriately named because it should have come with a jar of vaseline because the damn thing was nothing but a money pit ....and I was glad to be rid of it...

I have a 1994 Infiniti G20. It has 4-wheel disc brakes, totally independent suspension, etc. It handles like it's on rails. It also has 4 doors. :) Today, the Mazda 3 and other small cars have the same equipment, and are a lot more practical, while still being somewhat sporty.

It was great! It was like being in grown up seats without being grown up! I could touch the floor! Admittedly I was 10 at the time.

My grandfather had it for a time as a family car - a Mini Traveler. He was 6'ish and not exactly small. My grandmother however is 4'10 and my aunt is 4'11 (give or take a few inches either way) and of course the size suited them just fine.

I do so want an original Mini. Not the BMW creation, except as a commuter car.

Mark.

but I would be terrified of getting into an accident with a big SUV. I can't imagine the mini coming out okay.

but apparently it isn't sexy enough...

From Crazy People. Funniest movie ever.

We live in Mass so we know snow and it actually does a lot better in it than we thought it would. Fresh tires do seem to help the handling a bit. It's not going to handle like a 4WD but it handles really well for a 2W. (Rumor has it they may be introducing a 4WD though so you might hold out for a bit or investigate their web site to see if that's true.)

Re: comfort on long commutes, I love it. Of course, we're both pretty short but there's an awful lot of room in the car so I think even taller people would be pretty comfortable. The seats (heated!) are very comfortable.

I don't suppose you know anything about Subaru Forresters do you? (My Tracker just gave up the ghost after a few hundred thousand miles and I'm in the market again.)

when we were looking for a new (used) car. They both are really great cars. We ended up with the Outback because that was the first one that became available at Carmax but I think we would've been just as happy with either choice. If you're looking to buy one used, I highly suggest buying one of those consumer report magazines. It talked about each model and each model year and really helped us decide. The only problem is that it can be hard to find a used model because they are so popular. Now I know why.

We are THRILLED with our 2001 Outback. Outbacks and Foresters are great compromise cars if you need a vehicle that can carry a lot and handle winter weather, but you hate the idea of a mini van or giant SUV (sure, the Forester is considered an SUV but it's not like those hulking monstronsities you see on the road). They hold just as much if not more than an SUV but have better gas mileage and don't take up two lanes or two parking spaces. They handle great, are comfortable (although they are problematic for folks over 6 feet tall, definitely NOT an issue for me and my husband), and are super reliable. Nobody who rides in our car can believe it's 5 years old with 50,000 miles on it. I wish they had a little better gas mileage but I try to make up for it by carpooling to work.

If Subaru comes out with a hybrid Outback or Forester in the near future, I would be ALL over that.

As I told my husband, my criteria for a car in order are: 4W/AWD, hatchback big enough to hold 100 lb dog + backpacks, low mileage (buying used) and price. I was actually saving for a new car but the Tracker has become unsafe to drive about $8,000 too soon. I need the room and the handling but have no interest in a hulking machine. I generally use public transport so gas mileage isn't the greatest concern. (Oh and yeah, we currently own a Mini and a Tracker - obviously height's not a big issue for us either. LOL)

Thanks again for the review.

if you go with a Forester. It sounds like just what you need. The other thing that convinced us was that the Car Talk guys on NPR really like Subarus. They know an incredible amount about cars so I trust their opinions.

Heard their show a week or two ago and some guy wanted to buy a hummer - they told him to buy 20 Foresters instead with that kind of money! LOL.

I also just finished reading Consumer Reports and it tops their list for small SUV's in '06 (not that I'm buying an '06) and is consistently on it's best bets list for used cars year after year.

I'm scoping one out right now - cross your fingers.

you just find another person, and carry it out of the snowdrift:) I would LOVE to have a mini:)

that it was a good thing it was small because even I could push it home (which I did - a lot.) :)

I love when he picks me up at the train station in this car. He puts snow tires on his and does _just fine_. :thumbsup:

Mini's do not heat up well, and they don't get the most traction in the snow. This is from my friend who had one in Snoqualmie Falls, WA - where it does snow 3-4 times a year.

He later sold his and bought a Prius - and was never happier. Same price, better mileage and heated up nice.

go for it...but then he gets all "oggly" for the MINI...

and got a pretty good safety rating considering the size, but I would be scared to drive one with the kid in it. That's just me.

How was your holiday? :hi:

hope yours has been very good!

:hi:

They appear to be much bigger on the inside than the outside.

I just switched from a 4WD Honda CR-V to a Scion xA. The Scion isn't as great in the snow, but it has FWD and does okay.

a his, 2005 Cooper S (supercharged) six speed manual transmission that handles like it is on rails. I have not had to drive it in the snow yet. But, I am very comfortable with the ability of the car in the rain. Mine also has the cold weather package which includes the heated mirrors and seats. It has been in the twenties a few days already and those heated seats are worth their weight in gold!

I am 6'2" and have plenty of room. In fact, I pull the seat up a bit from the full back position.

I have driven only one trip of any length. But I was very comfortable for the four hours that I was in the car. Had to take my wallet out of my pocket though. The car is perfect for two people. A third and fourth person sit rather comfortably in the back on the short trips I have taken with that many people. Just have to pull the seats up a bit.

My wife has a 2005 Cooper 5 speed manual transmission. Not the power that mine has. But I am amazed at it's ability to get on the highway and cruise all day long at 70MPH or so. It's fifth gear is very versatile to say the least.

In short. I love mine! and would recommend it to anybody that wants to drive a stylish, sporty car that is fun to drive.

Handles pretty well in the snow. Traction control and antilock brakes. She uses it everyday on a twenty-five minutes urban commute. She loves it. The heated seats are a real plus. Anyway, it worked fine in 9 inches of snow.

And the prius in snow? Are you kidding? I have had fatter tires on a bicycle, plus the tire pressure is so high it causes tons of wheel spin.

Had it for 3 years. I have no problems driving it long distances. I didn't like the way it handled the few times I drove in snow and I've had the option to drive a different car in bad weather. Other Mini owners have said that with the Blizzaks tires they don't have any problems and that is what I will have to do next winter.