Anonymous wrote:OP here again. All great feedback. We're a 1 kid family and plan on staying that way so backseat size may not play as much of a factor. Plus we live in the city so smaller is really better for us from a parking standpoint.

We're going to ride in one again this week and I plan on coming armed with a piece of luggage and a few grocery bags so I can get a handle on trunk space. And will ask about crash tests too in case any new data has come out.

If new data is out then NHTSA or IIHS will have it, the Mini dealer's not going to have any super secret crash test data that you can't find on your own before you go there.

OP here again. All great feedback. We're a 1 kid family and plan on staying that way so backseat size may not play as much of a factor. Plus we live in the city so smaller is really better for us from a parking standpoint.

We're going to ride in one again this week and I plan on coming armed with a piece of luggage and a few grocery bags so I can get a handle on trunk space. And will ask about crash tests too in case any new data has come out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just got a Mini (not the Countryman) and have 2 kids, 5 and 8. It is actually a pretty good family car, and it's surprisingly solid. I don't know exactly how it fared in crash tests, but at a certain point unless we're all driving around in Hummers, there are going to be some cars that are safer than others.

Anyway, it is as practical as it needs to be. We also have a minivan for hauling people and stuff. but if you're not doing that, I could see a mini working for an urban lifestyle.

Wow.

My first reaction as well. I only look at cars that fared well.

Again, let me clarify. DH did the research, and he was happy with it. I did ask him about it yesterday, and he said that the Mini got either excellent or very good (whatever the highest and second-highest ratings are) in the various crashes. He did say that the 2-door version fared slightly better, and would be better in a side-impact crash for someone sitting in the back seat than the 4-door version. He also said that newer cars in general are designed for the safety of the people inside, so for instance the cabin/engine areas are designed so the engine will not just be shoved into the cabin if the car is hit in front.

As far as reliability, there is some issue with the fuel injection that is different on a mini than on other cars, and it can cause some type of build-up that needs to be cleaned every so often. From DH's perspective, that seemed to be the biggest "reliability" issue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just got a Mini (not the Countryman) and have 2 kids, 5 and 8. It is actually a pretty good family car, and it's surprisingly solid. I don't know exactly how it fared in crash tests, but at a certain point unless we're all driving around in Hummers, there are going to be some cars that are safer than others.

Anyway, it is as practical as it needs to be. We also have a minivan for hauling people and stuff. but if you're not doing that, I could see a mini working for an urban lifestyle.

Wow.

My first reaction as well. I only look at cars that fared well.

Are you considering having more kids? I have a small SUV with two kids and am kicking myself that I didn't buy something bigger. Doing playdates/carpools doesn't really work when you can barely squeeze three kids boosters across the back. Believe me, when your kids start being invited to birthday parties at places like Bounce U in Rockville- you'll wish you had a car big enough for carpools.

Sorry, I cant you help you convince him. Its not a good family car.

2013 Minis come with 3 years of free service available at any dealer nationally, 4 years of free roadside assistance and a 4 year warranty.

Well, there may be some Mini lemons out there but this thread made me smile...

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/general-mini-talk/200315-do-mini-people-still-wave-at-each-other.html

Countryman is rated a Top Safety Pick by IIHS.

Anonymous wrote: MINI - biggest piece of junk! Still luv driving wife's MY10 S, fast, cute, good on gas - reiliable..HFNO. A Honda or Toyota with MINI problems is called a Lemon.


Look at the Ford Edge. Best bang for the buck.....

However if you buy a MINI, make sure you get a warranty. You will thank me later..lol

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/search.php?searchid=8735371

MINI - biggest piece of junk! Still luv driving wife's MY10 S, fast, cute, good on gas - reiliable..HFNO. A Honda or Toyota with MINI problems is called a Lemon.


Look at the Ford Edge. Best bang for the buck.....

However if you buy a MINI, make sure you get a warranty. You will thank me later..lol

Thanks for the Mazda 5 rec! I hadn't seen it before and it's pretty sporty for a three row vehicle.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We just got a Mini (not the Countryman) and have 2 kids, 5 and 8. It is actually a pretty good family car, and it's surprisingly solid. I don't know exactly how it fared in crash tests, but at a certain point unless we're all driving around in Hummers, there are going to be some cars that are safer than others.

Anyway, it is as practical as it needs to be. We also have a minivan for hauling people and stuff. but if you're not doing that, I could see a mini working for an urban lifestyle.

Wow.

*snort*

I originally wrote that, and now I see how bad it looks - the mini is DH's car, he did the research, and he determined that the safety was fine. But I didn't ask him specifics. It is obviously a small-ish car, but it is a solid car and it handles very well. Even though we live in the 'burbs, I think it would be a good choice for city driving.

I commute in a mini but have a large SUV too (we live in the 'burbs with 2 kids). I can absolutely fit both kids in the mini when I need to. Last week, while the mini was being serviced, they loaned me a countryman. It could totally be a family car!! It's huge! I agree with the PP who said its
"Too big to be a mini" but that's not the point if its your first mini with the intention of being a family car! I parked the countryman next to my MIL's Mercedes convertible and was shocked at how much bigger it was! Go for it, OP!

NHTSA recently tabulated complaints by car manufacturer. Mini was at the top. I think most complaints were about the power train.