Anybody drives Mini Cooper? Do you like it? Does it break down often? Is repair expensive compared to Honda Civic or Mazda 3? I must be experiencing mid-life crisis. I really want this cute car next after selling our old Infinity.
Get a (slightly used) Leaf. I do not get Mini at all. Not enough wroom, not safe enough, not fuel efficient enough, and cost more than comparable cars. It is neither sexy nor practical.
Yes, it is a midlife crisis… if you have to get someone’s approval… 
just buy it.
I had one of the Mini S Convertibles - bright red with black racing stripes, S (turbo), stick shift - for about 5 years. Very fun to drive.
When I got it we lived about 20 minutes from a Mini dealer. Less than 2 years later, we moved to an area where the closest Mini dealer was a 2 hour drive. Since the cost of repairs and maintenance was part of the price of the car and all those repairs and maintenance had to be performed at the dealer, that was incredibly inconvenient. It wasn’t notably less reliable or have more issues than other European cars, but the 2 hour drive made every single issue maddening.
As for whether they’re practical, it depends on your needs. My husband is 6’ with a long torso so doesn’t always fit in small cars, but was fine in the mini. When I got it, I had a 1 year old and a 5 year old and drove it until they were 6 and 10, but both their car seats fit in the back and since little kids don’t need much leg room that was fine. It was slightly less convenient to get the younger one in and out of the back, but not a huge deal. The trunk isn’t huge, but was big enough for groceries or any normal errands. For me, the main reasons to sell it were the distance to the dealer and that I got into sailboat racing and wanted something that could tow my boat to regattas.
Bottom line, it’s a very fun car to drive around in. As long as you’re not far from a dealer, it’s no more trouble than owning any other European car.
@BunsenBurner Aaaaah you are so mean!! It IS cute!! I know it’s not practical… but it’s cute…
My husband and I are both going through this midlife crisis car search. He already test drove Lexus, BMW and Acura. I stopped him to test drive Mercedes. Now it’s my turn to try something cute!!
Anyway, don’t worry, we are test driving Mazda, too.
Is Leaf a Nissan car?
Well, if you are looking at Lexus etc. then no to a Leaf. That is apparently the best bang for one’s buck as far as practicality goes.
Want a really fun car to drive? Get a used Model S or a (new) Model 3.
My husband drives a Mini Cooper and loves it, but he really likes to drive. I think it’s a cute car, but I don’t drive it because it’s a stick shift (which I never learned well) and it doesn’t ride smoothly because the suspension is very tight. I can’t speak to its reliability because it’s only a couple of years old.
If buying new, they’ll be under warranty. If buying used, then try to buy one with a warranty. Once the warranty runs out on a BMW (Mini is a BMW), then repairs are expensive. Over the years, Mini’s have had poor reliability records.
BTW, I have never owned one.
For newer cars, 2014-2016, Consumer Reports “Predicted Reliability” is 2 out of 5. “Owner Satisfaction” is 3 out of 5. The original looking version is a great looking car. The variants don’t look that good to me.
Good luck.
I SO wanted a Mini Cooper from the first time I saw one years ago. But I test-drove one a couple of years ago and was very disappointed. I’m fine with a stick-shift, but overall, it wasn’t comfortable to drive. It seemed jerky and hard to manage, maybe for the reason described above. I’m hoping it will be improved upon because I would still love to have one as a zip-about car once my daughter goes off to college in about three years. .
@Mom2jl Thank you for the info. So your husband loves it… I will see how smoothly it drives when I test drive it. I also want to know about reliability. I am trying to get a used one.
@BunsenBurner I will check out Model S. I don’t know what that is, but thanks. We are strictly looking at used cars! (cute and reliable used cars!)
Ah. Used, cute, and reliable. Here are the parameters! Minis do look cute.
How about… a new Subaru? Everyone in Western WA drives one! :))
I got a yellow Mini Cooper when she was in high school. It was a stick shift. She loved it. We never had any problem with it. She had it for 4 years. It was under BMW’s maintenance warranty, so we didn’t spend any money on maintenance. She cried when she we returned it (leased).
I tried a Mini, but the car didn’t fit me at all. I couldn’t see out of it properly (5’4”).
I drive an Audi S4 now and couldn’t be happier.
Love, love, love my Mini! After 25 years of minivans and “mom cars”, I now have a fun car. It has lots of pep and more room than one thinks. No problems other than routine maintenance. My only issue is that granddaughter’s rear facing carseat is a pain.
Love my Mini! We had one a couple car cycles ago but then the kids became leggy teens. Now that they are out/driving, we are back to a Mini!
We purchased a used Mini Cooper 6 years ago. There was a bit of a learning curve, because just about everything is in a different place than most other cars I’ve driven.
It’s fun to drive, and we haven’t had any major repairs or issues for our now 9-year old car. If you need to park in small spots, it’s handy. Now that we’re empty nesters, it’s perfect for the two of us and groceries fit just fine in the back. I have been in the back seat, but it’s definitely better suited for two (ours is the 2-door version). Ours is also automatic transmission.
My H said he got it for me, but he really wanted it for himself.
I’m laughing and getting a kick out of you car people! When I got sick of my mom car, I bought a Subaru Outback. I’ve never wanted to spend more than necessary on transportation, but I do like comfort!
My H has had three. Two five doors and one Countryman, all John Cooper Works. He loved them all but he’s a car nut and changes cars often. Gave one to one of our sons-in-law and traded two for a new car. Never had any breakdowns. And as for room? He’s six foot three with very long legs and never had an issue with headroom.
I’d love to hand in my minivan for a Mini, I’ve wanted one forever. Stick shift is a plus IMO.
@oldfort She cried? Oooooh, how sweet! It was heart-breaking when I said good by to our old Infinity. We bought it used so we didn’t care my D scraped it and dinged it. I taught her how to drive in it, we commuted together in it. I had so much memories with her in that car.
@my-3-sons, @carpoolingma It’s nice to hear from the people who actually drove it many years and loved it! I desperately want to avoid “mom” car because I don’t like it and my D will be sharing my car when she comes home for summer/winter breaks.
@my-3-sons I wouldn’t dare try to fit the baby car seat in MINI, though. Did it actually fit?
@BunsenBurner , @Massmomm Oh please. Western Washington is full of Subaru!! I don’t mind it but want to avoid it just because everybody is driving it around here.
@milee30 @alwaysamom Good to know! My H is 6’ and he is worrying about how he will fit. He doesn’t want to look like a clown getting out of a clown car.
@milee30 Do you have to take it to dealer? I have a good mechanic who always takes care of our cars. Is MINI too specialized?
@mathmom stick shift is a plus? Wow how brave. But I did notice that many MINIs have manual transmission. I wonder why.
Wow. Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I was somehow expecting lots of complaints and issues so I’m pleasantly surprised with many positive reviews!
Hard top or convertible? I love the idea of the convertible. I guess it’s part of the midlife crisis thing. It just looks so cool to drive with the top down on a sunny beautiful day. But…I don’t know how practical it is in Seattle. Does it contain heat well in the winter? I’m always cold so it’s a concern.