Is it sensible to get a Mini?

[amymoo]

Just wondering whether anyone else has an old-style Mini (pre-2000, not the fancy new ones), and if so is it practical in terms of baby seats and being able to fit stuff in eg folded pushchair?
Baby due in November and need a new car now...I love Minis but have heard that you can't put child seats in them and I know the boots are really small. It would be our only car. Can anyone either reassure me or put me off?

[ivykaty44]

Would be a tight squeeze. I had a golf when my dd was little and couldn't even get a foldup buggy in the boot, the boot was not wide enough and i had to always put one of the back seats down.

[notasheep]

I could get dds baby jogger in my golf without putting the seat down
Having owned 2 Minis and 2 Golfs i would get a Golf

[JoolsToo]

the classic mini would be a struggle. the boot is tiny and squishing in the back to strap your baby in will drive you potty

[singledadofthree]

dont get a mini.

had a couple - a nightmare with a baby - couldnt even get a small buggy in ours. and is a nuisance with any 2 door - and a struggle to get to the baby in a hurry - get a 4 door.

old corsas are brilliant - mine cost 600 quid - have done 50000miles in a couple of years, is now at 150000 and going strong.

oh, minis are notoriously weak in an accident, dont get one.

[fairybit]

Hey, my father in law is a mechanic and I just love the mini! Sadly, he is not convinced at their reliability and says if I'm ever in an accident, then the way the car is designed, the engine is practically on my lap! For what it's worth, for reliability, he suggests Japanese cars (especially Toyota) as he says that they are least likely to come back into the garage to get fixed! Shell x

[harrypotterdies]

i have no idea why you would want a car that would make things difficult for you.

[nappyaddict]

you won't get a pushchair in the but unless you have a zapp.

my friend has a mini and the seat belts are rubbish. don't tighten very well and i will never put ds in there cos i just don't think his car seat would be very tight in there. the seats are narrow too.

[Moorhen]

Hate to sound like a doom-monger, but have a friend who has owned a couple of Minis and had a minor crash in each of them. They were both written off, just crumpled.

[RGPargy]

I love the old minis, particularly the clubmans. But i still wouldn't get one with a baby. No way!!

Deffo go for a four door.

[alicet]

I think they're lovely but NO WAY!!!!

Never mind the pushchair, babies need a ridiculous amount of stuff that you will never get in. A quinny zapp would probably work and when your lo was tiny could use the car seat on this frame but I personally think if this is your only car you would be mad. Especially with the comments others who have them have made about safety. I would DEFINATELY get a car with 4 doors.

At the other end of the scale we have a vauxhall zafira and its fab - never have to worry about whow much we're taking with us when we go away. Which is a BIG plus

[LittleB]

I had minis before I had dd and loved them, will get a new mini when dd is older and just needs booster seat and no pushchair. If you're set on a mini, how about a Countryman, they have lots of room in the back, just a bit more expensive. I also had Morris Minors and they are great, much sturdier than minis (outperform some modern cars in accidents as they are more solid, thicker metal, they are more spacious and still got loads of character and great fun, just check the bodywork carefully before you buy, or befriend a welder as they get lots of rust(like minis!) We always had minis when I was a child and we loved all the places to store things on our journeys, we could tuck away loads of food and games under the seats, in side pockets etc, but that was the days before car seats!

[NorbertStanleyFletcher]

I have a '91 mini, and don't have a problem with car seats. I have a zap so I can put the pushchair in the back. I love it.

however - I only travel to work and back (via school and nursery) on most days, and rarely do any distance in it. DH has a mahoooosive honda accord estate thing, and I use that if I need to do a large shop or need to travel any distance.

If it would be your only car I would regretfully say no.

(also DH is an aircraft engineer so fixing pretty much anything on a mini is childsplay to him, and they do need a certain amount of maintainance!!)

HTH

[Hulababy]

If only car I think a mini would be a truggle TBH. You'd struggle with the boot for a pushchair and the rest of the baby stuff.

I am hoping to get a Mini cooper S (new one) maybe next year but DD is now 5yo and it isn't our older car.

[Hulababy]

Golf much bigger. Have had two Golf GTis (mark 4 and mark 5) and both been fab cars. Also had a Golf deisel one for a short while too. Would receommend Golf, plenty big enough even for baby stuff.

[Hulababy]

However, 2 door cars not a problem with a baby. You just stand in footwell to do car seat, rather than strtching across. As I am retty short, footwell position is actually much easier.

[bagsundereyes]

A friend has a Mini, and this severely restricted her choice of buggy etc for her ds, as very little will fold to fit in the boot.

[amymoo]

Thanks everyone. Much as we thought, we'll probably have to go for something more sensible. I still love minis though!

[nappyaddict]

i find the footwell position easier too hulababy!!

in our 4 door car its a right faff getting in the front moving the seat forward so i can then stand in the footwell.