Does anybody drive a Mini?

[PremierLynn]

Would you recommend one?
I've never driven one, and only ever sat inside one once.
I'd obviously test drive one before purchasing, but just want opinions beforehand. TIA

My friend has a Countryman. She loves it. Im a BMW girl and I have to say I'd get a Countryman, it doesn't feel like a small car, you can get loads in it and it drives brilliantly

@Touloser

Everyone I know whose had one HATED them, and got rid a lot more quickly than they had planned. Frequent reliability issues, interiors got tatty very quickly and expensive for what they are.

Really? How weird, total opposite experience for me and my friends & colleagues! Mine is ancient but super reliable and fantastic to drive, dh often nicks it if I'm not going anywhere as it's way nicer to drive than his boring 'Dad car' apparently.

The other thing I love is how they still look super sleek and nice when they're old. Mine is nearly 20 years old and looks great, another similar aged car would normally look really tatty and dated.
People have commented on my 'flash car' Hilarious as it cost £800

When my current beloved one dies I'm definitely get another one!

I have the 5 door cooper, 3 years old. Absolutely love it! Felt really solid and a pleasure to drive so I was hooked from first test drive. Boot isn’t massive but i don’t need it that often so not a problem. Would love to get a Clubman next, those doors at the back are fab.

Love my countryman s! Before that I had a mini cooper s which was also lovely but didn’t do any long drives in that because it basically had no suspension. For me, the countryman is perfect as it is comfortable like a bigger car but nippy like a mini.

Nope. I had a mini convertible for years. Looked great but the suspension was so uncomfortable. When I got my next car comfort was much higher up the list.

I currently have a loan car which is a Mini Countryman, it’s a special edition John Cooper S thing with a double exhaust. I know nothing about cars so I don’t know it’s spec etc. It’s lovely looking and nippy, nice to drive, super stylish inside. The boot is very deep - amazing for shopping, gets kids scooters in but would struggle with a pram I think.
The only reason I can’t wait to get rid of it is that it is SO THIRSTY for petrol. I don’t do loads of driving but I’m constantly at the fuel station filling it up, it’s a nightmare!!! So check the fuel economy!

Treated myself to one 2 years ago. I loved it, really fun to drive. Had to get rid as I struggled with reverse gear due to arthritis.
Gave it to DS who is 6'4" and he loves it.
Boot is tiny.

We downsized from our clubman thinking our dses wouldn’t travel with us much, if ever, now they are nearly 19 and 17. They did both travel 130 miles with us to see family in July and both said it was fairly comfy in the back.

Boot isn’t the biggest and we couldn’t have gone on holiday with more than one ds, wouldn’t fit the luggage in but neither came so all good.

Definitely not a car for a family with little children, we downsized from a Ford Galaxy to our first Mini. I love the Mini so much more though.

I love mine. Cooper s race tuned. No boot. But there’s usually only me and the dogs so that’s ok.

Want a JCW Next.

I had a 2007 Mini Cooper convertible. I loved it! Ok, boot is small & it's not very economical, but it's a great fun car to drive. I recommend them 👍🏼

I've got a 2020 Cooper 2.0 Sport. I love it. Great to drive around town and on long distances. Had the Cooper Diesel Sport before this one. Although I loved it too I prefer the petrol one. Much more responsive.

I had a mini 2015, I loved that car so much!!! It was stylish, easy to park, fun to drive around and I had enough space. But ultimately I had to get rid of it because it was terribly unreliable. It left me stranded on the motorway in the pouring rain one morning and it had numerous ongoing faults that eventually took the fun out of it. I have read on some of the mini online forums that certain models from 2015 & 2018 have reported a lot of issues. It could be worth reading through them before you buy. I replaced the mini with an Audi Q2- I wouldn't go back!

I had one for about 7 years - absolutely loved it, my favourite ever car. Sadly agreed with DH we needed to size up after our child was born as the boot packing Tetris for all the baby stuff and the three door lean in with the car seat both felt like too much hassle. So we now have a giant and very boring car. But I would buy a mini again in a heartbeat if/when we didn’t need so much back and boot space.

I've had 2, both Cooper S. Bought my first one after using a friend's for 3 months while she was travelling overseas. Loved it! Had it for 7 years but the last 2 years it was in storage while I lived in Asia and when I came back, the sunroof had died and so had the aircon and it was megabucks to get them fixed. So I traded it in for a brand new Mini Cooper S coupe.

They don't make the coupe anymore (sadly - I got mine in the last month they were being made) but it's a 2 seater (so bigger boot instead of a back seat) and much lower. More like a sports car - I am constantly approached by men admiring it, and often get back to a car park to find men circling it and taking photos (seriously!). It's 6 years old now but under extended warranty so services don't cost me anything. Never had any issues. I do really look after my car though so it's pristine. Passengers say it's really comfy (including tall passengers - and I'm 5 foot 9 myself). It's not a car for the overweight (sports seats are comfy if you're slim but not so good if you put any excess weight on grr). The suspension is quite hard but I like that. I want to feel like I'm actually driving. I had a BMW 5 series for a few days and it felt like sitting in an armchair....and not in a good way! Horses for courses I guess.

I live in central London but often do long runs out of town (family in the NW etc). It's perfect for London traffic but speedy enough to fly up the motorway. Actually it's far too easy to speed in. It does also tend to attract nutters at traffic lights i.e. boy racers/men who want to race me from the lights and on the motorway (usually men who don't seem to like being overtaken by a woman I think).

The only downsides are 1) it's rubbish on muddy country road verges (it's too low). It's been fine on snow. My Dad prefers his partner's Mini JCW for snow rather than his Audi TT (which is horrendous on snowy hills). And 2) much bigger cars (I'm talking to you 4x4 drivers) like to try and cut me up because they think size matters and they can bully their way past when they don't actually have right of way.

l'm on my second Cooper S. I had a few problems with the first one which proved to be quite expensive. I got a new one 2 years ago and its been perfect (so far!).

Minis are my favourite car I've ever driven, wouldn't have anything else now. We've had one specific one which has been in the family since 2003 when it was bought new, was my sister's for a little while, then mine, then my mum had it and now my eldest niece drives it, learnt and passed her test.

It's only ever had the basics wrong, ie tyres replacing, brake pads renewed, etc. Never let us down once, nearly 20 years old. Starts on frosty mornings and amazing on diesel.

Think it has around 145,000 miles on the clock. Oh, and has never been serviced, not even once 😂😂

I have a diesel mini one - 2012 which cost me £3k last year. It has almost 100,000 miles on the clock, it’s fine to drive - I’m not a car person but my DP is and he thought it was a real bargain when I bought it. I get about 50-60 mpg so it’s super cheap to run, sailed through its recent mot with no issues. And it’s sooo pretty!

But yes. Boot space is shocking! And DD hates sitting in the back as it’s 3 door so she sometimes gets forgotten about! Luckily DP has an estate so we just go out in his when there’s more than 2-3 of us

We got a Countryman last year as a second car and love it. It's easy for me to drive around during the week, parking at the school and supermarket is a doddle and it's surprisingly big inside. I've even dropped DS off with his weekly belongings at his school which includes his cricket and rugby kit and it all fit in really easily.

DS will be driving it when he passes his test and admitted that's it's quite a cool car to be driving!!

I’ve had three but they were all the original minis, so not much use to you. Brilliant cars, wish they’d updated them to modern standards in the old shape instead of selling the marque to BMW.
First was an original Mini Cooper, extremely was one of the half timbered Mini Travellers, you started it with a push button & it had string instead of interior door handles ( that’s how they made them, they hadn’t broken off). Last was a gorgeous black Mini Mayfair that I had for over 25 years, bought new. I used to take my nanny goats, on the back seat with the cushion removed, to the billy on a farm in the next village to be mated.
Now I drive a Series 2 Landrover & a Fiat 500...... boring

Second...not extremely, sorry.

I've had a Mini One D for 18 months, love it. Live on the Pennines and it is brilliant in the snow, even quite deep snow.
Economical, nice to drive, nippy.
In the past, I have had an Audi A1 and Fiesta. I would take a Mini over those any day.

Cooper S here, great fun to drive, no problems at all, it's my second mini, first one was also fine, much nicer to drive than other small cars, boot is a bit small though

@TotoAnnihiliation

I've not tried with a pushchair, those days are far behind me now, the boot space in the countryman is pretty decent though.

[quote Shimmyshimmycocobop]@TotoAnnihiliation

I've not tried with a pushchair, those days are far behind me now, the boot space in the countryman is pretty decent though.[/quote]
Thank you. I've been researching the clubman and think I want a diesel, trying to convince my husband that this is a good idea 🤣