One for the Mini fans - 3 or 5 door Cooper – which car should I choose?

[Undecided234]

Hi,
I’m looking to buy my first Mini after having had to scrap my Peugeot 206cc but am stuck on which model to go for. Have done as much research as I can, definitely want to go for a Mini, and did a test drive of both the 5 door and 3 door Coopers this weekend but much to DH’s annoyance I’m struggling to commit to one over the other so was hoping anyone with experience of either size (or perhaps both) might be able to assist as am feeling rather under pressure to get an order in.

It would just be me using the car for the most part but I would occasionally have a couple of passengers. I’m not the biggest fan of driving and find it pretty stressful so am all about trying to make life easier if I can by sticking to a small car. As a result DH feels I’d be better off with the 3dr.

According to the dealership the 3dr is easier to park and manoeuvre into small spaces due to it's having a shorter wheelbase than the 5dr, and looks wise I do prefer the 3dr as the 5dr does seem a little long.

What’s holding me back however is having had a 3dr car for almost 15 years, I can’t deny there were occasions where I missed the practicality of a 5dr. I’d also like to keep the car for as long as possible so if I’m lucky enough to conceive in the next few years part of me feels the 5dr might be more sensible (but equally appreciate from previous posts I found that a 3dr Cooper plus buggy and car seat is doable).

I know it’s ultimately a personal choice but it’s a good chunk of money for me to be spending hence would appreciate any advice. I think I’m worried if I go for the 3dr I might regret not having the practicality of the 5dr, but equally could see myself regretting not going for the 3dr on the basis it’s the easier the two to park/manoeuvre etc.

I’d always opt for a five door car and if you’re aiming for a baby, a must. I found the boot only big enough for shopping.

I have a mini cooper 3 door and it's a great car, but totally impractical if you have a baby. Admittedly I have the 2 seated one so there is no back seats anyway but on the mini owners fb site I'm on so many people are getting rid of their minis once they have children.

Research properly if you are going to get a mini. I absolutely love them, have had a few, but they are notoriously unreliable, prone to leaks etc (depending on what model you have) and can generally turn into money pits. Are you getting a new one?

5! The 3 has frameless windows. So they drop when unlocked to open the door... icy weather = utter fear of the window cracking or having to de-ice to get in 68 plate, so may have changed?
But I do think 3 door looks best!

Run flat tyres are also a nightmare in cold weather! Constantly triggers the 'low tyre pressure' warning.
As someone said. Money pits
Im convinced thats why they have mood lighting to ease the anxiety of owning one 🤣

if planning a family I would get 5 doors then book a half day with a driving instructor in it to eradicate all nerves about parking it every which way.

Not an owner but have been a passenger for many years as my friend loves minis and has had 4 of them I think.

The 5 door is much better for getting in and out from the back. If you want to have kids, I'd definitely go for the 5 door on that basis. Manoeuvring the seats and seatbelt to get in/out the back of the 3 door was a hassle.

5 door. Easier to get in back, shorter doors overall making it easier to get them open wider in narrow car park spots.

i have a 3 door, I just use it for local myself
Anything on motorway etc partner drives

I love how nippy it is to park and it handles great
I gave sat in the back myself 5.2” and don’t find it comfortable for an adult
If the back seats are down there’s enough space for quite a bit

If I had a child , I’d definitely get the 5 door
so much easier to get in and out. Nothing worse tge having to put front seat forward and bend to reach in the back.

size wise, it will feel bigger but after a week or so you’ll be used to it. Just matter if time

If you can get the five door that sounds like it's more practical long term. The size of a five door isn't going to be much different in terms of driving and parking. Can you get parking cameras on the new one for reversing if that is going to make you more confident.

I love minis and had a three door. Sadly I had to admit it was too small for my lifestyle and get a five door car

I really want a countryman 5 door cooper

I have the 5 door as our family car .. it's considerably bigger than the 3 door . I get loads of tall people and stuff in it .
I'd love a convertible but it's just too small !

I had a 5 door Countryman Cooper S and it was fab. Lovely car to drive and surprisingly spacious

If there’s any chance you are planning to use the back seats, get the 5 door. There is bugger all leg room in the rear of the 3 and access is awful. Fine if you never use them or they’ll be used v rarely by kids who don’t need car seats but baby/toddler seats will be a frigging nightmare and your back will be crippled.

You’ll soon get used to the slightly larger dimensions and will barely notice them from a parking/driving point of view but they’ll make a big difference to the longevity and usability of the car.

1. It might feel big the first couple of times driving (but any car would at first), but you would soon get used to it. It's still a small car and the practicality would swing it

5 door here. I love being able to open the back door and sling my bag in and the dses are adults so they need a bit more space in the back.

Its easy to park, I love mine.

Like a PP, I’ve had a 3dr but didn’t use the back seats, they spent the entirety of my ownership folded down. In that state, the boot space is absolutely massive (surprisingly so). The standard boot was too small for me after a lifestyle change but I didn’t want to get rid of the car. Obviously, the downside is that it is a two seater in this scenario. That didn’t matter to me as I rarely needed to carry more than 1 other person.

I bought a mini cooper 3 years ago. It was 3 doors and a thing of beauty. I had wanted 5 doors but this ticked every other box and had top spec.
It was a joy to drive apart from reverse gear which I struggled with, partly due to arthritis but also they are notorious for reverse being tricky. Thìs was the readon I got rid of it.
The only thing I disliked about that car was that it only had 3 doors. I had never had a 3 door before, DC grown up so no passengers. However I just really missed being able to open the rear door and throw my stuff in there.

I gave the car to DS who was completely unbothered by it's lack of doors and in fact has recently bought a cooper s which is only 3 doors.

Thanks so much everyone. Am now leaning towards the 5 door based on your comments.

I've had 2 minis and I've only ever had 3 door. But my DS was much older when I bought my first one. The boot is tiny so I doubt you'd get a stroller in there.

I still love it! Cute as can be!