I have a dilema of whether I Keep my current car or replace it with a cooper. Help me decide...here's what I got & what's being offered...read on...

Mine
2005 BMW 325i
Black on black sports bucket seats
HK sound system
17" OEM sprt package rims
41K miles
1 owner me
factory fog lamps
Cooper being sold to me
2005 S red with stripes
Not sure on the name of the package but has 2 tone leather bucket seats (heated)
Factory sound system
upgraded 17" rims don't know the name but it's black
55K miles
Fog lamps in front of the grill with covers
1 owner too

Btw, I got 2 little girls that I will be hauling with me everyday. Thank you for your response.

 

I love my MCS, however its really only a two seater. My Son (12) does not fit very well in the back. He can ride in the back for a short time. But if its any distance he gets cramped.

 

I personally in your situation would probably keep the bmw. I don't have any kids and I like to have fun while I drive so if it were me I'd pick the cooper. bmw's are still really nice though so it's a hard choice.

 

Thanks for the feedback...the one thing my wife & I were thinking is that 10-15 years down the road (we've always kept our car even after we've paid it off until it quits running ) , my BMW would look nothing but ordinary whereas the MCS would still look good/classic/cute/...whatever you want to describe it. Heck, probably my daughter would have a blast then driving such a small good looking car.

One more thing though, how about maintainance down the road? Dollar for dollar, am I right on the presumption that my bimmer probably would cost more than the MCS?

 

No question about it. The BMW has more luxury features and has a more complex electronic system, leaving more room for something to break. Also, Consumer Reports (say what you want about them, but their reliability reports are pretty accurate) listed the 3 series' reliability as 3/5 (average), whereas the R56 MINI was listed as "well above average" (4/5 or 5/5, I forgot, someone shed some light on this). Hope this helps.

 

I know the MINI is tempting, but as a former multiple BMW owner, I say keep the BMW. A regular MINI is going to be fun to drive and definitely has a ton of personality, but I agree with a previous poster who said that it's really a two-seater. Your kids will NOT be comfortable.

Wait and when you can afford it, if you still want a MINI get a Clubman.

 

Your girls might quickly outgrow the rear seat of the MCS. Perhaps you might want to look at a Clubman which has much more room in the backseat.

CROC 411

 

Clubman is a nice option indeed but I haven't seen a used one here in Texas. Other than my bimmer, I've been using my mini van wiith my 2 little girls. How about a beetle convertible? I'm sure my husband won't mind driving one. His first car was a bug. We thought of keeping the bimmer & get a cooper but 3 cars & a bike is just too much right now. Thank you again to all of you who have responded. I gave myself this week to decide whether I trade my bimmer & get an MCS.

 

I'd get the MINI before I got the bug, just for reliability's sake. But to be brutally honest with you, you sound like you're in a situation where you are better off keeping the bimmer. I have two teenagers who ride in the back of my coupe, and they don't fit too good back there. That's why our other car is an SUV.

 

One thing that hasn't been even asked is...how tall are you?? The height of the front seat driver/passenger determines how much leg room is in the rear--the rear seats are decently comfortable if there is sufficient legroom which there isn't much as a 5'10" driver, and only gets worse the taller you are.

My MINI is a 3 seater at the moment---for my wife in the front passenger seat and my 4.5 year old in his own seat behind her in the rear.

Richard

 

Good question Richard...I am petite at 5'3 & my little ones are 3 & 8. I first drove a mini (the old one) when I was working overseas & I cannot forget how thrilling it was especially driving on a narrow road. My husband was able to drive a cooper when it first came out a few years ago. We passed up on the oppurtunity to get one back in 2005 because it was very hard to bring in & out of the back seat a baby carrier. This is the reason I bought the 4 door BMW. Now that my youngest can go in & out of the car efficiently, I started thinking maybe I can have my first choice back then. Trust me, looking at my bimmer in the garage this morning while my husband & I were giving it a bath, it's hard to part with a very good car. I guess my dilema is Cindy Lauper's aged old line..."girls just wanna have fun"...and I think the MCS fits the bill. What do you think?Thank you for the comments again. Isabela

 

My now 4.5 year old son has been motoring since he was 4 weeks old--first in my 2003 Cooper, and then in 2006, when I bought a used 2005 MCS.

The baby carrier wasn't that bad--especially because I loved my MINI so much---I was the stay at home Dad for the first year--and I eventually took him to work with me for the first two years before changing careers, lol.

The MINI doors swing wide, almost 90 degrees unlike most cars so access was pretty easy. Plus the front seat slides forward quite a bit giving decent access to the rear...regardless you're past that stage.

When we go on long trips and I'll have my wife drive--she's 5'5--there is plenty of legroom for me to sit behind her. Not quite the same when she sits behind me though.

Anyhow, now that he's 4.5, he happily sits in his car seat and puts on the harness by himself, as well as removes it by himself. I recently installed an LCD monitor in the passenger headrest and installed a small portable DVD player so that I can "feed" him DVD's on long trips. He has his own headphones, and I've taught him what an acceptable sound level is, lol.

Kids love MINIs and you will too. As far as whether the repair costs are higher or lower on the MINI compared to the BMW?? It all depends. A well maintained MINI doesn't need much maintenance other than the standard stuff. I've got 89,000 miles on my '05. I drive a lot--with 5,000 miles a month. Every morning I take my son to preschool and he loves telling his friends about the MINI--I'm the only one in his school with a "compact car"--everyone else arrives in SUV's, minivans, etc....the parents always comment how nice my MINI is, and the father's tell me they wish they were driving something more fun. =)

Richard

 

Thanks for your info Richard. As I type this, we are on our way to test drive the MCS. I guess bring my entire gang we'll help me decide which way to go. I'll keep you posted. Wish me good luck.Isabela

 

Richard, it was a lovely Labor Day for my entire family today. I bought the car. My husband & I could not resist the fact how good looking the car is, handling was similar to my 325 & most of all, the kids love it! It has everything that I wanted in a cooper. I am so thrilled of finally having one. The only time I recall being so happy like this about motoring was the time I got my driver's license. Happy times are here again. I need to spend more time reading on this forum so I cane get up to speed....before that, I need to go to my garage again.Cheers...Ibabela on a yellow coop.

 

How awesome!! Congratulations!!! Come hang out in the Detailing101 forum for tips on how to best maintain your paint finish and keeping it looking better than new. I've also written many writeups on maintaining and installing mods...from bike racks to brake pads--they are stickied in the First Gen: Interior/Exterior Mods

Also be sure to post some pictures of your new MINI! Also a lot of NAMers are members of my discussion forum..www.ShowCarDetailing.com

Also, not sure if you're a member of Metroplex MINI www.metroplexmini.org

A gal that works for me just relocated from Texas.

Richard