Hello all. I am a newbie here and I am here to gather inforamtion on the Mini Cooper. I have admired this vehicle since they came out and I know have an opportunity to possibly get one. My wifes Honda Odyessy lease is up this year and I am currently driving an older Benz wagon that will become her car. I have been thinking about a MCS as it looks like a blast to drive, is efficient and is interesting in a world of sameness. I do have one concern, I have an 8 year daughter that I drive to school in the morning, I realize the Mini is supposed to be well, Mini but how does the back seat work in day to day use? I will try it out with her when I get closer to buying time but I wanted to get some feedback from those in the know.

Thanks!

 

Welcome to NAM, MDK!!! I use my back seat all the time with teenagers and adults...no problem. I'd bet you and your daughter would both get a ton of enjoyment out of an MCS. Having fun motoring...and in life...is a great thing to impart to the kiddos.

 

It is a tight back seat, but it is a real one. My kids (7 & 15) have ridden in the back and not complained (any more than usual - if they are already fighting before we leave, I have sometimes suggested we go in the van just to avoid worsening the situation by forcing them into close proximity). If you are dropping your daughter off, she will probably be in the back on the right. She can have plenty of leg room if there is no one in the front seat. The teacher will have to open the door and either the teacher or your daughter will have to tip the front seat back forward. No big deal - Get one!

 

I have always felt that coupes are a pain when you have kids, since it always seems to take them forever to get the heck out (and in). BUT the joys of the MINI make it all worthwhile. I say go for it!

 

i dont have kids but the back seat seems 2 work well enough so i think you will both be in good shape

just go take a test drive then u will really want one

 

I do not have kids of that age yet. I have 2 boys 3, and 1 and we take KPMINI everywhere, with no problems. Actually the mood of my 1 year is alway improved by just getting in, all smiles. I have no concerns about the back seat not being adequate.
Once you test drive you will understand, do as other suggest take your daughter with you. Good luck.

- KP

 

Sounds great! I have now made myself very impatient but I'll hang around here a little while learning what I can before itw ill be time to buy. I don't think I'll have one before the Dragon this MAY-I live in NC and know the Dragon well!- but there's always 08!

 

Welcome MDK!

The back seat access is easy enough that if you are looking for a departure from the boring sameness in the masses of autos, the MCS would definitely spice up your otherwise routine driving.

For a person who really enjoys sporty driving, I think the rear seat trade-off is an easily justifiable compromise. There are no problems with access to the rear seat of a Mini, per se. Craming anyone over the age 25 back there seems a bit forced, but certainly no issues with kids.

I occasionally haul children to school and though it's a little more work getting in and out of a coupe, the trip there is so much more fun. I have never met a child who doesn't love riding in a Mini.

Only "problem" that comes to mind is that the seat backs of the front seats in the '02-'06 models are made of plastic that scuffs very easily. Anticipate those getting marred up quickly. But hey, it's only the bottoms of the seatbacks. It doesn't bother me.

Go test drive these and if you love how they drive, by all means GO FOR IT!

 

Welcome to NAM!

 

We just ordered our first MINI after test driving with our 2 daughters - ages 3 and 5. They fit back there with the car seats. It's not luxury, but it works. The biggest problem is for the kid that is sitting behind me - the tall adult with the seat almost all of the way back.

We reason that we rarely put 4 of us in our small car now - we have a CRV for that. I can take 1 kid easily and my wife can take both of them comfortably and if the other car isn't working (or we are trying to have some fun), we can squeeze in.

 

Maybe it's because I have a great kid, and maybe it's because I bought a car that I wanted (and 'eff' everyone else), but my 14 year old rides in the back (when my wife is in the front seat) with no problems whatsoever. In fact, I took my daughter and THREE of her 15/16 year old friends home from school last week. It was very tight but they were cool with it.

Zip

 

In my experience, when you're young you'll pretty much do anything. I think we managed to cram 8 folks in my Sentra at one point back in college.

 

Ha ha, yep. When I was much younger, I was one of 11 people in a Vega hatchback. =o)

Zip

 

It sounds like they(BMW) have manged to maintain one of the early mini qualities-a decent size interior. Other than scuff seat backs I've heard nothing negative about the back seat. I read a Pete Egan piece recently in Road and Track- Pete had a BRG MCS and sold it, one of the reason he cited was the back seat but he was speaking in term of adult friends not wanting to ride in the back more than once. He ended up getting a Pontiac Vibe and missed performance so much that he also got a boxter S-I can imagine the back seat of the vibe is all that bigger-it just has it's own doors and the boxster has no such thing so maybe he just got tired of his friends!

 

Hey MDK,

I have never felt cramped in my MINI. I am a 5'11" avid runner and cyclist (bicycle, that is) and the Mini suits me just fine. I use an OEM bike rack for hauling bikes. It's my daily driver, but I drive alone 90% of the time. A single passenger would be fine and likewise a child or two in the backseat. Adults in the back seat for more than a trip to the Cinema is way too cramped (depending upon the size of the adults, and the driver). Gosh, I had (polite) backseat comfort complaints wtih my 1997 3-series BMW coupe and later my Audi S4 sedan. The Mini has a little less rear seat room than either of those!

It is not a practical family car, if you need to haul four people regularly. It serves two people well, and has room in the back for one or two children. That is remarkable, considering that this little hatchback is often compared to 2-seater sports cars like the Lotus Elise. You wouldn't very easily pick up groceries and drop your child off at a friend's home if you were driving an Elise, S2000, Miata, etc.

Think of the Mini as a sportscar with a reasonable degree of utility. Your Mercedes wagon will now be the all-family/extra cargo hauler and the Mini will be the fun "sport-a-bout" with room for groceries and ONE passenger. If that covers your needs, you'll love it!

 

Hey MDK, it's me again.

Not to be a thread hog, but I forgot to mention that the ergonomics of the back seat and hatch are AWESOME! From the outside, you can quickly and easily remove the parcel cover, fold both or either seatbacks forward and be cargo ready. it is just as quick to do the reverse. There are other vehicles out there, particularly ones made in Sweeden, that are so complicated and time consuming when doing such simple things like folding the rear seats forward. For example, couple years ago I test drove a Saab. It had tons of rear cargo room, but to use it, you had to make sure both front seats were slid forward before you could release the rear seat bench and roll it forward into the footwell behind the front seats, followed by taking off the rear seat headrests, followed by moving the rear seatbacks forward, followed by rehanging the rear headrests into a special holder... Meanwhile, you had to have have all five doors open before this rubics cube excercise was finished! The same proceedure in the MINI takes 15 seconds! This really matters to me, as I use the hatch and foldable rear seats daily.

 

Welcome to NAM!! In 2005 we drove our Mini on a 2800 mile trip with my wife and 15 year old Step-Son plus luggage. It garners a lot of attention in small towns and rest stops. My Son thought it was really cool when we stopped at rest areas and all the young girls came around to check out the Mini. If you get one you won't regret it. This is our second Mini and love it!!!

06MCS/DS/B

 

Thanks for the welcome everyone- good info too! Hey Dimini what kind of bike? road or mtb? I'm a old roadie myself that really needs to get back on the bike! I've got a Wilier Treistina Alpe du Huez with Campy record/FSA crank, campy wheels (old protons) and Deda bars/stem. I've got an old Trek rigid MTB as well and an older Viner that I am slowly converting to a fixie. I am also planning to get the roof rack-bike mount. If fact I found a used MSC with the rack but it might be a little too early to get out of the van lease. The benz was bought with the intention of becoming the family wagon so your right on.

 

WELCOME TO NAM

 

Hey MDK,

Regarding cycling, I'm the ultimate dinosaur... I was a pretty good CAT3 back in the days before LANCE (remember that TacoBell guy-- LeMond? ). At heart, I'm not really a Roadie, though. NORBA suits me better. Being on a Mtn. bike is total freedom... A road bike is full of obstacles, like finding a route free of dangerous traffic, etc... but that's an entirely different thread.

Feel free to give me a p.m. if you have any questions about the Mini, racks, cycling, etc.

Again, Welcome!

 

Get one...It works fine with kids. I have a 5 year old whom I bring to school everyday...I thought it would be an issue. It's not. It's actually pretty easy. You are in striking distance if they act up too! lol.....

"Don't make me stop this MINI!!!!!"