So I'm looking at MINIs and decided I want either an MCS or MCSC... SO demands that I get an automatic so she can drive sometimes since she let me drive her MC... I finally cave to that request, and then I see an MCSC in the Marketplace (still waiting for a call back on that one) that looks great.

Now she's bringing up concerns about the safety of convertibles. Oh, you can't see out the back window, what about a rollover (Special Thanks to cabriopilot for mentioning to her that his head goes above the windshield line when he hits a bump in the road... ), etc.

And of course she's also bringing up the various "I'll be constantly sunburnt, what about someone ripping the soft top, you don't know how to take care of a soft top, etc etc"

Any help from the masses? Maybe I should just get a Kia instead

 

I've only had my MCc for about a week now, so I am far from an expert, but when I was looking that was the wife's concern as well. We have two young children, and her main concern was safety for them.

All I can say is that even with the top down we feel extremely safe and secure in the car. The kids in their seats all sit well below the roll bars. I would never do anything that might endanger my children, and I feel more comfortable driving them around in the Mini then I did in my previous SUV.

Of course, the wife loves the car as well so that helped in the selling process!

 

I had SoB (some other brand) convertibles for years and, yes, you will occasionally get sunburned - I kept a sunblock stick in the glove box and a hat in the boot for that.

You'll get used to your blindspot(s) and quickly learn to compensate.

The soft top isn't all that hard to care for (I even *gasp* would take it through the car wash 1-2 times a year to get road grime off the underbody!) There is the chance of someone breaking in through the top but I never really worried about that as I'd occasionally park it with the top down, too.

On the rollover issue, the risk for injury is probably higher but it was a risk I was willing to take. That's probably not the answer you want to hear but it has to be a decision based on personal comfort with the perceived level of risk.

 

MINI convertibles are quite safe. Yes, there are some rear visibility challenges - but that's easily solved with Multivex mirrors - I have no issues with knowing what's behind me. I DO back in to parking spaces whenever possible, so I don't have to back out into unseen traffic in parking lots.

A few folks have rolled their MINI convertibles (not an easy thing to do - don't get scared away by this - but it can happen with any car under the right conditions). Here are a couple of posts with pics and the story - in each case, the car did just what it should have done, and the occupants walked away with nothing more than minor injuries. One included a child in the backseat.

Nano

Boo

I routinely haul my most prized possessions - my two sons, 8 and 11, in the back of my car and am confident that they are safe... but there's no substitute for driving safely and defensively... and watching out for other drivers who aren't doing what they should be...

 

Blimey, I do note in both of those incidents, the top was up. I guess I just hope that the tensioners in the seat belts grab you well enough even without the top up, should the unexpected occur.

 

Frankly, it's gonna depend on how tall you are and how high your seat is set. If you're tall... with head near touching when the top is closed, in a severe rollover, your head WILL contact the pavement... in my case, I sit with my seat as low as possible and my head is well within the cabin... but if I rolled any convertible multiple times with the top down, I wouldn't be planning to walk away, frankly. I feel better about my kids, because they're nestled pretty far down in the back seat. Always highly likely that in a convertible top-down rollover you'll suffer severe trauma to arms - they go flailing beyond your control, and are likely to get crushed or worse.

So... IF you have a rollover, do you want to be in a convertible with the top down? Absolutely not. But I'm confident that my MINI is (1) much less likely to be involved in a catastrophic accident than a motorcycle and (2) the crash will be much more survivable than on a motorcycle. So for me, it's a trade-off decision. I'm willing to take the risk vs. the benefit. And I drive as if I were on a motorcycle (pretend I'm invisible to other traffic, yield to larger vehicles and stupid drivers on cell phones, actually train for emergency maneuvers, etc.).

 

By the way, in my household, decisions on what car I drive are not democratic.

Though, through proper selling skills, my wife thinks they are.

 

Point taken What can I say though, she has been nice enough to let me drive hers for so long. She never even drove at the dragon this year (though that was her choice). If I ever hear back on this MCSC, it's probably what's going to get purchased, that way I concede on the auto, but I still get something I want.

 

As others have given some good info about crash safety, I'll give some info for her other concerns.

To prevent sunburn, carry sunscreen. We keep it in the MINI year round. You never know when the desire to "go topless" will hit. Truth be told, we all should be using sunscreen a LOT more than we do anyway.

Getting the top cut: yes, it can happen, but...
I was in law enforcement for 13 years. In that time I saw one convertible top that was cut, and it was an act of vandalism(I mention that because many people have concerns about thieves slashing the top to gain entry to steal things from the car), and have no personal knowledge of any others being cut. I have always heard the "I know someone who knows someone who had their top cut" stories, but only have personal knowledge of that one incident(and that includes the 10 years since I left police work). If you compare that with the number of broken windows(including the sunroof), getting the top slashed is much less of a concern. I can't say it will never happen, but the chances of it happening are a lot less than you would think. You have MUCH greater chances of the car being keyed, tires slashed, door dings, etc. than having the top slashed. FWIW, my MINI cabrio is my third convertible with no problems.

Care of the top: I didn't know how to care for a convertible top when I bought my first convertible, and I didn't take the time to learn until I bought my MINI. But it really isn't hard. Use water to rinse the top. Don't use soap unless there are stains, then use a cleaner for convertible tops. I treat mine once a year with a convertible top protectant. That's the basics-and if I can do it, anybody can.

Now, step away from the Kia.

 

Blimey, thanks a million for the two links, very enlightening (albeit heartbreaking). Now I feel 100% safer driving mine.

I have owned numerous other convertibles, but the last one was a sobering lesson in the risks involved in driving one. I was involved in a frontal collision with a fully loaded semi, where the car was catapulted sideways and hit a tree sideways (right behind the driver seat), then rolled over in a ditch. I was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, which saved my life, as the top and windshield were totally crushed. Luckily for me, when the car hit the tree I was thrown through the driver side window... breaking the windows with my head and the b pillar with my shoulder; breaking my collar bone, but just scraping my head. My wife says it's the perfect proof I'm hard headed.

Anyways, to make the point, this car had no roll bars, and the top had really no structural support (just thin metal ribbing). It was a sebring convertible btw. I believe the visibility impairing roll bars and structural arms in the MINI's top make for a MUCH sturdier and safer arrangement, which is the reason I decided to still buy a convertible when I looked at the MINIs.

Sunburn. I have a very easy and fun solution. Start putting the top down early in spring, that way by june or july you'll have a nice protective driving tan.

As far as top being ripped, +1 with what Mishka said. It's far easier for thieves to break a window to get access than rip a top and try to go through it. I have heard of the occasional vandalism too, but my opinion the MINI is too cute and inoffensive looking to spark destructive thoughts.

And as far as top care, cloth tops are the easiest to care for. Water rinse (I confess I do use a mild soap on mine, since I get plenty of tree stuff and bird poop between washes) and a good fabric treatment. Some here may laugh, but ScotchGard is a very good treatment imo, as the top fabric is very much like a sturdy seat fabric. That's all really. Longevity wise, expect your top to last as long as your car (10 year minimum, 15 I would say average), barring mishaps. Do check for wear marks in the first few months to make sure the top is aligned correctly. Mine was misaligned and caused wear spots, and was promptly replaced under warranty.

Hope this helps and wishing you the best in convincing your SO.

 

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the
children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in
the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or
nothing.
- Helen Keller

 

Only way ANY convertible is "safe", is if you have roll bars set-up of some kind!

 

The MINI cabrio has roll bars... sort of... though not sufficient to satisfy racing standards. And, even with *real* roll bars / cage, you still need arm restraints.

 

In reality no car is safe so you might as well enjoy the wind in your hair while you are out risking your life

 

Amen, sister!

 

 

But then I've been riding street motorcycles for the last 25 years, so what do I know about "Safe"?

 

Blimy, make it two, my top on my Miata was cut to gain entry and steal cd/pocket change. Smashing glass makes a little noise, cut tops don't.
BYT I'm on my second rag top since that car!

The MINI seems to do well in crashes, for it's size, but it's not the same as being in a Suburban given the same accident.

wbarnhill, maybe a new so is the answer.....sorry just the standard dumb kidding.

 

Maybe I should go check out that gorgeous girls in minis thread I saw....

Say... how good is the cabrio at attracting women? I mean the MINI is already pretty handy, but a convertible, surely women flock to the driver, am I right?

 

I tend to agree. MINIs are plenty safe overall, but one still has to motor with care no matter what you drive.

 

Im havng to type wit 1 hnad as I beet women away with th othr.

PS: I have gotten a lot of attention in the cabrio (but I don't know how it would compare with a hardtop). . . but this may not be your strongest selling point to the SO for going with a cabrio

 

Yes, in the Suburban you are likely to rollover and be crushed by Chevy's cheap frame or suffer other injuries from their sub-par safety features.

I agree with Mrs Zoom though: you quickly get used to the blindspots (get a third party passenger mirror to make it even easier); the soft top is VERY easy to care for, you could take it through car washes all the time if you want just avoid the wax; I park my car quite often with the top down with
out issue; and it's pretty hard to roll over any MINI, but if you look through the forum you'll find a couple people who did and walked away without any major injuries.

But overall I don't think wbarnhill has a chance of convincing his SO. Of course the cabrio is not as safe as the coupe (especially since the R56 mini is a little safer than the older MINI) but it's certainly not as bad as a lot of other cars on the road. You have to be willing to compromise a bit to drive any cabrio, even a hard top cabrio. I feel relatively safe in mine, but if I were really obsessed about safety I'd probably buy a 330i.

 

On the ripped/cut top topic, I live in LA, have had 3 stolen cars and a number of break-ins, though none recently. I've owned 7 convertibles over the years, and not once has any top of mine been vandalized or damaged in any way. Like Mishka said, I think it's rare.

Regarding child safety, I have no qualms putting my two young boys (6 and 3) in the back seat. As BC said, they are so low in the rear-seat well, I don't think anything would happen to them that wouldn't happen to them in a tin-top.

Top care: easy. I use a lint roller for quick cleanups and the Griots top cleaning kit for serious cleanup. The Mini top is a heckuva lot easier to clean than any of the others I've had.

Helen was right. So was RWE - "As soon as there is life, there is danger." And from there we segue into a certain immortal line from The Shawshank Redemption...

 

So in addition to all the other comments about safety, etc...she has her own MC right? And she wants to drive your new MINI, whatever it may be, occasionally...

I don't know. You should get what YOU want and she can decide if she's comfortable with driving it occasionally. If it were going to be my all-the-time driver, I'd be making the decision.

And the fact that she only wants to drive it occasionally makes it even more of an "in a blue moon" safety issue kind of thing.

Unless she's going to be contributing to the payments, then, you know, whatever

 

Being the owner and driver in one of the above linked incidents (Boo) I can tell you the seatbelt indeed will hold you in your seat. We landed with the car laying on the passenger side, so basically I was up in the air, held tightly in my seat by the seatbelt.