Honestly, the killer app is the sliding doors. I can get seating for 6+ and similar cargo capacity in a (very) few large wagons, but getting babies and toddlers in and out of a car with conventional doors is bloody awful. We only have one kid and we looked at wagons and SUVs soon after she was born. We would have paid…

Meh, rough interior, rough ride and I hear horrible things about their reliability. We considered, but went with a Mazda5 instead.

Some valid points, but lack of sliding doors and a 3rd-row are still deal-breakers. We came very close to buying a Jetta Sportwagon with the 6spd diesel and all-glass sunroof until we realized it only seated 5 and we really needed sliding doors to get baby seats in and out. Otherwise, a pleasure to drive, but not…

Valid point. I do miss my 32MPG average in the Mini

Yep, but how often is it fully loaded? I can count on one hand the number of times I've had all 6 seats in my Mazda5 occupied. It's the same thing as my Mini convertible: you almost never put people in the back seat but it's nice to have the option every once in a while. And really, how much spirited driving are you…

That's fine if you want to tow, but not all of us do.

Yeah, I kind of wish they'd made the stick an option with GT trim. Why would you want anything OTHER than leather seats with small children? They are KNOWN to spray various fluids everywhere! At least the mileage is identical with the automatic and it's still fun to drive.

100% agreed. I traded my convertible 2005 Mini in for a 2013 Mazda5 GT and I haven't regretted a thing. I wanted the stick, but couldn't get it in GT trip (which had the leather seats and fog lamps - must-haves IMHO). I'm glad I didn't get it as I'm much happier in traffic and the little mini-minivan is still…

Not quite - you claimed that all BMW Mini's should be failures. I'm not going to argue the JCW models, but the base versions get you most of the same fun for about half the price.

Hmmm, FWD, 4-seat convertible with manual tranny, gas-sipping engine and unmatched handling for around $20K. Show me something else like that on the road. and I'll buy it now. My '05 Mini served me well for 7 years with no serious mechanical problems (changed a belt and an ignition switch), looked distinctive, parked…