Not a grocery getter lol or a long road trip especially if you have back seat passenger mines is a two door so space is limited. But love the gas mileage and the speed lol

If you want a really enjoyable driving experience in a small, used hatchback in the US, you really only have six choices: the Mazdaspeed 3; the VW GTI; the last gen Suburu WRX and WRX STi or the MINI Cooper "S" and JCW. The Cooper "S" isn't the fastest, but it has that magical combination of "feel" + performance + design that's truly hard to beat. (I have excluded the Ford Focus ST and Fiesta ST, because they are so rare as used cars as of this writing). I drove all of them and ranked them as follows, purely on everyday driveability and that unquantifiable fun factor, as follows: 1. Cooper "S"; 2. GTI; 3. JCW; 4. WRX; 5. Mazdaspeed 3; and 6. WRX STI. Realizing that such rankings are highly personal and subjective, I won't bore you with all the variables that mattered to me, but suffice it to say, I purchased the MINI Cooper "S." I have not regretted the decision for one moment. It really is an amazing little car that rides and handles superbly.

Performance- The performance is amazing. Because the car weighs next to nothing, the little 4 cylinder can propel this car forward at a ridiculous rate. It also handles like a go-kart, there is a reason why this car was featured the way it is in The Italian Job. Build Quality- The car is built really well. Everything feels solid and there are no wonky plastic parts. Appearance- It looks like nothing on the road and with all the customization options, you can really make your MINI a unique car. The interior takes some getting used to but after using the car for a few weeks you will be able to use the controls blindfolded. Cost of Ownership- With a great maintenance program from BMW (who owns MINI) the cost of owning a MINI only boils down to tires and fuel. Unfortunately it runs on premium so your trips to the pump may be a little pricey. But considering it gets 40+ mpg, you wont be making those trips often. Fun factor- The MINI is so much fun. Both from a performance perspective and from a social perspective. Take a test drive to see what I mean about the performance. Socially you will experience a huge network of owners from all over the US.

The mini is cute and the S model has got the get up and go you want. My only issue was storage. It is really small. Not for a main family car. Singles and couples, go for it.

Bigger than it looks inside, handling is fantastic, love the gas mileage- 40mpg+ (highway). Fits in small parking spaces, comfortable on long drives. Visibility is great and I love the fact that the tach is in front of me not hidden someplace. A true driver's car!