I love driving the Mini. I've even raced them. I just don't want to own one. My neighbor has a Cooper S rocket. I've had to pick him up from the side of the road 3 times in two years because it broke down and left him strandad. The water pump gave up the ghost twice and the transmission failed when the car was 6 months old and had to be replaced. Luckily all these disasters were covered by the warranty but it's not a car you want to depend upon for day to day use.
There are even websites dedicated to Mini problems.
JD Powers gives it a below average rating too.
