I totally agree with mini ace. me and my other half with our two boys use our mini daily for last three years or so. and she has not given us any trouble. the key thing is you MUST lookafter her more closely. i.e dont wait for some sound to occur to check the if the break pads are ok or not. etc., just maintain her regulaly. thats all.
for me mini is not a car, it's more than that which i still stuggle to understand. ! so if you want to buy a mini and use it just like other jap car, then dont do it.
what i'm trying to say is if you dont have a feeling for a mini then it will not work out no matter how good it is.