This was posted over 10 years ago; my opinions, thoughts, attitude, and writing style may have evolved since then, and this post might have been different if it were to be posted today.
I wasn’t planning on buying a new MINI, but 83,000 miles / 6 years and strut issues that would have cost more than I was prepared to pay to fix made my mind up for me. Now to wait for my 2015 MINI Cooper S to arrive!