They suck. Poor workmanship, very low quality steel, no A/C, shifts like an old fram truck, horrible in any kind of wreck, noisy, rough ride, and unreliable. Most folks in the UK when I grew up there had a Mini as their first car. There's a good reason why they don't have one any more.
That said, they are an absolute BLAST to drive. 30 feels like 80, you can turn on a dime, and you'll get lots of attention. Drive a 911, and 1/3 don't notice, 1/3 like it & 1/3 hate you. Drive a classic Mini & everyone loves it.
My wife DD'd one for a few years. She loved it, but eventually the novelty wore off. She now drives a BMW 335Xi.
FWIW, in this photo the rear ends of the SC & Mini were lined up perfectly...
Corbeau seats and thousands of dollars worth of Dynamat really helped...
Right before we sold it...
