[Shep]

I am not impressed by the huge, long, Detroit-style door. It doesn't really help rear entry much at all. It merely means one dings the next car in the parking lot, and sticks out dangerously into traffic. It's very heavy and won't easily stay at its first detent position. The touted fact that it opens to 90 degrees is essentially unusable because of its size.

One of our previous cars was a Volvo 245--with short, stubby doors that opened 90 degrees. You could actually open them that way as they were so short. Gettin in and out was comfortable.

To make a rear-seat door viable on the Mini, one would have to make the wheelbase just a couple of inches longer, so there would be more viable leg room back there.