My girl maybe the next proud MINI lover... come help her!!!

[Whitie]

Hi everybody! Looking for some input/feedback here... My girl is getting a new (to her) car, and mpg is the main reason for the move. The $500+ we are putting in the tank of her 2006 Acura MDX suv is just unacceptable (friggen gross is more like it), and we've looked at all the sub-compacts we can swallow... Honda, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Subaru, etc... they all look the same and have the personality of a doorknob! Then there's this Cooper thing... cool lookin', that's for sure! Seriously considering one and leaning toward a yellow 2009 Cooper S we found locally (look up Foley Motorsports is Shrewsbury, MA to check it out, the forum won't let me post a link or pic cuz I'm a rookie... ) Seems like 50% more power for a cost of 2 mpg along with everything else the "S" offers is a no-brainer! I know there's tons to learn about any particular vehicle, and I'm just flat out ignorant as to what look for in a MINI... does this one look like a good deal? What gremlins/demons do MINIs have?
LI'L HELP HERE would be fabulous!!!!

Thanks in advance!

Whitie & Frog