I'm looking for a new commuter car and have always liked the idea of the mini. I need something small, sporty and economical to fill up. I've found a local 2004 S model that really trips my trigger. The only issue is that my daily commute contains 15 miles of the roads shown below. I know there are better cars than the mini for that and I have an F250 to drive when the snow or mud gets too deep, I'm just looking for any serious issues why a Mini would no be able to handle it. The downside is I never have a clean car, the upside is every day is rally day

 

Get some snow tires and maybe studded on steel wheels and a skid plate and you will be fine. Also get a manual, not an automatic.