Regarding all the talk about how tight a Mini-14 won't shoot, here's another thing... what ammo is everybody using? Could be they're not trying a variety and keeping records. Could be they're not handloding and trying different bullets thinking it's not worth the effort.
With a 181-197 series, it doesn't matter. Minute of pie plate with factory barrel. 580 series are improved, but the best 580 mini is unlikely to outshoot the cheapest AR, regardless of ammo. The mini 14 "target" will shoot about as well as a run of the mill HBAR AR.
Minis also aren't as robust or reliable, despite the fact that more steel parts and looser tolerances make us think they would be. There's a reason people don't use them in carbine courses where the guns get run hard; they choke.
20 years ago, minis were $400 and a cheap AR was over $800. ARs also hadn't evolved to what they are today, didn't have the insane accessory & upgrade options. Magazines were also similarly priced at the time with the '94 ban still in effect. So, in the 1990s, the mini 14 made sense for a guy who wanted an economical .223 carbine to play with. A cottage industry also cropped up for accurizing them, and some money was made there.
Fast forward 10 years
By the time we get into the late 2000s, the AWB is gone, factory ARs are already below mini-14 price, the customizability of the AR is realizing it's potential, AR magazines are cheaper and more reliable, and more people are starting to care about being able to hit things at range, meaning mechanical accuracy, fitment of the weapon to their body & optics mounting options are important to them.
Enter the present
A bare bones AR that will be more accurate and more reliable than any mini can be put together for just over $300 all in. By the time you spend basic mini 14 money in 2019 ($750+), you can have an AR with any stock, grip & handguard you want, a match grade barrel, upgraded trigger & a half dozen magazines.
I had a 195 series bought new in 2000. It was decently reliable, and I did see an improvement in accuracy from 3-5 MOA to 2.5-3 MOA by chopping the barrel to 14" & welding a flash hider on. I got my first AR in 2005, an Armalite M15A2C. Once I realized what the AR was (and what the mini wasn't), it was over. I built numerous ARs for different purposes, while the mini just collected dust. When the day came I had an opportunity to trade the mini for something of value, not a second thought was given.
They do have a certain aesthetic appeal, but that's really all they offer, IMO.