Hello everyone!

Few things about me. Im 20, Im a college student still living at home, and I have a full time job at an IT company as a Customer Engineer. I make $15 an hour and always get 10hours of overtime a week.

I own a 2003 Jeep Rubicon, this was a gift to me when I turned 18 and received my Eagle Scout. It has AC and is my Daily driver. The Jeep gets about 17mpg and is a blast to own. But it gets 17mpg... and is a brutal ride. Noisy, slow, rough... I would sell it but my dad and I both use is during the winter, we have a cabin in WV and sometimes need it on the weekend, but always do in the winter to get to it.

I also own a 1998 Subaru Impreza. Its fully built (over the past 2 years.) I have about 20k in this car, not including what I paid for the car. It is very fast, yet noisy (grapefruit launcher) and rough (coilovers.) It does not have AC.

So I began to go car shopping last month. I was in the 15k price range and was looking at the Yaris and things of that nature. However all these cars lacked something. On the way home from work my coworker and I stopped at Mini, and test drove a basic cooper and a S. Instantly fell in love, but not with the price tag

So as of right now Im stuck between a VW Golf at 28mpg, Toyota Corolla at 35mpg, or a Mini at 35mpg.

I dont need the Sport model... but Im also trying to consider resale here.

I dont want to go over 25k on a car, and the Mini's warranty is a big deal to me since I do ALOT of driving for work, but can limit myself to 10-12k a year on a certain car.

So what do you guys get for average mpg on your basic and your S's? What does the warranty cover and not cover, what should I get/not get for options.

Thanks!
Charles

 

I don't own a MINI yet, but I've been trolling these forums for 2 months now... so let me summarize what I've found on the subject:

- Coopers can get in the 40's if you're doing a lot of highway driving
- Cooper S's can get mid 30's (35ish) if you're doing a lot of highway driving

Both of these assume that you're not flooring it all the time.

People in Cooper S's say they get low 30's when they're driving it like a bat out of hell. (at least the newer versions, which are said to get better mpg).

You can get an S for around 25k by not going crazy on the options. This is what I'm looking to buy (Cooper S, Cold Weather Package, Premium Package).

If you're buying a new car PURELY for money reasons, you need to do some math on whether it is worth the new car payment. If your Impreza and Jeep are completely paid off, does it make sense to get a $400 car payment if you're increasing MPG by 10-15? If you drive enough mileage, it might work out for you.

Sorry for the long post

 

From what I've seen - no matter *what* type you buy - unless you get some crazy color combo (which I've seen for sure) the resale will be stellar.

I'm averaging 32mpg with only 200 miles on my S, my wife gets ~33mpg mostly freeway in her '05 MC

edit: old man preaching mode on - skip if you like I'm in IT - in this day and age it seems cost control/reduction are around to stay. If you can afford the car *without* the overtime - proceed...but be wary if all your calculations stop making sense without those extra 10 hours.

 

Well the way I see it, if I did get the mini, I would easily be able to turn around and sell the Jeep and pay off almost 3/4 of the Jeep.

I do do alot of driving, I get paid back for mileage from my employer, but the more mpg I make, the more money I save.

My question is does the Mini S come with the Sport package or not? I havent been able to tell. I know that is an option that I loved on the basic Mini.

All I want is the premium package, Sport package, and a arm rest.

 

Oh yea, one thing I forgot to mention. I just paid off a load for my Subaru parts that I needed, about 12k. Payments were $377.24 a month and I was very comfortable making those payments.

 

The Sport package doesnt come with all S's, however the S's have tighter suspension and sport seats standard, compared to the Cooper. Depending on who you ask in here, the Sport Package itself is mostly a preference thing. I drove a Cooper S without it and it was still fun as hell.

 

I liked how the Sport mode made the steering heavier and it felt like a true BMW

 

They all come with the sport button (unless you are in Canada) so no worries there. The actual sport package is DSC, sport suspension, stripes and 17" wheels. You being an impreza tuner - should take "sport suspension" with a grain of salt (I think it's simply a 1mm thicker sway in front/rear) someone will correct me here shortly if I'm missing something on that.

 

well you can get a mini for 25k, you can get one for 19k if you are willing to wait. for 25k i would get a MCS with: white turn signals, DSC, Bi-Xenons, LSD, MFSW and a sunroof. that comes to 24,700. a clear bra and sport stripes brings that to a dead even 25k. of course thats just the mini i wish i had (not that i dont love mine). the options on the mini really need to be considered carefully cause theres alot of them and some are pretty great.

 

Don't forget to add taxes to whatever you configure. I had to pay $1700 plus dealer fee's.

it adds up quick!!! trust me

 

Here are three that I found online at my local BMW dealer... cant tell much about them though.

$24,600

$25,450

$25,700

 

wow after reading youre first post i thought I was almost reading myself here...I am a 20 y/o college kid, and Eagle Scout...came from a VW Jetta and a Jeep Liberty to a MINI...

yah know everyone can tell you all of the wonderful things that a MINI brings you; from the fulfillment of having an amazing car, the ability to mod it to great lengths, even the MINI community itself, but you wont truly know until you are in one....

I always wanted of the classics when i was younger, and when they were brought to the states, I said "one day as soon as I can, im getting one of those" and sure enough, December 27th I took delivery of Mr. Blue Sky....If you dont want to spend a ton, you dont have to, but if you do, the sky is the limit...MY ADVICE, if you want fun, different, and exciting; go with a MINI because there's always room to add on and get bigger in the future.

Now going to college an hour away from home, when i do come back home, it get 39mpg in my Cooper S....yes 39 in an S, hard, but POSSIBLE, and I have probably the most modified R56 in Indiana. The MINI community is totally unlike any others that you know, jeep and VW, TRUST ME I know from expierence

Hope this has given you some insight and dont hesitate to pm if you have any specifics, comin' from a guy very similar. Motor On

-Chris-

 

wow bunch of 20 yr old mini owning college students in this thread. although i was never an eagle scout nor did i own a jeep. haha

 

I drove a moderately well equipped cooper (non-s) off the lot the same day I test drove it for $21,3. The base model is still plenty fast (certainly faster than a Corolla)

 

I really like my Mini, but am not so sure I would if it weren't the S. I drove the standard cooper a few times, but like you said something was missing. Plus I would have spent everyday wishing I had the S, which would kill any enjoyment of the standard. No regrets at all with the Mini, even when I consider the premium I paid to own one. As far as the other brands go, every magazine I've read says the Rabbit (golf) is superior to the other's in its class (which Mini is not). My wife and I had a 2001 Golf and it was flawless, sold it only becasue we had a child and wanted the space. But I do not like the five cylinder engine. It is still a great car for under $20K.

 

Digressing a bit -- I don't care for the 2.5 either. I wish VW would put the 2.0T in the Rabbit -- it actually gets a good bit better mileage than the 2.5 A friend of mine regularly gets 33 or so highway in his great big Passat (2.0T / 6MT).