Hello all...
Have been cruising your site the past week or so and I am quite impressed with content and breadth of knowledge here regarding Minis. This site looks to be the counterpart of Miata.Net (where all things Miata are discussed).

My '99 will be replaced in the not to distant (I hope!) future...my short list as of now includes the Mini S, BMW 128i or perhaps a new Miata with retractable hard top....and perhaps a Volvo C30. One aspect of our Miata ownership my wife and I enjoy is the comarderie of fellow Miata owners and seems Mini's would offer that same fun experience. I just wish the nearest dealer was closer than 120 miles from me.

Any comments welcome from current/former Miata owners....

Rick

 

I am driving a 1997 Miata M-edition, and my '08 MINI Cooper S is on its way to me from England.

I have test drove a MINI, and I would say the only thing that is really comparable is the camaraderie that you mention...but I have to say with MINI it is much, much, more.

Not to bash Miata's, but I do NOT feel safe in mine. The suspension is horrible . I can't tell you how many times I've fishtailed in that car. And the braking power is almost non-existent.

With safety being one of my top issues, the MINI is taller than the Miata...this is great for me because the last accident I got into was because someone didn't see my little Miata running down the road. But the MINI is actually thinner and shorter (trunk/boot to hood/bonnet). It's smaller than the miata, but has more cargo room! I can't wait to actually fit things in the trunk.

Good luck with your car search.

 

No doubt Miata's are a blast. Here's a link from Motor Trend - comparison of a couple cars.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...tch_comparison

Of course we all love our MINIs - but only you can decide what you really want. Good Luck...

Donna

 

Hi, Rick! Welcome to NAM! A lot of MINI folks also have Miatas, and the two communities are very friendly with one another. Best thing is to test-drive all the candidates to see which car feels best. You'll love the MINI! And yeah, it's a great community to hang out with, too.

 

Thanks for your insights..I too have driven the MCS last summer and was impressed..fun little car no doubt. However, I've been very satisfied with my '99 Miata Sport...many an autocross and a few track days and never any failures. Just "normal" maintainance expected for a car with 99k + miles. One aspect of potential Mini ownership that concerns me is lack of a local dealer and a bit more posts concerning problems with Minis. Perhaps my local BMW dealer can snag a Mini dealership.

Thanks too Donna for the link to the Motor Trend test. Had a VW Rabbit back in '77..won't go back and yes, Volvo C30, Miata and MCS are quite different. Fun is in the chase too!

Happy Motoring to you both and best wishes for your inbound Mini "Lamcc83" ! I know how the wait must be...we waitied for our overseas delivery date on our Volvo V50...gotta love the OSD experience though; wish Mini had a program like BMW's.

Rick

 

My Gf has a 99 Miatta and I love driving it.... I also had 5 MGs so I like the small front engine rwd cars.

I think if I had to choose only one the Mini would be my choice.....

more room for things like bikes.....


........as far as suspension hers has Bilsteins and it feels great.....

 

Hi Miata13,

I have an NB, also a '99. I've found it a great car and quite modded in most ways save forced induction. My summer toy so currently in storage for the winter. I have an R56 justacooper as well as it was the only practical daily driver I could get comfortable in (i.e., felt reasonably small, I like small... and wish it was smaller... in fact wish the miata was smaller, but that is just me!) and that is not a yawn to drive around corners, all the while giving remarkable highway composure and comfort and excellent stability in rain or winter conditions (equipped with appropriate tires, of course). The wonderful aftermarket support of the mini was a big factor for me as well, as I do like to tweak my cars to get them handling and driving "just so".

The cars you have listed are quite diverse so it depends on what you are looking for. The NC miata with hardtop is actually quite tempting and if two seats are still fine for you that is not a bad choice at all as NC's have gotten quite comfy (e.g., wider and roomier interior than NB, and now heated seats and other niceties) while still being chuckable... be warned though that they do require some suspension tuning out of the box if you want them to look and corner like a well-tuned NB or even NA (i.e., mazdaspeed springs a must).

If you want further details on NB miata and MINI ownership, pop me a PM, happy to offer my experience comparing the two cars.

 

Hello Miata13. My plan was to replace my NA Miata with a MINI. Believe it or not my wonderful wife said get the MINI & keep the Miata.

I don't use my Miata as a daily driver. That's what the MINI is for. They do compliment each other very well. My Miata is sleeping the winter away & my Hakka wearing MINI is doing well in the snow & slop.

I'd recommend buying a MINI & keeping the Miata. Best of both worlds.

 

not a miata owner, but a former rx-7 owner. i love my mcs, and love miata's, too, but 128i? it's hard to pass up the 128i...unless you can afford the 135. i love those cars. the c30, as far as i've heard, are a bit pricey if you want the nice ones and pretty sure not as fun to drive as any of the other choices. they do look great inside and out, and i saw a real cool one the other day w/ a swedish flag roof. there is quite a wealth of knowledge on minis here if you can (and want to) turn a wrench, and i'd imagine the bmw community is just as knowledgeable. if you like car clubs and niches of people who're really into their cars and who tell each other secrets on how to work on them and what to do, etc., mini is just as good as the miata community

 

Thanks all for your feedback and warm welcome (believe me with 8 degree weather here in Iowa right now..warm is GOOD!).

Crashton....that'd be great if I could get support for keeping the Miata AND getting new car too...but alas, only a 2 car garage..and don't think a lift would fit...though that IS an idea perhaps I should check into..hmmmm

Goat...your comparisons of Miatas and MINIs much appreciated.

With a 2nd daughter still in college I do have some time to "ponder" my decision. I enjoy the "hunt" so will continue to review all the good NAM info here and postings of everyone's MINI.

Thanks again!

 

We have 2 MINIs and a Miata. In the winter ...like now...the Miata is stored crosswise making our 2 car garage a 3 car garage. The '99 Miata is also autoXd. I prefer my MINI and rarely drive the Miata....he drives both but I've noticed he drives the MINI a lot more.

 

Wow...never ever thought of that but then...don't yet/have never owned a MINI..so apparently the width of a Miata PLUS length of a MINI fits in a normal length gargage? I'll have to do some measuring....

My Miata 66" Wide
MINI MCS 145.6" Long
Total 211.6"....don't think my garage is that deep....bummer but thanks for the idea!

 

I am storing mine the same way... miata maneuvered "race car style" (i.e., buddy helping call out spacing!) parallel to the front wall of the garage, then put on a car cover and still lots of room to pull the mini into the garage.

Minis are not that small in height or width but they are quite a bit shorter than most cars and much shorter than an NB miata... you'll be surprised.

If you can justify keeping both, that is a great option!

 

'91B gumball blue, M45, +goodies
'92A yellow, all stock

Cliff's notes:
Great handling, lots more room for 'stuff', more power (MCS), more understeer (get thee to an aftermarket rear swaybar), it's still FWD, but a whole lotta fun. MINI is the all weather car, miatas are great for fun in the sun.

Details available upon request.

 

My Miata...


and...

My Mini...


As a proud of owner of both an NA and R53, I welcome you to NAM...

 

Now, if we could get Corky Bell to crossover to the MINI; that would really advance the mark. Ike (Iassac) former mega-moded Miata owner, invited me along to visit Corky’s shop, there was an endurance race prepared Miata in the shop with some very trick workmanship. In case you don’t know, Miatas are his thing http://www.bellengineering.net/index.html .

 

Yep. I love the MINI, but turn #2 at Thunderhill just isn't the same with FWD.

 

I had 3 miatas before going to the MINI....and I couldn't be happier. Don't get me wrong...I loved the miatas, but the MINI is so much more fun! The people in the local clubs and here on NAM are awesome, and the MINI has so much more room inside than the miata.

 

Me: '00 Miata LS to '02 Ext. Cab Silverado, and now to MINI...

The Miata was fun! I loved every minute of it. Autocrossed it and drove it everday. The Silverado...well...13-15MPG....

But the MINI will give me everything I loved about the Miata and more...Small, nimble, and extremely fun to drive...yet with 3 times the cargo room! Another thing I like about the MINI, is that they have ALOT more features that the Miata did not have. I have sat in, and test-autocrossed a new MX-5, and I wasn't that impressed...It felt very sluggish compared to my old '00. But it was an automatic, so I cant speak for the manual. I can't comment on the Miata community, as I did not join any clubs or forums, but NAM seems amazing!

 

I used to have a Miata, and I have to say that it was my favorite car... until I bought my new MINI. I also used to drive a 67 Datsun Roadster, and the Miata was more comparable to that. You seem to sit lower to the ground and it corners pretty well. The MINI seems to corner better and, even though I bought a regular Cooper for the MPG, it seems more responsive during excelleration than my Miata, plus the super secret car society (my wife says cult) here on NAM and elsewhere is better than my Miata club. The options and personalizations are out of this world in the MINI wher the Miata has just a few and nothing to go GA-GA over.

My Top Fun Cars I've Owned List

5. Corvette - Open the hood and you felt you owned a race car. Try and get to that last sparkplug out and you felt like you needed a Pit Mechanic. Accelereation was very fun, it would pass anything in a straightaway except a gas station. MPG-17

4. Honda CRX - 40 mpg out of the box fuel injected fun. Why did they stop making this car?

3. 1966 Datsun Roadster - Had a lot of personality. The engine noise was awesome, it was a head turner. A fun little car. Brakes were always an issue and in cold weather it needed to be coaxed to start and warmed up for 15 minutes. MPG-24

2. Miata - A great car. Great in good weather. Corners well. Fast downhill. A little sluggish uphill, but I loved the rear wheel drive. MPG-29

1. MINI Cooper - Feels like a spy car. Cool gadgets. Corners well and has zip. You can fit kids in the back! No one drives one exactly like mine. MPG-37

 

I'm replacing my 1990 miata - I ordered a 2008 MCS, which should arrive in a week or so. I LOVE my miata - I've driven it every day for the last 8 years, rain or shine. (or snow - it made it through 3 Maine winters as my only car) I'm going to really, really miss this car. I'm hoping my father or my brother will take it and keep her going. (Needs minor repairs right now) But I am very excited about my MCS. I decided on the MINI for more interior room, and was hooked on the 'S' after driving it for 10 minutes. It will be interesting getting used to FWD. One thing I have qualms about is that the reliability for the Miata is impeccable, and the MINI looks like it is average to good. I have impossibly high standards now! I'll be able to offer more comparisons once I actually get my new car!
Blackdog

 

Welcome to NAM Blackdog.

It is interesting how Miata owners gravitate to MINI's. Happened to me too. I think MINI's are pretty reliable & wouldn't worry about it. Just enjoy your new MINI.

Happy motoring.

 

Here is a few shots of my '91 Mata that are extras from when my Miata was featured in Sport Compact Car many years ago. Still looks the same. Love the Miata but with the upgraded suspension it drives like a very rough go-cart; but a really fast go-cart. For any of you that may have hung around www.miata.net, my Miata "MIATAGO" was the firts Miata of the Month on miata.net Another intersting item is that the supercharger on my Miata is basically the same Eaton model as on the MINI; guts the same, just different external setup.

Pictures of my 2004 MCS is in my gallery.

 

I was wondering what had happened to you over the years, Butch...

You probably remember me from my white '96 w/green stripes.

 

I remember some of you guys from Miata.net.
You may have seen mine around the net.....