I seen posts of what was driven before the Mini.

What was almost driven instead of your Mini? And what swayed you in your decision for the Mini?

I was considering....
3 series but decided they have become too large.
Cayman but didn't work for hauling golf equip
GTI. Almost

Got Mini for the road experience. Handling. Retro look interior

 

BMW 3 Series,
Mazda 3
Ford Fusion Titanium hybrid
Fiat 500

Ended up with the Mini Cooper S - due to the fuel efficiency, fun factor, and still relatively roomy (esp. compared to the Fiat).

 

I had an Hummer H3 before I bought blue. Then I had to take the company F150 on a couple of trips earlier this year and fell in love with high riding again.

Took my wife down to the Ford dealer and an F150 the way I liked was $47K. Two days latter she sat me down for a car intervention. Said you went Beetle, Hummer, Mini, and now you want a Ford pick-up. She said take the $47K and go buy a nice mini.

YeHa - Now I have Lucy a fully loaded JCW Countryman. I wanted manual and hated the noisey sun roof in my Clubbie so those are the only two options not on her.

I love my wife

 

I considered the Mazda 3 and Ford Focus along with the MINI, albeit very briefly.

What swayed me? More interesting exterior & interior styling, the modern-retro design of the MINI is FAR more pleasing to the eye. Except for the Miata (or MX5, whatever it's called now) every Mazda from the 3 to the CX9 looks exactly the same to me, especially head-on. Ford's design did/does nothing for me.

I found a well-spec'd, well-maintained R53 when I was shopping, and the whine of the supercharger sold me immediately. Plenty of giddyup and go-kart handling.

The camaraderie, dedication of the MINI owner community and devotion to the marque is uncommon. I was also looking for something "different". IMO the Mazda and Ford are still appliances, and "belly button cars" (everybody has one). MINI also has a history that sets it apart.

TBH I was nearly dead-set on a MINI from jump street. I never gave the Mazda nor Focus that much thought, but looked enough to know they weren't for me.

 

In looking for something a bit bigger to replace my 2003 MINI Cooper S , I looked at a few things...

Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T R-Spec & 3.6 R-Spec - Really like the Genesis...274 or 348hp, a 6-speed, and RWD. What's not to like there? My wife wasn't all about another coupe with 2 kids though. Had enough space that we could all fit, but we probably weren't going to be taking any family road trips anywhere. If I hadn't got another MINI, I probably would have convinced my wife on the Genesis Coupe.

Mazda Madzaspeed3 - Fun car, a good amount of power, plenty of space, and cheap. Gas mileage was unimpressive though 19/25 mpg (my wife's Jeep does 17/22 mpg), and torque steer was bad. Then there's that front end, smiley-face thing it's got going on

Volkswagen GTI - I was seriously considering a GTI. My wife wanted me to get a 4-door though, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The DSG transmission was really nice though...and I'm a manual transmission guy. I wish the MINI automatic was that nice.

In the end, I ordered a new MINI Cooper S Clubman. It is the best combination of fun for me as my daily driver, and utility/space for the rest of the family.

 

i contemplated a focus st, gti, sonata, 3 series.

focus st - honestly this was my first choice over the mini, and i would have gotten it if ford wasn't so damn cheap. i went to two different dealers and neither would give me anything near what i was looking for on trade in (and it was a ford!). mini gave me 3k more for my trade in. no brainer.

gti - i like the car, but we already have a golf and i wasn't sure i wanted another one. i was thinking of getting a r32 and just having some fun with it, but to be honest they're just boring cars.

sonata - i liked the car, but it didn't come in a manual and was kinda boring. but they did offer me an awesome deal on the car. decided the the lack of a manual was a deal breaker for me.

3 series - was a little large for me. i liked the car, but the interior also was kinda blah. plus to get it the way i wanted was way more expensive than i was looking to spend.

i ended up with the mini by pure chance. i was out car shopping with a friend and didn't really find anything i was too interested in. he left for work, and i was on my way out of a subaru dealer (was looking at a wrx) and saw the mini dealer across the street and decided to stop in just to see what was there. went for a test drive, and ordered the car when i got back to the dealer. i'm happy i waited and got a car i really do like. the others would have required a compromise, and i didn't have to do that here, although i really did want an s but it would have put me over budget. but that's okay, i'm happy with what i have.

 

I didn't consider anything else, I wanted a MINI.

Dave

 

S Clubman coming.

Mazda 3 -- nice car, just not very exciting. Didn't want to go for the Mazdaspeed because I didn't love the look of it, and 10 mpg worse.

Fiat 500 turbo -- surprisingly fun car. Just too small. Almost held out to try the 500L, which comes out soon. Funky looking thing but it might be fun.

GTI -- I used to have a Golf GT and our family has owned three other VW's. I like them. GTI would have been a very logical choice. For some reason I just didn't get excited about it this time.

Beetle Turbo -- this was the runner-up. Really nice car. The Mini won due to a bit more cargo space, better gas mileage, intangible fun factor, and just a good general feel of solid, quality construction.

 

Used 2005 BMW 3 series

New Subaru impreza hatch
New scion FR-S

 

I didn't consider anything else. I knew what I wanted - an MCS Clubman. I ordered exactly the car I wanted. Done deal.

 

Wow, I am really surprised at how everyone considered similar cars. I also looked at the GTI, Focus and Mazda 3. I also considered the Prius for fuel efficiency but hated the interior.

MINI Countryman won because I loved how the car handled. I got it by accident as a rental car and really enjoyed driving it. What tipped the scales too was the roominess of the car. I am picking it up Monday!

 

In 2008 I went mad shopping for a car.


2005 Mustang GT
2008 Chrysler 300 SRT8
2008 VW GTI
2008 MINI Cooper
2003 Mustang GT


Guess which one I ended up with then?:-P

 

Only other car I seriously looked at was a BMWX1. No personality.

 

1. Acura TSX or ILX--why pay more four a souped up civic ... I was placing a civic...

2. Volkswagen GTI

3. A Justa.

One test drive and I was in love....

 

Nissan Leaf. I was looking for a car to get good gas mileage. But decided to see what high mileage fun to drive cars where available and ended up with a roadster. Love my choice.

 

Only makes sense - most people are in the market for similarly sized/performing cars when they land on the Mini.

 

2013 Focus ST. Loved this car, but its internal slave/ clutch is a horrible design I swore I'd never fall prey to again.

2013 WRX - fun, loud, fast, but the interior was as nice as a plastic soda bottle. Whole car felt like crap. There is more engineering in the headlight of the Mini than the entire body of a Subaru.

2013 Mazda 3 speed - nice, but no heated leather or sunroof killed the joy of it quickly. Stupid of Mazda to leave two key features out.

We already have a 2011. TDI Golf I didn't want two of the same car... Otherwise I'd get a Golf. Liked the Audi A3, but they are no longer a wagon... And dead until the fall..

The Clubman was a suggestion from a friend of mine who is a local Mini tech at our dealer.. I fell in love with the fun of the car.. Build quality was outstanding.. Gadgets.. Being able to custom order sealed the deal...

A little less power, a lot more fun!

 

I had wanted a MCS before.. but when I went to trade in my 08 Speed 3, everytime I went to go look at one it seemed they just sold it. So I kinda gave up on finding one. Found a used Subaru Legacy GT and got that instead. Quickly discovered I had made a huge mistake. But kept it for 2 years... then saw a MCS at a local dealership and went and test drove it. A week later I picked it up. For the miles the car had... I couldn't really beat the price. Much happier. I must say though... the MPG on my 08 Speed 3 werent that bad. I got 22/23 mpg all city. And even with the torque steer the car produced... I got used to it. And there was huuuuge aftermarket support for the car at the time to.

 

A Ford Fusion Titanium fully loaded.

 

I just didn't find the torque steer that bad in the Madza.. I mean, yes, its there but the internet made it sound like the car was undrivable. the Focus ST had it to, but it was just better controlled with the traction system it had..

If they made the Mazda with a sunroof and heated leather.. I would have gotten one.

 

I looked at the GTI Wolfsburg Edition very seriously. More practical, better equipped for less money, drives great... just doesn't come in a colour I like. I'm that picky about paint, so I passed. If it came in silver or even Rising Blue like the Golf R, I'd be driving the GTI now.

Definitely happy with the Mini, but it's way overpriced in the Canadian market (it STARTS at the equivalent of US$28,000 here.) You really have to want one to grit your teeth and pay.

 

After my junior in high school my parents were gonna give me a car for my 18th birthday just in time for my senior year in high school. Honestly the first dealer that we went to was a Ford dealer and I test drove a Mustang GT500 and damn it was nice but it wasn't a daily driver for me and my Mom said it was too powerful for a first car plus she said I'm only a high school student. After that we went to a Jeep, Dodge, etc... dealer and I test drove a Jeep Wrangler, 6 speed, with hardtop. It was nice and my Mom loved it too (she even liked it more than me, LOL) but it was a gas guzzler and I backed out because it was too heavy for me to drive daily, I mean the daily drive to school was at least 15 miles back and forth. Then finally we went to the MINI dealer because they were having some special event, I forgot it was called. At first I told my Mom that I wasn't gonna fit because I have never inside a MINI and I always thought only small people fit in it, ahhah. So we test drove one just for the heck of it but damn I was surprised that I fit and I was hooked because it so much fun! After that test drive we ordered a car to my specifications already and my waiting game started from there!

 

Getting away from the subject for a second.... My neighbor two houses down from me just took delivery of a Tesla Model S. A car that goes 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, 416hp, and sells for $87k. Car of the Year. I broke the news that I am going to be taking delivery of my Mini shortly. He confessed...if he didn't have to haul the kids, get his wife's acceptance, and drive clients....he would have loved to buy a Mini.

(I rode in it...and it is like sitting in the USS Enterprise. I still prefer our modern retro look with the center speedometer and the go cart feel...a certain sense of danger and the raw wildside).

 

Yea the Tesla S is the future now. Suuuuper nice car.. One of my past graduated students works at the Tesla tech center in Neshamity PA... He's always posting cool pics on FB.

 

Tesla not me...nah. Just doesn't have the same feel as a Mini.

Just like how the sound of a Harley defines the experience...the Tesla seems without a soul. Mini has character. Even my neighbor commented how he misses the roar and sounds of his M that he sold to buy his Tesla.

Mini for me.