This is the first MINI (2016 Base Model) I've ever owned, and it has everything I've ever wanted in a vehicle. I'm a sports car guy from way back - one of my first cars was an old Triumph TR6 - and my MINI..."Gary"...is easily the best handling and most driveable vehicle I've ever owned. Although it has more luxury features than I want or need, it still has a great road feel and a peppy engine. I was kind of worried about dependability, having driven ultra-reliable Toyotas for the last 16 years and knowing the reliability issues of sports cars, but so far Gary is performing well and is head-and-shoulders above anything Toyota makes.

 

Welcome. BRG is a classy color. Allot of people now like the base 1.5L motor because of the turbo. Its nice MINI did that on the smaller engine MINI.

 

Welcome to NAM.

As it goes with time marching on, your base car in performance equals the Gen1 S in smiles per miles.

 

Hi and welcome to the NAM family. They are great little cars, that do require a certain degree of maintenance, which is common on most Euro cars. With that said, with basic maintenance, they will last 330K miles.
These are the only cars that give a thrill, even at lower speeds! Are fun to drive and are rarely taken for granted. They put the fun into daily driving!

 

Welcome.


Great looking BRG ... not as fast as Red but a great looking car.


Motor On!

 

When I was researching the MINI, I read 2 separate reviews from folks who had tested the 2016 "S" and said that...for the money...you'll get the same driving pleasure from a base MINI as from an "S"...

 

A Red "S" with white bonnet stripes would have been my second choice. I also like the Volcanic Orange. But for me, a British (or near British) sports car has to be BRG with a white roof and white bonnet stripes...

 

I don't feel it is right to compare the the "s" to the Base, or visa versa.
They are two unique and different types of cars. The base has good handling and comfort, with the added benefit of delivering a pleasurable fuel economy, that really "does it" for many people.
In contrast, the "S" has a performance component that calls to others. They handle well, they are faster and the adrenaline can flow full on. They do not get the fuel economy, but the Adrenalin junky, is not concerned with the economy so much. The thrill is the component for them.

In my case, I have both and my mood determines the Base model, or the "S" model, before I grab the keys for either.

Cost is a main factor to some, while adrenaline over shadows price for others. It is human nature!
Itsme Wayne

 

I had my eye on a Bitter Orange 2013 "S", but this car came along. I wish I could afford 2 (or 3) MINIs, but alas! I'm retired on a meagre fixed income nearing the end of the road. I didn't want the last car I owned to be a Toyota Yaris.

And I agree, fuel economy and extreme dependability shouldn't be major factors when considering a "hot hatch." And many of the reviews cited a rough ride as a negative of the MINI, but that was music to my ears as a sports car driver. If you want a smooth ride, buy a Cadillac...

 

Yes, the Spice Orange as you call it was the second orange MINI to come out since 2002. I have the hot orange and a really like it, the spice orange is darker and more metallic. The F56 Volcanic Orange is more yellow/orange(more yellow). The orange after that is the new F60 Countryman which is called Chestnut.

 

That Chestnut is a beautiful color all right (I just Googled it), close to the Spice Orange. Although I like Volcanic, I prefer the darker, more muted oranges. Surprisingly enough, the Hot Orange was more understated than Volcanic (in the computer pictures, anyway)...