Hello,
So happy to see a large thriving community for MINI.

I always knew there were a lot of clubs and all, but it's just refreshing to enter a big community after so many other cars I had/have do not.

I was deliberating between a 2015 BMW 228i Xdrive and a 2016 MINI Hardtop Cooper S 4 door.

I chose the Cooper S because the BMW was an automatic, and the mini has a 6MT. Also, the BMW had almost 50k miles, and the cooper like 22k and is CPO.

I immediately felt I might have made the wrong decision; the price was de facto the same for both, and was kinda bummed that the cooper doesn't have a backup camera (though it has the wired and premium packages with nav), and some other things like the Cooper doesn't have LED headlights or the sport package, where the BMW did.
The BMW also had the full tech package and I always wanted a BMW (I guess a MINI is still a BMW though).

However, once I drove the Cooper, my mind totally changed.

I love the manual; the clutch is really easy and the steering is so quick. I love the ambient lighting and how you can change it to show revs and stuff.
I just love how it drives. It's so fun, and it looks much better in person than in pictures.

**just a little background; this is my 3rd car. I wanted this car to be the car I spend time in the canyons, start doing Autocross, and mod a ton**

I took it through the malibu canyons and it's just such a nice drive. Changes direction very quickly, torque is great and there is practically no turbo lag. Didn't notice any torque steer either.
It is much quicker than the ~6 second 0-60 would suggest I feel.

More than anything, I can't wait to join a local mini club/group and start motoring and modding!

This is my first german/european car, and I am so in love.

Sorry for the pretty bad pics. I was in a hurry to get going!

 

Welcome to the neighborhood. Good that you got the CPO, warranty wise. You'll find no shortage of people on the forum to help you spend your money on mods.

 

Welcome and congrats!

 

YES, welcome and congrats. I too love driving down PCH or through the canyons, one of the reasons I just ordered my MINI. Here's a link to a great club I also joined in case your interested, SoCal MINI Maniacs.

My wife and I just joined, looks like they are a fun club and do lots of little road trips and monthly get togethers. They are also listed on MINI USA's MINI Owners Club, actually their are quite a few MINI clubs out here in CA, check it out. Happy motoring!