Hi.
Some of you read a previous post about me putting away my Fiero and waiting for some investments to cash in come January so I could order a MINI Cooper S in BEP or BRG and 6spd. Not having any in stock in the Vancouver BC area, my wife never did see it. So last week we were in Victoria BC and low and behold, there it was. A BEP Cooper S with 6spd and also a BRG Cooper (the other colour option I would be interested in).
My wife approved! But still need to wait. HOWEVER, the ones the dealer had, included the chrono package, the premium package and other options that amounted to about $5000 CDN more than I intended to spend or wanted. Also, I was going to order mine with the wet weather package. So it seems I will still have to factory order my car come January.

Now the monkey wrench...on the very same lot in the previously owned section sat a Mercedes SLK230 with 50,000Km on it, 5spd, bodykit and upgraded wheels and tires in gorgeous condition for the same price as the MINI sitting on the lot that's $5K over my budget. I did not think a Mercedes would take that large a depreciation hit. Certainly the MINI is a lot of fun to drive, but the Mercedes was also just as enjoyable a car as the MINI but in a different sort of way. It's another car I wanted but didn't think I would be able to afford such a beast.

But at $35K CDN with some room to negotiate, the Mercedes becomes another option to look into. This leaves me in a dilemna.

Can anybody chime in a get me off this kick?

 

Well, do you plan on driving your car on the twisties, or to the country club?

 

MCS, hands down!! It will hold good resale value, and it's fun, fun, fun! High quality car, a looker, great community......Just you wait, you won't give the Mercedes that you passed up a second thought once you start tooling around in your MCS!!!

 

Think of it as buying a new car with a built in service contract. The mercedes will not come with that and when you service it the first time you'll no why someone traded it for a MINI! And think og it that way too. Someone traded it in for a MINI!

There is no better feeling than being able to get in your factory ordered car, being the first person to drive it, and being fully vested in keeping the car pristine.

Buy the MCS. If you're not happy with that decision, I'll be surprised! And, if you do drive it to the country club, you'll still be the most talked about guy there!

 

beken,

Factory ordered new is good. Get it the way you want and "New" with warranty.

The MINI is much more fun to drive vs the used Mercedes no matter what condition and the cost of upkeep on the Mercedes will be much higher if not soon then very soon. Depreciation will be much lower for the new MINI so you have your bases covered.

If you do only cruising then the Mercedes can be OK. If you do any sort of performance driving then the MINI is the way to go. After owning a Fiero I'd think the MINI would be the right choice.

 

I think it's a panache vs, prestige question... really a mercedes bring with an air of sofistcation, or at least big money and big ego, The mini is the hip, fun, freindly to everyone, devil in the details car. You'll walk tall in the MErcedes, but you'll drive with a big smile in the MINI. It's up to you to figure out the kind of person you are.

 

Gee, thanks everybody. I feel much better now.

I did testdrive the Mercedes and felt a lot like...well....an expensive Fiero. Not as zippy as the MINI but fast and would make a great commuter car. Especially with that convertible hard top. There is a certain air of sophistication driving a Mercedes. But then there's a very thin line between that and snobbery.

The MINI is much more fun. You're all right. I'll stick with the MINI.

Thanks for setting me straight.....

 

Indeed. As much as I admire and respect German cars, there's something about the typical BMW or Mercedes driver that is a real turn-off.

(I said typical, people, so don't get your shorts in a twist if you have a nice 3-series in your garage ).

The MINI manages to snag all that's good and wonderful in German engineering and put it in a beautiful & fun package that exudes no pretention whatsoever.

Methinks you're making the right choice.

 

On the flip side of that, I have friends constantly reminding me of "typical" British build quality and how they fare in the North American environment.

I'm hoping BMW has instilled some their qualities into the MINI...not just their engineering.

Actually, I think the MINI is the non-conformist of all the cars out there right now. Kind of like thumbing your nose at those ugly, gas guzzling SUVs and yet being totally practical and fun to drive. It would allow me to be different amongst my peers and guilt free about it too.

 

Right on!

And you can feel safe in a MINI, even on a road packed with soccor moms in hummers! Superb crash test results! Impeccable design! Handles on rails! Sexy bumpers! What more can you ask for?