I'm in the market for a new car and have narrowed my decision down to two cars. I've always wanted a MCS but they seemed a bit overpriced to me. The Scion XB seems like a better value and would be a lot easier on my pocketbook. Both are fun to drive in my opinion--although the MCS is much more fun haha .

So basically I'm looking for some words of encouragement that will make me take the MINI plunge. Is it worth the extra ~$6k? Thanks guys

 

My wife and I each own a MCS and one of my work's vehicles is a Scion xB.

I have not driven a stock cooper, so i can not give my opinion on that.

While I like the scion alot, i don't know if i would buy one as my personal vehicle. Not that it isn't well done, it's just a little tall for me for daily use. However, you can stack a bunch of gear in it....easily seats four (more easily than a MINI) and it does go pretty well. You do need to rev that little 1.5L for everything she's got.

I'll chime in on what i can compare with our MINIs: the MINI out handles the xB by a long shot. The MINI is a small premium car, the xB is an entry level vehicle (not that there is anything wrong with that!)

Hard call. Only you can decide the money thing. If I were in a similar position, I would consider driving the Honda Fit as well. Similar price to the xB, may handle & go a little better.

good luck!

-jac

 

If the choice was mine I would go with the MINI. Even though it may cost more now it's worth it in the long run.

 

I think the biggest decision would be whether you need 4-doors or not.

 

So you want to know if you should buy a very fun, quick Mini.... or a Playskool Mobile? Depends if you want to be known as the Weeble-Wobble family.

 

We have a MC cabrio and an XB. It's like comparing apples to oranges. The MINI has much better handling, the XB gets better gas mileage. The MINI has more bells and whistles, the XB has very few in comparison. The XB functions as a mule for the MINI, hauling all the stuff that won't fit. Even though it is larger, the XB is not overly comfortable on long roadtrips without replacing the seats.

My vote would be to buy a MINI unless you need to transport several adults or haul larger stuff frequently. The MINI is a blast to drive, handles better and has better gadgets and gizmos.

 

This car has changed my life. I feel the MINI is incredibly engineered. That extra 6K will prevent lots of after purchase issues, in my humble opinion... I have 26K on my 2005 MCS and it has had three trips to the dealership, two for warranty maintenance only, and one to replace a defective power steering motor.

The price difference could affect more than you pocket book, not to scare you, but look at the safety aspect as well.

Good Luck,

 

If you need something that carries more then a Mini, gets good mileage, is confortable on long trips, and is excellent for camping, get a Honda Element. That's our other car (2004) and it has come in so handy for so many reasons. We've even carried a full size washer and dryer in the back after putting up the back seats. It's AWD, you can hose out the interior, plug your iPod into the AUX jack, and away you go. It handles very well, and has some good get-up-and-go, and multiple air bags. It'll be with us at Monterey.

 

In the long run, you may find that the Xb may have less problems (it is a toyota underneath) and offer similar resale value.

Ive seen many mini's wholesaled rather than sold at private seller price for the same reasons why the mini is so popular. overcustomization and lack of maintenance. All german cars need some particular tlc that japanese cars dont. Unless youre friendly with your dealership and dont mind possible trips to the dealership and just a die hard car fanatic, id recommend the scion. Both are great cars but look beyond the fascade. good luck whichever you chose. both are potentially great cars.

 

Just sold my xB and had a mini for over a year.
The mini is engineered from the ground up to be a drivers enthusiasts machine. The xB is designed for the traffic in downtown Tokyo.
They are very different in their design and feel. The xB has great utility and gets great gas mileage. Fairly comfortable but noisy in operation and its not good noises. The interior is sparse and its econobox roots are always there to remind you.

The mini is crafted of quality parts.. One fender on the mini equals all the sheetmetal used on the scion xB! You can almost see thru the sheetmetal its so thin. The mini is a very sophisticated engineered car with a very slick interior and available options.

As for performance... the mini is ahead in every aspect, especially the MCS.

Go test drive them both back to back... It all depends on what your priorities are. I'd go for the mini if you enjoy driving...

 

We looked at the xB before buying our second MINI. As soon as I found out that it only had the minimum required 2 airbags, I decided that Toyota was more concerned with the bottom line than the safety of my family.

Safety features should not be optional. My best guess is that Toyota's priority was to keep the price down even if it meant that it did not offer the highest level of safety possible.

In the end, I decided that 4 additional airbags was a better choice than illuminated cup holders and LED colored interior lighting.

 

I looked at an Xb after looking at a MINI. I am on NAM so you can guess what I ended up going with. I was looking at the special edition that had yet to arrive. It was loaded but it only came in green. The pictures on the web site do no justice to how ugly that green is (BRG is so much nicer).
Here's what you do:
Test drive a MINI, drive up a hill.
Test drive an Xb, take it up a hill, get out half way and walk, you'll get up there faster.
That's what did it for me 3 minutes into the test drive. If the sales guy had kept me off that hill I might be on NorthamericanXBing.com right now because the $$ was right.

 

Of course you won't get any unbiased opinions around here, but how can you blame us? Two weeks ago I bought my MINI. Up until the day before I bought it I was considering a new VW Rabbit and the Scion TC. I was basically on my way to the VW dealer to order a Rabbit but I decided to stop by the MINI dealer first just to make sure I covered all my bases. Suffice it to say, I never made it to the VW dealer ! Yes, the MINI was more expensive, but it depends on what you are looking for in a car. If you want a car for driving buy a MINI. If you want a car to get you around town then maybe the Scion Xb would be better. For me it was worth the extra 4 grand. Even the Scion TC wasn't as fun to drive as my MC, my only regret is that I didn't get the MCS, but I figure I was already stretching to afford a base Cooper. As it was I had to take a lot of expensive options that I didn't think I needed because I didn't want to wait a couple months to order one, but then again the sunroof, auto a/c and trip computer have been very nice, and I'm sure I'll really appreciate the heated seats in January!

 

Clarkdr81. Don't regret not getting the MCS. We have both a Cooper and a MCS and both are fantastic. I'd drive a Cooper long before I would settle for any other ordinary car even if it was faster.

 

You want a cheap box, or an elegant, well put together and designed car for a little more??

Choice seems easy...

 

You get a lot of premium features for the extra $6K: top-notch engineering, 6 standard airbags, a tough little beast that has proven to be great in crashes, tremendous style and uniqueness, and a wonderful community of enthusiasts! The xB is such a different type of vehicle that it is really difficult to compare them. I agree with Gromit801: if you need more utility, check out the Honda Element. Of course, we welcome you to NAM and feel you'll get more enjoyment from a MINI! Good luck with your decision.

 

The xb is good utilitarian transportation. Reliable, cheap etc. It is made by Toyota, and I always respect Toyota.

The Mini is the Mini.

If you want transportation and lots of room=xB
You want fun and maybe some panache=Mini

I was looking at the xB for my daughter, and they are NOT comparable vehicles in anyway.

And I think for $20-$25K, the Mini is a GREAT value.

 

Go with MINI, won't regret! I have '05 Cooper S auto and placed an order for '06 MCS JCW. Imagine how good should be the car, when one can't wait for 3-4 years to replace with a new one. Even the upcoming '07 model didn't stop me to buy a new one (I am upside-down in my lease, but don't care). I will probably pick up my new car next week and my current MCSa in perfect condition is for sale. Let me know if you're in CA and interested.

Good luck!

 

Funny, that's exactly what me and my wife are looking at for our next vehicle. ...She has the 'big vehicle' in the family now (a VW Beetle! ) and neither one of us want to sell our beloved rides, so it seems we're gonna be a 3 car family!

Anyway, back onto the thread topic - I'd go for the MINI Cooper (and yes, the 'S' is worth it). It will keep it's resale value longer and you will love driving it long after the 'xBox' goes all flacid-squeaky-squeaky.

- - m

 

If cost is your primary consideration, I'd make your comparison more apples-to-apples and compare the MINI Cooper to the XB, not the MCS. Now what would you choose? They may not be exactly the same in price, but its a closer comparison. Then, you can decide if the performance of the MCS is worth the extra $ to you over a MINI Cooper if you go that route.

 

My sister has an xB that I drove around for a week while my MCS was getting repaired. I agree with all saying that the xB is entirely different. The xB isn't as bad as many make it out to be. I had no issues going up hills or getting to highway speeds. That being said corners that I used to take at 55 mph I took at 35, and then slowed down when I felt the car was about to spin out/flip over.
All in all it comes down to want you like. I like my MINI, my sister likes her xB. They both suit us very well. If you don't like whipping around corners and driving for the sake of driving well, you might as well take the xB. It is cheaper, get better gas milage, and is still pretty cute. However, if you grin everytime you sit down in a MINI like I do. Then the choice is pretty clear.

 

MCS hands down... No questions asked.

 

Thanks for the info guys!

Going to hit up Long Beach Mini tomorrow morning for some test drives then on to a Scion dealer for some more. I know once I sit down in that MCS my decision will be made and pockets will be emptied.

One question though--how is the reliability factor when it comes to the MCS? Seems they are fairly problematic from what I've heard.

 

This is the reason we passed over the xB last year when I started looking for a new car. I really enjoyed the xB and thought it was a good little car for the price. But the airbag issue was a deal breaker. And I'm glad, cause I LOVE my MINI!

 

Well, looks like the MCS won! Ordered a PW today

Thanks NAM!!!