http://hooniverse.kinja.com/first-dr...334761/+travis

Yeah, so its a great car no argument there, and I think at the bottom end its better priced as well. Plaid seats and a golf ball shifter make me turn up my nose as if someone hot boxed the car in the middle of July. Not to mention its still shaped like a door jam but probably a lot more comfortable in the back seat. Gotta say though, IMO no one does candy red quite like Audi/VW, and I seriously doubt anyone will be sporting eyelashes on the headlamps or a Cars sunscreen in the parking lot. It also has a front end aggression that no one will accuse of being cute.

Still very glad I have an S on a boat to my driveway. The Mini is just dripping with personality and soul. Performance wise I am getting better MPG and similar launch times, but I am guessing that limited slip is going to give the GTI an advantage in the corners... The real interesting match up will be the Golf R vs the forthcoming JCW.

Anyway, this is the choice I wrestled with before ordering the Cooper S. Feeling good about my decision!

 

The Mini is just dripping with personality and soul.

YUP!

 

I didn't run the video but the body style looks an awful lot like a Fiat 500. Of course body design has morphed into a universal chicklets mode long ago. Was a time when you didn't have to look at the badge to see what your neighbor was driving. Also, it would be interesting to hear Sir Alec's take on where BMW is taking the MINI. His whole philosophy was 'compact to the extreme' or something like that.

 

While nice from a performance perspective, I think they are soooo ugly I couldn't think of getting one. It looks like something a grandma would drive.... (Sorry, just one man's opinion).

 

I have a MCS on order and scheduled to arrive in early July. I've debated both cars a lot (and still do). In the past 2 days, I've test drove 2 GTI Autobahns. IMO the MCS looks and feels like a more high-end quality car. The interior quality in the MCS looks so much better than the GTI. The GTI Autobahn feels like a downgraded A3 Sportwagon (I owned a A3 2006 and current owner of a 2013 Audi Allroad). I do like VW/Audi a lot and like the 4-door functionality in the GTI, however, I feel the MCS has much more character, higher end styling/character.

 

Noticing the latest batch of android autos or a debadged car, which now seems in vogue, evokes the same curiosity as visiting an appliance store. I'm too old to be hassled for asking how fast their Amana goes from zero to sixty.

 

While I agree that the styling of the GTI isn' too my taste, I have never seen a grandma driving one. As for the Cooper, I have actually seen quite a few grandma's driving that car

 

How can anyone look at an F56 & then a GTI & feel the F56 is good looking? MINI really screwed up with the design of the F56. I've driven a Cooper & liked the drive, just can't get past the homely looks of the new face of MINI.

 

"Anyone with a twinge of regret now that these are hitting our shores?"

No, not at all.

 

Its not far off the mark. If you hate it that much, a front body kit could likely fix the Kiera Knightly underbite.

 

Meh, to each his own I guess. I absolutely adore the new design.

 

I was so torn between these two cars...for the longest time I was set on getting the new GTI

But, I'm tired of VW's crap.

WHY does the rest of the world get to enjoy the GTI (and the R) so long before we do? The MK7 Golf came out, what? 2 years ago? and we are JUST now getting it!? I dont care if its being built in Mexico!

And thats another thing. I can accept the lack of satisfaction of getting a Mexican built German car. But are they going to end up charging more for less like they did with the German built ones? I have no idea of the option packages on the MK7, but on the MK6 GTI you couldn't even get automatic headlights on your 30k car. Auto climate control? Nope. LED tails? Nope. You want the GOOD nav screen? Too bad, Europe only.

I understand not everybody wants all that junk, and some just want a car that is fun to drive while getting you from point A to point B. I, however, like all that junk. And MINI lets me get damn near everything the Europeans get. In the end, thats what swayed me...I dont have the car yet, but I can't see myself having any regrets, I ordered the car with everything I wanted. It has exactly what I want from a car.

But damn, the lack of auto headlights pissed me off the most on MK6. Something so cheap and easy to add...not an option anywhere, even on the R. Almost as bad as a 60k 5 Series without a back up camera nowadays.


I just have to hear my coworkers constantly call it a chick car...its already begun and I dont even have it yet.

 

The F56 looks best in all black so you don't notice the solid bar in the grille area and the lower fat lip... I know the pedestrian bar is per specs for the Europe market but why not just give the US a different bumper...

 

Nope.

 

Well, just don't get one then, personally I love the new look and the new car. It was not on my radar screen before at all.

 

I'm actually still deciding between the MCS and the GTI/R. Now that I can finally take an MK7 out for a drive, I've been very impressed with the new version. My wife and I did a back to back test drive of both this past weekend. The good news is there are some clear differences in the two cars but the bad news is I still can't make a final decision.

Love
GTI overall interior size - head, shoulder, and leg room. Lots of room in the back seat for its class and a ton of space in the hatch with the seats down.

GTI Fender audio system - seemed slightly more rounded in overall sound quality to me than the HK audio. The biggest difference was the bass quality and fullness.

Mini overall driving experience - a slight edge over the GTI as you get an even greater connected feel of the road and the Sport mode has an edge on the fun factor in the Mini.

Mini uniqueness of overall brand and style of vehicle - customization factor is off the charts different than ANY brand I've ever seen. Allows you to really make it your own.

Mini Fuel Economy - the GTI's is very good for a performance car but the Mini is fantastic from what I'm gathering from users on this forum. To get close to 40mpg with an MCS (even in Green mode) is phenomenal. This car has the ability to perform like a sports car if you desire, but can get you hybrid mpg when you want to achieve that by using Green mode. This is an extremely unique feature of this car that I haven't found anywhere in any category of vehicle.

Mini Community - based on the forums, there is a distinct difference between the users on the Mini sites versus those on the GTI sites. The Mini users seem to be a more balanced bunch who generally want to respect each other even when dealing with more controversial opinions or judgments related to the car. The GTI users seem a little edgier and less patient with opinions that don't match their own. Your not necessarily buying a car for the community that it brings with it online, but it's nice to know that those that are part of it will welcome you just because you share the common bond of owning a Mini.

GTI sport seats - extremely comfortable and can definitely see doing some long trips with little to no fatigue. Mini seats were significantly less comfortable to me in the back to back drive comparison which really surprised me as I didn't notice that on my previous test drives. It was a warm day and I sweat a lot more in the Mini drive than I did in the GTI. Both were with the windows and the sunroof open. I've heard that the Mini seats aren't ventilated which would make sense given my experience. I'm 6'3 and 200 pounds so my experience didn't have anything to do with me not fitting either one of the seats.

GTI Safety ratings - IIHS just posted the results of the safety testing and the GTI got a "Top Safety Plus" rating and nailed the new small frontal overlap test that so many have performed poorly on since the test came out in the last year. Mini safety is decent from what I've read, but not anywhere near the upper tier of safe vehicles based on the testing data.

Don't Love
Mini rear seat room - really not a functional back seat. I know you can get two other adults back there but definitely not for more than a short trip. I'm not buying a car for the back seat, but it almost seems like a waste in this car to even have one given how small they are and how awkward it is going behind the drivers seat to get there.

Mini overall hatch space - I didn't realize how much of a difference this could make to me until I saw the new GTI in person. The flexibility of this space (for how I will use the car) is really nice.

No Performance Pack available on the GTI until January - I'm very interested in this option and can't get it for at least 6 months.

GTI Rollout - the way this has been rolled out by VW of A makes me a little nervous as to whether they have their act together and if the car will be consistent with their poor timing and process. I doubt there is much link between manufacturing leadership and Marketing/Sales but it does give me pause.


In summary, I'm leaning towards the GTI for it's overall functionality for how I will use the car. If I was deciding on pure driving experience I would pick the Mini and decide to live with the less comfortable seats. Unfortunately the space concerns are causing me to think twice about the Mini.

I haven't decided yet so I'd love to get some counter punches from the Mini Community

 

I actually really like how the F56 looks. I hated it in pictures but once I saw it in person I loved it.

 

Sigh, I was hoping I would. Just too many little changes adding up to a car I just don't love this time around. Oh well, maybe they will get it right with gen 4

 

Out of all the hot hatches out and slated to be out I feel that the new mini is the best looking. Most of the others look like "some car", especially the VW Golf. The mini has so much character. That character also runs off on the community that follows making it even more of a fun car to own. At the end of the day, it's just my opinion and I am buying the one that gives me the biggest smile.

 

My boat just arrived today in Brunswick, GA. Still just as happy with my purchase and I'm anticipating it more and more as it gets closer.

Nothing I have heard/read has given me even the slightest bit of doubt.

 

I'm a convert from VW. It was naturally for me to go to MK7 GTI. However, I made the switch to MINI coz I loved the car. No regrets whatsoever. I have fun with the MINI and I feel that VWs are just too utilitarian for me.

No regrets I'll wave to my VW buddies driving the MK7 GTI.

 

Fantastic break down, very thoughtful. Were the seats leather in the cooper you drove? I test drove one with the pearl cloth seats and I felt they were the greatest seats I have ever experienced in a car! Your other thoughts were spot on. For me, the backseat would only be used for the occasional kiddie joy ride. I have two large vehicles otherwise. I also think the Mini interior is the most engaging and just fun interior I have ever seen in a car, at least for under 75k.

The gadget options on the Mini are truly fantastic for any car I have seen at that price too. If I needed more practicality the GTI would be worth a closer look but fortunately that's not a deciding factor for me. Well said though!

 

so i just watched the video.. and i don't even know how this guy can talk about how much fun these cars are to drive. Yes I'm sure it has power and whatnot, but it definitely is not the car that brings smiles to people's faces, and definitely is not the hatch that started it all, that would be our iconic MINI

The GTI looks like a VW, inside and out, but the aggressive look of the mini has much more character. When comparing the two, i feel like the GTI is more of a CAR, what you expect to see in the streets. Ive driven both, and have to say the mini is just all around funner, and even if specs say the GTI is faster and more powerful, the MINI feels faster and feels more powerful.

As far as any regret? None at all. The mini has so much more compared to the GTI, and its just such a funner drive, which is what i ultimately care about

When i tell people i drive a MINI people always flip out, when someone says they drive a golf, nobody says anything, in fact, nobody even ever says they drive a golf bc there is nothing special about that car.

:* just my two cents.

 

Come on, you have to admit that the MK1 he was driving looked like a riot!

 

As a GTI driver, I still yearn for a Mini.

I even helped get the girlfriend into one (R56 non-S) and taught her how to drive stick, and she loves it.

I've been sorely tempted by the release of the new F56, but after my last experience buying a first model year car, I know better. Plus, I need to keep my GTI for at least 3 years. Only 1.5 years in.