What other cars did you consider?
2nd Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
From: Abington, PA
The only other car I considered. It was a very hard decision, because the RX8's interior was very nice, I liked the layout and the design. The car felt very under control because of the 50/50 weight distribution. The power was nearly the same as the MCS. It is a smooth ride, and the short shifter + transmission is a pleasure. But I stuck with the MCS at the end because I was always in love with the MINI. Also I can just steal my friend's RX8 when needed.
I do have my eyes on a 135i in the future...
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 283
Likes: 1
Ummm...
The R53 and my 99 m3 were very close cars in terms of a lot of things. M3 has slightly more oomph, but the mini has more telepathic handling. Almost the same amount of interior space, except the m3 seats are much harder to get out of. FWIW, if it wasn't for the fantastic deal I got on it, I dont think I would have been considering one (i knew the guy, he gave it to me for 14k, this condition and mileage is usually 18-20k).
Other than these two, i was looking at these:
-WRX: Fun car, but awful mileage and a crappy interior. no thanks.
-Audi A3: not very old and therefore too expensive (needed sub 20)
-06-07 Mazda Miata: excellent car, just needed more practicality.
The R53 and my 99 m3 were very close cars in terms of a lot of things. M3 has slightly more oomph, but the mini has more telepathic handling. Almost the same amount of interior space, except the m3 seats are much harder to get out of. FWIW, if it wasn't for the fantastic deal I got on it, I dont think I would have been considering one (i knew the guy, he gave it to me for 14k, this condition and mileage is usually 18-20k).
Other than these two, i was looking at these:
-WRX: Fun car, but awful mileage and a crappy interior. no thanks.
-Audi A3: not very old and therefore too expensive (needed sub 20)
-06-07 Mazda Miata: excellent car, just needed more practicality.
4th Gear
iTrader: (1)
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 490
Likes: 1
From: Millersville, Maryland (stationed in Beaufort, SC)
The Volvo S60R and V70R. The turning radius and MPG turned me off. Then I realized I wanted a 2 door car that handles amazingly. The MINI was perfect.
Previous cars owned(some of the years might be off):
1993 Sentra SER (bone stock)
1998 Civic EX (lots of mods)
1995 Civic CX (bseries + lots of mods)
2000 1.8t GTI - (lots of mods)
2001 Type-R (lots of mods)
2002 Tacoma TRD (minor mods)
1996 Civic CX (began building for an autox/track queen but was stolen)
1999 Mazda Miata base (minor mods)
2005 RSX-S (bone stock, just barely sold it for the MINI)
Current vehicles:
2007 FJ Cruiser (wife's vehicle)
2009 PW/B JCW (picked it up yesterday!!!)
Considered vehicles:
BMW 135i - fast, but didn't feel as 'connected' to the driving experience as I wanted.
Subaru STI - felt like it needed quite a bit of cash dumped into it to get the feel I wanted.
Mitsu EVOX - much better driving experience than the STI, but just didn't feel right.
VW R32 - Felt like a pig and the gearbox, well... wasn't.
Lotus Elise - too impractical and would 'need' another car for winter driving
Monster Miata - who knows how long this project will take me to finish plus it doesn't have any of the gadgetry I love to play with. Eventual track/weekend car.
1993 Sentra SER (bone stock)
1998 Civic EX (lots of mods)
1995 Civic CX (bseries + lots of mods)
2000 1.8t GTI - (lots of mods)
2001 Type-R (lots of mods)
2002 Tacoma TRD (minor mods)
1996 Civic CX (began building for an autox/track queen but was stolen)
1999 Mazda Miata base (minor mods)
2005 RSX-S (bone stock, just barely sold it for the MINI)
Current vehicles:
2007 FJ Cruiser (wife's vehicle)
2009 PW/B JCW (picked it up yesterday!!!)
Considered vehicles:
BMW 135i - fast, but didn't feel as 'connected' to the driving experience as I wanted.
Subaru STI - felt like it needed quite a bit of cash dumped into it to get the feel I wanted.
Mitsu EVOX - much better driving experience than the STI, but just didn't feel right.
VW R32 - Felt like a pig and the gearbox, well... wasn't.
Lotus Elise - too impractical and would 'need' another car for winter driving
Monster Miata - who knows how long this project will take me to finish plus it doesn't have any of the gadgetry I love to play with. Eventual track/weekend car.
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,646
Likes: 1
From: Queens, NY
I have a close friend who has both an A3 and an A4 avant and I was in both cars checking them out. Loved them and saw that they were great vehicles. Solid constructions. I test drove the A3 but I felt cocooned in the A3. I thought it was ironic that I felt cramped in the A3 and felt comfortable in the Clubman.
Just purchased the Mini Clubman so the memory is still pretty fresh. Previously had a 96 Chevy Cavalier and an 00 Mercury Cougar. The Chevy has been nothing but incident free. Seriously that thing was very dependable. Any issues were easily fixed. Only things I had to do was change brake pads and fuel filter at 70k miles. It's still going and we still use it as a back up vehicle. The Cougar was nothing but trouble. Rotors and brake pads had to be changed 5k miles after getting it. Wheel bearings gave out after 11k miles. After 15k miles, it was gone.
Anyways, seeing as how I commute 500 miles a week, the decision was to purchase a fuel efficient vehicle. I drive alone 95% of the time, well 30% of the time if you consider the dog a passenger. So space was not an issue. However, I cycle alot so had the need for internal storage of a bike(not gonna rack my bike outside a car since it costs way too much). In addition, sometimes 1 or 2 other fellas with bikes drive along for races, etc. Bottom line, I needed a hatchback. Shortlist was as follows(in no order of importance and all are new);
1. Toyota Prius
2. Honda Element
3. Honda Fit
4. Scion xA
5. Nissan Versa
6. Mercury Mariner(hybrid SUV)
7. Toyota Yaris
8. Mini
9. Nissan Rogue
There's a few on that list that had space but lack fuel efficiency. And to be honest, anything below 30mpg isn't "fuel efficient", heck even 35mpg is barely scratching "efficient". However, the price difference offset some of the more fuel efficient vehicles. With gas prices soaring, many dealers are practically giving the bigger cars away. Heck, couple dealers here had the SUV's at close to 40% off MSRP. So spending 5k more for a fuel efficient car meant the fuel savings will take multiple years to break even.
Frankly the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xA are all the "perfect candidates". They are cheap, had sufficient space and get some of the best mpg as far as US vehicles go. I passed on the Prius because I'm not a fan of the battery technology they're using and being an "early" adopter of hybrid vehicles didn't appeal to me. I could have purchased the most expensive trim on any of these vehicles and still be below the basic Mini setup MSRP. Not to mention that any of these brands are dependable names. The difference came down to 2 factors; test drive and bling/cool/whatever-you-wanna-call-it factor. None of the others drove like a Mini did. None could take turns as fast as a Mini, none felt as safe gripping the road and only the Mini looked out of the ordinary(in a good way). Since I had planned to keep the new vehicle for a while, I decided to pay more(roughly 6k more) to get the Clubman. Fuel efficient, sufficient space, cool factor and I can say that I own a BMW(not quite but the same parent company nonetheless).
It's my 3rd day with the Clubman. No issues thus far and after putting over 200 miles, I'm averaging 38 mpg according to the computer. This includes 50% highway driving, 45% city, 5% joy riding/spirited driving. Best part was the multiple occurences of people stopping in the midst of their chatter open-mouthed to stare as I pass. It feels surreal. :P
Anyways, seeing as how I commute 500 miles a week, the decision was to purchase a fuel efficient vehicle. I drive alone 95% of the time, well 30% of the time if you consider the dog a passenger. So space was not an issue. However, I cycle alot so had the need for internal storage of a bike(not gonna rack my bike outside a car since it costs way too much). In addition, sometimes 1 or 2 other fellas with bikes drive along for races, etc. Bottom line, I needed a hatchback. Shortlist was as follows(in no order of importance and all are new);
1. Toyota Prius
2. Honda Element
3. Honda Fit
4. Scion xA
5. Nissan Versa
6. Mercury Mariner(hybrid SUV)
7. Toyota Yaris
8. Mini
9. Nissan Rogue
There's a few on that list that had space but lack fuel efficiency. And to be honest, anything below 30mpg isn't "fuel efficient", heck even 35mpg is barely scratching "efficient". However, the price difference offset some of the more fuel efficient vehicles. With gas prices soaring, many dealers are practically giving the bigger cars away. Heck, couple dealers here had the SUV's at close to 40% off MSRP. So spending 5k more for a fuel efficient car meant the fuel savings will take multiple years to break even.
Frankly the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Scion xA are all the "perfect candidates". They are cheap, had sufficient space and get some of the best mpg as far as US vehicles go. I passed on the Prius because I'm not a fan of the battery technology they're using and being an "early" adopter of hybrid vehicles didn't appeal to me. I could have purchased the most expensive trim on any of these vehicles and still be below the basic Mini setup MSRP. Not to mention that any of these brands are dependable names. The difference came down to 2 factors; test drive and bling/cool/whatever-you-wanna-call-it factor. None of the others drove like a Mini did. None could take turns as fast as a Mini, none felt as safe gripping the road and only the Mini looked out of the ordinary(in a good way). Since I had planned to keep the new vehicle for a while, I decided to pay more(roughly 6k more) to get the Clubman. Fuel efficient, sufficient space, cool factor and I can say that I own a BMW(not quite but the same parent company nonetheless).
It's my 3rd day with the Clubman. No issues thus far and after putting over 200 miles, I'm averaging 38 mpg according to the computer. This includes 50% highway driving, 45% city, 5% joy riding/spirited driving. Best part was the multiple occurences of people stopping in the midst of their chatter open-mouthed to stare as I pass. It feels surreal. :P
6th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,027
Likes: 1
From: Washington State
That was a perfectly lovely post that I am about to wreck forever because I cannot get it out of my head... any fans of Heroes will understand when I say...
Ando! Misete! Nissan Va sa! Nissan Va sa!
Ando! Misete! Nissan Va sa! Nissan Va sa!
It must be a Nissan Versa! I started seeing a few of these lately and they don't look small at all.
6th Gear
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,027
Likes: 1
From: Washington State
They really don't look small, do they? But every time my teenagers see one now, they chuckle and say, "Mom, there's Hiro's car!" So I can't help but notice them when I see one on the road.
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Hampton, VA
Well I actually traded in my '07 Honda Fit for my MINI (the fit had 68k miles and no issued what so ever). Don't get me wrong I loved the fit but I wanted more power and more "luxury" features.
The cars I considered trading the fit for...
-The '09 Honda Fit (had navigation but not everything I wanted and not more power)
-Volvo C30 (not so great on the handling, too expensive when I optioned it out to what my mini is equipped with)
-Honda Civic SI (felt "big")
-Honda S2000 (Key word INSURANCE! I'm 21, male and not married haha plus It wouldn't be a good daily driver at all and a negative on the gas mileage)
-BMW 128i (couldn't afford 135 and the 128 was going to be very "bare bones" loved the car maybe a 135 someday! plus I commute 70 mi a day gas mileage wasn't so great especially on premium)
-I had actually wanted a mini since I started driving which wasn't tooo long ago but at the time when I had to buy a new car I went with the fit (couldn't afford the mini and my POS neon was beyond dead) and almost 3 years later traded it for exactly what I wanted... my mini.
Thanks for listening!
The cars I considered trading the fit for...
-The '09 Honda Fit (had navigation but not everything I wanted and not more power)
-Volvo C30 (not so great on the handling, too expensive when I optioned it out to what my mini is equipped with)
-Honda Civic SI (felt "big")
-Honda S2000 (Key word INSURANCE! I'm 21, male and not married haha plus It wouldn't be a good daily driver at all and a negative on the gas mileage)
-BMW 128i (couldn't afford 135 and the 128 was going to be very "bare bones" loved the car maybe a 135 someday! plus I commute 70 mi a day gas mileage wasn't so great especially on premium)
-I had actually wanted a mini since I started driving which wasn't tooo long ago but at the time when I had to buy a new car I went with the fit (couldn't afford the mini and my POS neon was beyond dead) and almost 3 years later traded it for exactly what I wanted... my mini.
Thanks for listening!
1st Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Kentucky
1. new Scion tc
2. 06+ Eclipse GT
3. 06+ Pontiac Solstice
4. newer GTI
I was looking for a dependable, newer car that would be fun to drive, and still get good gas milage... I just wasn't happy with the prices of the GTI's compared to the shape most of them were in .... the pontiac solstice was a fun car, but very unpractical, and the performance options bumped the price up to more than i was willing to pay for a 2 seater That I couldn't haul much of anything in... The Eclipse GT is a fun car to drive. the v6 and 6 spd get pretty good power to the ground. my better half LOVES these cars, but I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger, not sure why, maybe the car just didn't have any character... The Scion was going to be the best buy as far as: brand new car, lowest payment... made it hard to pass up. The car just didn't have any go-go to it. Plenty of personality, Toyota reliability, pretty well built car. I almost bought the Scion tc....
the only problem was that I wanted a MCS all along. It was always in the back of my head. I test drove one about a month before I started shopping around for a new car, and I just coulnd't forget how great of a little car it was...
Sometimes I think to myself that I should have bought the Scion, because it would have been a brand new, 0 miles car, for the same money i paid for my one owner, 2 year old, 34k miles MCS... When I have those thought, I just grab my keys and go for a spirited drive through the twisties and think to myself, "What would I be missing out on if I had bought anything else."
2. 06+ Eclipse GT
3. 06+ Pontiac Solstice
4. newer GTI
I was looking for a dependable, newer car that would be fun to drive, and still get good gas milage... I just wasn't happy with the prices of the GTI's compared to the shape most of them were in .... the pontiac solstice was a fun car, but very unpractical, and the performance options bumped the price up to more than i was willing to pay for a 2 seater That I couldn't haul much of anything in... The Eclipse GT is a fun car to drive. the v6 and 6 spd get pretty good power to the ground. my better half LOVES these cars, but I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger, not sure why, maybe the car just didn't have any character... The Scion was going to be the best buy as far as: brand new car, lowest payment... made it hard to pass up. The car just didn't have any go-go to it. Plenty of personality, Toyota reliability, pretty well built car. I almost bought the Scion tc....
the only problem was that I wanted a MCS all along. It was always in the back of my head. I test drove one about a month before I started shopping around for a new car, and I just coulnd't forget how great of a little car it was...
Sometimes I think to myself that I should have bought the Scion, because it would have been a brand new, 0 miles car, for the same money i paid for my one owner, 2 year old, 34k miles MCS... When I have those thought, I just grab my keys and go for a spirited drive through the twisties and think to myself, "What would I be missing out on if I had bought anything else."
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