I had a 2005 Lotus Elise, Chrome Orange, Sport Package, Stage 2 exhaust, hardtop targa and custom ram air intake etc. On the street, I drove with ear plugs on. Scary car to drive fast especially on second cam (>6800 rpm to redline 8500 rpm, slightly more if you push it). It likes to wag its tail with an abrupt slip angle change. At 90 + mph at the downhill apex in LRP, it is a rush.

I would still go with the BMW 135i myself.

 

I have to say that if you're thinking about prices when looking at a $40k+ car purchase, you cannot afford the $40k+ car.

 

Under 30k there is
Cobalt SS (260hp)
Mazda 3 (it's a sedan)
Dodge SRT4 (285hp)
Volvo C30
Mazda MX-5
Pontiac Solstice
VW GTI
Ford Mustang GT

The MINI can compete with those on a whole package concept, on a performance only basis it struggles. Open it up against the cars available overseas and it's even tighter.

Pass 35k and the MINI now goes up against...

Corvette C6 Z51
Nissan 350Z
Cadillac CTS-V
M3
MB C36 AMG
Lancer Evo MR
135i
Lexus IS F
Audi S5
Honda S2k
Dodge Challenger SRT8
Dodge Charger SRT8
Elise SC
Infiniti G37
WRX STi
VW R32
Civic Mugen Si
Shebly GT500
Porsche Boxter (S)
Porsche Cayman (S)

All beneath 60k
So if you assume that many buyers will have freedom within a price range AND it is much more competitive performer in the under 30k group, and even still doesn't flat out out preform it's competition, then when a MINI Cooper Non S is topping 40k, and a MCS is even more. I think it's an impractical car in terms of driving what you get vs what you pay.

And yes if your budget is 45 or 50 or 55k then yes the list shapes up a little bit differently.

 

I loved my corvette. Great car.

I'll get another one down the road. The Mini is just a different kind of fun car.

 

Well put! I went with the JCW over a Cayman S much to the surprise of my fellow porschephiles but I've had the MINI bug since '03 and have yet to be cured.

 

The Lotus would probably the best handling car but driving a high powered gokart would get old fast as a daily driver,Corvette would give a real rush on acceleration but still has all the impracticalities of a 2 seat summer only sports car,the Mini offers gokart handling with economy at the pump and will deal with winter a lot better than the other two and also has more cargo space with fully reclining front seats,the Corvette and Lotus maybe good weekend warriors but for every day driving give me the Mini.
If a two seater is OK you might want to also include the MX-5,with some bolt on equipment 300+hp is attainable.

 

I think your price on the vette is a bit off, My mom went in to buy her first vette and they wouldn't price it below 50k for a C6... she went with another Mustang GT

 

iT'S KBB MSRP.....must be the usual Dealer prep, transportation and other bs add on's....

 

You apparently didnt read the post as it has nothing to do with the price of 40K plus cars or our wallets, it has more to do with the heritage of the MINI and what it has represented to the consumer for the last 40+ years....

I love my MCS and would not trade it for any other car out there. But, YOu would have to have more money than commonsense to PAY $45,000.00 for a MINI Cooper.......it's that simple.

 

I thought this article on MotoringFile was interesting in relation to cost of the factory JCW, vs the JCW packages.

 

That's correct, it was $37,000.00, then the dealer added brake kit, rims and some other stuff bringing it up to showroom price off the floor at 44K.

I can only surmise that this is a result of the JCW being assembled at the factory. Pevious years, the dealer's had their tech's install the JCW upgrades.....maybe this is there new way of getting back their "piece of the pie ".

 

Is that even possible? A $40k non-S?

I suppose you could probably get there if you bought every single option, $4k JCW wheels, etc.

Now, that IS ridiculous. I would honestly like to meet the person who would buy a $40k "regular" Cooper. I'd just like to hear their justification.

Really, the problem isn't that the CAR is too expensive, it's that people go nuts on options. When I tell people that MINI's start at $19k, they're always pleasantly surprised.

I'm in agreement with you, though. When you start throwing a ton of options on the car, it gets into a price range in which it is logically hard to compete. The car's character has to account for a LOT of money to make it make sense. I mean, even our $21k MINI is quite expensive for what you get if you just look at specs. A GTI that you can get for under sticker and with manufacturer special interest rates would probably be the same or cheaper, and you're still getting a German car, with an arguably nicer interior, a lot more room, a lot more power, etc. In the end, the character and "fun factor" of the MINI won out, but make that even a $25k "regular" Cooper, and there's no way I can justify it.

Clearly some people can, though. Ultimately, it comes down to how much the MINI's character, tossability, and uniqueness... things no other car can really match... are worth to the buyer. It's worth a lot to me, or I'd be driving a new Mustang GT, VW GTI, MazdaSpeed 3, etc for the same amount of money, but I wouldn't be able to justify even a $25-$30k "regular" Cooper. Obviously, many people on here could... and clearly, to the people who buy ~$40k Coopers, the MINI's uniqueness is of incredible value.

 

My first MINI, a 2006 S, was ordered with a minimum of options totalling about $24K. My current one was bought off the lot and had a lot of stuff I probably wouldn't have ordered at $28.5K but I have grown to enjoy. My JCW which hopefully is being built next week is a mix. With mostly performance oriented options, a couple for my comfort/luxury, and scrimping on the bling, its MSRP will be right at $33K. I can't see paying $40K+ for a MINI either but having owned lots of different cars over the years, I know that car ownership is not always rational. I've owned a gaggle of two seaters and they are a hardship as your only vehicle, no doubt about it. I'm not absolutely sure what will become of my Cayman....when I bought it I thought I would have it forever, two years later, I am fickle again...In general I agree with the argument that the higher you're paying, the more options you have in the car world at large. But...I gave up a longtime ago trying to dictate everyone else's purchases, I just buy what I like knowing full well it will probably be something else in a few years. The fact that I will soon be on MINI number three speaks to me.

 

The same day that I checked out a Clubman, I also looked at a 128I. I was not impressed with the BMW. The MINI was MUCH more fun to drive.
My wife drives a 325I and I thought the 128I was the same car without any back seat room.
In regards to the original post, I think the MINI is a much more practical car. One should be able to configure a JCW for a lot less than the one mentioned. That price sounds over inflated - probably includes a dealer markup.

 

Just a friendly note...I would shop around if you really want a JCW...the JCW comes standard with the Brembo brakes....sounds like you weren't given a good quote. Like I said we paid just under $37K with a lot of options...good luck..

 

From an insurance and "cop notice factor" I'd go with the Mini. How in hell did you get a price up that high on a JCW?

 

Well, if you REALLY try hard, you can get to ~$50k on a JCW Clubman... NOT including the cost of labor for the dealer accessories.

Knowing what my dealer charges for installation (~$120 for mirror caps ), $40k+ is not hard to reach with a well-optioned JCW.

In fact, the first time I went into the MINI dealer, they had 2 JCW's on the lot, and both were $42-43k.

 

I looked at Vettes and $42k sounds like a stripped one vs. a loaded baked potato of a JCW. I couldn't option a vette the way I wanted for under $58k.
Two totally different cars. The 135 is nice, but there's not really that much more room in there.

 

I have noticed that when building a 2nd Gen "S" configured similar to my 2006 that it does come out quite a bit higher. We all know that inflation, the crappy economy and the huge surge of SUV types looking for better gas mileage all contribute....

The options are priced quite high, look at the cost of leather or how about $250 for the stupid center armrest console that never stays closed ?

What MINI needs to do is release the MINI One here in the states, first to get the base model price down low, second they should offer a "Poor mans GTO" option on it. That would be bare bones MINI with the JCW package, no butt warmers, no cute eyeball washers, no leather, no mood lights, no nav..etc.etc.

Then you would have a $25,000 Super performer.

I ordered my S with modest options, premium for the sunroof and cruise, S-lites for the classic look, cloth seats, F&R fogs for safety, u-stripe, alarm, stoopid console,and that's it. The metallic paint charge I thought was pretty cheezy but I do love the color. My thought was, she'll be quick, handle great, look wonderful, get decent mileage (Twice the GT Mustang I had) and with a minimum of options, not break too much. I'm lucky to even have this much on my budget.

I'm in heaven, I love every minute I can look at her, wash & polish her and get behind the wheel.....a true love story.

I mean come on.....is there really a cooler car than these gems ?

 

You're right... there's nothing like a MINI... and that's why they sell.

If you look at what you get for the money as far as performance numbers, size, quality, features, etc, it doesn't always compute... especially when they're all optioned up... but the MINI is much, much more than the sum of it's parts.

 

Ok looking at your list, the first section of cars. Cobalt and the Dodge and you say the Mini has reliability problems Like I already said the Mazda3, it's a wagon, nuff said. Volvo ugly as sin. Mazda 5, not really the same class. Pontiac , Ford gt diff. class of car. Now the VW, maybe

Second section, yes if you WAYYYY pass $35k then some of those will work but come on? Like I said earlier the 135i here is from $38 to $49k. M3? we are talkin about $70k+


I still think for the money a Mini is hard to beat

 

Interesting Topic... We have a new '08 Corvette (our 4th Corvette in 20 years) and a new '08 MCS (our first). They are both great cars, in fact I was surprised how much I am enjoying the MCS (it's my wife's daily driver).

When it comes to paying more than $30K for a Mini, I start questioning the value. After we took the delivery of the MCS a few weeks ago, I started looking at the JCW. For me there is not enough value in the extra $8K (base price difference) for the JCW over the MCS. Don't get me wrong, I like the JCW a lot and it was a fun test drive, but I did not feel the difference in the MCS to the JCW to justify the price difference. Our MCS is well equipped and for the same JCW it configured at $35k+. For $35K+, I'm looking at something else. By the way a new '09 Corvette Coupe could easily be purchased for $39K to $44K and be very well optioned. If you're looking at fully optioned then you're talking $50K+, even with incentives and dealer discounts.

We just returned from Tail of the Dragon with the North Carolina Corvette Club and it was a great road trip. We are planning to go to Minis on the Dragon next spring. It's interesting to see the similarities of Mini Owners and Corvette owners (more things in common than either group would like to believe). There are some differences, but not as many as you would think...

 

Wanted to take our TT Vette to the Dragon...must have been a blast. We are going to do the Dragon with out 09 JCW next year...maybe we will see you there

 

I don't think anyone would say that the Cobalt *or* the MINI are top of the heap for reliability, so let's call that a virtual wash. From there, it's a matter of preference. The Cobalt will wipe the floor with a similarly priced MINI (read: Non-S) in absolutely every type of performance event you can think of except MAYBE a really tight Auto-X... MAYBE. But, at the end of the day, the winner goes home in a souped up Chevy Econobox, and the other still has a ton of fun in a unique little MINI Cooper. It comes down to what matters more... the overall package... or outright performance. The Cobalt wins when it comes to overall performance per $. In fact, it's one of the best performance bargains around PERIOD. But, in my book, the MINI is tons of fun, and wins in every category but pure performance.

Now, as far as the Dodge goes... I would consider myself fairly open when it comes to different models and at least giving them a chance, but I draw the line at the Caliber SRT-4. IMO, the MS3 and Cobalt are equal or superior in performance, and superior everywhere else... especially looks. Good grief the Caliber is heinous.

The Mazda3 is a 4-door Sedan (2.0 or 2.3) or 5-door Wagon with the 2.3L. The 2.3L starts a little below the Cooper in price. The Mazdaspeed3 is a 5-door Wagon.

Miata: Not the same class technically, but there are plenty of people with MINIs who don't need a lot of extra room (obviously), and as far as a fun little, good handling car in a similar price range, it's definitely comparable. Just depends on what the person needs... same goes for the Solstice.

Mustang GT: Yeah, different car again, but I could buy a new Mustang GT for less than what I'm paying for a lightly-optioned Non-S, and the Mustang would be fun as well. Plus, it's much faster in a straight line than any factory MINI you can buy. So, again, it's comparable depending on the person who's looking.

The GTI is actually the car I most closely compared to the MINI. For about the price of our non-S, we could have had a GTI with nice interior, better power, decent mileage, more room, etc. It's a pretty strong competitor, IMO, but it just doesn't have the character or the MINI.


Yeah, some of those are way over $35, but a lot of them are definitely in the same price range as a JCW... Evo, STi, S2k, 350Z, R32, Mugen Si, etc.

So, those are legitimate competitors when you start getting into the $30-35k performance car range... and from a performance standpoint, it's hard for the 200hp FWD MINI to come out on top... even with it's relatively light weight.


Don't get me wrong, I see the value in MINI's... obviously, or I wouldn't have bought one... but from a tangible perspective, they don't offer incredible straight-line or open-track performance for the money. Truth is, if you want to go fast in a straight line, a Mustang GT will demolish any factory MINI for less money, a Cobalt SS will handle even a JCW on a road course for about as much as a lightly optioned "base" MINI, etc. BUT, It's the intangibles that make the MINI the car that it is. There's no real way to measure fun, character, uniqueness, and other such things, but the MINI has all of those in spades... and that's why we love them and are willing to pay the price to have the one that we want whether it's the best car "on paper" or not.

 

MINIUSA spent in excess of $30k on Labor repairing my $24.5k MINI under warranty, that doesn't include the seats, tranmission, gear box, speedometer, etc, etc, etc. Practical reliable yeah right!

Do your research! (Oh and a clubman is just as much a station wagon)
Style is an individual thing, not everyone likes a MINI that stands out so much either, it's a matter of personal taste, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, I wont dispute it.
You're right, cause the Mazda 5 is a minivan, now the MX-5 is a well handling inexpensive car, that's cheap to run, easy to track fun to drive, it's well within competition, and cheaper!
Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky, same class same competition level, same reasons as the MX-5, and there's many posts on this board that came fromthe MX-5 and many that where on this board that left for the sky or solstice, so the MINI is in direct competition with these cars. Esp for those who use the MINI as a weekend/summer/track car. Ford GT, different class, it's well within the price range, and there's plenty here who are interested in horsepower, there's a great deal who spend loads of money on drag racing and dynos, it's again a competitive choice.
Here's an already dealer optioned M3 for $65k http://www.winslowbmw.com/New-Invent...oryId=24280562 With AWD 3 series availble for 42k; Car and Driver managedtoget onefor under 60k in their track shootout this year, comparing different cars within the same price bracket, unfortunately MINI didn't even earn a spot on the list.

Again your opinion but I haven't found facts to back up it being competitive against similarly priced vehicles, so my opinion remains unchanged.