Thanks guys and no dis-respect taken, I was just trying to give my perspective on how close I think these cars are.
I love the idea of the "Raw" feel, for example my weekend/track car is a C5/2004 Corvette Z06, which I LOVE, and won't move up to the current C6 generation, because I feel it's to refined and not as raw. It's funny you guys used the word raw to describe it because that's how the Vette guys describe the difference between the two generations.

I didn't mention that I average between 25,000-30,000 miles annually, so highway travel and refinement is important. I have been driving base model small sedans/minivans/suvs for the past 11 years, as company cars and I am like a kid on Christmas morning now that I can pick out my choice of vehicles to drive. Folks in my office got excited when we finally got keyless entry clickers as standard equipment on the cars, so the creature comforts are big deal for me.

The fact I can upgrade the maintenance to 100,000 miles on the JCW is HUGE for me vs. only 36,000 on the R. The smoothness of the GTI was great, but like it was said earlier, not as raw, and I wonder how much that additional weight will factor in.

My shopping list is varied, even looked at a MazdaSpeed 3, after reading about it in last months issue of Roundel comparing it to a Cooper S. Great car for the money, just not sure it's for me. I want something that's fun to drive, can haul my work equipment, and I can take it to the road course from time to time. I look at the JCW as a car I would keep for years and years, like the BMW guys who still have their E30 M3's, where as everything else I am looking at would just be a car and I would get another in five years.

I have been lurking on this site for the past month or so and love reading all the comments. I have begun to drink the MINI Kool Aid, I just need to reassure myself it's the right choice for the money.

 

You can get an extended maintenance plan with the GTI as well. The GTI is a boat, there's no way around it. That's not to say that it's bad, but you're definitely more isolated from the experience. So far I've done up to 3 hours in the JCW and while it's not as quiet my M3 or A4 Avant, it's not been an issue.

Is the MINI expensive? Without a doubt. Can you get "more" car for the money? Absolutely. Would I sell it to go back to those others? Not even a little bit. As hard as it is for most people to believe, I MUCH prefer my JCW to my E90 M3. It's simply more fun. Not nearly as capable, and I hope no one ever thinks that I'm suggesting that, but unless you're driving it at 9/10ths or better you never see it but you still get saddled with HORRIFIC mileage. The JCW can still get fantastic mileage when driven softly, and good mileage when flogged. It's win-win!

 

I personally would be hesitant to recommend the JCW to someone who drives a lot on the highway (high-speed, not stop and go traffic). I find the exhaust does drone a bit too much but my ears are more sensitive I guess.

 

To echo what others have said, the driving experience is hugely different between the two cars. I own a JCW and have driven the new gti many times along with previous R32's.

You will see once you drive both cars. One will definitely trip your trigger. You won't need to agonize over it.

They are both great cars with very different personalities.

Happy Shopping!

 

Honestly from what I have seen in this thread, you should stick with the JCW. I love my JCW for Houston, Tejas traffic even though sometimes it makes me wanna spin my tires. I love my big brakes in the traffic when it randomly stops from 90+MPH to 30MPH. I really would stick with your order and make them pay in the long run.


I will be interested to see what happens, keep us posted.

Goodluck! Just think of that JCW beauty that is waiting

 

You car must have been on the same boat as my brother-in-law's burnt orange convertible - shipmates!

 

Well in an effort not to hi jack this thread any further, I just thought I would update you on what I drove in the past two days. I drove the GTI and a JCW Hardtop, while the Clubbie JCW and R have about the same power to weight ratio they drive very differently. Both are great cars but the MINI was way more connected and power was available much earlier in the rev band.
Highway road and exhaust noise was tolerable, I plan to switch out the run flats before delivery.
It looks like I am set to place an order for Spring delivery, so now my question is do I wait for the new Recaro seat option or go with the two tone red leather seats. Since seats and tires are the two biggest improvements you can make to any car for track events.
Thanks

 

zipitydooda
I know you made the right choice for what you want out of the car....both are great cars just very different feels. It all comes down to your personality. Congratulations, now you can start hoarding your mods. Let me know if you need any help in that department. I am in expert in pre-delivery hoarding

 

Thanks, I want to see the photos of your tire wheel combo because those are the exact ones I planned one!

 

This is the only pic I have right now. They are at the shop to get installed with everything else. i am going to paint the "OZ Racing" logo on the center cap Chili Red. I know its a small piece but I want to pull the red down to the wheels. It's part of the OCD ...and i am just fine with that
Don't worry about additional pictures with me, I have a problem with over shooting everything. I have to justify my camera somehow.

[IMG][/IMG]

 

I personally like the looks of the VW cars. The only 2 things to consider here are:
1- do you need AWD?
2- How much do you care about fuel mileage. I can guarantee both take Premium and the JCW will get 10MPG+ more to the gallon.

On top of this, the MINI will handle more agile.

Just my $.02, but they are all very valid points to consider.

 

Look at a STI and forget the JCW or VW.Had 4 STI's and racked up 1500+miles per week with zero break downs.

 

Problem with the STI is that it is a pretty sizable car which some of us don't like. I also recall the STI having some massive turbo lag - have they mostly resolved that now? Anyways, I have always like the STI, especially the hatch model. Practical, very fast and great in the snow with good tires.

 

STI rides like a log wagon, you will hate it unless you are always beating on it. VW bridges this gap and does it very nicely. The interior of the VW is so much better. I just helped a buddy put in a stereo in his Legacy and it looked and felt cheap. APR will be making crazy go fast parts from the R in the near future. You can just throw in a APR tune until your warranty runs out on the R and have a very fun car. I've owned many old and new VWs. My daily drivers were air cooled VWs from 1992-2004 when I turbo charged my 1960 and then still drove it to work when it was nice out. I've also owned two Jettas. The Golf R was very high on my list but I was in a serious motorcycle accident back in May and with the seat so low in the Golf R it would have been to hard to get in and out of at this time so we went with the CM (among other things we liked about it). I do like the JCW or a MCS, I would test drive both of them back to back before I would make a decision.

 

I didn't even look at the STI. For me it just doesn't have the personality that I wanted. Different strokes for Different folks

 

2.0 wrx's had lag sti's have all been 2.5 for usdm and have less lag vs a jcw.

 

My sti had a plusher ride vs my nonsport suspension jcw on runflats.

Every Gti I have owned(3) lived in the shop,electical problems,window regulaters,hvac issues,cooling fan motors.

 

STI is not available in a wagon any longer, don't care for the sedan with the wing. Plus I think the interior is a bit cheaper looking than VW or MINI, but is sure as heck will move the fastest of the group.

 

Sti has better resale vs vw and will not live in the dealers repair shop.

 

There's a confirmed US Recaro option now? I was just gonna get the Euro Recaros and see about swapping the pressure sensor into the Recaro.

To answer your question, I went with the Red Challenge leather for one reason, aesthetics after I put the Recaros in. I didn't think any of the other options blended well with them. Then again, if you do custom rears like I've seen done here, it's a moot point.

 

Neither will a VW if you do the maintenance on time and do it right (i.e. take an active role in your car's maintenance). I've at least one of every watercooled VW except the Corrado and none of them "lived at a dealers repair shop" or even had anything besides recall work done to them. If you maintain them, they're fine.

 

My sister-in-law sells VWs (and used to be a service advisor) and tells us not to buy them due to how often they are in the shop.

IMHO, reliability wise, I'd say STI > JCW > VW.

 

No longer available in a hatch? Hatch (aka 5 door) starts at $36K.

http://www.subaru.com/vehicles/impre...kpi=hero_image

 

I've owned two third gen Jettas and a Cabrio and never had them in the shop other than normal maintenance and recalls. I'm not sure what this catch phrase that sales people use of "high" maintenance cost of VWs (they also offer free maintenance with a new VW). I was a vehicle mechanic in the AF and worked on all the Big 3 vehicles and I have stores about all of them I can fill a book with.

So if your GTIs lived in the shop why did you buy 3 of them?

 

I got my JCW with the black non-leather Recaros as I'm not a fan of leather seats. After driving around in them for 5K miles, I really like the seats.