I'm shopping for a new car and wanted to compare the JCW to the 228i and see what people's opinions were? I'm the guy who bought a new Golf R and returned it a day later because while is was fast, it was incredibly un-dynamic and boring to drive. I like a more raw driving experience. Honestly, I love how my mini drives, but I royally hate the uncomfortable suspension. The constant maitence and cost of repairs is also a buzzkill.

I wanted to compare the Mini JCW to the BMW and see what people thought??? I've driven both and am slightly more drawn to the bimmer. It cost a little more, but I think the resale value will be higher. My current mini is in the shop a lot. The engine has been rock solid, it's everything else that needs replacing. Will the BMW have any less problems?

They have the same engine, and cost about the same and are both fun to drive. Which car do you think is better?

Peace~

 

I have owned plenty of BMWs and they all need constant maintenance, it's a way of life, owning something from the bavarians, I was sort of in your position except that I was also shopping an mcs as well, and in the end the fact that all 2 series I found around atlanta were fully optioned (out of what I wanted to spend) and not manuals, and that I found a used 2015 MCS manual in the exact color combination I wanted made it the right choice.

The 2 series is a vastly different car from the MINI, but it should be fun, and maintenance will be very likely similar. This is the thing though, the MINI dealers in my area are extremely nice, meanwhile the BMW dealers have not been nice to me.

I believe in your previous post you mentioned you want an auto, and in that case, purely going off transmissions, the 8 speed wins. The short story is that the BMW will be more refined, the JCW will have more flare.

 

I totally agree the Golf R is boring. I will admit the 228i is less boring, but because it's BMW quirky and not necessarily engaging.

The JCW MINI trumps both on the engagement scale as a drivers car, no question. I doubt the BMW beats the MINI on resale too, MINI's resale value has always been very good. Neither will be Toyota or Chevy levels of reliability, that's not the experience you're buying into. That said, both MINI and BMW customer service [aka loaners] is firmly in the premium zone.

 

Honestly, I love how my mini drives, but I royally hate the uncomfortable suspension.


You'll have to drive the new Mini to see, but when I drove my friends' standard suspension F56 MCS it was very comfy. Plus, you can get adjustable dampers to soften in even more. In the past people had to buy non runflat tires to improve the ride. Let's face it, most Mini owners don't need/want a race tuned suspension.

 

I wouldn't make such a sweeping generalization, especially given the entire 1st gen MINI was targeted to be exactly that. "Go-kart" handling wasn't just marketing prose back then. Perhaps if you started a poll in General MINI Talk you could get some forum-member data.

 

People who complain about the 2nd and 3rd Gen MINI ride, should have experienced a 1st Gen MCS (Sport Suspension Plus) with 17" runflats built prior to May 2003, when they made the change to the oil viscosity and valve structure of the shocks

 

I had the sport suspension on my R56 and also have it on my F56. Even my Vette has the Z51 suspension that some magazine writers described as jarringly harsh. They're sporty cars. I prefer them to ride and handle as such.
The OP stated "I like a more raw driving experience", but hates an "uncomfortable" suspension. Seems to be a little contradictory.

 

It should also be noted that according to all the things I have read, the two cars do not have the same engine.

The 228i has the n20 and the JCW is a form of the B48.

 

The BMW is a far better car than the Mini about design, performance and comfort.

If you want the best value for your money this is the choice and a lot easier to service as a RWD.

 

I drove the new vette' (non-z51) without the sports suspension and it was great! Comfortable and the handling was a joy. I don't need a car to beat me up. What's the fun in having a bad back all because of a crap suspension? Conversely, I drove a lexus IS350 and it had horrible handling, but the ride was amazing! If there can be a middle ground, that's what I want.

 

I drive my car with Sport Suspension engaged almost all the time. That being said there are some roads I drive on that suck and I'll push it down into green mode and it feels more like driving my old BMW 545i in terms of comfort. Same with when I have my wife in the car. I was trying to make an 1hr30min drive in 1hr the other morning to catch a flight. She would have complained about me driving speeds I need to while she was trying to doze off. I put it in sport power train and left it in normal suspension. I appreciate having the options.

 

Former '06 R53 owner here, and run flats are the devil's work. They'll kill you slowly. Made a mistake by selling the R53. Now I have a '12 128i 6MT MSport. Extremely comfy but not enough power with its small i6 NA. Pumping it up to 250+ HP requires a not insignificant commitment.

I'm looking at a 228i, but also looking at going back to a MINI JCW. I looked at a GTI R and vanilla GTI, but man the vwvortex forums have a thread on body quality complaints. Stuff like bad welds causing creaks. I'll stay away for now.

 

I noticed your post. I traded my 2014 Z51 that I dearly loved for my JCW. It was my (drive for the joy of it) car as is the JCW. I can't claim the JCW will out-drive the C7 but it's nearly as much fun at a fraction of the cost per mile to operate and own. Insurance is way less and I doubt changing the tires will come as early as 22,000 miles nor cost just over $2K. Visibility while 'bad' is still much better and storage with the rear seats down is much better on a trip. And the kids in the neighborhood still think it's cool .

Here's a photo of my LoLa and my JCW both in the garage at different times . Going to do at least part of the 'MiNi takes the states' this summer.

 

I have a C7 (which I am seriously considering trading for either a BMW 228i or the M235i). Love the Vette, but since hurting my back, positioning in the car is very painful. Also have a 2015 MCS w/ the JCW tune kit installed.

Could not agree more about the Mini having it all over the C7 for sheer fun of driving. While the C7 is great, it's near super car performance doesn't lend itself well to zip through traffic.

On to the question at hand. Since I want a replacement for the C7, I was looking at and comparing cars that could/would provide the same level of enjoyment as the MCS. Only other car that gets the same rave reviews is the Mazda MX5 ( but again, if I'm in pain in the Vette, likely to be in pain in the Miata due to the seating positions being similar).

I will however visit our local Mazda dealer and sit in one and test drive also. There is a 2017 fast back MX5 coming out and that may be the complementary car to share the garage with my MCS. Plus the Mazda is almost the same size as the MCS (whose size, I think adds to the drive-ability enjoyment experienced w/ the MCS)

Failing that, after comparing the variety of options (Audi, VW, Ford, BMW, Mercedes, Subaru, and others) and reading volumes comparing each for performance, and fun factor, I have it narrowed down to the BMW 228i and the M235i. Others do not have the complete package I'm looking for that those two BMW's offer.

The M235i is significantly more powerful due to the engine difference, but the 228i give up nothing as far as fun performance with it's motor. In fact many say that the 228i is the best buy BMW offers for a performance sports coupe. Again, my C7 is faster than both, but I can't stretch it's legs to tap that performance in my normal driving. (more fun to drive a slower car fast than a fast car slow)

My dilemma is that optioning the 228i to my liking makes the cost difference between the two cars only $3540 (since the M235i comes standard with the premium.M, and track package included. These options total $7750 to add to the 228i. So the $3500+ difference buys a higher level car in the series, with a 320 HP motor 330T vs. a 240Hp w/ 255T. actual performance is .tenths in 0-60 difference so I am leaning towards the 228i for the cost savings (and w/ the M package, you still get the outward appearance of the M235i and better MPG).

MINI's are the most fun to drive, but the BMW does offer an alternative. I priced a loaded JCW and a near loaded 228i and they are within a few dollars of each other. Another factor is MINI dealer rarely discount their cars (especially a special order). BMW is a bit more flexible so you could actually get a fully optioned 228i Bimmer for less than the JCW.

After all that, if I were filling my garage with one car, it would be the JCW.

 

A follow up. Hit the local BMW dealership and test drove a $52K M235i. Beautiful car with lots of options. Car rides nice and handles well, but lacks the fun factor of our $32K Cooper S.

The Bimmer with 320HP and a published sub 5 second 0-60 time didn't seem to be as fast as the MINI. Now I'm sure it was, but with the quietness and isolation of the BMW cabin, it felt more like a Buick than a sports coupe. It did have a slight but pronounced turbo lag on quick acceleration. While relatively small compared to others it was quite a bit larger than the MINI (although interior only seems slightly more roomy).

Now the M235i is the performance version to the 228i which is the same car with a smaller motor.

Based on magazine reviews I was expecting to be blown away by the Bimmer. Many say the 228i is the better of the two with a more balanced package (extra HP and Torque not necessary). As underwhelming the M235i felt, I cannot imagine the 228i being more impressive.

The M2 is coming in April and the dealer told me they will be selling them for $5k over sticker (he can keep them). Honestly cannot imagine the few extra ponies and torque will bring much more to the table than the M235i. Although the badging and body may make it more eye appealing.

Can honestly say, if I want a fun car to blast around town, commute to work, or just cruise around in. I'd pick a JCW every day of the week.

BMW is a nice car, but just not as much fun for a whole lot more money.

Plan on keeping my C7 as it's closer to the MINI experience than the Bimmer.

 

My JCW "JR", is becoming more fun to drive everyday. I expected a harder transition in leaving my C7 on the dealers lot and driving off in my MiNi but I find myself smiling just as much in the mountains. Last Saturday I took him up into and over a few peaks in the mountains north of Dahlonega and selecting full manual mode in sport with the paddle shifters blew me away with the quickness of the shift and the wonderful popping sounds . All total in that mode of mountain driving I had over 40 miles on the ODO of hard driving in sport and still got 29 mpg. That mode in the C7 with that kind of spirited driving would have landed me under 20.

I have no regrets.