Well the 89 BMW 325ix is becoming a nickel and dimer. I need to replace it. I am considering a WRX (awd and fast) and a MCS (spirted and stylie). I am an agressive driver that demands a lot of my car. I love the handling of the BMW and would not be in the market if the car had not become such a money pit. I also live in VT with snowy winters and mountain roads. (my house is up a hill a 1/2 mile on a dirt road.) My list of priorities is such. The car needs to handle at least as well as the Bimmer with Bilstiens, I would like it to be a little more comfortable for longer cruises, It needs to carry me and my skis to the hill in inclimate weather. I want a fairly flat torque curve but an engine that will sound and feel and want to be up high in the rpms when going through the gears. I dont want buzziness and high rpms at highway speeds. Any thoughts and ideas will be greatly appreciated as I am agonizing over the choices here.

Also input on DSC and the coopers abilities in the snow and rack ideas would be great.

Thanks, Jamie

 

Get the WRX. There is a reason you see Subies all over VT. There is no way I would want to face a dirt road in the snow with the MINI on any kind of a regular basis.

If it was normally maintained roads (read: plowed) then I'd say it's a closer call, but seriously to make a path down an unplowed 1/2 mile long road, I'd choose the WRX every time.

BTW, welcome to NAM. :smile:

Dave

 

With the 1/2 mile of dirt road to get to your home, I would go for the WRX. The MINI has a good record for performing well in the snow, but ground clearance is likely to be your biggest issue when that dirt road is snowy, muddy, or both.

Both the MINI and the WRX will do better in the snow than your RWD BMW.

 

The road is maintained well. Its cleared and kept sanded well. We have driven a 99 passat with Nokia snows and never had a problem getting up it. We now own a subie outback which is a great gear/ go to the hill and ski car. I am looking for an excuse not to buy 2 vechicles from the same manufacturer. I cant afford a new xi and the audi is not an option because of all the control arm problems with the passat.

 

If the road is mostly clear, you could be just fine with the MINI. Just don't lower the suspension at all and run with a good set of snow tires, which you are obviously familiar with

And since you already have another Subaru, you can use that when the weather is too miserable for anything that isnt AWD.

You will certainly LOVE the MINI if you decide to get one.

 

Well, now that you've added that info, you could more likely consider the MCS. It wants to go fast and feels/sounds very comfortable doing so. You will reach 90mph on the highway without even realizing it. Plus, you must have some great twisties up there, perfect for the MINI.

If you get the 17" wheels, you'll probably need some other option in wheels and tires for the winter weather. Another note about the 17" wheels, DO NOT get the Pirelli run-flats, I had 3 blowouts in 2 months and I spend most of my driving time on the highway and well maintained suburban roads. The Goodyears are supposed to be better and have a road hazard warranty, unlike the Pirellis.

 

Well the MCS may be ok to consider now, but if it were me, I'd still go for a WRX if I had a lot of winter driving to do.

 

Dave, I guess neither of us have a Colorado winter to look forward to this year!

Will be the first year I have not had to consider snow driving in a LONG time!

 

Welcome, Jamiebel! I did OK in snow last year with my MCS. But ground clearance, 4wd and tires aside, what makes a car "good in the snow"? Maybe I'm just not too demanding. Seems like any car with good response is a car you can count on in any road condition.

God speed.

 

Welcome to NAM/MCO. So ya live in VT? That seals your fate. A WRX is in your future. Get the STI version and all will be forgiven in the afterlife. A MINI is not a rally car, the WRX STI most assuredly is. Have fun on the unpaved. snow covered roads in the white mountains. Think of us when you go to the big city (Burlington) and see a MINI or two.

 

Just get the WRX. It's a cool car too, and it's so much better suited to your needs.

 

I was faced with a similar dilema and went with the cooper s and a set of michelin alpine snows. The only problem I had was when the snow rose above the front chin spoiler, and then I was the plow. The WRX is cool, badass with the traction, but nobody is going to stop and look at it. That is the biggest difference. Of course they may be stopping to look at you and your cooper in the snow bank, but it never happened to me and I spent last winter in NH , so it was a pretty good test of the snow/ice handling capabilities. the biggest plus is in the price, get a cooper s for 20500, you really only need the cold weather package (the seats get unusually cold), drop on some snows and you are done, it four years sell it for 70% of what you paid and buy another.

 

Good call. I say scratch both and opt for Subaru Forester. Same motor, AWD, and a bit more clearance.

 

WRX STi all the way but if you just going to get the WRX only then why not go for the MCS.

 

If STi, why not the EVO? Don't forget the 3.0l Legacy. Or a 4-motion Audi. Or a... SUV

 

Well I can say don't go with the 17" Pirelli's (the sport tires for the MCS)... not because of blowouts (I've had mine for about a year with no problems doing a large mix of highway and city driving) but because they are horrible in the snow. Last winter I was in PA with frequent trips into NJ and we got some snow. With a light coating of snow, the Pirellis spun like crazy and didn't do much and forget about it if you forgot to turn off the DSC. I had problems going up a slight hill. (With the Pirelli's and the DSC on that is) Turning the DSC off helped but the tires still spun a lot.

That said, I just moved up to Vermont myself (Essex Junction) and while I haven't experienced a Vermont winter yet, I am pretty confident my MINI will fare well. I ordered a set of 15" Blizzacks from Tirerack based on several recommendations. You can look in the wheels/tires forum for more info on tire/wheel packages and such.

Really the only drawbacks I think my MINI has in terms of driving in the snow is ground clearance. With a good set of tires I think it will handle well. (Hopefully) The WRX is a nice car and Subaru has a good reputation. The WRX will probably handle better than the MINI in snow (given some good tires) but I don't think the MINI would handle horribly with a good set of tires. I'd go for whichever you like more.
-Chris

 

I found the BEST car ever in the snow was a 300E 4 matic. The automatic 4 wheel drive is such a beautiful option.

The Mini's only real problem, and many people will disagree with me, is that it's a front wheel drive.

If it was rear of 4wd I would be pushing the Mini, but I know how bad it can get in the winter so I would go with the WRX...well to tell you the truth I would go with an Audi RS4 but that's just me :smile:

L

 

Tough call. My girlfriend has a WRX STi, so I like 'em of course, but she has a LOT of quality issues with the car.... only a few months old and the brakes are completely screwed up, and she doesn't drive like a maniac or anything. Then again, the MCS has a lot of quality issues as well, and every single rattle imaginable that even stereos can't drown out, lol. I've only driven my S in the snow with performance tires, I just bought a set of 16" with all-seasons for this winter, so I'll have to find out what its like. Its Nov 4th in Cleveland and 70 degrees right now, so I can't exactly tell you how it is in the snow. My other mini is a Cooper with 15" all seasons, and it was very good in the snow, about on par with a Jeep Wrangler, which I have quite a bit of experience with in the snow as I drove a couple of them as my first two cars. The S's tractino control was excellent in corners, but since it had the 17" performance runflats, it didn't exactly want to stop. At all. I may as well have been driving around on bald tires. The choice is yours... but if you do get the WRX... splurge and go for the STi. It'll make ya happy, as will a MCS.

 

I was considering the MINI Cooper and Subaru Impreza RS this time last year. We got dumped on in the snow department here in Chester County, PA. I was well on the way to getting my MINI, the waiting for June '03 list. One day after a good snow I went to the Subaru dealer to TEST the AWD system. Sold me on the Subaru. The MINI was having significant issues that weren't being fixed properly and I needed something reliable that was still fun to drive. Obviously I bought the Subaru.

We just had around 12" here over the weekend. Saw a bunch of SUV a-holes and loads of Subies, not one Cooper.

The MINI is still THE COOLEST CAR on the road IMO. For someone that lives in Vermont where 12" is nothing, the Subaru would be the wise, practical choice.

If you're thinking of the STi (the closest possible machine to a rally car) you MUST get snow tires as it comes standard with high performance summer tires. The RS and WRX come standard with average all-seasons. If you think snow/winter tires make a difference on FWD or RWD wait until you have a set on AWD. AWD by itself will get you going, keep you from getting stuck, and help you turn better but with winter tires your stopping ability will be much improved as well as all of those other things.

As far as quality goes, I've had two minor annoyances, a rattle in the dash and wind noise at the driver's side window. Both were fixed at the dealer. I have 9,000 on my car since April.

Bill

 

lucky for you, i own both. here's my evaluation:

if you have about 10k+ to put into the car, get the WRX.
if you want seat of the pants, smashing acceleration, get the WRX.

02 Modded WRX:
Fun factor: 10
Acceleration: 10
Comfort factor: 7
Reliability: 9
Warranty issues: none
Rattles, noises: 9
Milage: 6
On the road respect: 9
Suspension/handling: 8
Transmission: 6 (5MT)

The biggest weakness of the car without mods is the handling. waaay too much
understeer. Transmission is not good either, not smooth, and takes quite a bit
getting use to at first.


If you want out of the box (Ready to Run) balanced performance,
get the cooper-s. no need to mod this car for the streets. imo,
the car is very well balanced and great for up to 100mph thrilles
without any discomfort. the short wheelbase and nimble steering
along with a tad bit of body roll feels a little discomforting at those
speeds.

03MCS
Fun factor: 10
Acceleration: 8
Comfort factor: 10
Reliability: ? (only been 3 months)
Rattles, noises: 6
Warranty issues: skipping CD player, stumble (hickup), rattles.
Milage: 9
On the road respect: 6
Suspension/handling: 9
Transmission: 9 (6MT)

 

I agree with the posts about the winters in VT. Get the WRX if you have the extra dollars to spend. For a lot less money you would have a car that can keep up with a M3 and still get you through all that snow.
Charles

P.S. We had some snow in Alabama once but I don't remember when it was.

 

i'd test drive both and see which you like better. they're both good handling cars, but very different from behind the wheel.

i enjoy driving my cooper s a lot, but miss being able to throw the car into a 4 wheel drift and power out of turns. imo the mini needs better tires out of the box and the wrx a larger rear sway bar and probably tires.

fwiw, my next car will probably be another subaru.

 

>>Just get the WRX. It's a cool car too, and it's so much better suited to your needs.
_______________
Yesss. Get the WRX AWD. More practical for your area conditions.

 

>>, I would like it to be a little more comfortable for longer cruises,
>>

this is the only thing you ask for that the WRX won't give you. it's an econobox with a motor and a suspension, not a highway cruiser. if you want something that is comfy and handles well and has awd, then you probably need another bmw or an audi.