Thinking of getting rid of my MCC in exchange for a 4 door VW GTi. Getting kids in and out of the Mini is getting old (even with 3rd door). Plus the GTi would have more power than my justaclubman.

Looks like my 09 MCC would be an even trade for a 08 GTi.

Thoughts? Anybody had a 08 or 09 GTi? What is downside besides lower mileage? Do they require premium?

Maybe I should wait until Mini comes out with the 4 door SUV?

 

Personally, I wouldn't do it. However, my reasons for not doing so are entirely based on my opinion. For example, I don't like the look of the '08/'09 GTI with the rear circle lights (IMO, they take away from the GTI's overall aggressiveness) and I would not like to drive a car that is fairly common (much unlike the Clubman).

Opinions aside, if the need for four doors is necessary and it is an even trade, it doesn't seem like a bad decision. You lose nothing out of the deal and get more convenience. If you can, you could wait for the 4 door SUV, but you might be waiting at least two years because there's quite a lot of uncertainty on when it's coming out. In any case, good luck with your decision and keep us posted!

 

If you no longer are happy with the MINI, go find a vehicle and/or brand you will be happy with. I love the looks, the performance, the community, and the culture of MINI so I'm staying with the brand for a while. I was going to wait for the Countryman also but it is going to be postponed for the US market too long. I will always be a VW guy but I don't currently own one now.

 

The 4 Door GTi was high on my list when I was shopping for the MINI also.

Actually, what made it difficult, was I was looking at the R32's and they were about $5K off MSRP at the time, about 16 months ago.

But the R32 only came in two doors. Then I found the perfect MINI, so I bought it instead of figuring out whether to get the R32 2 door or the GTi 4 door. I have kids also, so I definitely know what you mean.

The GTi's are definitely fun to drive and a great interior also. A friend of a friend has one, and absolutely no problems, and he really likes it.

I'd say the GTi 4 door would be better than the 4 door MINI SUV.

I actually had a 1984 GTi, so I always had a soft spot for GTi's, but the last few editions before the Mark V, were heavy (relatively) and not exciting. The current model should be a great car and fun to drive. The DSG is nice too (I have a manual MINI, but I would be tempted by the DSG in the GTi's)

 

I say Go for it homie!!! Sound like it might be the better car for you. Take some pics of you and your MINI maybe with the littles too, so you can say you owned a MINI to your future grandchildren. Always thought 3 door was kinda weird, eventually MINI will give in to a 4 door (RX8 style door) or even conventional 4 door. The People's Wagon here we come!!!

 

We also have a 2DR 06 GTI 6sp in our family and it gets about 33 MPG HWY 27MPG city and yes it does require premium fuel. I personally own an 07 Jetta GLI that I love and it gets great gas mileage for a four door sedan, slightly lower than the GTI. BUT what's even cooler on the vdubs, I got the APR tune for 600 bucks and now have 252 HP, incredibly fast car now, at relatively low cost. Enough of the VW plug, because I still love my JCW and choose to drive it on the weekends over the Jetta!!

 

I had an 07 2-door with the DSG transmission before I picked up my MCC. The VW was a blast to drive. Didn't take corners as tight as the Mini, but still a fun ride.

Make sure you drive both the DSG and 6-speed versions. Both are enjoyable

 

While I opted to go for a Clubman, I considered a Volvo C30 as well as 2010 VW GTI and a preowned R32. For me, I was easily won over by the MINI, preferring its sportier dynamics and rougher characteristics. The VWs were more refined and slightly less engaging, but IMO would make for an easier daily driver, especially with a big commute or transporting kids. I preferred the R32, but the GTI was no slouch.

Fortunately, the Mini will be a second vehicle for me, so it doesn't need to be especially practical. While I know many will disagree, I could see the Mini being tiresome with transporting kids. I think The GTI is a good choice if you like it. VW also has a much bigger dealer network which is probably a notable plus for servicing.

 

It sounds like you've given this a lot of consideration. You'll make the right decision.

For what it's worth, we've got one child (4yo), one MINI and VW Golf 4d TDI and a Volvo wagon. The 4d cars are easier to get our son in and out in some ways, but there's nothing prohibitive about getting him in and out of the MINI; after all, there's only one door to open to get two people out of the car.

However, with two children I could see where some inconvenience comes into play.

Additionally, as an eight-time VW owner over about about 20 years, I have to say that VW has nothing on MINI.

MINI offers, in my opinion, an incredibly high level of dealer service on top of an already wonderfully designed and executed vehicle. I never experienced anything quite as good at a VW dealership. That's just one person's opinion, of course.

 

I test drove an 09 GTI about a month ago, it's a very solid smooth car. The auto transmission is a dream and there's plenty of power. Inside the 4 door there's plenty of room for just about anything. I've been thinking of getting rid of my Liberty and MCS for a GTI but I'm still enjoying my Mini and I still love my Jeep... Not sure I like the 2010s, they look too mainstream... Maybe someday...

 

Errr, um, OK if you're comfortable blending in to the boring background of mall-mart sameness, sure. It just makes the rest of us MCC owners more unique by a factor of one.

 

thanks. Keep that advice in mind the next time you drive your Taurus.

 

LOL. Touche!

 

I can understand your predicament with kids. The only thing with the Countryman is it will start at 30k. You are looking at well north of that with options.

VW/Audi make great interiors, but having owned 2, the reliability can be hit or miss. If you can stand the sh*t eating grin of the Mazda3, I would throw that in your search as well along with the WRX.

 

Every VW I've ever driven behind that was more than a year old smoked. My brother had a Jetta and the transmission died at 50,000 miles. My buddy now owns an '09 Jetta TDI and I'm sure it will die in a few years.

I'm biased - I wouldn't buy a VW unless you only plan to have it for 3 years. I drive my cars into the ground (owned my last 2 for 10 years each).

But, I'm also not convinced my Clubman will last 10 years with all the bells and whistles it has. Too many things to start failing and they get expensive to fix. I'll probably sell it in 4-5 years while it still has some value and buy something new then.

 

HOOKNEW
What a dilemma, I can tell you that the VW is a very nice car, has a great following and you will like its dynamics. The Kids will grow and you may be able to get another Mini down the road. I myself truly miss my first Mini, the current one is nice but there is no connection there anymore. Now my daily is a used A4 2.0T Quattro. Awesome motor. Audi values fall of pretty good, you might be able to get into one better than you think.

 

I am a VW guy and I would only do it if it were for a 2010 MKVI.

 

And don't forget VW's warranty has now gone to a 3/36 while the MINI still has a 4/50.

 

Actually, bumper to bumper is 3yrs/36,000 miles with the powertrain coverage being 5 yrs/60,000 miles. They are also including maintenance for the first 3yrs/36,000 miles.

 

I switched from a Cooper S (R53) to a GTI 4-door about a year and a half ago when my wife was pregnant with our second kid. I did not go for a clubman as I could not get used to the looks of the car at that time (I grown to like these by now) and I felt it was not practical enough.

The GTI is an incredible car. Very practical, very solid build quality, very fast (though it needed to an ECU-tuning to have a nice throttle response). It’s a very mature/grown-up and capable car.

Drawback is that you have to drive insanely fast to get the same amount of fun with the GTI. You have to drive to fast to my likings for on public roads to feel the car communicate with you. As a family car it might lack some comfort (I’m on 18” wheels).

After the initial new-car-happiness settled down after a month or so I really regretted buying the GTI. So a couple of months ago I finally decided to go for a test drive with a Cooper S Clubman. I tested it on some country side roads for the fun aspect and I really prefer the Mini there (the GTI is much faster in terms of km/h – I would drive something like 80km/h and have fun with the Mini and 130km/h with the GTI and still had the idea it was capable of doing more, but as speed limit is 50km/h it is silly in my opinion to find out). But in the end the GTI is so good (better than Clubman S) as a family car and for daily commute that it made it impossible for me to decide to I go back to a Mini. I now am thinking of trying the BMW 3-series (but I am still attracted by the Mini).

 

Can't go wrong with a E92 4-Door, I just love German cars. As long as I own a car it will be BMW or VW/Audi. I myself am selling my VW to buy a Nissan Titan, if I could get away with having a car it would be a 2010 MINI, but I really need a truck having 2 bikes and working on a house all the time.