Road & Track has the 2006 Mini Cooper S-JCW listed among their best values under $30K. Good article.

Also, in Peter Egan's Side Glances, he explains why he traded his MCS. There was definately buyers remorse!

 

Egan sold his MCS? Crap. He liked it so much in previous columns, and my subscription ran out. Wonder if they have it on the website...

 

The bit about the MCS JCW was actually pretty negative compared to the other brief writeups on the "Best cars for 30,000$" The guy writing it had a bunch of gripes, and they seemed to dominate the short few paragraphs. Oh well.

mb

 

It's always popular to rag on the "old" car in these types of articles. Once the new model comes out they'll be back to raving about MINIs.

 

Mike Monticello seems to have really not liked the interior of the MINI, and he really dislikes the seats. (from article 12 best Cars Under $30k)

 

Here's the website link

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=4191

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....&page_number=7

Egan's Side Glances articles only go up to November. Oh well.

 

at least he got a porcshe in the end, I would still miss my MINI though

 

+1.... real bummer to hear Egan sold the MCS. I have to admit that he was responsible for perking my interests in the MCS in the first place. If a die-hard motorcyclist can recommend a cage with as much enthusiasm, I'm interested .

I think it's a given that the Mini will make a <30k top ten. I'd be really surprised if it didn't.

 

Egan talked about needing a vehicle that could tow at least 1500 pounds, and seat four a little more comfortably. This bit had me on the floor......

"And one day, while passing a truck on a slight uphill, I depressed the Vibe's gas pedal in 6th gear and not much happened. I downshifted to 5th with similar results. The Mini, in the same situation, would have blasted itself into hyperspace."

Don't be too bummed. Egan's MCS was bought by a fellow NAMer.

 

Egan had nothing but positives about his MCS, actually he devoted like 4 paragraphs to it in an article about why he eventually bought a Porsche Boxster S. Not bad.

 

Well... OK... if he traded it for a TWO-door Porsche I guess I understand. Don't quite get how he'll fit 4 people and haul 1500 pounds with it though... Guess I'll have to read the article next month when it shows up on their website...

 

I've been a long time R&T subscriber, but IMO that was probnably the worst issue ever. The "Under $30K" articles reeks of, "oh crap... deadline approaching... and we don't have a cover feature! " To me the whole article is entirely subjective filler and seems quickly slapped together... not up to the R&T standards of testing I'm accustomed to.

Additionally, the tire comparison in this issue is equally vague. No actual test numbers... just some screwy weighted ratings...

And the issue came bagged with some ad/test for the new Suzuki XL7...

This morning I was looking at the issue and without paying attention put it down on top of the recycling pile... Freudian slip?

Definitely an issue that had me saying, "...if Egan ever quits writing for this rag..."

 

No, he traded the MCS for a Pontiac Vibe, then bought the used Boxter S in addition.

 

Pontiac Vibe? Surely he could have done better than that. GM is probably paying him to drive it...

 

Where's the RX-8? I would have thought for sure that would have made a grouping as large as this one. These comparisons are always fun to read but it's apples and oranges, you know? People who are shopping for a 'hot hatchback' usually aren't seriously considering a small 2 seater roadster. But I think they did a fair job of covering their strengths and weaknesses. And the Miata power hardtop? That's the first I'd heard about that. But having a Miata as your primary ride is like voluntering for submarine duty, it's not for everybody. That's why the MINI is the car for me, it satisfies all my practical needs and creature comforts as well as my sporting desires.

 

He still kept the Vibe.

 

The pertinent parts...

"The Zimbrick car lot had a few used Boxsters, but they were a little too new and expensive for my "tastes." A salesman named Dave Kummer came out and I said, "If you ever get an older used silver Boxster or Boxster S in on trade, give me a call." I gave him my phone number. Shortly after that, a couple of things happened, not entirely by accident. First, I traded in my Mini Cooper S on a Pontiac Vibe.

Yes, my friends and relatives were flabbergasted and there was talk of commitment proceedings, but there was a method behind this madness. I wanted a small, fuel-efficient wagon for hauling car parts and towing my new lightweight aluminum motorcycle trailer. (The Vibe has a 1500-lb. towing capacity.) I also wanted a car that would haul four or five people in comfort, so we wouldn't always have to take some other couple's car to dinner or the movies. I found with the Mini that tall people were thrilled to ride in the back seat exactly once. And that's how many times I was thrilled to drive them, with my knees firmly embedded in the dash.

Long story, short, I traded in the Mini and came away with a new Vibe and $2000 in my pocket.

There is a known psychological disorder, however, called Buyer's Remorse, and I went through it for about a week. The Vibe is a wonderful vehicle-for what it is. It's a well-built, brilliantly designed little wagon based on the Toyota Corolla and its 1.8-liter drivetrain. Nearly identical inside to its Toyota Matrix sibling, it has a smoother exterior design. Pontiac, I think, won the styling wars here; it's a good-looking car.

It also gets a real 36 mpg on the highway, and averages about 32 mpg around town. On a road trip, it'll go approximately 75 miles farther than the Mini (28-30 mpg) on the same tank of gas. And if you've ever pushed a car down the street to a gas station, 75 miles represents a lot of energy.

However:

When you've been driving a Cooper S for two years, the Pontiac Vibe is no ball of fire.

You pay more for a Mini and you get more. Much more power, much better handling and an indefinable edge of personality that only the British and Germans working together could have produced. In short, the Mini Cooper S-whatever its obvious limitations in space and towing capacity-is a charismatic car of great breeding. You have to drive something less inspired to remember how good it really is. Or was. I missed the Mini immediately and suffered several sleepless nights over this trade.

And one day, while passing a truck on a slight uphill, I depressed the Vibe's gas pedal in 6th gear and not much happened. I downshifted to 5th, with similar results. The Mini, in the same situation, would have blasted itself into hyperspace.

"This will never do," I said to myself aloud. "What we have here is too much yin and not enough yang. I must keep this car as a sensible daily driver and then go shopping immediately for a frivolous rocket ship." I said this flawlessly, almost as if I'd rehearsed it." - Peter Egan, R&T 12/06

 

But he did have a point ... there is no excuse for a partially obscured tach on any car "hyped" as being sporting.

 

That's strange. I can see all of my tach except some silver trim at the top.

 

Not a fan of the magazine. I didn't find any of their major gripes to be issues...with me at least. I do agree that this is one of the best cars under 30k though.

 

Same here. Maybe having the chrono pack makes a difference, since the tach is a bit smaller in diameter.

 

I don't have the chrono pack. Maybe we just keep our wheels tilted higher than most.

 

Mine's actually tilted to give me a straight arm angle, and I have the chrono pack. Only thing blocked is a bit of the bezel.

 

I'm 5'9" and don't have any issues with this. Also, I drive with fairly straight arms with the seats adjusted a little on the low side.

 

I'm 5'10" and I drive with my seat as low as possible.