One year MINIless...Caliber SRT4 is ok (LONG)
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5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Ohio
One year MINIless...Caliber SRT4 is ok (LONG)
I am liking my Caliber SRT4 ok. 6k miles on it now. It has been very solid and is what I thought it was when I bought it- a wagon that would not bore me to drive. It is NOT a base Caliber with a turbo slapped on it!
Obviously, this car was a huge switch from my modded 2003 Cooper that I traded in. Much higher sitting (I mean MUCH higher, took a LONG time to get used to), much heavier, much more powerful. It and the MINI are in many ways polar opposites. The MINI is all about handling, the SRT4 is all about power. The MINI has countless options for customization. The SRT4 has 0 interior upholstery options, 4 exterior color choices, and maybe 4 other options. The shift **** does not come off, so you can't even swap that out. Anyone fed up with trying to spec a MINI should spec an SRT4! It'll take you about 30 seconds vs. the MINI speccing which can go on for months!
The turbo power of the SRT4 is very addictive. The torque steer, however, is a monster. When you really get on it, you better be pointed straight and have both hands on the wheel. And then you will still have a fight on your hands.
The handling is not great, but that is more because of the type of vehicle (wagon) than the suspension, which is very solid but still gives a comfortable enough ride. The body does not roll on the corners. But compared to the Cooper, it is sort of disconnected from the road and the steering just seems more vague. That said, it does hold the road well. The stock wheels are 19s, so there is plenty of rubber there (goodness help me when I need new tires).
The brakes are solid (obviously, no where near the MINIs), and one cool thing I like about the car is it has functional front brake air vents. The hood scoop is also functional, while the heat diffusers on the hood are up for debate!
I love the 6 speed Getrag transmission.
The interior has no personality beyond the SRT racing seats, which are very nice.
One thing I really like is that in the year I have been driving this car, I have seen only one other one on the road. That was one thing that kind of bummed me out about my MINI was that around here, there are so many non-enthusiasts driving Coopers around. Not saying that is a bad thing, but it just kind of bummed me out.
I do miss my Cooper. On the twisty back roads, this car just doesn't give me what the Cooper did. The butterflies in the stomach of knowing I could push that little car right to the brink on every corner was something else. I don't dare run the SRT4 that way. It is too heavy and the turbo is more unpredictable with the power delivery, and when you mash the gas you might get more than you bargained for!
Would I do the swap again? I guess right now I would, with a wife and two kids to truck around, the Cooper was not being driven. I think I put about 3k miles on it the last year I had it, which I have doubled with the SRT4.
But I would do the swap differently. I would sell my car private party and buy a used SRT4. The first year depreciation on the SRT4 is obviously a real kick in the pants, unlike the MINI.
Will I be back to a MINI ever? Not really likely, although I would never say never. I had mine for 5+ years. It is kind of a been-there-done-that for me right now. But it really was a great 5+ years.
Obviously, this car was a huge switch from my modded 2003 Cooper that I traded in. Much higher sitting (I mean MUCH higher, took a LONG time to get used to), much heavier, much more powerful. It and the MINI are in many ways polar opposites. The MINI is all about handling, the SRT4 is all about power. The MINI has countless options for customization. The SRT4 has 0 interior upholstery options, 4 exterior color choices, and maybe 4 other options. The shift **** does not come off, so you can't even swap that out. Anyone fed up with trying to spec a MINI should spec an SRT4! It'll take you about 30 seconds vs. the MINI speccing which can go on for months!
The turbo power of the SRT4 is very addictive. The torque steer, however, is a monster. When you really get on it, you better be pointed straight and have both hands on the wheel. And then you will still have a fight on your hands.
The handling is not great, but that is more because of the type of vehicle (wagon) than the suspension, which is very solid but still gives a comfortable enough ride. The body does not roll on the corners. But compared to the Cooper, it is sort of disconnected from the road and the steering just seems more vague. That said, it does hold the road well. The stock wheels are 19s, so there is plenty of rubber there (goodness help me when I need new tires).
The brakes are solid (obviously, no where near the MINIs), and one cool thing I like about the car is it has functional front brake air vents. The hood scoop is also functional, while the heat diffusers on the hood are up for debate!
I love the 6 speed Getrag transmission.
The interior has no personality beyond the SRT racing seats, which are very nice.
One thing I really like is that in the year I have been driving this car, I have seen only one other one on the road. That was one thing that kind of bummed me out about my MINI was that around here, there are so many non-enthusiasts driving Coopers around. Not saying that is a bad thing, but it just kind of bummed me out.
I do miss my Cooper. On the twisty back roads, this car just doesn't give me what the Cooper did. The butterflies in the stomach of knowing I could push that little car right to the brink on every corner was something else. I don't dare run the SRT4 that way. It is too heavy and the turbo is more unpredictable with the power delivery, and when you mash the gas you might get more than you bargained for!
Would I do the swap again? I guess right now I would, with a wife and two kids to truck around, the Cooper was not being driven. I think I put about 3k miles on it the last year I had it, which I have doubled with the SRT4.
But I would do the swap differently. I would sell my car private party and buy a used SRT4. The first year depreciation on the SRT4 is obviously a real kick in the pants, unlike the MINI.
Will I be back to a MINI ever? Not really likely, although I would never say never. I had mine for 5+ years. It is kind of a been-there-done-that for me right now. But it really was a great 5+ years.
those SRT's are pretty cool. ive seen maybe 2 of them in my area so definitely a nice car to have if you want something special. ive never driven one so dont know about how it rides or anything, but i like the shape of it.
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5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Ohio
I used to crank my MINI's seat down as low as it would go, and I had the car on H-Sport springs (down an inch all around from stock), so switching to this thing I felt like I was sitting in a semi. But for the size, height and weight, I think a lot of people would be surprised at how little roll there is to it in the corners.
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5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 680
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From: Ohio
On kind of an ironic note, I was in Indy yesterday for the SRT Track Experience (which was very cool), and saw a Clubman S at the hotel I was staying at. Looked like it had been lowered a bit, but I'm not sure. But it looked pretty cool. I did not think I could really like the Clubman, but this one was very nice!
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