ok NAM, I'll keep this short and to the point, what is the MINI advantage when it comes to comparing a 2013 civic si and an r56 cooper s? I currently have the cooper s, but what does the MINI offer that a civic si wouldnt?? also, whats the honda advantage as well??

 

I think it is a matter of personal taste.

 

And appliance (aka toaster) vs personality....
Hard to explain.... Haves owned a few Hondas... Good cars...they just do what you want....but not much feedback...kinda hard to explain. But you know it when you drive it IMO.

 

MINIs bring out your emotions. Something a Honda can't. When you drive a MINI you will feel your emotions every time you drive it.

 

Are you telling me that instead of killing my emotions with alcohol for all these years, I could have just bought a Honda?

 

 

Well hopefully you've spent less in booze than the Honda would have cost!

 

this is what I am thinking, because on a performance standpoint, they can basically do the same things, if I'm not mistaken!

 

Maybe on paper....
But a civic SI on an auto-x course in my area is rare...for a reason. On paper some statstics may be kinda similar....but pushed on a auto-x course where the car and skill counts, the mini rules in many areas...
But let's face it....mini's are about emotion, a classic look, and quirky personality (at times)....the fact the handling is awesome is a plus.
But trying to compare the two is kinda like comparing a TIMEX watch and high quality chrono STYLE watch like a TAG.....
Both do the same thing...but convey a different feel and emotion to the end user...
Some folks would try to let this thread degrade into a religious war between Honda camps vs mini....but let's face it...does a few tenths on the quarter mile matter when going to get a gallon on milk? Lol.
My old CRX (an 89) was (IMO) one of the last great Hondas before they kinds lost their way...suspension changes to cut costs...size increases to try to broaden appeal.... Trying to go places with their cars that they only tried to do with ACURA only a few years back...a few very bad years.... And some of their cars are kinds returning to the likes of old....
But many of those missteps are similar to the changes made in mini going from gen1 to 2....wonder what gen3 will be for mini?!

 

I had an '89 CRX Si, the only other car I liked as much as my Cooper, haven't looked at Honda since.

 

Honda? Do they still make them?

 

I think you nailed that one on the head ZippyNH, with the gallon of milk run! I know we could all debate track times and whatnot, but for daily driving I guess I was looking for some kind of major difference between the two that I wasnt seeing. mini has form and function while the si is mostly function??

 

I just traded my 11 JCW for a Civic Si. I can actually drive my Civic rather than pay for it to be in the shop under warranty repairs all the time.

The Civic pluses:
1. Stereo is as good as HK
2. Bluetooth is much better
3. The display for the radio is much easier to use
4. Honda reliability

I leased an Si with no money down this week for $255 a month, 15K per year

Any new MCS will run you $500 a month.

The MCS is fast and fun - however carbon buildup sucks and reliability sucks.

I would have another JCW in a heartbeat for a 2nd car if I were wealthy.

 

Honda has messed up big time recently. The 2013 civic Si to me is horrible. It's a K24 engine now that struggles to produce the power of its former K20 engine platform in the Fg chasis. The Fg4 is the ultimate downfall of Honda's "golden years". Honda's golden years were 1992-2000.

I remember polishing up my 1991 CRX at Braman Honda circa late 90's and some Honda of Japan reps came in to look at the worlds first 9 second civic. The three men were dressed in suits and I asked them "when will the CR-X come back"? They responded with "you're in for a surprise be patient". 10 years or so later Honda came out with this slap in the face CR-Z hybrid ********. What a horrible POS no one bought along with the EP3 Civic Si years prior. The only car Honda has made in the last ten years that has been worth a damn off the lot is the S2000 which they stopped making even though it sold well. Talking about Honda makes me want to facepalm everything they have done in the past 10 years.

The new Honda "performance" cars to me have no soul. When I drive my Cooper S I get the feeling I used to have in both of my CR-X's. Sadly you can't get that with Honda anymore and the Honda scene is flooded with angsty tough guy teenagers and theft at a very high rate. I still have this stupid Honda tattoo(only 1 inch big) on my back I got over 13 years ago and I hope one day they return to the glory they once had. The new Acura NSX is a step in the right direction but Honda has miles to travel.

 

Funny how so many ex HONDA-CRX owners now own MINI's....
Kinda funny....
I still had my CRX the day I too delivery of the mini....and man, the mini is a huge car parked next to it...but it was now time to let the Honda move on.....still smile when I see a CRX....but kinda groan when I see the CRZ...IMO SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CRY....
Don't get me wrong...
The civic SI looks cool in a mini-vanish family mover kinda way....but no longer much different than a souped up Korean car...could be mixed up with a KIA/Hyundai.
For me, when doushe-bag ricers moved into the v-tec Honda's, the scene changed, and the drivers moved on....
Hate to say it...as the older gen1 mini's and 2007 gen2 hit lower price points...starting to see more of the same folks around....

 

This is what the rest of the world calls a Civic:
http://www.honda.de/automobile/konfigurator/civic.php

I was going to buy one when I got home from Germany. Then I saw what passes for it in the US.

 

Oh yea I completely agree with that. Just wait until there's a whole scene about how low and "hella flush" people will be trying to fit 10 inch wide stretched wheels and tires on R53's. It's coming sooner than you think.

 

Lets hope not.....

 

Already happening on R53's.

Mini has the advantage in handling. If you autocross/track this is a big deal. If you just DD not so much.

My R56 blows away my previous RSX-S in this area. But I miss interior ergonomics, something both the RSX and Civic have over Mini.

 

I agree with some of what has been posted above, though people need to actually drive an Si before they dismiss it as having no character.

I also went from my r56 S to a new Civic Si about 6 months ago. The MINI had a bit more character and was just plainly a better looking car...not that the Si looks bad by any means. The Si is just as quick and handles very similarly (however I'm on coils so I cheated a little bit). One thing that the Si has going for it is the transmission....it is butter. Oh, and for those saying that the K24 isn't a good engine, please drive one. It sounds and feels much better than the n14...though I've never driven an n18.

The reason I left the MINI world was honestly due to reliability. I couldn't go more than 5 months without something going wrong and then $1000 later I was happy again...until the next time. In hindsight I wish I had kept my r50 that I had prior to the r56. It was bulletproof and just as fun with how raw it was...plus the exhaust burble with my catback was addicting. If my r56 was staying out of the garage and running properly, I would 100% still be in it today as not much on the road offers more fun.

Basically, whether you're in a MINI or the Si you will still have a fun ride to work. I chose to go the reliable route at the expense of a bit of style and character. I see two MINIs every day on the way to work (the same ones doing the commute thing) and every time I want to give the old wave.

Here is a picture of both rides:

 

I was gonna get honda before i settled on the mini. I prefer the mini overall and im glad i went with it. I test drove about 5 civic SIs before i got the mini a 2000 si, 2012 si 2005 si hatchback ect. I think the mini a better car and looks really good nd the interior is pretty nice compared to the si. Also the hondas get so much hate and every honda riced out or not gets hate from everyone. But everyone has there preferences on what they like. This is just my take on it.

 

I owned 2 Honda Civics over the past 10 years, and just recently switched to my 2007 Mini S.

Although the cost of maintenance is much higher, so is the quality of everything on the Mini (maybe besides the problems with the motor)

The interior of any Honda has always been economy (cheap). When I first sat in a mini and drove one, I fell in love. It's comfortable, sporty, semi-luxurious, and for me an all around better driving experience.

If the US ever gets to see the new Civic Type R, opinions may change, but with the way importing of vehicles has been going, I doubt that will happen.

The only other car I've been considering outside of a new mini when I upgrade, is a new GTI. I think the interior and performance is better than the Mini.

 

I bought a brand new 1999 Si for $17,400. It was fun to drive and a lot of car for the money. Nothing broke, and it held its value well.

I bought the Clubman S used. I definitely prefer the MINI feel. It is the better car, but maybe not for the money. If it breaks like so many others, I will feel selfish for going for a little better car for a lot more money (including repairs and maintenance).

 

+1 on the GTI....however, as a former Honda owner - they are purchased with a specific goal in mind - reliability, fuel economy, etc....never for passion

When was the last time you heard someone say they had a dream about owning a Honda?

 

Easy answer to the dream of owning a Honda: CTR, ITR, S2000, NSX.

I wanted all of them, and dreamed of having them (more so with the S2000 and NSX) and would still love to own any of them. But i wouldn't buy them for fuel economy. They would become my toy/project. :-)