I sold my '96 Mustang GT convertible after I got my MCS. The few times I drove the Mustang after I got home in the MINI were just like people are saying; it felt huge and sluggish and the brakes felt like they weren't connected. The MINI is so much more direct in every input. Still loved the Mustang, though, just couldn't keep it....Bruce in Santa Monica

 

Same here, wife's volvo v70 glt wagon was a super handling car, especially for a family vehicle until the mini came along. I drive my mini every day and when I drive the volvo on the weekends, it is like a lumbering battleship.

 

For me the main differences are the steering feel and the suspension. The Mini´s steering is so precise and direct that now my civic´s feels very sloppy.

The suspension on the Honda is extremely soft and jumpy too, and I found myself pushing the civic harder now (it is an automatic) probably because with the Mini I have more control with the stick. But interestingly, I still enoy driving my civic and don´t compare too much the cars.

The Mini is my "fun" car and the civic is my "battle horse", different orientations but overall I love both cars

 

>>My feelings too, koolmini. Love that Goat. 400 tri-power by chance?

thanks
400 with a 650 double pumper(about 375hp), M-21 4speed trans, posi 355 gears out back (looking at getting a 500hp engine in the near future)
sh*ty pic, right into the sun....dosn't show the color good (MINI or GTO)

_________________

 

>>
>>David, your GTO’s jacked up so high it may cause nose bleeds. No wonder it’s a slob.
>>

that's a stock suspention, installed it about 2 years ago and i thought it handled great

 

I wish I had started this thread. I think I've got you all beat. Today, I brought the car into the dealer and they arranged for a rental while they try to figure out why it's stalling. Guess what Enterprise rental gave me?? A white Town and Country Minivan!!! Now, I'm not complaining. It's a ride. But WHOA!! am I spoiled by the MINI. This beast has no acceleration, no stability on turns, weak braking and a crappy interior. I'm so used to punching the throttle a little to get my MINI moving from a stop so when I automatically did this in the Minivan, I chirped the wheels!! I actually ducked down when a CR/W MC passed me. I want to make up a sign that says, "my real car is a MINI".

 

>>It's kinda the opposite for me, after riding my bike it feels like my MCS is a slug. But what do you expect with 160hp and a 490 lb motorcycle. But out of the 35-40 cars I've had, the Mini is the best all-around car in the bunch.
>>


hehe... I hadn't ridden my bike in a while and I started to think my MCS was kindof quick. Then I got on my Daytona955i and now I remember what speed really is.

Of course I've forgotten how to drive my truck which feels like it wallows down the road even more than before.

 

After my first test drive of the MINI I nearly freaked out on the way down the driveway at the dealership, as I was going down hill, the brakes on the 3800lb car I have now were no match for the mini's and I thought my brakes were gone for a second...then I realized....sadly....they were always that way, and I had just gotten used to the mini.

 

Last post 05-27-2003, 12:56 PM.

WTF?

 

Reviving a funny thread, instead of starting new ones. Bump!

One of my friends kept claiming I drove my truck (and our tactical vehicles) like I was driving the MINI. Heh heh heh...

 

It's good to recycle.

 

I think you underestimate what can be loaded in the MINI. Here is what we hauled in Red Gnat 1, our other "MINI."

 

I get all confused when I switch between my Jeep and the MCS. The Cherokee is lifted (5" lift, 31" tires), and drives...well...like a Jeep. It's also automatic, so occasionally I find my left foot going for a non-existent clutch pedal. I also find myself looking at the ceiling for the time, and the radio for the speedometer. I still love my Jeep and I can't get rid of it because I need a vehicle for the trails and to tow my toys.

It's just strange thinking back to 10 years ago when I first bought the Jeep - how perfectly content I was with its fuel mileage and handling. Granted, it was at stock height until 2003...and fuel was just barely over $1/gal but still...

I still smile at my MINI as I'm walking over to drive it. Still makes me giggle when I push it through a turn, or wind it up.

 

Well, I love the MINI for everything that it does better than my TransAm, but I also love the TA for everything that is so not MINI about it...

 

I bought an new MCS/JCW back in April 2005. It has been the most fun (not the fastest, but the most FUN) car I've ever owned. My commute was racking up an alarming amount of miles(91K), so in March of 2008 I bought a new Honda Civic LX 5 speed.

I know that there are multitudes of Honda Fanbois on the web, but I just don't see it. That little car is utterly gutless. Since I bought it for high gas mileage I expected it to be slow, but this is ridiculous. Compared to the handling and braking, the Civic is an absolute ROCKET. After driving it for two days, I ordered up a set of Civic Si swaybars. A couple of weeks later, I bought a set of takeoff Si springs and shocks for $90. After all that, I think a plain MINI Cooper (non-S) is STILL a far superior handling car.

Prior to the MINI, if a small car just got you there without falling apart I was satisfied. Now that I've logged nearly 100K miles in a fully decked out MINI, there just aren't any other small cars worth owning.

Rawhyde

 

ME TOO!! I laugh out loud and get funny looks from people.

 

Wow, this thread was started years ago, don't know if the original poster is still around...

Anyways, pretty much all the time! My mom drives a mercedes 4 door, and man while the ride quality is that much smoother... it feels like i'm driving a damn boat! Handling is sooo spacy.

 

I haven't driven any vehicles after driving my Mini, and I REALLY don't want to. Taking off of work tomorrow to install a new cooling fan because I don't want to drive another car for a week.

 

I really don't like driving anything which isn't a MINI anymore. I used to think the Civic we had drove well, then we got the MINI, it started to feel unsafe. One of the final straws was when my wife almost lost it in the Civic on an off ramp she was quite used to. After that we got the second MINI.

Now it usually only hire cars that I drive which aren't MINIs, and even then we've taken to hiring MINIs when we can.

 

I cant stand driving my mums X5. Way too big and heavy for my liking.

 

Whenever I drive my wife's Lexus RX-330 it always take the first corner way too fast ...and then remember ...right, its not a MINI, gotta' slow down for corners and brake sooner.

 

I had to drive a 2000 Honda Accord today. A car that I used to drive daily and, while it's not bad at all, it certainly isn't a Mini! Can't wait to get the Mini back today

 

 

After driving my 02 mcs, i don't even like the way my mom's 328i feels i used to love it , but now it feels too big and it has the automatic. I really only like the LR if i'm going wheeling or towing something. otherwise, it feels like a bus.

 

I drove my friends GTI and even though it has a stiff ride and you can feel the road really well, the stock clutch was the pussiest clutch I ever felt. ZERO stiffness, and the shifter was no where near as stiff/notchy. To top it off, he put stiffer shifter bushings in it.