R50/53 Other cars if one does not want to wait.
7th Gear Gal
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36,087
Likes: 3
From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
>>RJSquirrel,
>>
>>Thanks for the words of wisdom. They do make sense. I also have to talk myself into financing... Waiting the amount of time to place my order will probably make it so I don't have to finance. But, the dealer is suppose to call me when they get spec cars in, if one comes in and I can talk someone :smile: in to letting me get the car I may just get one that is not exactly the special order that I want.
>>
>>I should just stop surfing all the Mini sites :smile:. That way I can stand the wait...
Nah, Kenny, the MINI sites keep you sane! They are informative and so entertaining! 
>>
>>Thanks for the words of wisdom. They do make sense. I also have to talk myself into financing... Waiting the amount of time to place my order will probably make it so I don't have to finance. But, the dealer is suppose to call me when they get spec cars in, if one comes in and I can talk someone :smile: in to letting me get the car I may just get one that is not exactly the special order that I want.
>>
>>I should just stop surfing all the Mini sites :smile:. That way I can stand the wait...
Nah, Kenny, the MINI sites keep you sane!
They are informative and so entertaining! 
3rd Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
From: Columbus. Ohio
>>
>>Anybody have impressions of other cars if one did not want to wait up to a year to get a Cooper S? Obviously nothing is going to look as unique as the Cooper/Cooper S. I am ready to get rid of my SUV and get a sports car. Options I have thought about are the Acura RSX Type S and the VW Turbo S. The new 350Z could also be a possiblity but its a little on the top end for price.
>>
>>I guess I could wait through the winter for the S. But just exploring options...
If you can wait until tomorrow, the dealer in Columbus had two Cooper S's that were for sale (at least they did several days ago). One was new; one was purchased and driven for 6 weeks while the car that was ordered was delivered. My understanding is that there were more 2002 cars expected before the 2003's were to start. After driving a cooper for a week, the only replacement that I would consider, is another cooper. Anything else is just a car.
my 2 coopers, oops, I mean coppers....
>>Anybody have impressions of other cars if one did not want to wait up to a year to get a Cooper S? Obviously nothing is going to look as unique as the Cooper/Cooper S. I am ready to get rid of my SUV and get a sports car. Options I have thought about are the Acura RSX Type S and the VW Turbo S. The new 350Z could also be a possiblity but its a little on the top end for price.
>>
>>I guess I could wait through the winter for the S. But just exploring options...
If you can wait until tomorrow, the dealer in Columbus had two Cooper S's that were for sale (at least they did several days ago). One was new; one was purchased and driven for 6 weeks while the car that was ordered was delivered. My understanding is that there were more 2002 cars expected before the 2003's were to start. After driving a cooper for a week, the only replacement that I would consider, is another cooper. Anything else is just a car.
my 2 coopers, oops, I mean coppers....
3rd Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From: Redondo Beach
>>
>>Anybody have impressions of other cars if one did not want to wait up to a year to get a Cooper S? Obviously nothing is going to look as unique as the Cooper/Cooper S. I am ready to get rid of my SUV and get a sports car. Options I have thought about are the Acura RSX Type S and the VW Turbo S.
There's no car out there exactly "like" a MINI, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of FUN small cars! I currently have a VW GTI VR6 (2000). I intend to KEEP it, when I get the MCS. However, if you were to go to the VW dealer today, you'd find the '03 GTI VR6 has a 6 speed transmission, 17" wheels, and about 210 HP (vs 5spd, 16", 174HP, for my model). The least impressive item on the VW was the suspension, so I replaced the shocks/springs on mine with the Bilstein PSS-9 setup. Adjustable ride height (coilovers) AND each shock can be adjusted (jounce/rebound) just by reaching under the car. That, plus a set of very sticky Yokohama AVS Sports made the car VERY fun to drive (although very DIFFERENT from a MINI). Sooooo.... if you MUST have something now, give the VW a look; and consider the Bilstein suspension kit to "tighten" it up.
The "driving" experience is quite different between the two cars; kind of a "V8 Mustang" vs "small displacement Lotus" type of a deal. The VW VR6 has LOTS of torque, but feels a little "heavy" in the twisties. The MINI needs to rev, but has this lovely "go-kart" feeling of connection to the road. The MINI is also a "new" car, and so the reliability is somewhat "iffy". The older VW's (I also had a '97 GTI VR6) had reliability problems; however, the new (Golf IV) body style is based on the Audi chassis and has been very trouble free for the 3 years I've owned mine.
Both are very fun (and very different!)
-DavidG
>>Anybody have impressions of other cars if one did not want to wait up to a year to get a Cooper S? Obviously nothing is going to look as unique as the Cooper/Cooper S. I am ready to get rid of my SUV and get a sports car. Options I have thought about are the Acura RSX Type S and the VW Turbo S.
There's no car out there exactly "like" a MINI, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of FUN small cars! I currently have a VW GTI VR6 (2000). I intend to KEEP it, when I get the MCS. However, if you were to go to the VW dealer today, you'd find the '03 GTI VR6 has a 6 speed transmission, 17" wheels, and about 210 HP (vs 5spd, 16", 174HP, for my model). The least impressive item on the VW was the suspension, so I replaced the shocks/springs on mine with the Bilstein PSS-9 setup. Adjustable ride height (coilovers) AND each shock can be adjusted (jounce/rebound) just by reaching under the car. That, plus a set of very sticky Yokohama AVS Sports made the car VERY fun to drive (although very DIFFERENT from a MINI). Sooooo.... if you MUST have something now, give the VW a look; and consider the Bilstein suspension kit to "tighten" it up.
The "driving" experience is quite different between the two cars; kind of a "V8 Mustang" vs "small displacement Lotus" type of a deal. The VW VR6 has LOTS of torque, but feels a little "heavy" in the twisties. The MINI needs to rev, but has this lovely "go-kart" feeling of connection to the road. The MINI is also a "new" car, and so the reliability is somewhat "iffy". The older VW's (I also had a '97 GTI VR6) had reliability problems; however, the new (Golf IV) body style is based on the Audi chassis and has been very trouble free for the 3 years I've owned mine.
Both are very fun (and very different!)
-DavidG
5th Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 644
Likes: 0
If you want a cheap rally car you can't go wrong with a Mazda 323 GTX.
Turbo power AWD and they are so completly unknown to most peopl that they have a low resell value.
Only problem is that they only sent about 1800 to the US. :???:
Turbo power AWD and they are so completly unknown to most peopl that they have a low resell value.
Only problem is that they only sent about 1800 to the US. :???:
7th Gear Gal
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36,087
Likes: 3
From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
>>Brecht Mini in San Diego has over 20 Minis on the lot for sale, for immediate deivery. The catch? "Market adjustment" price on top of dealer add ons, though they are "negotiable" on this. I'm going up today hoping to drive home today in an "S", been up twice for tests drives, I'll let you know how it goes.
Hey, 1lesssuv! Welcome to MCO, the home of MINI maniacs!
Cheers!
Clover
4th Gear
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 457
Likes: 0
From: Moorpark, California
I was not even thinking of buying a new car to replace my great Mustang... that is, until I saw the MINI online and started to dream that it could be mine. If I didn't/couldn't have bought a MINI, I would not have bought any other car. I was only in the market for a MINI, that's what I got and I'm glad I did. Don't settle if your heart is set on a MINI. :smile:
2nd Gear
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
Don't know where you live...but saw in the Phoenix paper today 2 MCS, one blue the other silver both under 100 miles and both right at MSRP....not that hard to get as when they first came out here......drove by a classic car dealer the other day that specializes in used benz and bimmers....had a least 10 coopers on the lot selling not that much over MSRP...don't know where the heck they are all coming from, laugh!
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
Got it and am I Friggin thrilled. MCS red with white, stripes, 17" wheels, preminum package, leather, foglights retails at 23, 170 and I got it for 24, 328.50, plus $1300 worth of dealer add on crap (Lojack etc) and $500 to extend the service contract to 4 years.
This was the exact car my wife and I would have ordered (still debating on the stripes) and I am just giddy. We have a 2 and a half year old daughter and a 6 month old son and the four of us went out for pizza last night. Rearward facing seat fits just fine BTW. What a riot. Coming from a 93 Miata it felt big and fast. Effortless acceleration from 80 even with all four of us in. Handling is something I've never experienced (had Alfa GTV6, TR6, MGB previous to Miata)
re: the dealer, Jenny was my "Motoring advisor" and I can't recommend her highly enough. I called on a whim they had 26 ready to deliver, all colors and configurations. Yes you did have to make an appt to drive an S, but we could come up anytime to drive a Cooper. She didn't blink when I asked if I could strap in Isabella's car seat for the test ride and they have a wonderful twisty road (Harmony Grove) for a test loop. She told me up front they were negotiable on the "market adjustment"
Made an appt for Wednesday at 10 to drive the S. Got there, no Jenny, she's in a meeting, but she'll be here in five. She shows up in jeans and a sweatshirt, they switched her schedule and this was her day off, she was going to leave a message for someone else to take me out in S, but since she was ther for the meeting, if I didn't mind her dress, we could go. Off we went with Isabella in the back again.
I tolder her on the ride we wanted a red S with a premium package and she said they just had one delivered. Sure enough on the back lot was a July production car that became ours. I tried to get no market adjustment but got them to cut off one grand and then another, they offered beans for my trade in so I didn't even push that. I had my own financing from the credit union, their lease numbers seemed like a screw, so we settled on an OTD price as indicated above and I said I'd sleep on it.
I called yesterday am, it was still there, so we drove up at 2 and were home before 5 wit hthe car in impecably delivered condition at our agreed upon numbers. Now I just wish the kids would wake up so I would take them for a drive.
So what car should you get while you're waiting? You should get a mint 93 Miata C package, blackon tan, numerous upgrades, all recored back to original window sticker with 90,000 able to be delivered in San Diego area, for $5999. I'm trying t find the title right now.
This was the exact car my wife and I would have ordered (still debating on the stripes) and I am just giddy. We have a 2 and a half year old daughter and a 6 month old son and the four of us went out for pizza last night. Rearward facing seat fits just fine BTW. What a riot. Coming from a 93 Miata it felt big and fast. Effortless acceleration from 80 even with all four of us in. Handling is something I've never experienced (had Alfa GTV6, TR6, MGB previous to Miata)
re: the dealer, Jenny was my "Motoring advisor" and I can't recommend her highly enough. I called on a whim they had 26 ready to deliver, all colors and configurations. Yes you did have to make an appt to drive an S, but we could come up anytime to drive a Cooper. She didn't blink when I asked if I could strap in Isabella's car seat for the test ride and they have a wonderful twisty road (Harmony Grove) for a test loop. She told me up front they were negotiable on the "market adjustment"
Made an appt for Wednesday at 10 to drive the S. Got there, no Jenny, she's in a meeting, but she'll be here in five. She shows up in jeans and a sweatshirt, they switched her schedule and this was her day off, she was going to leave a message for someone else to take me out in S, but since she was ther for the meeting, if I didn't mind her dress, we could go. Off we went with Isabella in the back again.
I tolder her on the ride we wanted a red S with a premium package and she said they just had one delivered. Sure enough on the back lot was a July production car that became ours. I tried to get no market adjustment but got them to cut off one grand and then another, they offered beans for my trade in so I didn't even push that. I had my own financing from the credit union, their lease numbers seemed like a screw, so we settled on an OTD price as indicated above and I said I'd sleep on it.
I called yesterday am, it was still there, so we drove up at 2 and were home before 5 wit hthe car in impecably delivered condition at our agreed upon numbers. Now I just wish the kids would wake up so I would take them for a drive.
So what car should you get while you're waiting? You should get a mint 93 Miata C package, blackon tan, numerous upgrades, all recored back to original window sticker with 90,000 able to be delivered in San Diego area, for $5999. I'm trying t find the title right now.
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