Bingo. All those "little quirks" are what kill the Mini rating - a squeak here, a rattle there, a cold-start issue, etc. None are serious, but all are "problems." To put it another way, a Lexus does not have quirks and Lexus buyers would not tolerate them.

 

I beg to differ, the power steering pump is a serious problem in my eyes. It should have been a nationwide/global recall. Thankfully they (BMW) corrected this issue on the 2nd generation MINI's.

 

Oh, come on. That one adds a nice background air of suspense every time you take a drive.

 

Yep, EMS, 660cc injectors, no cat, koyo radiator, and 4.57s...it was nice and quite fast. Surely I didn't expect it to be a Honda anymore, but I also didn't expect head gasket replacements to be like oil changes. Not sure what caused that problem with mine...wasn't happening on the other 2.5's, but hopefully the next owner of the motor will have better luck. To me reliability is just not having to worry about the thing starting in the morning, or overheating with the a/c on

If I have to replace a P/S pump once every 80k miles...big whoop, its not like I can't drive the car without P/S anyway. If the engine runs and doesn't want to commit suicide...I'm happy.

 

Well good luck with that. Enjoy your ride.

For me? I wouldn't give up my Cooper S, nor would my wife give up her Cooper for any other vehicle in or near its class. The only problem I have had with my S was a warranty repair. The power steering fan sounded like a bearing was going on it, so when I had it in for my 2 year maintenance (oil change, brake fluid change, front/rear wipers blades, filters, etc.) the MINI dealer replaced the fan. (This was just yesterday.) I think MINI is great in standing behind what they sell with no questions asked. Not sure what Honda or any other manufacturer offers in the first 36 to 48 months of ownership, but I have to believe MINI is near the top. (Actually, my last experience with an American made vehicle was with a 1984 model, new out of the box. I had a camshaft go at 4500 miles. I had to pay a $350 "deductible" for the repair. That was my LAST American car I have ever owned!)

I think the membership of the NAM site speaks for itself when it comes to the enjoyment of owning a Mini or MINI Cooper. Motor on!

 

should've gone all out with the mugen.

 

i eat hondas for breakfast

 

I thought you were in Chicago?

 

THAT'S where I draw the line! You guys... naming your cars...

I went to the MINI dealer on the way home tonight, and test drove another 2006 - this time not an S, though. I wanted to see how the base engine felt. It's not bad in first gear at all, but I dropped from fourth to third, and there wasn't much there.

Then, on the advice of the people here, I checked out the 2008, and it definitely helped shift my opinion some. I didn't drive it (yet) but the switchgear seemed noticeably improved. The 06 turn signal felt light, plasticky and clicky, while the 08 had a more weighty, rubber threshold feeling. And the doors closed with a thunk rather than a clank.

I don't know if I'm just trying to talk myself into it, but it feels like a substantial upgrade over the 06, and more in-line with what I'd expect from BMW.

 

I agree on the thunk of the door. But at this point Im not sure you can even compare the two as they are completely two different cars.

 

mini's with runflats = fail. end of story.

 

Wanna expound on/clarify that?

 

+ 1 confused

 

i eat hondas for a snack*

 

The oem tire choices for this car are horrible. Simple as that. Not only are they bad but they are runflats. While they create the illusion of dartiness and a "Go Kart Like Ride" they are not performance enhancing in any way.

Also I feel there are several caveats to owning a mini.
1) The MCS needs an lsd to be performing at it's top potential... if you add camber into the mix... an LSD becomes a defining part for this car.
2) This car is by no means the fastest hot hatch. If you pour cash into it, it will certainly be right up there with the best of the modded hot hatch's... yet still, this car more about the visceral experience of driving. IE tricking you into thinking you're going much faster then you really are... and that's what really counts, that's what creates the smiles people are talking about.
3) the R56 and the R53 are a totally different experience. They are seemingly both MINI's... however they provide a different experience entirely while being very reminiscant of each other. Over all to sum it up in one sentence... If I wanted a mini as a fun, capable, quick daily driver... I'd own an R56... If I wanted a car to function as more of a play thing and or track car with good city driveability... the r53 wins.

The civic is a Honda. And that's both good and bad. It means it's consistant... you know what you're getting. It will likely never fall short of your expectations... however it will likely rarely exceed them. The mini is an emotion evoking vehicle. While not perfect by any means, it creates a different set of emotions for everyone it comes in contact with. It is by no means perfect... and it needs a few bits to make it comparable with the rest of hot hatch's/hot econobox's... but with the right choices and some patience... you'll be hard pressed to have more fun for the same money and calibur of car.

 

The R53 was all about style. Period.. Always was.. I never thought about getting one because it was fast. Its all about the sound, the style, the beauty and the whine of the supercharger. It IS fast for what it is.. 100 hp per liter is still a worthy achievement.

And yes the R56 drives completely different, its a different animal all together.

But it leaves me cold and indifferent. Its not astheticaly pleasing to my eye. Its complicated dare I say, "common" interior with all of its new plastic pieces and watered down styling in the obvious interest in making it cheaper to build, makes it very undesirable for me to think about purchasing one. Thats just my opinion. Others might feel the way the R56 drives trumps its interior.. for me, the supposedly lesser of the two insofar as how it drives ( that being the R53) is not enough to offset the difference rendered onto the R56's interior and style changes.

it will always be R53 for me... but thats my opinion.

 

Honestly, I owned a 04 Civic Si. I was a great car. Lasted over 100k easily. However, for fun factor it wasn't even close to the Mini. The Civic just blends in with every other Civic out there. They are dime a dozen. On the other hand I can go a day or so without seeing a Mini on the road. I think that 90% of us bought the Mini because we appreciated its unique styling. Whatever you decide to purchase I wish you good luck.

 

haha mini's in socal unique? what are you smokin.

 

Mine too.

I've owned a bunch of Honda products. I had the original Civic Si, a CRX, an Acura Integra RS, an Accord and a V6 Accord. What was cool about all of them was they each went 150K+ miles with virtually no issues whatsoever ...and there is a lot to be said for that.

But, they are utilitarian and boring. You don't "drive" a Honda ...you just sort of point it.

Dean.

 

Well I don't live in the O.C. I live in Long Beach haha. Down in Newport they are dime a dozen. I don't usually see too many around here. It's possible for me to drive to work and not see one. I was also in the mountains this winter when we had that snowstorm. I was the only Mini I saw for 4 days in the mountains. I think people were just shocked I made it up lol

 

Have you ever driven an S2000? Hand-built, RWD, 240bhp, top down, 2-seater sports car. Oh, and you're right, where you "point it" is exactly where it goes. A brilliant experience. Far more visceral driving experience once you properly open it up on a back country road. Go drive a DC2 Integra Type-R and you'll walk away thinking "wow, a high-revving Cooper S".

Honda's can be quite fun and involving if you put yourself in their element. And the nice part about them is you have the ability to use them in a utilitarian manner and squeeze 30mpg out of them (yes, even in an S2000).

But don't take my opinion on Honda's not being boring, just ask Honda driver, Danica Patrick.

 

word... there are some pretty amazing honda's. But the new civic si doesn't evoke that same type of lust that some of the other honda si's or type R's i've driven.

 

Heres a compromise.450HP

 

This discussion reminded me of the recent TopGear review of the Civic Type R
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ64UEbm4_o&NR=1

 

You are right, of course. I should have qualified my statement. Not all Honda's are boring. Mine sure were and I think most are. But, you've pointed out two very obvious exceptions. My bad.

Dean.