So I think I might trade in my MINI for either a 2005 Jetta GLI 1.7T 180hp 6sp 4dr or Scion XB 100hp 5speed.

I can get about $21,000 if I trade in my 04MCS and I only owe about $19,000. So if I lease the Jetta for $230 Month I reduce my monthly payment by about $200 a month.

Or I could by an XB for about $15,000 less another $2 to $3K for trade in and my payments would be a lot lower too.

I always planned on keeping the MINI forever but it is getting expensive for me and I can't justify the cost any longer.

anybody have thoughts on these other cars?

 

Sad to see ya go, but if you are gonna dive into the world of Scions. I would check out the TC, has about the same HP as the MCS, a nice sunroof like it also, and doesn't look freaking ugly like the Xb or the Xa.

 

I drive an 03 MCS and my wife recently bought a VW GLI Jetta. It is an 05 with the 1.8t and an automatic. The car is very nice, handles quite well, although the stock tires were replaced after 2 weeks with her winter wheels. We traded a 2002 Beetle turbo on this car because she wanted a 4 door. The added power, from 150 to 180 hp, is noticeable. The trunk is cavernous, but what isn't compared to our cars. Here's the kicker, we have a newer, faster, more expensive car than before (the Beetle) and our insurance went down, a lot.

I don't know much about the Scion's, but a friend bought the Xb last year (the Orange special edition) and that car was nice. Lots of room, and it is quicker than the numbers might imply. I don't think you could go wrong with either of these cars.

 

I really liked the looks of the TC, and test drove one fully expecting to enjoy it. I was seriously underwhelmed.

Have you considered moving to a non-S Cooper?

 

As many on here know I'm waiting to order my cooper till I sell my Galant...BUT before I decided on the Cooper I was set on the GLI. But a few things pushed me away from it and I've now decided on the Cooper.

For starters the Recaro Sport Seats were ridiculously uncomfortable for the wife and I. I won't say they are for everyone cause lots of people love recaro's. But they are nothing like the Sport Seats in the Cooper S which I find to be very comfortable.

The GLI drives great and had a noticeable increase in power over my 2003 VW Passat even though its the same 1.8T engine. They did manage to squeeze ten more ponies out of it in the newer version but I didn't think it'd be noticeable. It was. The car wanted to run.

Then I watched the forums for awhile and I saw the same things coming up on the GLI. Squeaky brakes no matter what you do, lots of rattles after having the car for a short while and a surprising amount of blown speakers. Now I don't get scared off by problems posted on forums. You generally don't find people posting "just wanted to let you know my car is perfect". It was the sheer numbers of people with the same exact complaints that led me to believe these weren't anomalies but a standard occurence.

I also worried about the value. They are giving these cars away now for invoice or a little lower because sales are in the toilet. That won't help the car hold its value.

I agree that the Scion TC is the best of the 3 models they make but do what you gotta do to be financially secure.

 

User "Minimotoring" traded a 2002 Cooper S for a new Scion xB and he truly regretted the move. In his words the Scion "BLOWS". After realizing that the xB is nothing but a Toyota Echo with an underwhelming engine and more interior room (Being quite possible its only positive) he came back to his senses and ordered a new '05 MINI Cooper S Convertible that he should be taking delivery shortly.

The Scion tC should be more "equivalent" to the MCS and while it looks better than the xB I don't see the big deal about it. At least seems to be more desirable than your garden variety Honda Civic coupe.

VW Jetta? they are OK cars but I would stay away from Mexican built VW's. the current Jetta and New Beetle are made in Puebla, Mexico and the quality of these cars has been less than stellar over the years. If you insist on a VW, I highly recommend the Golf/GTI both of which are either assembled in Brazil or Germany. My brother in law has a '02 VW Golf GL 5-door with the underpowered 2.0L gasoline engine, but that thing has been absolutely rock solid in nearly 3 years since he got it.

One thing I can tell you. Going away from the MINI to a Scion or VW you will lose the adictive handling of the MINIs because none of those other cars can't compare to it, period.

I also second the suggestion for moving to a more economical '05 Cooper with the new 5-speed Getrag gearbox whixh is very similar to what you have now in the MCS. The Cooper easily pulls 30MPG in city driving and pays a little bit less on insurance. Give MINI another chance before you go. I have heard the new Coopers with the Getrag tranny are an awesome drive.

I also own a '04 MCS and the car has been absolutely fantastic. Gas mileage is in the (25-27 MPG City) and my insurance with State Farm went down. I am curious about what is causing your MCS to be so expensive to own.

 

My previous car was a 20thAE GTI which is basically the GTi version of the GLi. Same recaro's, same 6 speed, same 1.8t, same 12.3" front brakes. Only difference is the 20thE has OZ aristo wheels and the GLi has BBS RC's.

My VW was lemon law'd within 6 months of ownership. It was a damn nice car but it is no where near as sporty or as fun to drive as the mini. Both have their plus' and minus' but personally the Mini is a nicer car. A lot of friends have VW's, everything from supercharged VR6's to big turbo 1.8t's and R32 and most of them have fallen in love with the mini.

If you're end goal is to save money then do it as the GLi is worth 230 bucks a month. But if you're looking for something more fun to drive I think you'll be diaspointed. Keep in mind you don't get free services at the VW dealer and IMHO the VW dealers near me suck in terms of service and treating the cutsomer right.

They're both nice cars so bet of luck with either

 

If you are young and having trouble paying for a car, I recommend that you avoid the leasing trap. Leasing a car seems like a good deal at first, but most leases are evil documents that will cost you much more in the long run than you imagine. Buy a car you can afford. If you can't afford the Mini, get a used car and avoid the big depreciation hit of purchasing a new car. Buying two new cars in 2 years is a great way to inflate your costs. The Mini was a good deal because it retained a lot of its original value. That Scion or Jetta will not, and it will cost yu more in the long run. If you can't afford the "long run" you should look for a used car that has depreciated a lot. Pontiac Aztek sounds about right.

 

An ASStek? You kidding, right?

 

They have depreciated alot.

 

That's the best advice in this thread. I have a few friends that "don't trust used cars" or "don't want to buy other people's problems", so they buy new. The truth is it's hard to go wrong with a 1-3 year old Honda/Toyota with 10-40k miles. You'll save a ton of money, lose less when you sell it, and probably will still have some factory warranty. It shouldn't be hard to find a "car guy" friend - you probably work with one. Ask them to check out your new car before you buy. Get a carfax. Buy used from Saturn where the prices are no-haggle. It's not that hard to get a good used car, especially a newer one.

 

hummm....If I got a xB, I'll probably end up spending more money on it
than I would want. Like a sc kit, kenstyle body kit, lowering kit, wheels,
etc.etc.etc. and would defeat the purpose of buying a cheap car.

If I was going to go cheap, I wouldn't half-*** it on a Jetta or xB and
go all the way to find me a used Kia or something with warranty. Save
money, then buy a decent car maybe 4-5 years down the road.

 

I had an '00 Jetta VR6 prior to the MCS. If it had not been totalled, I would probably still be driving it. Although I've read of lots of problems with some new Jettas, mine was not affected by most of them. If the MINI dealer did not have what I wanted, I was going to buy an '03 Jetta GLI VR6.

My wife drives an '03 New Beetle with the 150hp 1.8T. I like this car a lot more than I thought I would. It is solidly built and has good power from the turbo engine.

In my ownership experience (6 cars), the Mexican assembled VWs have had better build quality than the American or German assembled VWs.

The xC looks nice, but just appears to be a rehash of other car makers' designs. I don't have any experience with the Scions, mainly because they don't appeal to me on any level. There's no way I would trade my MCS for a Scion.

I don't like leasing, so I'll leave it at that. The VWs have cheaper insurance than the MINI, but only by a little bit.

 

The all new Jetta is arriving here in the spring of 2005. You may want to check it out first. Here is a preview photo...

 

I am very much aware that moving from my MINI to a Jetta or Xb would be a major downgrade and I will notice major differences. My main issues are that I owe $448/month for 48 more months and the nearest dealer is 85 miles away and seem to be my worse enemy. The SES came on last week and if I need to start taking it to the dealership for Recalls and other service it is a very big PITA.

I decided against leasing anything especially the GLI. I also think the seats are very uncomfortalbe and I figure if I'm ready to get rid of my super clean and very nice 04 MCS after a year there is a good chance I won't want to keep the Jetta for 4yrs.

The only problem with a used car is that I have to sell my car myself and that's not easy. I know I should be able to get more but there is a lot involved and I have not gotten a call on it in 3wks. I trust used cars but not so much the ones at the dealerships. Id like to get a 2000 Avalon or an Accord or a '69 Malibu SS or a new Harley. A new Harley would reduce my payments too bad they wouldn't take a trade in.

Thanks for all the advice/input I am not getting a Jetta and I still need to test drive the XB and the TC is like $16,500, so with tax and a few upgrades I am up to $20k which is more than I owe on my MCS.

 

In my experience, Brazilian built VW's are more solid and less problematic than Mexican built Vdubs. My brother in law has a 3 year old '02 Golf GL 5-door and that thing just keeps going, no major problems to date.

Here in Florida, VWs pay more insurance than MINIs, at least with State Farm. His Golf insurance keeps going on the rise, meanwhile the policy on my 2 MINIs went down last year. His Golf GL pays more insurance per month than my '04 MCS! (He is a clean driver, over 40 and married).

 

How 'bout ebay?

 

Why not refinance?

I wouldn't suggest lengthening the payoff time for many cars other than a MINI, but they just hold their value so darn well.

 

My husband just traded my 1st MINI, a 03 MC with 19K on it. He was given just $2000 less for what I paid 2 years ago & for just a little more in lease payments he is driving a BMW X3 3.0l. MINIs reward you even when you get rid of them. So if it means less monthly payments & you are happy with the car you choose, go for it

Lois

 

Too late. He traded in his MCS for a new '05 Honda Accord. Got $21K for the MINI.

 

I test drove a SCION XB a few months ago when my wife was looking for a new car. I tried to drive it like my MINI. I revd the engined to 6000 rpm and it took off pretty good. Driving was easy, and but it sure didn't corner like my MINI. The coolest thing I noticed was that even with it's small engine, 4 adults, and the AC blasting, the engine still felt very responsive, but the interior and build quality of the SCION leaves much to be desired. It's very sparse. Sitting in the drivers seat, you almost feel like they forgot to put in the instruments and you're driving a large push cart due to all the flat surfaces around you.

You might look into a Mazda 3 which has a great looking interior, is comfortable and sporty, and has lots of power. It's a sub $15,000 price range. Choosing between this and a SCION TC, I'd take the Mazda!

http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/0401_drivenmazda3/

 

I traded it in last night for a 2005 Honda Accord and I got $21,000 for my MCS. It was strange leaving it at the Honda dealership but I'm happy for the time I had with my MINI and I'm glad I got a very good family sedan for a replacement.

The Mazda dealership here is a joke I went there first on two occaions and both times I ended up buying a Honda. They don't want to sell cars there so their loss. I'm very happy with both the Hondas we bought. My wifes 2005 Odessy Minivan is nicer than the MPV and I like my new Accord better than the Mazda 6. My new Accord only has the 2.4l 4cyl but it is pretty smooth and accelerates nicely and should run forever if I decide to hold on to it. No scheduled Tune-up for 110K miles and oil changes are $30.

I will be watching for the "Traveler" and my wife has already given me the greenlight on getting my next dream car. I really like the new Corvette!

 

I think Mazda has produced some pretty good cars, but their dealer network is definitely the pits. The dealer I went to in Santa Monica wasn't eager to sell any cars. The cars on the lots all had bird poo sitting on them as well. The Mazda dealer nearest me in Culver City is nasty as well--I had a very bad experience with them. Hhahaha, one of the reasons I didn't buy a Mazda.

Congrats on your new Accord. There's a huge difference going from an MCS to an Accord, but I'm sure you knew that! Have fun!!

 

Hey, sb...good luck to you, sweetie! When the time comes, maybe you'll get another MINI! We also have a Corvette, so I understand the appeal.

Clover

 

If one of the reasons you're going to a VW or Scion is a problem with the local MINI dealer, be sure to let MINI know about it.