Ok, ok.. I know it's not as cute as a MINI but I currently live in Florida and I'm building a home in the NC Mountains that you can't get to with 2wd on a good day, let alone a FWD MINI that's been lowered. Having 3 kids and another on the way doesn't make the MINI vary practical unless it's a 3rd vehicle and I already have a 3rd vehicle. So, I went shopping for an AWD sports car and the WRX fit's very well. 4 doors, more speed that I probably could have achieved in my MINI and plenty of aftermarket support to enhance it's performance.

Thoughts about my MINI experience...

1. MINI is great fun to Drive
2. Improving the car with Performance Items has been very rewarding.
3. Autox sucks, 4-6min of driving time for a whole day wasted. I've got better things to do with my time.
4. Track days are a blast, but they stopped doing it locally and some of the clubs are way to expensive.
5. Not being able to take this car to the track has taken a chunk out of the fun of owning it.
6. Pushing the great handling of this car on the street is dangerous.
7. Not being able to track this car much lately has left me prefering acceleration performance to handling performance.
8. FWD... I probably won't buy a FWD sports car again, it's just too traction limited. After owning the WRX, I may never buy anything but AWD
9. Big company aftermarket support for the MINI is very poor right now. Prices need to come down on aftermarket parts.
10. The MINI is very forgiving to drive fast on a Track and has been a great introduction vehicle into motorsports.
11. Quality and Resale on my MINI has been excellent.
12. MINI owners are great, some of the nicest people I have ever met.. some are strange and you know who you are.
13. There is no replacement for displacement

I will continue to monitor this forum and I will probably own another MINI some day if that Getag AWD system every comes out.

 

I couldn't have said it better myself! I'm spending my money and time on a few track days this year instead. I'm still kicking myself for spending too much money on 6 Hoosiers in order to play by the rules in stock class only to find myself racing against cheaters!


Enjoy your new WRX! Sounds like a good move for your situation!

 

I agree with #3!! And most of the rest of the list...luckily I don't need AWD, and have no need for anythign more specialized than the MCS right now - so I love it!

 

It doesn't help either when your a slow learner like me! I like track day's when you have time to learn the track and can concentrate on pushing the car to it's limits. That's what I enjoy, working on the car and making it better. Autox frustrated me because by the time I learned the track and could enjoy pushing the car I was out of runs!

 

Where in the NC mountains are you headed?

 

Franklin, NC area...

 

I'm sure the MINI group in Asheville will still let you hang out with them. You can check them out at www.m2c2.org. My dad still has a place a little north east of there near Waynesville. It is a great place to live. And you are surrounded by so many great roads!

 

Enjoy your WRX - I know you will. I have heard nothing but good things about them.

And welcome to NC.

Uh... and BTW - have you discovered where all of these young'uns are coming from?


Guess I have to say that I am one of those "number 12" on your list. One of the strange ones.

 

Wow! I've been looking at the EVO 8 for the last couple of months. I just can't convince the wife to let me buy the ugly beast!

But I probably will get it but after the good feelings about the Mini wear off.

 

Hey, your in FL and I'm in CA......so how did you know how strange I am. Were you in Vegas or did you go the Dragon and Clover told you.

 

You can refer to your new car as an STI.

Nothing wrong with 0-60 in 4.8 seconds.

 

I just got rid of my STi for the Mini. I can give you a great inexpensive recipe for making the Sti fast. It may feel fast now but add some basic mods and hold on. www.nasioc.com

 

You have a PM!

 

Curious why you got rid of the STI? I have been tempted to buy one, but I just can't get over the "boy racer" wing look. But from a cost/performance standpoint, it's pretty incredible!

 

That's something that a Vette driver would say. it's still a 4 banger!

They are very fun cars though. My hubby has an Evo 8 and most of our friends have WRX's or STi's and they do enjoy them. Have fun with the new car and remember that if you get in the mood to track or auto-x the STi can be great there too

 

Hard to argue the logic, Super. I'm sort of there, too. I won't do a front wheel drive track car again, either.

Then again, the STI is heavy and is the only downside to the car. Wish it were around 2,800 lbs. Wouldn't that be sweet?

Enjoy.

 

I was very close to buying an STI. The thing is a beast. Video game fast. After taking it for extensive test drives, I came to the realization that I couldnt live with one everyday. It rides too rough for me, but if you can live with that, it is the most performance you can get for the money. Have fun with it.


Paul B

 

It's rougher then a MCS with S-lites and runflats?

 

lol no, it's not.

Although the EVO and STI are excellent drives, bottom line is they are still family sedans, with 4 doors, and turbo kit bolted on with a big wing and skirts. AWD is the only thing it has going for it imho.

There is no replacement for small tactical fighters I say.

Please note that I'm biased towards the EVO and STI because my 'friends' who have them only have them to compensate for social instabilities, and insecure as hell.

 

>Although the EVO and STI are excellent drives, bottom line is they are still family sedans, with 4 doors



Someone mentioned that my hatch was a small stationwagon...
suddenly the MCS felt beeeery slow...

 

A friend of mine just just sold his Vett for a STI, bought a new trunk (you know the boot ) lid without the wing so it is stelth.

Earl

 

You could do that with an Evo as well. But the fender flares give it away. The big **** hoodscoop and the brembos on the STI give it away... :smile:

 

The STi and the EVO are really good really rally cars and their motors can be pumped up quite a bit so they might be called family sedans on steroids.
Nothing wrong with that...fill up the trunk with a bunch of stuff and take your buds out, and then take it to the race track the next week. Sounds almost like a Mini.

 

Heh, well I have v-spokes and run-flats and our MA laughed when we commented on how smooth the ride was. Don't know about others STi's and Evo's, but all the ones I've been are considerably rougher than the MINI

 

I test drove an 05 STi last weekend and man is that a lot of fun! I have an 04 MCS now and an 05 MCS w/LSD on order. Now I'm in a complete quandry over whether to trade-in the 04 MCS for the 05 MCS or go the STi route.

Factors I'm weighing:
Against the STi and for the 05 MCS
- Insurance is almost 2x as my MCS (more even then the C6 Vette)
- Gotta get over the "boy-racer" image with the STi. Or I'd need to swap the functional wing & rear deck plus maybe add the FMIC and reverse scoop to downplay the image (more $$$). Still never going to be as attractive as the MINI.
- I've become spoiled to the toss-ability of the MCS. STi handling, while amazing, will require more concentration at the limits.
- Car and engine feels rougher/less refined then the MINI. That may wear on me over time.
- Interior and amenities does not feel up to the level of the MINI, let alone most other $32k cars (but better than the Evo IMHO).
- No Aux jack for iPod, no SAT radio options, no sunroof options- I know its petty but I've become spoiled...

For the Sti and against the 05 MCS
- Damn the STi gets up and moves NOW!
- Huge community of tuners and vast options for increasing HP inexpensively - same with suspension etc etc.
- You can actually put down all the power that you're making. From the reports so far, the MCS w/LSD may still have a problem with excessive wheelspin even when stock (autoxing). We will always be held back by FWD it seems.
- STi & Evo (IMHO) represent fantastic values for the performance. I doubt you could build anything close for the $$$.
- Did I mention how fast it is? There is no substitute for that feeling of being literally shoved back in your seat when the tach gets near 4k - woo hoo!

All that being said, the MINI and STi are both fantastic cars in their own right. They both have their strengths & weaknesses and you just have to decide on your priorities. Which of course is why I'm having an impossible time deciding what I will do.

-WebWerker