Those were her three choices? And she fell for it?

 

--just kidding, I'll be gentle. The Mini uses a single over head cam 1.6 liter chrysler engine. The SRT-4 uses a dual overhead cam 2.4 liter chrysler engine. The MINI's engine is made in Brazil I believe, whereas the SRT-4 engine comes from Mexico I believe. Two very different engines. One is turbocharged (SRT-4) one is supercharged (MCS).

What you MIGHT have heard is that the same engineering team designed both engines. But they are NOT the same exact engine. Given the difference in displacement they definitely don't share a common block. I'm pretty sure they're not even built by the same plant. Also I believe BMW designed the head for the MINI whereas the SRT-4 engine is all chrysler.

I know because I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night...no no no! I frequented the SRT-4 forums for a while when I was shopping for cars and I definitely thought about the SRt-4 for a while before moving on. If you wanna get them riled up, tell "them their cars nothing special afterall it's just a NEON!" OMG! Flamewar hissyfit central.

s'alright tho no harm no foul. Everyone can take off their asbestos gear now. Nothing to see here folks. Move along. Move along.

--pyratio

 

that really is too funny....

 

Over 100 responses, and I'm the only one for whom excellent fuel economy is non-negotiable? I'm sure all these other cars being mentioned are fun to drive, but I honestly would not consider buying them.

 

=0)

 

I guess alot of people are spending 30-50k for their MCS's if they are comparing to most these cars. I will be hitting max 24k on mine when, and if I buy, I really wanna buy!! So the most likely alternative is in the running for fuel efficiency as a result of my slight tree hugger tendencies, a civic ex auto, otherwise the mazda3 5 door would be the sure alternative.


Ahh I remember my first car an '89 dodge colt 5 spd, had 79 hp I think, could get 42mpg with that thing, and gas was $0.88, those were the days. Took her up to 115MPH and was afraid she'd peel or rattle apart if I went any faster or hit the brakes. I sincerely feared for my life for the first time that day. After that thing nothing running combustion has impressed me until the new civic as far MPG go

 

Well, I wouldn't even consider buying an MCS, so I guess my priorities are a bit different than most people's here. My Cooper is more fun than I ever thought I'd have in a sub-$20k car that gets 40 mpg on the highway.

 

...its the only reason i would buy another 'min cooper'(for my commute), but i would not buy another mcS

 

I might consider another Miata (great for Autocross) or maybe a Boxster now that you can fetch one for a great price. The Elise is great too but a little out of my budget. This question makes me like my MINI even more.

 

Ok, Chris... you got me... back in early '03 when I was looking for a new car and with a 100 mile/day commute I went with mileage in a big way and ordered a 2003 VW Jetta TDI wagon w/ GLS package, leather, & upgraded stereo option.

After 2.5 years, I have a love-hate relationship with this car. On the plus side, it's been basically reliable (67K miles and no major issues), with good room, and great interior (with better seats than the MINI's) and nobody can argue with the fuel mileage (46.3 mpg lifetime). However, the car is dead-boring to drive. And while I wouldn't think twice about throwing mod-money at a MINI, for some reason I balk at spending thousands of $ on the TDI just to make it handle and go half as well as a MINI. "Driver's Wanted"... yeah right...

I should have test-driven the MINI before I ordered the TDI, but for some reason my mind had been made up. I wanted that awesome fuel mileage. Period. But while the fuel money saved has been nice, the cost in driving enjoyment has be hard to pay at times... Especially when I spend so much of my time driving... Which in a way is why I'd choose a MCS over a MC, while either would be leaps above the TDI in the "fun" dept, after the TDI, I'm a bit gun shy as far as going with the "practical" choice over the "emotional" one.

The other thing about the TDI is it's VERY picky about maintenance and the VW service makes MINI service look like princes. I've read too many stories of TDI owners getting their car back from the dealer in worse condition than before they serviced it. IMHO, you either DIY for everything or don't buy a TDI. I don't even take it to the dealer for warranty work - yeah they're that bad.

So for these reasons, I wouldn't recommend the TDI to the average MINI owner looking for something with good fuel mileage.

(and Chris: go look at the guitar addicts thread... )