Hate to say it, but I dont think I would buy another mini. For the money, I would want something with more HP, such as the STi or the Evo. The Mini is a blast to drive in the curves, but its the stright lines I enjoy the most...

 

Egg-zactly and I get too many in my MCS of course being LY/B does not help.

I will keep my MINI until I can't buy parts to fix it.

Earl

 

hell yeah i do it all over again, but i think i will go the twincharge route

 

Absodamlutley...More fun to drive for the money. My wife has a suweet 2001 BMW Z3 3.0 but every time she drives the MINI she gets that MINIgrin and it's just an MC!

 

Power corrupts .

Anyway, I currently drive a modded Audi S4 B5 (twin turbo) and my wife has an MCS. I'm looking to get rid of the Audi for something different. I've got an '06 M3 on order, but am about to cancel it and go with an '06 MCS-JCW instead (if negotiations are fruitful). Maybe I'm getting old, but I love driving my wife's MCS more than any other car I've owned (and that includes 4 Porsches).

 

Absolutely.

As I've said elsewhere, I really do like my Mini, in such that what it does, it does extremely well. The interior is unique, and the handling is top notch. The problem is that I don't have anywhere near me where I can really enjoy that handling. I live in Florida, where I have to drive for quite some time away from where I live in order to find roads that do this car justice.

But lots of low-end torque and horsepower? Those can be enjoyed anywhere, really!

 

I agree wholeheartedly

I can drive the Audi "lazily" like an n/a V8 because it has so much torque and virtually no turbo lag (~360 lb/ft peaking at ~3000 RPM). I don't really need to "row the gears" much at all which becomes boring after a while.

Depending on your tastes, I think the Evo IX is a real performance bargain (another one I'm considering if I don't opt for the M3 or MCS-JCW).

 

The subject is "if you could do it over, would you still buy a Mini.." - which to me means would I do it again then (in the past) knowing what I know now, not would I buy another one, right?

If that is the case then yes, I think we'd still sell the 03 and get the 05 MCS - we appreciated the changes in the Jan 05 production car, enjoy the paddle gearbox, and it is still a fun to drive small car that really suits being in this city. However, the question of would we get a Mini again in the future is another matter and one I can't answer yet. Not only will there be additional other cars to choose from but I have doubts that I'd ever buy another new BMW after the years of iffy service and how they and the HQ choose to handle things (not to mention that I do not like the hard lines/dame edna lights and looks of the newer bimmers, and who know yet about the styling changes to the Minis).

Horsepower is not *as* much in the equation for me - don't get me wrong, I enjoy it very much when given the chance to push and use it effectively. But 99% of the time the top end in high hp cars is not being used in the real world and its not the most fun to lug it around in daily driving and try to keep myself under control (I can say that having had the chance to do just that in the over 300hp M3 and the M Coupe). I'd prob go crazy and not only get tickets but be too tempted to drive dangerously if I had a real exotic

 

Yes, I'll be buying another, or maybe two. The next one will probably be a non S and my wife will drive it until my daughter is old enough. Then as the mile continue to add up on mine, I will need to replace it at some point.

Nik

 

Nothing on the states come close to fun/ride for the $$$. I got a fully loaded 04 MCS JCW the $$$ doesn't egt me into anything Audi or BMW for the same sporty/fun level. I would get the bottom ends of their lines.

If I could get another small car i would have liked the MAzda az-1 or the other japanese sporty mini cars.


Paul

 

While I can understand the appeal and performance of the Mitsu EVO and Subaru WRX ST-i, to me those cars still look like cheap Japanese econoboxes. I can't stand the low rent interiors of both either.

Again, nothing wrong with both from a performance/bang-for-the-buck perspective but if I had to spend a lot of time in the interiors of both of these cars, I would be very depressed looking over at all those big expanses of cheap plastics. The exteriors are rice, rice. Not my taste.

Also, to fully enjoy the capabilities of those cars, I would have no choice but to do track days. Since I am not into racing and I can't safely/legally drive 'em in public roads, that pretty much cancels them out.

Personally, the MINI offers the perfect blend of driving fun while maintaining your sanity and not endangering yourself or others on the road.

 

That was one of my main reasons too. I really wanted a rally car, having done one tsd rally prior to buying the new car and really enjoyed it. The performance numbers and handling on those cars is simply amazing. But when I look at them I just can't help feeling let down. Everything is just so generic for being such a great car, but I guess that is why they are 35k cars instead of 60k cars.

 

Sure, corners have to be cut somewhere. But I think both Mitsu and Subaru have taken it to the extreme.

Those $30K buy you a lot of engine, suspension, AWD and a nice gearbox. That money doesn't buy you style or great interior quality/design.

 

But I think it buys you a better seat than you can get here in the states for a mini.

Thats my one complaint of the mini interior--the "sport" seats, and the inability to get JCW or Recaro.


Paul

 

Absolutely! My daughter (who will be driving in three years) has hers specced out as does my son (who is four years behind her) So . . . in six years, we'll have three Minis on the driveway.

 

yeah, I forgot about the seats.

 

I guess it's different strokes for different folks but I like the seats in my 2005 MC very much. They are the sport seat with space cloth. Maybe it's because I stepped up from a '93 Geo Tracker I was very concerned when I ordered it because of some back problems but have stayed in the saddle 2 to 3 hours at a time with no problems. My wife had a real nice Mitsubishi 3000 GT that absolutely killed my back after about 15 to 20 minutes and no amount of adjusting would fix it.

 

Well to be fair, most people who are really into performance don't really care about interior design. As well, the quality seems alright for those who own them. Seat holds me in place? Check. All gauges where I can see 'em easily? Check. Stick right under my hand? Check. That's about all you really need.

I would be one of those people. I'd trade my unique Mini interior in for a hundred more HP any day.

 

SSMini,
I am still on the fence like you. IMHO: My impressions, from over a hundred hours of internet searching+phone calls+dealer visits, is that this BMW designed and english built car is not of the highest quality and reliability by design and build. The dealers service departments have their hands full keeping customers happy and perhaps it has become a loosing battle for some dealers.

I do not have the patience nor the time to take my car to the dealer on a regular basis, even if costs and loaner car are covered.

Many MINI owners love their car because it is an excellent driving car at a reasonable new car price. Used car pricing is crazy high. Many MINI owners have traded in their earlier year model MINI's in hopes that a newer year MINI has less or no problems. So, I one would never ever buy someone elses problem

MINI ownership also provides a social club opportunity that is important to many but not me.

I may still buy a MINI this year and take my changes, but my expectations will not be high.

 

We've got an '05 MCS and in 1 year and a little over 10k miles we've not had one problem that would necessitate an immediate trip to the dealer. We have a minor rattle from the top of the dash (now and then) and we sometimes have the cold-start "stumble". However, the sheer fun of driving the car outweighs everything else. It certainly gets my seal of approval....so much so that I ordered one for myself today and cancelled my M3 order

 

I wanted a 130 sport, but alas no can do in america. I tried, even tried to bribe the guy at the bmw factory tour. But I'm happy with the mini

 

BeRight...

True, a Mini is not a Honda or a Toyota (as far as reliability/quality) but who is???

As people have stated before... no one writes a post that says "Boy... my Mini has No problems!" People only post about problems! I wonder ho many people would reply to a "Everything is OK thread"???


I'm going to start one!

 

C4, You talked about the plastic in the Japanese cars, Quote:

I would be very depressed looking over at all those big expanses of cheap plastics. The exteriors are rice, rice

Last time I looked in my Cooper S, It was all plastic inside, Plastic is Plastic in my book. I guess I want plastic that is FASTER..... Dad and I installed a Greddy Twin Turbo kit in his Nissan 350Z. With 390 rwhp at 8 lbs of boost, I would trade the Coop in a second.....Oh yea.... Rice anyone??
Pic of the TT kit in my gallery, now if I can somehow figure out how to install that intercooler in my Mini.......*LOL*

 

If I had the chance to do it all over again, I think I would still buy a MINI. But the new Civic Si sure looks tempting though . But I'm sure the insurance would be mind blowing and I wouldn't be able to sleep at nights b/c some fool would steal it. Plus I'm too old for that whole import lifestyle or what ever they call it these days.

 

Would, and just did!!