If I asked my grandmother about this, she would probably say take a big club and wear something old.

 

I didn't believe you so I ran outside to check.
You're right!!! It does have back seats!

I traded a MZ3 for this Cooper S. I traded a Scion xB for my R53.
Both of those cars were "easier to live with". But, then again, I'm fun but not very easy to live with...

Downsides to the Mazda for me were:
1) The seats. I'm 6'5" and the seats just didn't support right. My knees always hurt after 20 minutes of driving.
2) It's a Mazda. The feel of everything from the window switches to the dash to the glovebox just felt a little second-rate.
3) Fuel economy.

Downsides to the xB:
1) Power. Very similar to a normally-aspirated Cooper, pre-2007. Hard to get out into traffic.
2) Suspension. Softly sprung for comfort made for unwanted excitement in the mountains.
3) Generally cheap and flimsy feeling.

Consumer reports has an obvious bias; they like what they like. Read it with a grain of salt. It's still a good resource, one of many that can't stand alone.

 

Given Consumer Report's general bent with regard to cars, I view their comments as a screaming endorsement of the MINI.

 

I'm stunned! The mini isn't a practical car??? I'm trading a miata (my second) for an '07 MCS and have been dreaming of all the stuff I'll be able to haul around. Not that I can't carry lots in the miata. I think the people at CR have no clue how to pack. In the miata, I can carry both a 90lb and an 80 lb german shepherd, or 2-40lb bags of dog food in the trunk and 1 weeks worth of groceries for 2 on the passenger seat/floor, or ...
Maybe it's all a matter of perspective. I've almost never owned a car with a back seat and never with 4 doors. I hate big boring cars/suv's!

 

Amen to that!!! And second of all, the MINI does not even HAVE a "trunck"!!! It has a BOOT!!!! I don't see a "boot" in the Mazda specs, do you????

 

I really hope you're not serious. For the vast majority of the car buying public, MINIs are not considered practical. I think a lot of people would be surprised at how adequate a car the size of a MINI can be, but most people either don't want such a small car or they have a need for a larger vehicle. It is indeed a matter of perspective. A MINI is as big a car as I need but I'm not going to assume that it is the same for everyone else.

 

I am comparing a M3S against the MCS .. I'm way leaning towards the MCS .. MPG difference is huge. 20mpg city vs. 29mpg city? The M3S may be faster, but I can tell you Mazda service is a joke compared to BMW service.

 

Some say Mini service is a joke compared to BMW service. But really, the deal on support is there aren't that many dealers, and if the one near you is good, life is good. If the one near you sucks... Well, lets just say the ownership experince can have some frustrating moments.

Matt

 

Plus, it doesn't have a boot, as it is a hatchback.

 

That just hurts.

Matt

 

I considered both actually. The Saturn Sky is rock solid and looks great. However it didn't drive so well, even the turbo version that just came out. I have a buddy who got the first one in the city and it still feels underpowered to me.

Not to mention it is a SMALL two seater. The owners manual won't fit in the car, literally. He keeps his in his garage. When the roof is down you can't even fit a gym bag in the trunk. The dealer repeated asked if he realized he was buying the most impractical car on the road today.

By comparison, the R56 will out corner it, I can fit 3 friends in AND something in the boot. As well as better MPG.

 

ncarolyn for several years we owned two mid-engined 2 seat cars. Very tiny. We took several 10,000 miles trips for a month at a time around the country. You don't pack suitcases, you pack the car. We know ALL about living with tiny spaces in cars.

But after awhile, it gets very old. VERY old, and all the crap about "renting" at truck or using a friend, gets expensive and old for your friends. Trying to get lawnmowers or TVs homes, nevermind lumbar, becomes impossible and having everything delivered to your house becomes expensive.

So we dumped one of the mid-engined sportscars for a practical "appliance" and I loved it. Every car has a purpose, just different purposes. Its also a matter of where and how you live. When you need to haul 8 - 10' lumbar home, 40/50 pound bags of mulch, dirt, whatever for the garden, the MINI is useless

Different cars for different purposes. They have a "fun" purpose but IMO they are not practical.

 

I guess I'm lucky .. Crevier BMW handles the Mini's service dept. too.

We also have a Mazda in the family .. my brother's car which I drive sometimes. Service is ok, but no loaner.

I like the free carwashes too

 

Service - I did not realize just how few Mini dealers were out there - CA has 14 where a lot of states either have only one or NONE - so, there are a lot of places where you closest Mini dealer is a DRIVE and if that place Sucks - well then Life gets tough...

 

I got loaners from Mazda...
Only one oil change but it's 4 years of warranty and roadside assistance.

The MZ3 is a nice car. I just never connected with it; it was white bread and I like marble rye.

 

Do you really think its a cult car? I don't and here is why ...

I see MINI marketing to be superb, one of the best in the industry. They market the car and price into the current sweet spot for several markets.

• You can get a stripped MCS for very low 20s, the perfect price for young newlweds, lower than the price of the average car sold in the US (~$28K) or for retired people on limited incomes or young singles
• You can get a loaded MCS for $50K or more, adding more options for the more well heeled people
• They market it as being easily "youified" think "aftermarket" ... these feeds the aftermarket vendor tail to satisfy those who feel the need to drop $$.

Hitting two sweet spots, there has to be a large market for a low $20K car with good gas mileage, reasonable performance for the price point. Arguments about "oh I loved the old mini coopers", while maybe true, I would bet most owners never saw or heard of the original mini cooper. Ancient history to Gen X or Y.

IMO, its no more cult than a PT cruiser or maybe a VW "thing" or anything else. For the masses, I would bet ... cheap car, great gas mileage, good performance, fun to drive is a bonus = GREAT BUY. Its is a GREAT BUY for the money. Just like a Z06 is a GREATBUY for a dirt cheap "supercar", the MCS is a great buy, no getting around that. But cult? not buying that (Unless they are passing out koolaid)

What I'm saying is that it is a great price point for the market, a great car for the money. Its easy to see why its sells well and appeals to wide demographics ... young, old, rich, poor, green, yellow and purple, male, female, whatever. Its a great buy and that is not a cult, IMO.

Marketing ... they do it very well

 

You can generally tell the quality of a car by the sound of the door slamming shut. Anyone heard the Mazda's?

 

I've had 3 Mazda Protege's and they all were very reliable cars. My daughter totalled 2 of them in very serious accidents and there were no injuries in her car. So, tell me about the door slam....

 

Urban legend #27.

I can just see the car engineers all sitting around saying:

"Hey, lets make the door sound really good, then people will think we make a great car!"

 

@chows4us,
I STRONGLY disagree with that. Until VERY recently, I think MINI has done a HORRIBLE marketing job really. But that is probably by design, since they didn't make many, they always sold out, so why waste money on marketing that isn't needed?? The good part of that was, it kept the car kinda unique cause there weren't many around, so when ya saw one, you really said, "WOW, check out that little thing, COOL....!!!!"

Until about 2 months ago, I NEVER once saw ANY mini marketing. It was non-existant. So how do you say it was good?

 

Where you looking for MINIs in 2002, 03, 04? Did you know they existed? I ask because sometimes people only notice cars around them that they own, or advertisements for cars they own.

I have always thought MINI marketing did a great job. I understand they recently changed advertising companies. Think about the secret campaigns in the magazines a year ago. How many people were hooked on those. Huge thread on NAM.

But far more importantly, think about this. While for some older enthusiasts, terms and phrases like "the twisties" are, well old. The concept, for example, that a sportscar does well in the corners is very old but may not be a muscle car in the straights is, well old. Yet, IMO, MINI marketing is selling this old phrase and remarketing as "the twisties" for a new younger generation.

Think about the "cool" terms. Bonnet, boot, and whatever Brit phrases they like to throw around. All marketing gimmicks to get you to buy into MINIs. You don't think that many people have bought into using those terms they probably never heard of before?

What about "motoring" and "youification". While enthusiasts have always modified their OEM vehicles, MINI marketing makes a mantra. Youfiy your car. Make it unique ... how many people here buy into that wholesale???

Now think about it. How much money do you think they are making on "youification"? How many people turn $22K cars that have just about all the basic necessities you need to exist (e.g., A/C, radio) into $35K or $40K+ cars way out of line with the base car? Youification. You got to love it - a way to get you to spend more money. Make your car unique. Don't have a bland car, add some graphics, add a body kit Spend your money. Gimme your money.

Think about the MINI gimmicks to get a motoring number so you email the owner.

Think about the welcome gifts you get.

Think about the OL. How many car makers have a OL?

Think about the funny signs in the welcome package. Some ppl talk about actually using them. Do you know of any other car makers who do that?

IMO, MINI marketing has sold an entire younger generation into a bunch of terms known since the dawn of cars and made them sound "cool" and "hip". Come motor and hit the twisties ... like DUH? People didn't do that with sports car in the 1950s and 1960s?

Oh yeah, MINI does very well marketing and advertising a car and culture and many people buy into it. Nothing wrong with that, they do a great job.

 

I also don't get this hatred for CR and C&D in these comparison tests. Just read the tests and cleary the Mazda beat the MINI is performance ... EVEN at the race track. By 7 seconds at VIR.

Hmm, lets see, the vaunted MINI gets whomped by a Mazda 3speed at the race track. So much for the twisties. Top speed, quarter mile, etc. all Mazda. Better yet, a real back seat. Why would not these magazine rate it a better car? Lets see now, for the enthusiats, the Mazda has:

1. Faster acceleration -
2. Higher top speed -
3. Faster around the race track - and just for kicks
4. More room in the car

Hmm, whats wrong with this picture?

yeah, yeah, rf tires and all that, but just remember, you switch tires on the MINI, to be fair you can do it on the Mazda.

 

I think you might need to do a little more research on your demographics. The mean and median age of MINI owners is certainly higher than that which you are inferring. I'm not discrediting your claim that there are more "younger generation" owners but it is likely this number is quite small compared to the whole population.

Some of us "younger generation" types born in the '40s, '50s, and '60s (and we are MINI owners and NAM members in huge numbers) enjoy the culture and lingo too. Maybe some want to be hip, maybe others (like me) just want to be different.

 

It leaves out the factor clearly stated in Post #24 within this thread -- not something that can be easily measured by CR.

 

MiniUSA sent our MCS a birthday greeting Monday with a follow up thankyou for our business. Never in 40 years have we received this with the purchase of a new car-including our Mazda. If this is called marketing, then they are doing better than the rest.