I currently own an 02' Civic DX, love the reliability and the economy. I use the Civic in H-stock autocross and have been happy with the results so far. But I dream of the day when I can take my MINI to the track. I've owned many cars over the years and Honda's were always a part of my transportation needs but the passion just isn't there for this car. I know to have a love affair with a depreciating item is crazy, but I've waited 5 years to get my MINI and I'll keep waiting until I can get one. I looked at trading my Civic for a new one but I hate the dash layout and the styling just doesn't do it for me. I agree that Honda has to go back to basics and produce cars like the CRX. So for me there is no question, a MINI is the only way to go.
Now if only the Canadian dollar was reflected in the Automotive pricing, all would be good.

 

Sounds nice. I have the rain sensing wipers and they work quite well. Especially in late '07 MINI's which allow you to adjust the sensitivity of them to 1 of 4 levels. I've never had to override them for either lack of proper visibility or 'over-wiping'.

Have you checked out the center armrest in person? I ask because many owners who got it as part of the convenience package absolutely loathe it. Some have even gone so far as to remove it. I don't have it and haven't missed it at all. Although I have an auto trans so I know that comes into play.

Also depending on your exterior/interior you may want to consider the white turn signals and anthracite headliner. Yes they're ridiculously over-priced and should actually be free, but many an owner has regretted not speccing those as well. What exterior/interior combo are you thinking of anyway?

Best of luck on your decision. Of course I'm biased and will say to go for the MINI, but I do understand your wanting to make the best decision, especially given price. I didn't look at the SI but did cross-shop my MINI with the GTI and MS3. In that group the MCS was pretty much a no-brainer though.

 

You can't compare a regular Civic to the Civic Si...the Si is completely different. I for one like the new Si or obviously I wouldn't have started this thread about being undecided between it and the MCS. I never cared much for the styling of the old school hondas so can't say I know what you guys are talking about. If you haven't driven a new Si, then don't tell me it is boring and crap or the suspension sucks compared to the MCS. if you own an 06'-'08 Si or you've driven one a few times then it's a different story. Seriously, I've test driven the Si three times and if it wasn't fun like the MCS I wouldn't be on the fence.

 

Yeah, I understand your dilemma. I was in a similar situation as you, its hard to deny that the Si is fun to drive. I still miss the K20 I had in the RSX. Mini cant compete with the high revving fun. Also the 6 speed beats the Mini in feel, but from my experiences with the RSX and what ive heard the getrag in the MINI is less likely to have issues. My RSX would toss it out of third gear randomly once it started hitting ~40k miles. That was another factor for me jumping off the honda boat. It wasn't a problem they were particularly willing to fix before the warranty was up. Not like the MINI wont have its fair share of problems, but that one was pretty annoying. If your not into auto crossing I would think the Si would be a great car. People have had success auto crossing the Si's just the MINI is way more fun and drivable there. Really up to you and depending on your situation. MINIs got lots of torque and better handling. Si has a more fun engine and still a decent suspension, and hopefully better reliability. One thing you might want to consideration is the insurance rates. The MINI has got some of the lowest rates for its performance and the Si's is driven up by idiot kids that are mature enough to have 200 hp.

 

The Honda interior is very econocar. Go with the MCS.

 

I work at a Honda dealership and I drive a MINI. Enough said right there.

Despite my getting huge discounts on cars (which I actually almost bought an SI... SO GLAD I DIDN'T), I bought my MCS.

I drove an SI again the other day... ehh... no torque. No power, just high RPM's.

I'm a converted Honda guy (last car was an Accord), and the MINI is DEFINITELY the way to go.

 

the new si's have the k20 powerplant, and like everyone says... its got no torque... but the engine responds extremely well to the aftermarket. Having owned several hondas, and test driven the new civic numerous times, v-tec is awesome, but it takes its toll on mpg. the mini offers power the WHOLE FRIGGEN TIME! and it gets better mpg... $3k more? well if you think about it, BMW does kinda own MINI.. so they arent tacking on 3k more for nothing. the civic has more space, which may be what you need, but the mcs is way more fun to drive.

 

Ha! I used to sell Hondas too.

They used to actually teach us how to act surprised when customers asked us about well-known Honda problems. The had us practice raising our eyebrows and saying, "really? That's the first time I've heard that..."

BTW, Mini dealers do the same thing. But at least the car doesn't look like a doorstop.

 

Hmm...I went to a dealership to try the Solstice...thought I will drive a GTO when I was there. That is the reason why I did not write anything about the car. I know its different but just included it as I drove it the same day

 

You might want to reconsider the arm rest, many have said that they wish they didn't order it. How about adding Xenon? That is one of the reasons I wanted a MINI, the Si didn't come with it and I had to send the headlamps to an aftermarket to have them converted, it would have cost me twice as much as the $550 MINI charges, and the MINI's lights are Bi-Xenon, meaning the low and high beams are Xenon.

 

amen! I'm 19. I love these cars and tuning and such. I ALMOST went for a new Civic Si.... but after having an 05 Coop and now an 07 S, there's no way I'd get AS MUCH enjoyment from anything else.
Unique. Fast, HOT, and turbo charged :p
- I love having something that not a whole lot of people drive, and things just wouldn't be the same in a Civic Si. They're great too.

-If numbers numbers numbers are what you're going for, the Si seems to have a bit more, but so what ? I've learned my lesson already about striiiiving after getting better hp/lb.ft. and squeezing every inch of power out - __ The BEST money spent, if you're into driving, is at the track ... And in my opinion, there's nothing like a 356-legend-like "Giant Killer" ... like a MINI .

 

I added it to my order think that if I hate it, it would be easy to remove.

 

Wow, odd. I actually ordered the center armrest after purchasing my MINI and put it in myself. Individuality at its best!

 

Well, my 25 year old stepson has an 06 Civic (not an Si), but still the same, I have spent much time driving his car and my wife's 07 MC. While his has Sat/Nav, which sold my wife on getting it in her MC, it's just another car. As other's have said in this thread, the MC is customizable, while the only options on the Si is with or w/o sat/nav and with or w/o all season tires. Anything else is aftermarket.

Stepson's car is silver, just like every third Civic.

If you ask me, this is a no brainer.

And, by the way, my stepson lives at home with his parents .

 

My wife has a Mazda 3 and once you choose a body, color, and the engine/trans there were like 3 options. There were no wheel options at all! And the Japanese interiors are pretty much all the same, a black plastic dash/console unit the size of a grand piano. I bet Honda's no different, a handful of options, same interior in every car. The interior of the Mini and the options sold me, not to speak of the performance. It's a gas to drive, cheap to drive, best resale numbers. I'm sure the Honda is fun too, but I looks pretty much like a badged up Civic to the naked eye (because that's what it is).

 

I am glad to hear it is fun. I hope Honda is getting some of that spirit back in their builds. I think the take home point is: it's still a Civic. When I look at it, it just isn't enough of its "own" car. 2 fewer doors and a red SI badge doesn't cut it. Take a look at all of its brothers & sisters. They all pretty much look the some, especially from the front. It looks like the hybrid for cryin' out loud.

This is the Honda I see abroad & is one I would entertain putting up there on the list. The tail looks fantastic and even better in person. From the side, you can't even tell it has 4 doors. The rear 2 are completely blended into the body design. Clever. However, if the smug Honda rep is any indication, it won't be coming here.

 

There's no denying the fact that the Si looks very similar to the other civics and the interior is comparable to them as well. People not familiar with the Si would probably think it was just a regular Civic. However the Si drives very differently so if you've driven a regular Civic (like so many of you have posted), it is not the same as having driven an Si. IMO, the Si is a lot more fun to drive than ur EX, LX variety. I had a lot of fun in it hitting VTEC on the highway. Yes torgue is lacking on the low end, but you hit 4000 rpms so fast that you don't notice it that much.

If I did get the SI one, it wouldn't be for the interior or unique styling, because you're right...there's nothing too unique or awesome about those aspects of it, especially when compared to a Mini. The whole reason for getting an SI was that it was a lot of fun to drive, I liked the styling, I liked that it was rare, the honda reliability, the exterior styling of it and lastly and least of all, the price diff.

My main concern with the Mini is reliability. Also, probably like most of you there's the backseat space and trunk space issue, but I don't generally carry backseat passengers or cargo that often.

 

Seems you made up your mind already.

I drove a 1998 Prelude with the VTEC 195HP 2.2 liter engine. It was fast, but you had to rev it high in order to get power, and when you did that, you had your pedal to the floor, don't know if that was very fuel efficient. With the MINI, you get good power, at lower revs, and I don't need to stomp the gas pedal.

For the price difference I went with the MINI, I was also looking at the Civic Si. More unique looking and the Chick Magnet is a big plus.

 

the civic si really isn't a car to be casually dismissed. it may not look much, the insides may feel a bit plasticky, and it may have that import tuner feel to it, but it's a screamer of a car. i've always respected honda's vtec's, especially in the high performance engines. they are bulletproof and behaves a bit like turbo's, and aside from the rotary engine nothing is perhaps as fun to rev. it's an involving car to drive, not your lazy sporty car. for the money they're pretty good values (LSD standard!) and they are just as fun and good dynamically as the mcs. our civic si is actually somewhat similar to the japanese civic type r (and that's good); the european civic looks great but ours (and the japanese one) actually has better suspension design. civic's are more practical, too. performance-wise they are equal alternatives to the mcs, i don't think it's comparing apples to oranges...as long as you're evaluating them as pocket rockets. as fashion accessories, no the civic isn't nearly the same as mini's. but i like my car 'cuz it's a hoot to drive, not 'cuz it's cute and fashionable

the si will be more reliable for sure; you will get some weird little things w/ the mini just 'cuz it's european and assembled in the uk. but you have a 5-year warranty to cover that. and honestly modern euro cars are not like them in the 80s; chances are you won't get one full of glitches and breakdowns. if you do it's a lemon and you can take it back. imho the civic si and the gti are the closest and best alternatives to the mcs on the market. if i had $$ and had to choose one, it'd be heard (...but i'd run to an r53 jcw mcs =P)

i think either way you'll love the car you get and have a lot of fun. but think of it this way...in 30 years we're all gonna look back and think about all the cool and fun cars in the '00s. and it just seems more fun to think and say "i had a mini cooper s back then when they were all the rage"

 

For me honda's are just too "beige"; they blend with everything. I want something that's fun to drive and has a personality. A Honda is a "safe" car to purchase, this is why they're all over the place. Sure they're high quality, but it's like saying, "I like Michael Jordan", everybody does, so what...

If you aven't already, Check this out.

ps. My car arrives some time next week... can't wait.

 

The Si is much more fun than the EX or LX.

Honestly, I work in the service department at a Honda dealer, and we have tons of quirks and odd things with Honda's, whether it has 3,000 miles or 300,000.

The whole Japanese tuner scene isn't what it used to be... now it's full of people who don't love cars- they love the image and the look. It's a joke.

You couldn't take an EVO or a Subaru with an Si (Not that you necessarily could in a MINI... unless possibly through turns!)... and quite frankly you get into the same old immature body kit/lambo doors/neon crap that plagued the market after The Fast and the Furious. Cooper's have, IMO, a much more mature tuning style.

Speaking of lifespan, not sure how long a Cooper will last. Nearly every day we have a Honda in with over 250,000 miles- and they run like a top. That's the only downside I could see with a Cooper. Even then, if you do an Si, you will have to keep up with service. If done at my dealership, one of the reasonably frequent services runs about $150.

Like I said before- I work at Honda, I drive a MINI.

 

Passengers really aren't that bad at least compared to my RSX and 02 civic. You loose a bit of leg room in the MINI (not too bad in a good position). You gain a decent amount of head room. Id have to say being 6 foot, the head room is better. As for the trunk space civic definitely has it beat. Really a pain cause I like to ski and don't want to get the rood rack. For reliability, im not sure who to trust anymore, I wasnt impressed with my RSX reliability and from the rumors i've heard they haven't bothered to fix much of the problems since. The MINI still seats 4 okay and with the disgusting growth of the civic platform thats kind of sad.

 

When I was car shopping, I wanted to look at a Civic Si, but the dealer didn't have one. He said he'd call when he got one, but he never did.

In the end I thought, if I don't get the MSC, I'll always wonder what it would have been like to own one. I never thought if I don't get the Civic Si, I'll always wonder what it would have been like to own one.

That probably doesn't help you much, but I just thought I'd throw it in with all the other posts

 

Very valid point. I've never wondered what it be like to own a GTI or MS3 (two primary cars I cross-shopped my MCS with), but I know for a fact I'd have looked back on the MCS with regret had I not purchased it.

 

They flip over...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=AHL6PzNtm48