Have a question for those who had to make the same decision between the GTI vs MCS.
I'm trying to decide between the 09 Cooper S manual & 09/10 VW GTI manual. Daily driving mostly on the highway. I'm not in to engine/performance mods. I do go to track 6-10 times a year with track tires/pads.
I've driven both at dealers several times & here is what I felt:

GTI
- much easier for me to drive
- more room in the front & back
- more speed/HP & very snappy
- nicer interior
- nice smooth sports suspension/ride
- gearbox/clutch was much easier to use to switch gears. Almost effortless.
- price is lower since I'm looking for a minimal option car & all the new 09 MCS cars I find are loaded & in the high 20's. Plus, MINI dealers add a mark-up on top.
- resale value is not very good


Cooper S
- smaller seats
- harsher ride w/sports package
- engine was loud with all windows closed
- engine took so much effort to go fast. Specially on a freeway ramp
- free maintenance
- high resale value
- looks keewl!
- great for track
- better gas mileage
- For the high 20's/low 30's price of a MCS, I could easily get a German 4-door sedan at very low 30's.

I really like to love the MINI & get one. I have a couple friends who have the MCS & love them & tell me I should get it.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

What was the question?

 

Sounds like you favor the GTI. You gotta go with your first impressions on a new car IMO. Don't look here for many to root for the GTI either. The 2 cars are looked at by a lot of buyers for obvious reasons and we ended up here for a reason. Gas mileage used to be a prime complaint of GTI people, I don't know about new ones. The sport package doesn't affect the ride, it's only slightly thicker sway bars (a waste IMO). I'll stop there, but you'll get plenty of opinions to follow I bet!

 

I did not have to make the choice you are making, my MINI fell into my lap and I am thankful it did. It is obvious you like the GTI more so go for it! It is your money.

It kinda makes me laugh when people ask people in a mini forum what car they would choose over a mini. Lol. Mini or GTI for me....well, a mini. Mini or a Porsche, well.........

 

you money Pal .

 

my best friend has a GTI MkV and it is an awesome car. saying that, my MCS has no problem keeping up with it (and it's REVO chipped). The interior is as nice in the MCS if not nicer than the GTI.

I'd say get what you want, both are great cars. For that money though, you may want to consider a Mazdaspeed3. Great car too.

 

You might want to wait for the Golf R.

 

I've owned both. Surprisingly, the GTI actually had a fair number of rattles and small quality issues (I had an 06 MKV.) Now I have my 08 MCS. Both are great cars, I just never felt like I connected with my GTI and after a year of owernship I sold it. (I had H&R coilovers, 18' TSW Volcanos, a cat-back, FMIC, and a REVO program.) With the Mini, it''s a less-refined drive and not quite as casual a daily driver but I find it far more engaging to drive. I think you'll find both cars are quite capable on the track and are about as quick as each other on the street. If you REALLY need the practicality, go for the GTI. If you don't mind the quirks and a little less space, the Mini is a VERY rewarding car.

 

Seems a odd question to ask on a MINI forum..........

 

I've got an R32, but I've driven many MK V 6-Speeds... Here's my poorly formatted comments:

GTI
"much easier for me to drive"
I agree, it is easier to drive, but it's less engaging, depends what you want. You could always add some coilovers and it'll be fantastic.
"nicer interior"
Yes it is nicer to me too, but mine is a rattle trap.
"nice smooth sports suspension/ride"
Massive body roll in comparison and doesn't feel nearly as stable cornering at high speeds to me.
"gearbox/clutch was much easier to use to switch gears. Almost effortless."
It is pretty nice and way nicer than the MK IV's, but I prefer the heavier clutch and more direct engagement the MINI has.
"price is lower since I'm looking for a minimal option car & all the new 09 MCS cars I find are loaded & in the high 20's. Plus, MINI dealers add a mark-up on top."
"GTI is amazing value in base form."
I hate the current option packages though. I like the al la carte system MINI has.

Cooper S
"harsher ride w/sports package"
It's also the runflats, with no runflats it's night and day. Still harsher than a GTI though.
"engine took so much effort to go fast. Specially on a freeway ramp"
It's not that much slower than a GTI in stock form. You have the sport button on?
"free maintenance"
'09+ VW's all do.
"For the high 20's/low 30's price of a MCS, I could easily get a German 4-door sedan at very low 30's."
Personal preference.

 

GTI is a great car (I almost brought one). But it doesn't feel as FUN TO DRIVE as a MCS.

+ I had a little race down hill (10+ mins, very challenging mountain road) against a MOD GTI MKV. That car is fast in straight line, but as soon as we hit the next sequence of corners My stock MCS can pull a considerable gap without trying hard (I can see that GTI couldn't keep up and end up running wide almost every 2-3 corners).

 

If you are worried about the price on the MCS, custom order it with what you want. They start in the low 20's, and don't really need anything extra. The MCS handling/feel is MUCH better than the GTI. Gas mileage on the 2nd gen MCS is pretty damn impressive! I do like the interior better overall on the GTI, but it doesn't have as much personality.

Now, if ride quality and room are important, then go for the GTI. In those respects, yes it better, just not funner.

 

I have also had both. My GTI had it's fair share of rattles and the styling was less than inspiring. It did handle well and the potential to mod was almost endless (hard on my marriage). We bought our Mini for about $25K and got 2.9% for 48 months on a ballon. I would NOT pay above sticker for any car. So far I really like the Mini a lot.

 

I just sold my MKV GTI for a 2007 MCS...and the reason being: much more fun to drive. The GTI is awesome, don't get me wrong, but its heavy and does not have that "fun factor" that the mini has.

Also...resale value is a big difference. MKV prices are falling quickly. Think about it, you could get a MKIV GTI a year after the MKV came out for like $10k. I worked at a VW dealer and watch the prices...its dropping significantly.

But, you wont regret either...both are awesome and I already expect my next car to be an R32...front wheel drive is the down fall of either car.

Enjoy picking

 

Heh, want to buy my R? 15 mpg city is the only big downside

 

Having cancelled my $1,000 deposit on a 2002 MCs and gone through several VWs since, the GTI and the R32 are dead even on acceleration, handling goes marginally to the R32, and for gas mileage is the GTI. The MKVI GTI is basically the same as the MKV with a little lipstick. They decontented the car and gave it a Rabbit frontend. The R32 is leased and need a change from solid but uninspiring VWs. I will continue to watch an learn while the lease runs down. Considering the cost of a well equipped GTI or R20 - the same money gets a lot of MCS excitement. I have yet to meet a MINI owner that didn't have a smile on their face and joy in their driving.

 

Really...the GTI chipped is pushing close if not over 250 hp isn't it? Unless you were on a tight road, which you def would have an advantage.


I am in the same position as the OP. I have a 08 Civic Si currently. Im looking to trade it in due to grinding in 2nd gear realllly bad in the winter, and notchy on summer days. It's becoming a common issue and Honda wont fix it. So Im looking in the the Mini Cooper S or Clubman S, orrrr the GTI.


BTW...I test drove the mini and it was alot easier to drive (clutch, transmission engagement) than my Si which I had for 14,000 miles brand new. Weird....I'll take Vtec over turbo, but the steering and driving feel was amzing....way better than my Si.
The only thing holding me back in the interior of the Mini seemed cheap ( like easily scratched, correct me if Im wrong), I'm paying same/more for less space, and less power. Please offer me and the OP some opinions. How is the Mini in the snow? I live in Philadelphia which sees some bad snow storms once in a while. But it def snows in the winter.

 

The R32 is at least .5 sec quicker 0-60 than a stock GTI with DSG by official numbers (6.2 vs 6.9 I think?). I don't know what the GTI does unofficially, I know it's closer to 6 and the R32's typically run closer to 5.5.

 

A couple of weeks ago I test drove a 370z and GTI. The 370z was awesome! The GTI seemed like something a mom would drive, no offense to moms...

 

Thank you all for your responses & feedback. I really appreciate it.

I only got very short test drives on the MINI & couldn't drive it around any corners. So I missed one of the best features. I didn't have the Sport button on. The roads were rough. Yep, the RFT makes it even rougher.
So I didn't REALLY get to experience the MINI.
I don't need the backseats. I think the MINI trunk space with seats down is pretty good.

Besides the highway driving, I really want a driver's car to take it on the back road twisties on weekends & track & I think the MINI is the better choice.

Yes, the GTI felt disconnected compared to the MINI. Thanks for telling me about the GTI rattles. I hate rattles & they're more annoying than mechanical problems since they happen when you drive the car & not when you take it to the dealer to fix the rattles.
GTI's resale value is pretty bad. 09 GTI price is going to drop a lot since 2010 is out with a new body style. All 09's are almost gone & very low inventory for 2010 for a few months. I found out that unlike MINI, the VW free maintenance does not include wear & tear items like brake pads, clutch, wiper blades, bulbs, etc.....only covers oil changes & checks. kind of useless.


Thanks again! You've convinced me to consider the MINI.

 

mini doesn't cover clutches, btw. Im in a similar boat. I put a deposit down on a clubman s. It's actually on the boat right now. BUT, i really like the jetta sportwagan tdi. I don't like the crappy optioning though... no sport anything(golf tdi gets sport suspenders and seats).

 

VAG products (minus Bentley and Bugatti) = completely, totally uninspiring.

Go with the MINI!

 

Say what?? Certainly not with a JCW kit....

 

That;s weird, I felt the engine was easy to get fast. With max torque at just above 1500 rpm. that's pretty good. My civic Si's max torque is at like 6500 rpm, and its only 139lbft.

 

I appreciate thevelourfog's 0-60 times for MKVs GTI and R32. The problem with the R32's 250+ HP is the weight of the four wheel drive. With only a .5 second advantage and having owned both, I didn't percieve a difference. Heck, my watch only does seconds, minutes, and hours. half seconds are too hard to count. Seriously, there is more to enthusiast driving than how fast your ride gets to 60 - rather it is how much you enjoy getting where you are going. I have owned many many VWs and have come to a point where the thought of one more is too boring to imagine. I have started planning for a 2011 MCS and will continue to stand on the sidelines and wait my turn. Have great weekends!