ok so im not trying to compare speed here as we probably know the 2011 WRX is faster...but i want to see if anyone else here considered the WRX before getting the R56. Both are around the same price but which car do u think is more fun to drive? in terms of Feel and handling/cornering...obviously not apples to apples BUT, i did drive the WRX STI and factored it into my decision for the Mini just to make certain i wouldnt like anything else and that i made the right choice for me..

...anyone else compare the two before pulling the trigger?? discuss

 

I considered both. I liked the MINI better. For the same money as a new STI I could get a loaded MINI JCW. My insurance is lower and the enthusiast crowd is more interesting. We have a fully Cobbed Scooby FXT, so I've dabbled on that side and didn't like it nearly as much as the MINI crowd. I could have afforded a lot of different cars and kept coming back to MINI.

 

Hard to compare FWD to AWD cars but I would also agree the Cooper is far more entertaining to drive - at least on public roads. The WRX would feel heavy and softer sprung compared to a Cooper. Lets not forget how rarely you can legally make use of the WRX faster acceleration. I find on my justa Cooper at least, that I can have loads of fun on public roads because it's just so toss-able, light and small.

I am not a fan of the WRX interior and the customization possibilities from the factory and aftermarket for the MINI are important to me.

Now if you need the convenience of 4 doors or the added space of the hatch, a WRX is pretty compelling. Perhaps the WRX should be compared to a Countryman S? I have been considering a WRX hatch but I suspect a Cooper S is in my future as I really don't need anything larger.

As always choosing a car is highly personal so make sure you test drive first :-)

 

I considered both but decided on the MINI because it's more maneuverable on the track and it's a blast to drive.

The STi is nice, no doubt, and you can get a LOT more HP out of it post-modding, but there's just something about how the MINI drives.

 

Do not have much to add but the 2 other cars I considered where, going back into another VW GTI or WRX ... no doubt that when i drove the WRX it had greater acceleration and more power ... but the Mini community and the ability to make your mini cooper unique, is what really sold me. cant tell you how many cool/nice people i met out of driving a mini ... in my opinion the mini looks a lot nicer as well !! hope this helps a little lol

 

I had an 03 WRX that was fairly heavily modded. I could get all 4 tires to break loose on a take off, it was quick. I did consider another one this time around and only backed away because of the lack of an automatic option. My left knee isn't what it used to be and after driving stick for over 20 years, I'm just over it.

Obviously the MINI handles out of the box quite a bit better, however being fair the WRX is a "rally car" and as such has softer suspension. I had upgraded the suspension on mine and it handled as good or better than my MINI does. The MINI is a more unique car to be sure, but I am willing to bet based on my past experience than the Subaru is more reliable overall. If its going to be your only car and you live someplace where it snows a fair amount, I'd go for the WRX.

 

Mini11 whats the decal on the roof of your car ... feelin the PW with the black viper stripes very much !!!

 

Thanks! Thats an ancient Icelandic symbol called a vegvisir (translated means "sign post" or "guide post"). Its also called a viking or runic compass and was believed to prevent the bearer from getting lost. It seemed an appropriate roof decal for a car, and a nod to my Viking ancestors.

 

I had an STi and WRX before my MINI. I think that I like the MINI over the WRX, but the STi was MUCH better. Not to mention that I also had a LOT more support at my Subaru dealership rather than the MINI dealership. I also took a lot LESS trips to my Subaru dealership than my MINI dealership. I've already been to the MINI dealership for random stuff more times that I was at the Subaru dealership for both cars. If I had to do it all over again I would have kept the STi. The MINI is a fun car, but its not worth the headaches and the insane cost to fix them.

 

Thats really cool and original ... as we say around my way, super dope

 

I own a 2010 WRX and I absolutely love it. I wouldn't give my car up for the world (ok, maybe for an STI). However, I LOVE the Mini's, too. They have FAR more character than a Subaru will ever have, they're so much more customizable and they handle like a go cart. Cooper S definitely seems to be tighter and handle better (of course it will, it's wider and is 600 lbs lighter). The only exception here is that I'm able to gas it pretty hard through a turn and not lose traction in my WRX (thanks AWD), doing this in the Cooper S (on my test drive) resulted in a lot of front wheel spin, something I would have to get used to. A lot of people would say "when would you do this in a real world driving experience?," but I do it to get out in traffic quite a bit. WRX is much faster with 0-60 in 5 seconds (sub 5 with a clutch dump) and Mini Cooper S is 0-60 in I believe 6.5 (you all would know better than I), still very quick.

Quick edit: I should mention that the Cooper S 6speed manual transmission is a BILLION times better than the crappy transmission they threw in the WRX. I really wish they'd put the STI clutch/transmission in the WRX, I hear it's MUCH better.

Both cars have a community. The WRX community is pretty much a tuner/racer mentality, which is "ok" but it's not as warm and friendly. The Mini community seems like much more of a lifestyle and much friendlier (I'm guessing, anyway, just from reading forums and friends that own Mini's). Both have camaraderie, but the Mini community seems like much more of a close knit family. Although, I rarely have someone in a WRX not wave back to me (or not initiating a wave to me), from what I've been reading, Mini owners are hit and miss on the wave-factor.

I think you would be making a wise choice in the Mini. I love my WRX but I think I'm going to love the Mini nearly as much.

So, I found a way that I can have the best of both worlds. I've made my fiancee like them as much as I do. We're working on ordering a pepper white S from the factory for her. It'll be a long wait thanks to her "must have" of the Mini connected w/Nav. Apparently these are fairly hard to come by since the tsunami slowed shipments of the Nav system to the UK. Anyways, we're putting our deposit down tomorrow for the order and will hopefully be cruising within the next month. I'm going to have to get used to waving to Subaru's and Mini's now.

 

I have not had a chance to drive one of the new WRXs, but have driven an 04 STi and owned a 2002 WRX for several years. I loved the WRX, but had to replace all the following with urethane versions: engine mounts, shifter bushing, rack/pinion mounts, rear diff outrigger mounts, Anti-Lift Kit (replaces the rear L-arm bushing in front suspension). The brake feel was also terrible (way over-boosted) and I replaced the brake booster with a smaller version from an older RS and put larger "H-6" rear rotors on it. I also locked the rear subframe and installed a 2mm larger front anti-sway bar. After all this, it finally felt like what I believe a sports sedan should. All the squishi rubbber made it difficult to shift at higher RPM and just made it feel sloppy. On the Mini, I've replaced the front brake pads and with that one change it drives the way I believe a stock sports coupe should.

Transmission: The WRX had a 1st gear ratio that's too far away from the other ratios and definitely takes away from the driving ease and enjoyment. Second-fifth gear spacing is fine. The Mini's trans ratios all feel properly placed. Both shifters are a bit sloppy from the factory IMO. The Mini's factory LSD keeps the inside tire from spinning, but will try to pull the steering wheel to the inside of the corner which is a very strange feeling. Of course with AWD, the WRX was not without fault in this area, but was better. I would really like a lighter flywheel in both cars, but that's just personal preference.

AP computer flash: I've got the stage 1 on the Mini and had stage 2 on the WRX. Both made a very nice difference. Neither is quite as smooth as stock (idle issues on the Mini, boost fluctuation on the WRX).

Overall impressions: I really prefer driving the Mini. It definitely drives like a smaller, lighter car and is much better on gas as well. I had the WRX at the track one time and it was a blast. I have not had the Mini on a track yet, but am willing to bet the brakes are at least 30% more fade resistant in stock form. I definitely do not think the Subaru is in any way a bad car - I loved that WRX. I still prefer the Mini.

The community in Suby land is immense. NASIOC.com has some 2 million threads and over 200,000 users (50,000 considered active). Back when I was a regular surfer over there, it was a friendly community with a post for just about everything you could want to know.

-my 0.02

 

Wow, I was just getting ready to make a post. I was going to go to the Porsche dealership today. My shop does all the bodywork for the Acura dealership in town and the GM is also the GM of the Porsche dealership. Yesterday, as I was pulling out, there sat a beautiful white pearl 2011 WRX STI 4 door sedan. It was freakin’ hot.

I called up the GM and asked him how much. If it was for me, it was 32,500. After looking up some general prices, that seemed like a good idea.

I got on here this morning to ask opinions since I know a lot of the mini crowd came from the Subby side.

I thought about keeping my mini for the track (though the all wheel drive would probably be better...lol) but if I buy the WRX, there’s no need to keep the mini.

So, any other opinions? Here’s the car.










My JCW is perfect. The paint is done, the interior is completely custom, suspension and tuning.... there’s nothing else I want to do to Oscar but my wife says once the build is done, I get bored.

So do I keep Oscar or go look at the STI? The reason I’ve never bought back my supercharged C5 convertible (which was probably my favorite car) is because the mini is so fun to drive as my daily driver.

Thoughts?


Thanks,

Mark

 

Just one Mark...

Don't tell your wife that you went to the forums for a 2nd opinion...

 

i dont like the hatch version of the STI...and imo, the interior of the mini is much nicer...i love the uniqueness/quirkiness factor as well...the subrau interior is worse than hondas...i know its AWD but i dont like how it feels like im floating around on the road..i love the mini's firmess...drives like a bimmer

 

No kidding, she ******* all the time that she’s always the last to know...

I’m on my way out the door to go take a test drive...


Mark

 

A great debate... I was counciling my friend who is in the same predicament now, the price points are very similar but I do have to agree with most other posters above, the MINI takes the cake. Do not get me wrong however, the new STi is restyled and looks AMAZING.

However, the enthusiast level and camraderie is great in this MINI community. The MINI's cornering abilities are just do damn good with the wheels pushed to the extreme corners of the chasis, it just feels so damn planted! and even more so if you add the sway bars, tie bars etc... I've never experienced that in the other cars I've driven.

 

I am in a similar predicament right now. The warranty on my 2008 MCS is up in January and I am leaning towards getting a new car instead of keeping the MINI.

While I LOVE my car (only had her for almost a year now), I am finding the lack of rear doors a huge inconvenience with my 5 year old and end up taking the wife's Sorento more often that I would like, just to avoid loading and unloading the kiddo. If I had a few more years on the warranty left it might be a different story...

I am not as big of a fan of the Countryman as I wanted to be, so a Clubbie or WRX (or STI) are on my list of possibilities. I will have to spend some time in the WRX though, to see if it is as floaty as people say. I really do love the planted feel of the MINI.

BUT, the AWD, power and 4 doors on the Subaru make it pretty tempting on paper...

 

Have had over 20 wrx and sti subies as company cars and can say that I never had any issues.

If a sti is in budget go that way for the brake and gearbox upgrades compared to the wrx.

 

The WRX will be more capable out-of-the-box but the Cooper S is more fun to drive, it's a really intangible feeling. Kinda like pornography, you know it when you see it (or drive it)

 

this is mostly true, lol. coming from the NASIOC world, lol. I was hated because I had a Base, Automatic Impreza, so I was inbetween alot of cars, and their communities, and I feel that the MINI one was more suiting. I still go to Subie meets with the MINI, now in their eyes I have a more "respectable" car, lol. and also, with the Imprezas, you occasionally get waves, just like the MINI community, but I DO find alot less ricers "lining up" with me, haha! a REAL good thing. to me, even the dealership environments are more cheery and welcome. Granted, both are niche brands, you'll enjoy either way, but the build quality, performance, and handing [this makes my base Impreza feel like a complete PIG now!] I'll say, I'm glad I went with the MINI even after test driving a 2011 WRX/STi Poser

 

Mark,

I don't have a ton of experience with Subaru but I must say that your MINI is a MUCH better looking car. The reason I bought MINI over Subaru is that each MINI has a distinct personality.

E

 

Keep Oscar. We'd miss you lots if you left these forums. I've been following you for a long time!

But before I bought my mini, I did look into the WRX/STI. It's just that I commute a long distance that I chose not to go with the Subby. The gas prices would have killed me. The interior isn't as nice either (unless you were getting the STI).