im sorry way to down grade

 

I just traded my other half's 06 focus in for a 500 Sport three weeks ago. We were treated alot better than by both local Mini dealers. Than again they are the same dealer. Their sales staff reminded me of the days when I was buying Chevys and Toyotas. Totally ignored us until. So we went down the street to the Fiat dealer and drive away with a 500. Anyways a similarly optioned MCS was $8gs more. It's a nice little car for what it is. Not a premium subcompact but it's better then others in the same class. Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta, KIA Rio, and Hyundai Accent.







Halloween Blizzard weekend.

 

Those 500s are very cute cars. They look like a MINI Cooper and a VW Beeltle had a baby.

 

A little bit. lol...They look better than the 98-10 Beetle. I was going to try to hold out until the 500 Abarth made it here but my 325xi wasn't going to last that long. So I went for my 09 MCS.

 

To be fair, the 500 should be compared to the Cooper, not the Cooper S. it's still cheaper than the Cooper, of course, but more like 2-4k rather than 8k.

That said, it looks like a nice little car. I don't *dislike* the 500 itself, but it's no MINI.

 

+1
Compare an MCS to a 500 when the Abarth comes.

 

Oh I know that the 500 and MC should be compared with each other. Not 500 vs MCS. But we were considering an S. MC was with all the same options was just over $24K. The 500 Sport has Bluetooth, Sirius, aux input, sunroof, sport package (aero and 16s) retailed for $19850.

 

Yeah, I understand, it's all about personal preference. You guys would've wanted an MCS so the 500 was a LOT cheaper.

On the other hand, If the 500 were out when I was shopping for my MINI, the price difference would have been much smaller, even smaller than the $4k you mentioned. Personally, I don't even want some of that stuff that the sport adds (Sunroof, Bluetooth, Sirius), so I wouldn't bother adding it to my Cooper. My Cooper cost ~$21k exactly how I wanted it (Sport Package, MFSW, Anthracite Headliner... Pretty much it), so that's not much more than the 500 sport.

So yeah, it just depends on the specific consumer what the price gap between the two is.

 

You basically paid base price for an 2012 Cooper. What are you averaging for mpgs? The Fiat 500 is getting 38 average but with a high of 42 hwy.

 

Yeah, it was $21,xxx. It would be $22,xxx now, since the base price is $1,000 higher now... although part of that is the MFSW which is now standard but we paid for. So, the current price difference would be $2-3k above a 500 sport.

I haven't calculated avg mpg since we added the roof racks, but it was in the 37 range for the last few years. When I was really trying to see how well it would do, the OBC said ~45mph for one tank. We certainly can't complain, and a couple mpg in either direction is negligible as far as cost of ownership.

 

I test drove a 500 and I would pay extra money to get a MINI so that I don't hit my head on the roof every time I get in it. Other than my head touching the roof it was a nice car.

 

Interesting. I didn't touch the roof in the 500, and I have had that problem on most cars I have driven in the last 25+ years.

That said, I have a lot of headroom in the MINI--certainly more than in the 500 I tested!

 

I feel like I'm in a minivan when in the 500. The seats are way to high off the floor.

 

I've lost all respect for FIAT after making J LO the spokeswomen for the car.....what a way to blow a unique marketing opportunity.

 

The Twin air engine sounds remarkable to me. I wonder if it will make it to the US?

 

Did you know that they named the Fiat 500, Chrysler 300, and Chrysler 200 after their re-sale values? Look it up

 

I agree! MINI's going to have to "up" it's game!

 

Oh God, that's an ugly little car. I wouldn't pay $15,000 for it.
BTW, J-Lo is HOT....my 2 cents....

 

The Fiat community all dislike the marketing company's choice for a spokeperson. If you look up Fiat commericals in Europe George Clooney is the spokeperson. Not that he is any better than J Lo.

Fiat stated that they will not offer the TwinAir here in the states.

Hmmm...

 

@Christomapher: I want to see a new Fiat 2 cyl turbo dumped into a classic mini...
I'm a Chicago transplant-what part of the city are you in?

 

That's too bad, but maybe there'll be an opp to buy an engine down the road. I live pretty close to the Microcar museum in GA- Maybe the idea of an efficient, speedy 2 cyl engine has infected me. It would be cool to see one in a HondaN600, for example, if there were any left to be had...

 

I would love to see TwinAir 500 with 867cc half an engine make it here. I would also love to see a diesel version. Hell a diesel Mini would be really sweet.

I've been wanting to stop in at the Microcar Museum on my trips back and forth from NH and Fla but they are either closed or I'm not driving nearby. I use to live in Lithonia GA as a kid in the 80s but I don't think the museum was open then. I even want to stop in at Spartanburg for BMW's museum but they are not open on the weekends.

 

I've been thinking the samething recently. It's time for an R56 replacement to come out. Mini/BMW need to cut their lifecyles down to stay competitive. Mini is being squeezed from all angles from the Fiat 500, Scion iQ, Ford Fiesta ST, VW Up and Polo, and Mazda2 at the bottom to the Audi A1 and A2, Merc A and B classes, and Volvo C30 at the top end . Even Mini's Parent company BMW is readying new 1 and 2 series with turbo 4cyls with both FWD and RWD to the new SAV X1 which the Countryman is based on. To fill the subcompact and compact premium segments.

Fiat has the 500 Abarth in two different versions coming, A revised Punto, and a couple of other small cars in the next two years.

And on a side note the original Fiat 500 Cinquecento went into production 2 years before BMC introduced the Mini MK1 in 1959.

 

North Side. Andersonville (Clark and Foster area)... and have been living same place for about 6 years now. Ba da da da duhhh, I'm lovin' it!

I'm sure MINI will release an amazing new Cooper in 2013! They really do know what they're doing... for the most part.

 

Hey, Chris. I've been down here for 8 years but I was last living in what was called the "Near North Loop" but now is considered "West Town". Grand and Halstead-ish. Before that Wicker Park. I did live up North in Wrigleyville then Ravenswood for a little while.
*sigh*