I will shortly be buying a new car. I'm torn between the MCS and new WRX. Before you inform me there's no comparison, I'm an autocrosser and I'm buying this car with the intention to run it in the stock classes, and next year they both run D Stock. I've test driven both cars and can live with and enjoy both as a daily driver. So my question is, why is the WRX better than the Mini? Downside for the Mini: I'm 6'4" and there's no room behind my seat, so it becomes, in effect, a three-seat car. Downside for the WRX: no adjustable shocks available. Make my mind up for me!

 

Get a WRX, much faster and more room (i'm 6'8" and the WRX felt roomy). Probably more speed and suspension parts available or soon to be available too. They say the new ('08) WRX is about as fast as a STI for a bit less money.

 

Subie:
I just sold my 06 WRX wagon. I really liked that car. It was a great daily driver, very comfortable. I the Stage1 tune from my Cobb Accessport, and it was pretty damn quick. Even though it was basically stock, it gave the feeling of invincibility. The one time I took it to the 1/4mile, the only car that overhauled me was a new C6 Vette. It was Jan 1st, so I had an unfair advantage. But as far as autoXing......mine was a pig. Maybe the new ones are better....but I doubt it. I look at that WRX commercial with Travis Pastrana understeering everywhere and smoking the tires, and that pretty much sums up how mine handled.....I never beat mine like that though. But I just could not get the car to rotate. I tried about as much as I could while keeping the car stock (tire pressures, weight, driving style), and it would just understeer everywhere.

Mini:
The front end on the Mini is just in a completely different league as far as handling. The car is pretty much going to go where you point the tires. But you have to deal with the Mini and all the.....we'll call them quirks.

What I'm basing my experience on:
Both my WRX and my Mini are/were stock. I never even did anything with the front sway bar on either car. I know the Subie had more body roll than I would have liked, so maybe that would have helped....but it also could have made the understeer worse, I dunno. I think I would investigate what the general "must do" things are for autoXing a WRX. I was just going out and having fun. Just like Mini people disconnect their front sway and all the other stuff they do to stay in the stock class.

Practicality - Even though the Mini is essentially a 2 seater, the WRX is better. More room, more seats, AWD so it's usable all year long. I'm going to miss the AWD this winter. It's an animal.

Room/comfort - WRX. I could and did drive all day in that car. Even though the seats are firm, they were comfortable. My back hurts in the Mini after driving just a couple hours.

Speed - WRX. The 260hp of the new ones is awesome. I would imagine that with adding a Cobb AP, you'd be near 300hp or so. It is a bit heavier than the old WRXs, but oh well. And you don't have to worry about the FWD drawbacks. Rev it and go.

handling - Mini, it's a go-kart and the WRX is a shopping cart full of rocks.

economy - The Mini does get great mileage, but with my WRX, I would use the economy tune on the Cobb AP and would get 29mpg on my daily commute. I never used it on the highway, so I don't know. But that's pretty damn good for a AWD turbo wagon.

I'd go for the Subie.

Don't get an 2008 though, they have the older power rating (227hp). They bumped up the power in 2009 to 260hp.

 

Thanks, guys. That's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for!

 

Suspension Goodies for 09 Subie per Grasroots Motorsports, May 09:
AST Coilovers
Progress Front and Rear Sway Bar
Vorshlag Camber Plates
Whiteline Roll Center/Bump Steer Kit

 

My local club has people who consistently PAX well in ST and SP Subarus. I've ridden along in a well sorted out ESP WRX wagon and was impressed. The conventional wisdom around here is that the car does need to be prepped to near the limits of these categories' rules in order to turn. That said, I did get beaten by a DS WRX on street tires just yesterday (GS got bumped into DS...and it was raining).

I'm envious of the cargo hauling capacity. Tires, lots of tools, an easy-up big enough to change tires under, still room for a passenger, etc.

I'm curious as to how the tire costs compare. Are you stuck with bigger, more expensive sizes in a DS WRX? I would imagine that the WRX chews up and spits out R comps at least as fast as a GS MINI. ROTA seems to cater to the Subie community, so I imagine that WRX owners have the same access to cheap, light, stock legal wheels.

 

Is this true? I know that this gets proposed every year. Has it gone through for '10?

 

True. Any class where you can add negative camber and enough damping (e.g. coilovers) and rear sway bar to negate the understeer allows the WRX to succeed. Stock class allowances don't address any of this, unfortunately.

True 'dat!

It's really what you can fit on the stock wheel size: 17 X 7 for both cars. I've heard the max you can fit on both cars is a 255 tire. Don't know about wear issues for the WRX, but I've heard that Minis go thru R comps like butter. Our local club has street tire classes, though, so both cars are pretty easy on tires.

True,

 

I drove a friend's Mini in practice this weekend, and my mind's made up. I'm getting the Mini. It was just too great!

 

Koitus, where do you live? If you get any kind of snow/ice/whatever, just wait and see what it's like in the winter. I had no idea how great the WRXs were in the winter till I owned one. It was amazing. On just regular all-seasons, I was literally unstoppable. There was one time the snow was 3 inches above the bottom of the door, so I was pretty much plowing the road, and I couldn't even tell it was that deep when I was driving it.

 

[SIZE=2]I will base on that to pick the car;
1. Do I need turnk space?
2. Do I need carry people sometimes?
3. Do I need AWD?
if all the answer is NO, then MCS is not a bad choice. I'm carzy love the handling. you can compare with subaru.
I have a subaru before, but I got MCS now. I will say both is a great car and I don't have any BIG issues when I own it.
[/SIZE]

 

[SIZE=2]I will base on that to pick the car;
1. Do I need turnk space?
2. Do I need carry people sometimes?
3. Do I need AWD?
if all the answer is NO, then MCS is not a bad choice. I'm carzy love the handling. you can't compare with subaru.
I have a subaru before, but I got MCS now. I will say both is a great car and I don't have any BIG issues when I own it.
[/SIZE]

 

I'm in sunny SoCal. Only snows when we go skiing, and that's only if we're lucky

Yeah, I've heard that the WRXs are amazing in the snow and really wet weather.

 

Well then it doesn't sound like you need AWD. The only thing left is the accelleration and quality of Subaru. Either way, you'll have fun. Both cars put a smile on my face.

 

Ok having come from an 03 wrx wagon, to an 03 mini i can give a pretty unbiased review. and both were modded.


pros of the subie are clear all wheel drive, and space, good tuning market, fun.

Pros of the mini- good tuning market, the best handling and feel, bmw made so everything feels really solid and secure. Can be plenty fast with the right mods.

How to choose? Well right now in my mini i took out the back seat, gives me a ton more space, and i rarely need to carry more than my self and a passenger and haul pretty much anything two people would ever need, and that includes going home for christmas break. I can also put the seats in in about ten minutes. The handling on the mini is second to none, and the best thing is you can make it even better with aftermarket parts. I will say that my car right now as is with the mods and no tune has taken a few wrxs, modded ones, from a 30 on up roll, and iv run pretty freakin close with the new sti with an exhaust. Once i have a tune im sure i could probably take the sti in a 30 roll drag.

The wrxs dont feel as solid as the mini, for example shifting, my old wrx never felt this good with a shortshifter. My roommate has a legacy gt with shortshifter and shifter bushings and it is finnicky and not as smooth or solid as my mini is with the short shifter.

In terms of autoxing i would take a mini over a wrx for pure handling superiority. If you live in a heavy snow area i would get the wrx because even with snowtires, which make the mini waaaay better in the snow, the all wheel drive in subies is second to none. And if you are gonnna have family or freinds ur driving all the time get the subie because the mini just wont be comfortable for passengers in the rear. Also depending on the price and whether you want new or used, and the year. I am speaking strictly for r53 supercharged minis, i know nothing about the r56.

I have test driven and raced with the new wrx so what i said still applies. The 09 wrx is hard to compete with power wise beacuse it has alot stock and with parts and tuning can hav alot more. Anytime i find myself wanting a different car its usually when im not driving the mini because the mini feels so good, stable and solid, quick, fast, fun, unique, and ohhhhh man does it make cool sounds.

good luck hope all my ranting and two page essay could help.....

 

ask me if u hav a question about either, i like to think i know quite a bit about both....

 

As I look back, get the WRX. These Minis are just too prone to having issues. They can be made to autoX well. I miss my 06 WRX.

 

There are actually tons of coilovers and adjustable shocks available for the WRX. I use a 2002 with Koni yellows for a "brisk" TSD rally series in Upstate NY and think they might be the best modification done to the car. The 2002 has ~140K on it and still runs great.
My MINI comparison is a 2009 JCW which really is another kettle of fish, quite different.
Good luck on your choice If you can only buy one I would most likely spring for the WRX

 

It really depends on what class you want to autocross. If you want to run stock, I would suggest MINI. WRX's are really brutal in stock trim, at least to most. If you want to get into ST and above, the WRX is the way to go. It responds to mods very well and there are lots of options.

I have autocrossed both in various prep levels.