let me say this site is great !!!! this is my first post so if the topic has been discussed before..please accept my apology.

i am looking at buying either the xa, xb or mini. i know the mini costs about 5k-6k more but price is not the problem. i haven't been able to test drive any of these cars and would like feedbacks of those who had driven them.

please please let me know since i will be in the market in the next month once i am back in the states. thanks

Well if money isn't an issue than I would get the Cooper S or Cooper S with JC Works package. Hands down an all around better car than the xA or xB.

Ya...get the Cooper S with the Works package... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

Go with the Mini Cooper, but only if you HATE your friends. I trucked 5 people 125 miles last weekend in my 5 door, roomie as all get out xB last weekend, it was like we were all in paradise!

Yeah if you're looking to haul people around, xB is the way to go. Minis are mighty small...

Well if money isn't an issue than I would get the Cooper S or Cooper S with JC Works package. Hands down an all around better car than the xA or xB.

well, i am only thinking of the regular cooper. the price is around 21k which is about 5k-6k above the xa or xb. i couldn't afford the s with the work anyway.

With destination a mini cooper starts at $17k so more like $3k more than the xB. I was also sold on the space of the xB, I'm 6'6" and my wife is 6'7", and we can each sit behind each other without our knees touching in front or back! In the mini, her legs would be hanging over my shoulders if she sat behind me. Not that I would complain about such a position! :lol:

If you actually need space, get an xB. I've heard that those back seats in the cooper are mighty small; i know a guy whose 8 year old daughter didn't have enough leg room.

With destination a mini cooper starts at $17k so more like $3k more than the xB. I was also sold on the space of the xB, I'm 6'6" and my wife is 6'7", and we can each sit behind each other without our knees touching in front or back! In the mini, her legs would be hanging over my shoulders if she sat behind me. Not that I would complain about such a position! :lol:

I don't think Mini has Pure Pricing either, and my friend that wants one was told it takes 6 months due to demand and ordering the accs. So if there's that big of a demand, what's the likelyhood that they are selling at MSRP wit little markup. I don't know but I'm guessing they are going for more than 17k in reality...

I'm 6'6" and my wife is 6'7"

your wife is taller than you are...
your wife is taller than you are...
:shock: :shock:
j/k :D

The Mini Cooper Drinks Premium fuel...both entry level and the S/C version

The Mini Cooper Drinks Premium fuel...both entry level and the S/C version

Yeah it does but I think it does get decent mileage. I was considering the cooper myself but the premium fuel kind of steered me away. Especially the way gas prices are going right now. Also the closest dealer to me was kind of far and there was those dumb markups because of demand. Oh well love my xB.

Well if money isn't an issue than I would get the Cooper S or Cooper S with JC Works package. Hands down an all around better car than the xA or xB.

well, i am only thinking of the regular cooper. the price is around 21k which is about 5k-6k above the xa or xb. i couldn't afford the s with the work anyway.
DAMM 21k for a regular cooper -- don't do it! if you want to spend that much a a cooper and not a cooper S, save your money and buy the 05 mini convertible coming out this summer (roughly same forecasted price)
http://auto.consumerguide.com/images/autoreview/lrg/04602171990004LRG.jpg
we have two minis, one a mini cooper (blk with white roof/wheels) and a cooper s (pepper white).
i have driven all three vehicles (albeit somewhat limited on the xA), and there is a difference.
perceived cachet: goes to mini
IT/IN factor: scions
interior quality: mini
value for $: scions
perceived reliability: scions
better residual value: mini
better resale value: mini
least expense to maintain: scions
least expense to customize: scions
better handling: mini
better braking: mini

you really can't go wrong with either car brand. the way i look at it, mini could be considered an upscale small car (with better materials,etc) and i would probably choose the mini purely on its driving dynamics.

Get an xB bro
If u ppl are 6 feet+ tall theres no way u would like a mini
I think the xB is better ne wayz

And xB's r more feul efficient and WAY more customizable. :D

I drove the Mini S and the xA a few hours apart....demo's over the same roads. BOTH are pretty fun to drive. The Mini S definitely runs fast and I figured I would get a lot of tickets! I wanted an auto so the Mini S was out. I also figured looking under the hood of the Mini---boy this is going to cost some $$ to repair IF anything goes wrong after the warranty period. The xA is a Toyota, say no more.

What I didn't like AT ALL is the huge $2-4K mark up and ATTITUDE of the sales people at the Cooper dealer. Boy, the Scion people were GREAT and no price mark ups! I had the money for either one....I bought the Scion and now laugh at Mini's. I like the better gas mileage also.

well, i am only thinking of the regular cooper. the price is around 21k which is about 5k-6k above the xa or xb. i couldn't afford the s with the work anyway.

Little off there. regular base cooper starts at $16,500. The cooper S starts at $19,900. Nice thing is, you get BMW build quality.

thanks for all your comments. i have to drive all three to see which one better suited me. i do have two little girls (4 and 2) so rear seat ingress/egress and leg room are a priority.

i priced mini through its website and with the limited options i wanted, the car did come out to be around $20k before taxes. the xa came out round $14k and the xb came out around $15k with options i wanted. right now, this is the closest i get to the three cars :cry: .

With destination a mini cooper starts at $17k so more like $3k more than the xB. I was also sold on the space of the xB, I'm 6'6" and my wife is 6'7", and we can each sit behind each other without our knees touching in front or back! In the mini, her legs would be hanging over my shoulders if she sat behind me. Not that I would complain about such a position! :lol:


2 things, THAT'S A HUGE GIRL!

and y would u want her legs over ur shoulders from BEHIND?

just wonderin

Jeff

Because he could turn around at stoplights?

:twisted:

With destination a mini cooper starts at $17k so more like $3k more than the xB. I was also sold on the space of the xB, I'm 6'6" and my wife is 6'7", and we can each sit behind each other without our knees touching in front or back! In the mini, her legs would be hanging over my shoulders if she sat behind me. Not that I would complain about such a position! :lol:

you two are gonna have some HUGE kids :wink:

post a pic up of your wife and you! 6 foot 7 jesus i feel small

The mini cooper is expensive and if you want the s version with the added package thats about $25,000 or more and the gas milage on a turbo car is near 22 mpg and thats not good. And if you want to have no room for people get the cooper. I want somethig cheap and dependable and has a good design also good gas milage with lots of room. The Scion XB is the answer to our prayers.

maybe i can be of assistance - i have a Cooper S and an xB. I love them both - really two different cars for two different things. FYI, the base cooper starts around 17.... i got my cooper s for 20 even. i did all the mods of the cooper works package myself separate from the dealer and spent only $1500 (installed). So for 22,500 i have a 200 hp cooper s.

my cooper s is getting 30 mpg... my xB around 32. the cooper does drink premium, but at $2.10 a gallon from premium fuel, it still only costs around 22 bucks to fill it up. the xB costs me around 18 bucks to fill up with regular. the cooper is VERY fast, handles nimbly and is a real head turner. the xB is HUGE inside, hauls a lot of people and stuff, handles like a boat and is a real head turner.

If money is no object, it would depend on the raison de'etre for the vehicle - do you do a lot of hauling of people or spirited driving? that right there pretty much answers your question. i HAVE had 4 people in my car before, but its not very comfortable and i wouldn't do that for any trip over 30 minutes.

the xB on the other hand can go across country comfortably - but get the cruise control!!!!!

-ABT-

Perhaps you should just compromise and get a tC.

Actually you are sort of comparing apples, to oranges, to a banana. It really depends on your taste.

thanks for all your comments. i have to drive all three to see which one better suited me. i do have two little girls (4 and 2) so rear seat ingress/egress and leg room are a priority.

i priced mini through its website and with the limited options i wanted, the car did come out to be around $20k before taxes. the xa came out round $14k and the xb came out around $15k with options i wanted. right now, this is the closest i get to the three cars :cry: .

i just realized - if you priced the base cooper through the website and optioned it up to $20K, yet when you priced the xB with options at $15K? methinks you might have gone a little nuts with the cooper options than with the xB options. The base cooper comes with everything you need - the "options" are really luxuries, most of which aren't even available on the xB. Again, i thought price was not an object? If you are going to make it an object, then obviously the xB wins hands down.

Cheers
-ABT-

get the xB and put some major cash ino it.... rims, system, HORSEPOWER, and so on...

I went to the mini site and priced out the cooper s and by the time I was finished it was $25,000 . Also once you add the custom wheels and everything else you can morgage your house for it. I dont think so . And you will need another car if you want to go somewhere with more than two people .The back seat is a joke.

I went to the mini site and priced out the cooper s and by the time I was finished it was $25,000 . Also once you add the custom wheels and everything else you can morgage your house for it. I dont think so . And you will need another car if you want to go somewhere with more than two people .The back seat is a joke.

:roll:

yeah, and if i go to the scion site i can price up the xB to just over 20k. The point isn't how high you can price it. The base cooper offers everything the loaded xB does and more. The stuff you priced your cooper with obviously were items not even available on the xB.

Again, apples to oranges.

I own a 2002 Cooper, and it is a blast to drive. I love it to death. Its the bomb...'nuff said. :P

I *had* been planning on selling my Cooper in a few months to get an '05 MCS with some of the options I didn't get on my Cooper... that was...until I realized how much I love the xB. :P

So now, I'm planning on getting an xB as a second car. We test drove one yesterday, and its sweet... it isn't a MINI (no offense,) but its definitely fun. And although I did fit 5 people into my MINI once, it wasn't comfortable for those in the back... now when I get the xB... no worries about that crap anymore.

get the xB and put some major cash ino it.... rims, system, HORSEPOWER, and so on...
exactly. . . :D

I was considering the Mini, but I went with the xB because its cheaper, has better mileage, uses regular fuel, can hold more stuff, roomier, more comfortable, and is alot more reliable. The mini is made in England and I read about 100 seperate reports which all said the Mini will have really bad predicted reliability, IE: much more likely to encounter some major problems down the road a few years. We will see though.

They are both really cool vehicles. We will just have to wait several years to see which of the 2 will start breaking down or falling apart first.

It was the cost of repairs on the 5 mph bump that caused me to lose interest in the Cooper. I think it might have been Edmunds.com that reported $1,500 damage from the 5 mph bump.

Other than that, if you need the space, then dittos to all that recommend the xB.

thanks for all the response. i did finally get a chance to test drive the mini, xa and xb.

the mini drove very well. the handling is very tight and cripse. the down side was the back seats were too small for even my 3 years old giri. her feet kept kicking the back of the front seat. plus with the image of the top of the car and head restraint blocking most of the inside rear view mirror. plus i would have to wait 10-12 weeks to get the car. the used ones on the lot cost the same as the new ones!!!!

i then test drove the xa and the front legroom and headroom is very similar to the mini's except there was a little more legroom in back for my daughters. the ride was very good but not as precise as the mini. i would have taken the xa over the mini if these were the only choices.

i then sat in the xb and wow, the room was incredibly large for such a small package. the rear legroom was unbelievably roomy. the ride was very good for such a boxy piece of machinary. plus the $15,000 price tag was hard to ignore. other cars with that price tags would belong to korean cars (which i wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole regardless of the 10 years warranty..sorry if i offended some korean cars lovers out there) and chevy aveo (a korean clone).

needless to say, i bought one off the lot !!!!!!!!!!!!! with extra money to spend on wheel package and other goodies. thanks everyone who has responded to my plea. happy motoring!

Congrats, another happy xB owner.

thanks for all the response. i did finally get a chance to test drive the mini, xa and xb.

the mini drove very well. the handling is very tight and cripse. the down side was the back seats were too small for even my 3 years old giri. her feet kept kicking the back of the front seat. plus with the image of the top of the car and head restraint blocking most of the inside rear view mirror. plus i would have to wait 10-12 weeks to get the car. the used ones on the lot cost the same as the new ones!!!!

i then test drove the xa and the front legroom and headroom is very similar to the mini's except there was a little more legroom in back for my daughters. the ride was very good but not as precise as the mini. i would have taken the xa over the mini if these were the only choices.

i then sat in the xb and wow, the room was incredibly large for such a small package. the rear legroom was unbelievably roomy. the ride was very good for such a boxy piece of machinary. plus the $15,000 price tag was hard to ignore. other cars with that price tags would belong to korean cars (which i wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole regardless of the 10 years warranty..sorry if i offended some korean cars lovers out there) and chevy aveo (a korean clone).

needless to say, i bought one off the lot !!!!!!!!!!!!! with extra money to spend on wheel package and other goodies. thanks everyone who has responded to my plea. happy motoring!

Congrat! xB is the greatest econ family car in all aspects, absolutely!

let me say this site is great !!!! this is my first post so if the topic has been discussed before..please accept my apology.

i am looking at buying either the xa, xb or mini. i know the mini costs about 5k-6k more but price is not the problem. i haven't been able to test drive any of these cars and would like feedbacks of those who had driven them.

please please let me know since i will be in the market in the next month once i am back in the states. thanks


my husband and i have had our mini over 1 year and love it. :D they are quick, adorable and great on fuel.
but, not alot of space to haul things around.

we will be purchasing an xb as soon as our second car lease it up in a few months. test driving the xb we found doesn't have alot of power (that can be modified :) ), but is spacious and is available at a great price. :D :D

good luck

I have a 2003 MINI Cooper S with some mods. Most fun car I've ever had - and a pretty good car too. I'm a big MINI fan.

And I'm picking up an xB next week. Keeping the MINI.

Both are great, but for different reasons. The xB is fun, odd enought to be cool, and useful for kid transportation.

Interestingly, I'm the xB is a replacement for my Mercedes. The Mercedes is just too boring. And I can buy both the MINI and the xB for the Mercedes price and have a lot left over.

If I could only own one, it would be the MINI.

if I were you, I would get the Mini Cooper S - my sister has one and it's the most fun car I've ever driven. if someone offered me a 6 speed cooper S for my tC, I would do it in a second. I'm 23, I don't need space, I'd be alllll over that shizzzzle. good look on your decision dude

stoooooooop

I have no idea why you dug up such an old post, but....

the cooper does drink premium, but at $2.10 a gallon from premium fuel, it still only costs around 22 bucks to fill it up.

I bet the guy is happy he didn't opt for the Cooper these days. ;)

Yea, this is a really old Post.

However, I still think the Mini Cooper is a way cooler car than an xA or an xB. They cost more to buy, cost more to drive (less mpg and premium fuel), and likely cost more to maintain. They also don't have as much room.

However, I think they are a better car from a fun to drive, fun to look at, and cool factor.

It depends on what you are looking for as to what car to get.

I heard the new Mini S gets 40 MPG, which is better than my xA and faster, and nicer looking....and its ultra low emissions... when is Toyota going to come out with a real sport compact?