TeamMightyMiniz

The Debate

MINI Cooper vs Scion tC

The Synopsis.

MINI Owner is deciding between MINI COOPER and SCION tC for his son.
His son - tC
Him - MC

Enjoy that debate.


My opinion is this, being that I owned a MINI and own a tC...

For reliability, safety, power, longevity, looks, styling, aftermarket potential.... tC
For Race Tracks, AutoX, Mountain driving.... the MINI. The MINI lacks the reliability, costs more to fix a minor problem and the aftermarket is wildly overpriced.

The tC is great for accumulating the miles with no ill effects.
The MINI is great for spirited twists and switchback driving, long roadtrips can become droning in the MINI.

The tC has - 2.4 VVTi
The MINI - 1.6

The MINI COOPER S - Supercharged has 164 hp - thanks to the SC
The MINI has 115hp - natural
The MCS has been trying to TWIN CHARGE for a long time now... with multiple failures and mishaps. 400hp on a dyno WITH Black nozzle shot of Juice ... on a dyno.
The tC - 164 natural 200+ SC up to 600 hp Turbo

And keep in mind... I'm switching back over to a MCS soon. <--- For more than obvious reasons. Anyone wanna buy my tC?

The tC is a spectacular car. I will never dispute that.

Chombi

I used to really like the Mini and actually considered it before the tC appeared on the market. What happened though is, I think Scion is definitely showing everyone that the Mini is so overpriced for what it is. It also does not help that it has not been very reliable even years after it's introduction. I also think that such a "sporting" car should have more cubes under it's hood for more power potential. A 2 litre, at least.
I think the Mini might eventually fade into the background as the new VW Beetle did after a few years. The cuteness factor is wearing out already. JMO!

Chombi

lowrightor

If the son wants the tC over the Mini, who is the Dad to object? I know he's paying for it but his son is actually picking the more practical, reliable car of the two. Does he want his son in a lighter, better handling, smaller car that is less reliable because HE drives one? Plus, if the son is against the Mini because of it's too-cute styling (speculation), why would you slam your kid into a car that he's embarassed to drive?

I respect the Mini S and like the idea of driving a street legal go-kart but if I drove one and was buying my kid a car, I would not put up much of a fight if he wanted a tC over the Mini.

Killa

I have a friend that's a technician at a BMW/Mini dealership... he tells me the Mini's start falling apart at around 20k miles.... where as I work at a Toyota/Scion dealership.... and aside from idiot owner abuse, I expect the tC to far outlast any Mini.

defbrett

Slap on some sway bars, springs, etc... and a tC is just as ready for AutoCrossing. I mean seriously you spend maybe 2-3 thousand on mods and your tC is AutoCross ready.
You could spend 2-3 thousand on a panoramic roof, HIDs and bigger wheels when you buy a MINI. No matter what you put the kid in he's still gonna do bad things :o

VoLktc

not much can touch a mini(S that is) in autocross. stupidly light and good power make for a 160hp go kart

Sparta

i considered the tc, 2005 mustang, the mini, the tiburon, the civic, the sentra 1.8, the solara, the camry, the matrix, the altima, the acura rsx, the mazda 3.............. and nothing comes close to the tc when it comes to value for your money, hands down.

AtC2nv

Granted the Mini is a nice car, but the tC is way more practial...i mean have you ever sat in the back of a Mini for a trip that lasted more then an hour?? i bet you'll forget you have feet...way too cramped. Besides the Mini has no aggresive look to it...its all cutesy like. Personally id rather like to pull up in a tC causes lets face it...the tC is sexy!!! ...You do not want to pull up in a lil Mini and have the jawns laugh at you. The tC is wayyyyy better. its got great looks, easy to modify, its cheaper, it has tons of standard including the roof, and its more practical. Also Minis dont look too safe....too small and light..good for a few laps around the track...but not safe. tC all the way

Sparta

just let them buy another car and then later realize they made a mistake, enough said.

GT4Dreams

the tC cuz you don't go autocrossing everyday

05-RS1

a tc! it would be a lot more practical if you got your son the tC because its gonna be his first car. its great in all the reasons, bigger, more reliable, cheap, and cheap to mod.

hatchbox

My ex-gf owns a Mini Cooper and I have to say that the novelty wears off very quickly with that car. It stores nothing because of its size, feels like a sub-compact (because it is), and doesn't even come close to what our tCs have to offer as standard equipment...

plus she paid 20K for it...The tC just does so much more, I've hauled 3 boxes of unassembled desks from Ikea from last week, I'm still amazed at how versatile it is.

Killa

Light? I don't know what Mini you're looking at.. but the current model Mini's are heavy pigs... only 300lbs lighter than the tC

teksno

well... im gonna have to say yhe tc... for every reason listed above me...

does the dad read consumer reports at all?

20vTurbo

Easy you said it already.. if dad says I am getting you this... then that is what you are getting. Unless the kid is paying for some portion of it, he has no damn opinion in the matter cause bottom line, his pops his dishing out the cash for his butt. If I was the kid I would not be mad with either selection. He either can drive it or have no car at all. Kids now a days are too damn spoiled, I swear.

Stock for Stock the MCS is more fun to drive, and always has been one hell of an adult go-kart. We all know the cons, and for that the tC is the best bang for the buck. Although styling is purely subjective the car the MCS is going to be more fun to drive and is quicker than a tC.

ack154

iTrader: (7)

I don't know about that. There is a Cooper S that goes to the regional autoX events around here and he wipes the floor with just about everyone. Often will have fastest time of the day. And we're talking about 30-40 cars and some are quite nice. The tC is kind of a pig for autoX - compared to the mini anyways. It's still fun though.

surfcity40

the new mini is a chick car. nimble and spirited, but still a chick car....jmo

fromos

Honestly I never even considered the Mini-Cooper. It just looks like a ___ man's car to me, at least it does with the newest style. It doesn't even really look like a chick car, it looks just plain fruity. You could put a big rainbow bumper sticker on and nobody would even blink because it would actually accentuate the car instead of detract from it. Sorry to anybody who has one that isn't ___, just one man's opinion and I'm not even homophobic or anything. I just thought I'd point it out. I really couldn't think of a car that would make more of a ___ statement than the mini, not that I have a problem with gays or anything I just wouldn't want to give the wrong impression of myself by driving one.

edit: as soon as I posted this I thought I'd back it up a little in case anyone with a Mini-Cooper gets defensive about it. Here are some links to some Mini-Cooper forums debating the same issue, they were not hard to find:
http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88888
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com...ad.php?t=42062
http://forums1.roadfly.com/mini/foru...4481232-1.html
and while I realize the Tc has a slightly chick-car persona to it as well (depending much on the color), you aren't likely to be confused for or teased about being something you're not in the Tc

TeamMightyMiniz

I will beg to differ with fromos "___ car" issues.

He obviously hasn't seen a modified mini.
I owned both MINI and tC, and would say by far.. the tC has a dulled edge to it simply due to demographic styling, small wheel wells and typical import shape. tC = girlish car... much like the last gen stock 240sx... *in it's first years of release* Prior to the "hipness" of owning one today.

surfcity40

in order, the cars that make a ____er statement than a mini, if a guy drives them;

vw cabrio
vw bug
vw jetta
audi TT
convertible bmw 3 series (m3 excluded)
jeep wrangler
jeep liberty
hummer h3....
mini.

jmo