I test drove a Mini Cooper last month and am waiting to test drive the xA. I live in Ohio and the Scions aren't available at my local Toyota dealership yet.

Have any of you driven a Mini Cooper? I like how the Mini feels on the road (how it handles around turns, how it accelerates, and how how shifting the manual transmission feels). Unfortunately, I don't like how the Mini looks and I don't like how much it costs. I really like the looks of the xA and it has a lot of nice options and available accessories, but I'm wondering how it feels around corners and how it shifts.

So, can any of you tell me how the xA compares (in terms of "feel") to the standard Mini Cooper (not the supercharged version)?

I realize this is a little subjective and I won't really know until I can test drive the xA for myself, but the curiosity is driving me crazy.

 

The xa has more power per pound by a little, but the handling of the mini is far superior.

Much lower center of gravity, much much better rear suspension. The minis have dominated their autocross class.

 

$$$$

 

Check out the Xb I have one and I even had people ask me if it's a BMW before . I lowered mine a little and it drives like it's on rails! try one you will like them.

 

you can get them new for $17.5 if you stay away from the options.


thats not that bad.

 

Yes, that's a good price. But what's the point of buying a higher priced car if you have to buy it without any options?

I don't have a problem spending $17,500 or $18,000 on a car if it has a bunch of nice options, but I can get a fully loaded Scion xA or Suzuki Aerio for less than the price a a stripped Mini Cooper.

So, unless I REALLY don't like how the xA or an Aerio handles, I think I'm going to go for a cheaper car with plenty of options. I was just curious what others had to say about the xA compared to the Cooper.

 

xA. Fabulous Body Kit. Ownage. End of Discussion.

hehe

http://www.tl-factory.com/main.htm

Click on the Fabulous link at the top..

Buy the xA and this kit and never look back. hehe[/url]

 

I found the interior of the mini to be nicer too.

I really don't like the big huge cartoony speedo in the middle but other than that I like it a lot. The seat is also more adjustable, it can go up and down.

really I think even a stripped mini is better equipped than a loaded scion, unless you really like colored lights =)

however, its also $5k more or so.

for me I just wanted a cheap commuter, since I'm building a kit car for fun. but if I had to pick just 1 car to own it would be the mini.

 

Mini Cooper = British Built BMW (Asking for trouble?)
Scion xA = Japanese Built Toyota

Do the math, the Scion is going to be cheaper to own by far.

I've driven both cars and while the mini is a nice driver, it's grossly over priced, potentially unreliable and expensive to maintain. Get a scion, you'll be happier.

 

I'm pretty sure its a German built BMW...

BMWs do tend to be very expensive to maintain, but with a new car and a warranty that isn't much of an issue. Also the resale value on minis is insane. You can buy one now, then 30k miles sell it for almost what you bought it for!

 

C'mon dude--this guy posts a question about an xA, wants to test drive an xA, and of all things posts it in the xA forum.

Oh yea, forgot to add--I drive my dads 88 Camry wagon with an Option 2 sticker on the bumper and I can do drifts just like the D1 drivers from japan!

 

Dunno if it means anything.. but when I went to buy my xA, there were 2 Minis that the salesman said were traded in for the xA's :D

 

They probably fell in love with the looks / aura of the Mini, then realized it's A) too small, B) over expensive, and C) requires Premium fuel!

 

For B) I really meant over their budget

 

I didn't know it required premium fuel. thats an important point to consider.

I don't believe its any smaller than an XA though. I certainly had more headroom in the mini.

 

The Mini Cooper was my first love, but I bought an xA instead, because:

a) I have two small children. Ever tried to live with a 2-door as a family car?

b) I have two small children. Do you really want to have somebody eat a chocolate ice-cream cone on your leather seats?

c) I have two small children. Both they, and the wife, liked the xA better. And I need family harmony a lot more than I need ego gratification....

C.F.

 

According to Edmunds, the xA is almost a foot longer than the Mini, has more shoulder room, more headroom (marginally), almost 6.5" more rear legroom, and twice the luggage capacity. Edmunds also told me that the xA gets slightly better gas mileage. I found the tidbit about the Premium fuel requirement from the MINI website.

 

I can personally attest that Texas-baked milk/formula is extremely difficult to remove from the black leather rear seats of a 2k Maxima! :?

I'm willing to make the same kind of sacrifice (if you want to call it that) just to keep my 3yo from kicking the back of my seat while I'm driving!

 

With a lot of mods being made available for the XA you can match the performance of a mini for a couple K's (wheels/tires, sway bars, springs, strut bars). I'm hoping for a rear disc upgrade myself.

 

Mini Cooper, period.
while there is no denying the reassurance one would get in owning a trouble-free Scion, there aint no substitute for bmw engineering.
speaking from firsthand experience (our family recently upgraded from a cooper to a cooper s) a cooper is better long-term. if your planning on keeping either car for an extended period, go for the mini -- most definetly will have a much higher residual value and would be easier to sell in the used car market.
if ya go with the mini, do it right and special order your car. miniusa.com has a design you own option. also note that the 2005 mini features updated front and rear styling and interior updates. and, the mini convertible is coming out this summer too.