the highest so far is a guy from the tampa area he has an 02 mcs with over 100k on it. he bought from ferman mini in palm habor. he also has an award from mini usa for being the first to 100k. His only problemes were normal wear and tear issues ie, breaks, and minor things. Personal i love my mini would not trade it in all. i found it very reliable.

 

Ive only heard good things. Go for it.

BTW its has to be supercharged to be really fun .

-Keenan

 

thats the way i feel when people ask me why i didnt buy an srt or a wrx. i found i got alot for the money, bmw based and just the look of the car. The mini bring attention to me from all age groups, people are always looking at it and asking questions about.

 

Mini handles much better also. Dont look at numbers, you have to judge by driving one. Even simple mods will turn a mini s over 200 hp.

 

WRXs have weak transmission syncros and trannis in general. You would have to upgrade the internals. Go to NASIOC, youll see just how bad it is. If you put aftermarket rims they will not replace your tranni under warranty. Atleast you wont have to worry about BMW honoring your warranty, and minis are built for performance.

the primary reason I didnt buy a wrx is the transmission problem. I bought a solara instead, but thats because I drive in south tampa alot and the roads are almost always flooded. Not good for minis. I may get the awd version they are thinking of making in the next 1-2 years.

 

No offense, but what are you talking about? Weak transmissions? the EJ20 has been around for a long time and yeah If you have 350whp you might have problems. They are reliable with under 300whp which is a lot. Also if you keep it stock, you won't have any problems. Again, A LOT has to do with the drivers themselves. Also who says if you put on aftermarket rims they won't replace your tranny under warrenty? I have talked to the Mastro service department and they are pretty lienant. They know these cars are meant to be driven. I know because I have a Stage 2 Wrx so far (around 240whp) and my warranty is still valid. Also no problems with it what-so-
ever.

IMO Wait till the 2006 Wrx comes out because it gets 2.5 liters or get a used 2004 Sti.

Also as a matter of fact, I went to the Ferman BMW dealership earlier today. My brother was looking into a 2005 Mini Cooper S. I was suprised with the handling , but not to much with the power delivery. Overall it is nice car, but IMO there are better cars for that price ($26000).

 

350 for most awd cars right now is not much at all. The M6 is the STi is MUCH stouter. Now I didnt say that all WRXs were plagued, nor did I mention Mastro. Ive heard great things about mastro, but youll notice alot of TR people arent by mastro or are actually out of state.

I WRXs are nice exterior and drivetrain wise, but the mini is so much nicer on the inside. And like you said, the handling is great. Wait till they cram AWD in there!