Quote:
Originally Posted by mb135is
46K for a mini is absurd to me, and I can be counted as one of the biggest mini fanboys there ever was. How will you tell the difference? Build quality. Plain and simple. I know that doesn't sound like much, but the materials that make up the car, the buzzes and rattles it makes, all matter when you're driving and living with it. 1 series is CLEARLY an entry-level BMW in regard to build quality, materials, general quality. MINI is WELL below that. Porsche, I can't say, because I've never driven one.
|
The $47k MINI JCW Roadster I spec'd actually has a bit better interior quality than a regular MINI. The one I spec'd has the full leather dash and that amps up the feel of the interior quite a bit. I absolutely understand what you mean about build quality in general though. The MINI just feels much more rugged versus BMW. Even the doors when you open and close them, it feels a lot more like a Jeep. The doors open and close very loud.
That said, the steering and turn-in on the MINI is so precise (probably the best of any car I've ever driven) that it makes me want it. And the JCW has an exciting little engine and some great brakes that pull it to a halt from 60MPH in only 110 feet.
I don't mind spending $47k on a MINI, I just wish there was more literature on why it's so expensive. There's got to be a reason. MINI's do seem like they are expensive for the quality of the build materials. Looking at and touching a MINI in a dealer lot and it seems like an overpriced car, but it definitely has the driving chops for that price.
The build on the 2013 Boxster is fantastic and at least a step above the 1 series and much closer to the build quality of the 5 or 6 series. Literally the only thing that wouldn't be perfect about the Boxster is that it takes 5.4 seconds to get to 60MPH. I would also love comfort access and active cruise control, but those are just tech gadgets and I can easily live without them. Interestingly, the new 2013 Cayman has both comfort access and active cruise control as options while the Boxster with the same chassis doesn't, except the Cayman isn't a convertible which kills it for me.