Hi,

I've always been a Porsche guy and have owned close to 20 944 variants (mostly 951's/S2's) over the years. Also had a Boxster S (briefly) and a 928 S4. I currently have an '89 944 which is my daily driver and a 2007 base Cayman with 28K miles that I bought from a friend about 6 months ago. I really like the Cayman (what's not to like?) but I've kind of gotten myself into the same situation I was in when I had the 928 S4--which was a gorgeous garage queen, but an entirely impractical car for actual use.

I would like to get back to my original goal, which was to sell the 928 and 944 and get something that I could use as my only car. The Cayman is much more practical than the 928, but still falls short of ticking all the boxes on my wishlist. I live in New Mexico and like to hike and bike. The 944 is handy in the sense that I can easily transport a single bike in the rear hatch area by removing the front wheel. The Cayman would require installing a rear rack or a roof-mounted rack to carry a bike. I don't care for either of those options on that car AND I'm quite reluctant to take a car that nice and leave it at a trailhead or strange parking lot for hours at a time. We also have a winter season here, which is pretty mild, but still makes for some nasty driving conditions--so the Cayman sits in the garage in those conditions.

I started off looking at cheaper, older pickups and SUV's and resign myself to having a 3rd car--maybe a Rav4 or CR-V with 4wd for the nasty days and ability to get to more remote trails. But after test driving a few of them I realize that I'm really addicted to the feel of a Porsche/sports car. I guess "There Is No Substitute," has an element of truth in it.

A couple of months back, while out on a bike ride, I noticed a very nice-looking MINI parked at a trailhead. It looked very tricked out--lowered, aggressive stance and had a very nice bike rack attached at the rear. It was also, IIRC, a 4-wheel drive model, so I guess that means it was one of the larger, newer models. That got me thinking that I DO have the option to sell the Cayman and purchase something that was better suited to my current needs, but would not leave regretting not having that sports car feel that I really enjoy. I actually look forward to driving either the 944 (set up with Koni's, swaybars, etc.) or the Cayman! So yesterday I went down to the local MINI dealer and test drove some of the current models while getting some info from one of the sales guys. Having never driven a MINI before I wanted to find out if there was any possibility that I would be happy with one as a driver.

We drove a new MINI Cooper S and a Clubman or Countryman (???) I got confused about the differences. The one we drove was bigger than the S, but smaller than the biggest one. I did enjoy the S. It had enough zip for me--more than the 944 and probably close the the base Cayman. It did not handle (IMHO) as well as either of the Porsches, especially the Cayman, which I find to be just a treat to toss around--razor sharp! The larger model was DEFINITELY a step down from the S, but still not awful. Neither of these were JCW models, which I assume would tweak the handling up some. And there may be other MINI tuner companies where one could up the handling some.

Either of the MINI's could accept a hitch for a rear bike rack which is good. It looked like there MIGHT be a possibility of getting a bike into the back of the MINI's (especially the larger one) if one so desired.

After getting home, I started looking up MINI resources and ran across a MINI owners' forums and just a bit of reading made it seem pretty clear that there have been problems with MINI's in the past (just like Porsches!) so I thought I'd do well to consult the experts before doing any kind of a deep dive into the subject. My overall budget is probably $20-25K, but I'd prefer to spend about 1/2 that. I'm not going to get a new car--I've never bought a new car in my life because I can't stand the depreciation hit and I'm a cheapskate, I guess. I would consider a certified car if there were one that met my needs/budget. Or just buy used from a private seller. But I need to know a bit about the various earlier models. What years/models to avoid? Stuff like that.

Sorry for rattling on, but I hope to get some good info on whether and how to pursue a MINI search. Or, if anyone has suggestions about an alternative, I'm all ears on that too.

TIA!

STP

 

Green one is the Countryman and the brown one is the Clubman


The JCW option may be a good starting point for you since you're wanting the most out of your MINI. If you go this route, go for a 2013+ as they have the new N18 engine, which doesn't exhibit as many issues as the earlier gen R56 N14 engine. You could search for a 2011-2013 Cooper S with the N18 engine with the sport suspension or just normal suspension and throw a nice set of KW's or Ohlins onto it. There are many performance modification companies that there that cater to the MINI, and we provide a lot of these parts.

It's too soon to tell the overall issues with the F56 models, 2014+. I have seen a few issues, but time will tell what their quirks are.

Have you ever considered looking for a GP edition? They're more expensive and harder to find, but they're great. Some info on them HERE.

I will say, there are more than a few Porsche guys on the MINI forums that rave about their MINI's and say they love it more than their P cars. I suggest you doing research and finding what gen MINI suits your needs the best and then search for prospects. Let me know if you have any questions.