[rei00]

I just got off the phone with my insurance agent (Allstate) and got following estimated insurace quotes for 6 mos.
Keep in mind that this is for 27Yr old, married, no kids, and no accident record.

cooper $466.00
S $487.00

For your interest, Subaru WRX was $438.00 although it's more expensive than S by $3000-$4000.

By the way, I am tired of waiting for S, and I come to find out that my dealer won't be open until July (according to miniusa website). Although the dealer assured me that they will be open around May, that's 2 months later than other dealers - and I smell bad stuff even for May.

I am going to go look at WRX - if I am going to wait another year, then RX-8 is looking good.

Mini USA, please note:

This Mini launch in USA has been a disaster - I cannot get any straight answers out of anyone. And this issue of dealers that doesn't even open until July or later leaves me real sour in the mouth. Not to mention all this problems with the car...

Is Mini USA trying to sell the car, or finally doom the Mini brand into extinction?

[coopercrazy]

rei00,

I empathize w/ you. But, if you like the car (or any car for that matter) the extra $80 / yr in insurance should not stop you from getting it. Be glad you are not in NY...
the insurance would be $800 / 6months.

And sometimes information is not a good thing. This website keeps me thinking about this damn car all the time.
If I wasn't HERE, I'd probably be content w/ the fact that my dealer knows nothing about the car, I wouldn't know of any of the problems w/ the car, and be happy w/ whenever the car gets here.

Wait till you can drive an S... then make up your mind.

PS. My dealer won't be opening till June, if I'm lucky.

[minimott]

Don't give up on Mini yet. And don't let one insurance quote stop you! I think that the Brits are right, we need to calm down. I think this site, and knowing that some of us in this world already own Coopers, is making the US customers itchy. Which is both good and bad. Let's face it, the car isn't even on sale yet or in the showrooms so there isn't a lot we really need to know until our turn comes to sit down and spec one. (And this is not easy for me to say since I've been pining for an S since June of 2001).

I have recently been thinking about at least test driving a WRX. Why? Because I think I'm getting tired of waiting. And that's dumb when you think that we've waited a year now so a couple of more months shouldn't kill us. And since I don't have an extra $25k lying around, I could use the time to save up. The Mini may lack the speed of the WRX but it makes up for that in style and personality. Big time.

minimott

[mini_girl]

Ha. I live in San Francisco - I pay 1200 a year for a 95 Nisan Sentra. I'd be jumping up and down for a sub 1000 a year insurance policy on any car.

And... I've said elsewhere on this forum - if you don't want to wait and have decided the various issues involved in launching a new car are a problem for you- please by all means take your name off the list at your dealer so we can all get our cars sooner!

-shawna

[Drakken]

I hate the wait too! I am also frustrated with the lack of info from Miniusa. I'm willing to cut them a break since this is a new car line and they have a lot to get done in a short time. I hope that after the big national sales training is completed (first week in March) that Miniusa will start to release more information to the impatient people like us.

As far as the WRX goes, I've driven 2 of them. One was on dirt which is great fun in a WRX. I also got to drive the Helix MINI which is not an S. Personally I'd take the regular MINI over the faster WRX. The MINI has way more personality, it's great fun to drive and the craftmanship is way better. I guess it comes down to what you like the best. Hopefully you will wait until you can compare both equally.

[Cape Cod MINI]

This is a timely thread! Just got back from the Subaru dealer, looking at the WRX. I was feeling fed up with having to wait so long for my Cooper S. It was getting dark and I didn't drive it, but I can tell you this: it looks like a peice of 5hit compared to a MINI, the WRX has no soul, no character. It's just another rice burner in the looks dept. Granted, it's much faster, and AWD is a real plus. It just left me with an empty feeling, didn't do anything for the emotions which the MINI certainly does!

Glad I went and got it out of my system.
Now back to MINI dreams and angst.

[rj]

I agree with Cape Cod on the WRX. I want to like the WRX....I really do...the rally heritage and all. The only thing is.....the look. The look of the WRX just screams Japanese four door. Plain, with the exception of that hood scoop and huge driving lamps. Looks to me like any other Japanese econocar. Great, I suppose, for stealthy driving. No real sense of style though. No real statement, other than the AWD and the horsepower (which are both great attributes!) After the cars have aged a bit in a few years, I'd take much greater pleasure in owning a MINI versus a WRX.

[RickB]

$487/yr for an S? Geez, I'm crossing my fingers that I won't have to pay over $1200/yr!!!!
I liked the WRX too, until I found out it weighs 3100 pounds and gets 24mpg. It's little bigger than my 2400lb/32mpg Sentra SE-R. It's fast, but I can't use that kind of fast very often.
The Focus SVT is where I'd go, if the MINI "thing" got to be too much.
I got a letter from my MINI dealer yesterday, telling me I'll be able to order in March, and that a few cars might be delivered as early as May, with regular deliveries beginning in June. I can certainly wait another three or four months, after "waiting" for a couple of years.

[S2000&CooperS]

After waiting since June '01 when I placed a deposit, I really don't mind another couple of months. Good things come to those who wait!! Viewing the car in the flesh was awesome . Pictures, although nice, do not do it justice.

The only problem I have is trying to decide between the Cooper and Cooper S as this car will be my daily driver..........

[Der Blue Potato]

This is soooo weird - I too am in the same boat - waiting for the S and now looking at the WRX. I wonder why this is such a common comparison - 2 totally different cars.

Let me tell you that I do not have my name on a list - I am kind of hoping to ride that wave of the nameless and was figuring that I could pick up an S sometime in Sept - but as we all know, there is this dark shadow of no news from Mini USA and to be honest - this is really pathetic customer relation skills at the finest degree. I have been involved in PR/Marketing for some time and one thing I learned is that open communication is a MUST to retain consumer loyality - the loyality here is going out the toilet (well, you get the idea).

My reason for this post it to the people who think the WRX looks "normal" or like a "japanese econobox", etc. I beg to differ here - I actually like the look and LOVE the look of the Mini @ (especially the dark gay) - very Austin Martin looking from the front.

But it is going to be a close race for me - I am heading down the path of the WRX now - but we'll see what kind of response the Mini get's - if we even get a response.