Haris

Which one of these would be best as daily driver as well as a fun car.

Mazda RX8
197 HP
164 ft.lbs.
4 speed auto
Mid Engine - RWD
3000 lbs.
$25,700

Mini Cooper
115 HP
110 ft.lbs.
CVT transmission
Front Engine - FWD
2500 lbs.
$17,500

People have said both of these cars are very very fun to drive. Just wondering what your opinions are...

Also, I like styling of both cars equally. :D

Hercules

Drive them both...decide for yourself.

brothervoodoo

There's a Mini Cooper S with a package that adds additional sport tuning and bumps the horsepower to 200. The price tag is somewhere between 25-27K. That would bring the two cars closer in terms of price and performance.

Haris

No, only base model comes with CVT transmission.

downshift

I happened to test drove both cars. However I test drove the 6MT RX-8 and the Mini Cooper S.

Things I like about the MCS:
- Better pull/response in lower RPMs than the RX-8.
- Go-kart handling. The RX-8 is not far behind but the MCS is more direct. You gotta test drive it to see.
- Sweet whine of the supercharger. RX-8's silky smooth rotary sound at 8k rpms is exhilerating. This is more of personal preference.

Things I don't like about the MCS:
- Dead pedal is too small and close to the clutch. '8 in my opinion has perfect pedal placement.
- Engine is noiser compared to the '8. It sounds boomy when you apply throttle.
- Climate control ***** feel cheap if you don't go for the auto climate control.
- Seats too high for a sports car.
- Decent shifter but notchy and too far spaced out compared to the '8.

In the end, it probably means nothing to you. Fun-to-drive I think is a very personal opinion and is hard to quantify with numbers. Go test drive them yourself and see which one you like.

brothervoodoo

Haris, I was referring to the "John Cooper Works Tuning Kit" adds $4500 to the cost of the Mini.

It has the following:
An uprated supercharger, modified cylinder head, parallel-flow sports twin exhaust, recalibrated ECU system, and more. The result is even stronger overall performance including a boost up to 200 hp, and faster acceleration. See "Details" in the Complete Features List for more info. Note: MSRP does not include dealer installation costs and requires exchange pricing.

Haris

Yea, but that John Cooper works tuning kit is for Cooper S. Not for base model.

mikeb

I never drove the mini but I cant stand how small it is
I really think it looks funny but to each his own

Haris

Interior is not that much smaller than 8. It's like a miata.

revhappy

I like the Mini's small size, but it is too heavy for that size. I would stay clear of it unless it is a second or third car.

I'd go for the RX8 personally.

dmholmes

I've got a Mini and have driven a friend's 8 a number of times. Likes/dislikes of both cars

Mini likes:
1. Handling is an absolute hoot, throw it at EVERY corner
2. Looks (very subjective I admit)
3. Brakes are amazing
4. Lots of interior space for a small car (up front at least)
5. Good gas mileage
6. Fun with toggle switches :-)
7. Seat heaters are nuclear in nature
8. Lots of "luxury" type items available
9. 4 year warranty
10. Service is included for first 3 years
11. Controls feel nice
12. Good clutch feel

Mini dislikes:
1. Build quality!!!
2. Seats (even the sport seats) pretty much suck
3. Motor is not that smooth at redline
4. Lots of interior rattles and squeaks
5. Throttle response is awful
6. Upright windsheild makes seeing stop lights impossible
7. Interior quality/materials kind of cheap

RX8 likes:
1. Motor, NOTHING compares to a rotary
2. Looks
3. Interior quality/materials
4. Handling is great
5. Brakes are wonderful
6. Clutch is superb
7. Throttle response is excellent
8. Pedal placement is perfect
9. Seats are very nice
10. Nice control feel

RX8 dislikes:
1. Some pretty big blind spots when backing up
2. Headroom is definitely lacking with the leather and sunroof options for me (5'10")
3. Window sill height could be a couple inches lower
4. Cupholders get in the way of shifting
5. Slight understeer/body roll when really hammering the corners (very minor)

Drive 'em both and see which you really prefer. For Mini info head over to www.mini2.com. The RX8 is an amazing car albeit at a $8000 premium over the Mini. Not really in the same class other than the "fun to drive" factor that both cars share. If you care about mileage, get the Mini. If you care about quality workmanship and a car that will probably be trouble free for years to come, get the RX8. They are both an absolute blast to drive but I can see living with an RX8 for an extended period of time. I'm thinking when the lease is up on the Mini I will be looking for something else. I seriously doubt I would have the same feelings about an RX8.

Lee Chun

You're comparing apples and oranges.

The Mini Cooper is way way way sluggish, but the Cooper S isn't too bad. They both handle great.

P00Man

rx-8 is WAY more practical WAY WAY WAY more
unless you never plan on using the back seats (which arent REALLY useable anyway) of the cooper and keep them folded down, then youve got like a tiny van sorta thing going on

the cooper is also VERY noisy, like Kia noisy

gotta admit the handling is fun though

stick is kinda notchy

thats really all i can remember, drove it a long while ago
________
Coach handbags

dmholmes

Depends on how you define "practical" I guess. I don't think I'd necessarily call either car practical.

I didn't consider the Cooper or S very noisy. The supercharger whine in the S can be a little intrusive but not too bad. Neither car is as quiet as the 8 but I wouldn't describe them as noisy either. Now if you're talking interior rattles, that's a different story :-)

The stick is notchy in the S, like butter in the Cooper. The S gets a Getrag 6 speed and the Cooper gets a Midland 5 speed (for now). The 8 has a far superior feeling transmission.

Irish_in_a_RX8

iTrader: (1)

Coming from the UK, I can respect the Mini in all regards...but being brought up with Mr. Bean, I cant quite get that image out of my head. Saying that, I would go for the RX8. Still "The Italian Job" did some miracle things to the cooper! When they were making the movie, they were given 20 minis to do as they wish...

Alessandro

Since theres no perfect car, I think you need to enclose more info if you want a good answer, if you live in a big city where parking is scarce and expensive and you drive mostly short distances I would go for the Mini. If you live in a place where parking is no problem and you drive mainly longer distances on the highway
I would go for the RX8....

mikeb

I really dont like the mini
its so damn mini

Christopher

I love them both, if I had the money I'd buy both. The RX-8 for everday and the Cooper S Works for weekends. Having said that either car could do both.

Dick Carlson

I wanted a GT car, so went for the RX-8. The Mini is a blast to drive, but pedals are a bit awkward for me (6'3"). RX-8 just fits perfectly. Can't understand the 5'10" fellow who complains about headroom. Take off the cowboy hat.

dmholmes

Pedal placement is far superior in the 8. Unfortunately the Mini placement really sucks for heel/toe driving. Might have been me complaining about the headroom in the 8. Experience is driving my friend's who has the sunroof option. Definitely chews way too much headroom out of the car, my hair brushes the roof. And no, I don't have John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever hair.