Feature: MINI Cooper vs. Volkswagen GTI

Thanks for this guest review go to reader Pete H.

As a person who just did the unthinkable, going from a 2003 MINI Cooper to a new Volksweagen GTI, I thought I would offer a couple of comments on this. Do I miss my MINI Cooper? Yes, very much. I am happy with making the change? Yes I am. Are there tradeoffs? Yes, many.

I agree that the comment in the Road & Track review about the seats was fairly harsh, but I would like to add that one of the reasons that we decided to get rid of the MINI is that my wife and the leather sport seats, with the lumbar adjustment, just could not come to a comfortable arrangement. Her stature is such that the lumbar, even when completely “loose” pushed in on her back and she had no support for her upper back. We test drove a couple of 06 MINIs with leatherette and they don't seem to have the same issue, maybe something has improved.

If you have not driven a Mark V GTI, you really should. The engine is amazing. People are getting stock, readings of 225-240 ft-lb of torque at the wheels, VW rates it at 207. This torque is there at 1900 RPM. This car has a lot of “grunt” and is fun to drive off the line. R&T tested the MINI CooperS with the John Cooper Works package and they got that 0-60 testing with the GTI and the MINI Cooper S JCW being equal. This is a quick car. The DSG transmission is also very amazing, the shifts are lightning quick, so quick that the car backfires a bit between shifts. The 6 speed manual does not do this.

The steering of the GTI is a little lighter than the Mini, but not totally offensive. One of the interesting things about VW and Audi products is the huge following of people with the tool called the VAG-COM that lets people go in and tweak a multitude of settings for the car. In the case of the steering, which is electrically assisted, not electro-hydraulic like the Mini, you have six settings for the boost and the steering effort can be increased to feel very close to the Mini.

The Mini is a little better at keeping the wheels on the ground on windy, bumpy surfaces. Either that or the VW traction control is too sensitive. That may be able to be tweaked by the VAG-COM as well. Look at the lateral acceleration and slalom tables of the review, the GTI slightly edges out the MINI Cooper S. It is not a poor handling car, the Mini has the slight edge in quick maneuvers and bumpy conditions, in my opinion. Also see that the GTI stops a little faster than the MINI Cooper S.

The controls in the GTI are a little easier to find in the dark than the Mini, but that is more of an issue if you are new to the car. I am the first to admit that familiarity leads to everything becoming second nature. The blue interior lights are a fun change. The GTI has a steering wheel that telescopes as well as tilts, so there is a little more flexibility in finding the ideal driving position. Having a choice of XM or Sirius, along with an in dash six CD MP3 changer is also nice.

Then there is the interior room. I am six feet tall and by the time I had the driver’s seat of the Mini where I was comfortable, nobody could fit behind me, so we treated the Mini as a three person car. The GTI can truly be a five person car. That is nice for those times when you are taking friends or family out to dinner or similar. The area behind the rear seats is also much larger than in the Mini, making driving vacations a little easier to pack for.

Then there is the issue of price. I was able to get the GTI, including 18-inch wheels, sunroof and XM for $22,500. You certainly can’t do that with an MINI Cooper S, at least in Southern California, and even doing it with an MINI Cooper might be tough.

So, ask me again in three years at the end of my lease, after I have had to pay for scheduled maintenance. Who knows, I may be back to a Mini.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

Cheers
Pete H

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