Mini or Civic Si?

Mini or Civic Si?

  • Total voters
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i would say take the mini :), 0-100 is all well and good but Isnt everything and by the way nouseferaname90 thats the old tritec mini you have in that video, the new PSA derived unit is a lot better in a N/A form.

but the mini's are really fun to drive and easy to live with, I've taken mine on long trips and it works well and I use mine as a daily plus Im quite tall and so my seat is on the end of the rails, but passengers don't mind sitting in the back

I can admit to the boot not being huge but isn't tiny either lol, have you thought about maybe a clubman they are a few grand more then the hatch and give u a bigger boot and more legroom?
 
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I only have one reason why you shouldn't get a civic Si. Ricers will get their hands on them within the next 5 years and ruin them like they did the integra and Eg civic.
 
Reviving an old thread, I know, but for a reason: I just got home from a trackday and I could see both a MINI Cooper S and a Civic Si being driven hard around a track and I must say I love the MINI. I know the driver is a factor, but not even the modified Si that was also there (huge exhaust, Hondata, Skunk2 stage 3 cams, etc...) was able to keep up with it.
If I had to choose a second car, MINI without a doubt. I am in love.
 
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TomCat said:
Tough choice. I like Civic Si's and think they're probably the best new car you can buy, since they hold their value so well. But the Mini Cooper holds it's value even better, to the point where used models are almost as expensive as new models. I think I would choose the Mini Cooper in this case, since it's such a unique car with a long history. If you're young and don't need a practical car, it would be the best time to buy such a car. You can buy the Civic Si when you have a wife and kiddies to haul around.
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:hmm:
 
:p

No worries, no regrets. This Wednesday will be the 1 year mark since I bought my Si and it still feels like I just got it last week. I love it. I was still seriously considering the Mini Cooper S, but when it came time to write the check... I just didn't trust the Mini as much as I did the Honda.

Plus, I don't think my coupe is much more practical than the Mini. :lol:
 
Haven't driven the Mini, but I loooooooove my Si sedan. The high-revving engine and the superb 6MT work brilliantly together. The gearbox is, without a doubt, the nicest I've ever felt. And the sound of that engine at 7800 rpm...wow. Handling is pretty great too, even if (from what I've heard) the Mini is even greater.

All that, and I can easily pack our baby and our toddler into the back seat with plenty of room for cargo in the trunk. Honda reliability too. It's a car that lets you have your cake and eat it too, which matters once you're a family man.
 
if i had to choose, i would go with the Civic Si sedan. but just barely. i'm not to keen about the overall styling, but for me performance and function is everything for me. now, for me to actually buy one, i would of have to not of heard of my current car's existence. because i prefer a Corolla over a Civic, the Si just seems logical to me. a friend of mine's let me test drive his '07 Si and it kinda felt close to my '06 Corolla Xrs (for those who don't know about the Corolla Xrs, it's basically a Toyota version of Honda's Civic Si. it has a smaller 1.8 liter engine with Variable Valve Timing LIFT with intelligence or VVTL-i. this engine came out in 2000 which, in return, Honda answered with i-VTEC and the development of the K20. my car was only made from 05-06 and only 6600 were made and sold in North America. so the rarity of this car is unique.)

i never had the opportunity to test drive a Mini Cooper S, but what i had researched, this thing handles like a go-kart through corners. and i like that. but as a day-to-day vehicle, a 2-door is just too impracticable for me.
 
Argh, not the SI... neutered US version of the Type-R.

Mini for me thanks, despite I consider myself quite a Honda(vtec) fan.

Type-R > Mini > SI
 
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MadCow809 said:
Argh, not the SI... neutered US version of the Type-R.

Mini for me thanks, despite I consider myself quite a Honda(vtec) fan.

Type-R > Mini > SI
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That's rich, coming from a BMW 1-series owner. :p

It all really depends on what Type-R you're talking about. If it's the European Type-R, than I dare say the Si would trounce it. The Si has always been very closely matched with the European spec Type-R's, but now that they did away with their independent rear suspension, the Si easily beats it. Now if you're talking about the more hardcore Japanese spec Type-R's, that's a different story. Those have a good 20hp more than the Si, as well as, a more track oriented suspension/chassis setup. Although I have heard from reviews that the latest JDM Type-R is too rock hard for normal roads, painful in fact, unforgiving. I even recall some reviewers saying it would make an excellent dedicated track car, but I can't imagine spending that kind of money on a track-only-car and buying a Civic. But that's just me. I believe the Si model is the best compromise between performance and practicality, which is kinda the whole point of the car to begin with, otherwise you might as well just get a damn S2000.

Now the ultimate compromise would be flashing the Si's ECU and effectively get the same amount of power as the JDM Type-R, although I'm not sure what that would mean for your factory warranty.
 
MadCow809 said:
Argh, not the SI... neutered US version of the Type-R.

Mini for me thanks, despite I consider myself quite a Honda(vtec) fan.

Type-R > Mini > SI
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That is true for the Si that I own (EP3, where the power is way down from the Euro) but the current model Civics have the same power in both Euro Type-R and US Si trims... (~200hp).

Add to this the fact that the US version has an IRS while the Euro version is apparently a beam axle? I'd say for the generation USDM comes out ahead.
 
Ahh, I forgot that the previous gen Si didn't get the more powerful motor. Still, I hear they were a blast to drive regardless.

Edit: This is a pretty good comparison of the 2 Type-R's, I imagine the Si would fit quite nicely right in between them on the track:

 
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TomCat said:
Ahh, I forgot that the previous gen Si didn't get the more powerful motor. Still, I hear they were a blast to drive regardless.

Edit: This is a pretty good comparison of the 2 Type-R's, I imagine the Si would fit quite nicely right in between them on the track:

Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that! After watching it, I'm glad I've got the USDM Civic Si. The UK Civic Type R doesn't seem quite exciting enough (and no IRS? Seriously?), and the Japanese Type R is so hardcore I wouldn't want it as my daily commuter and family hauler. The USDM Civic Si is fun and playful when I want it to be, but civilized and compliant when I want that too.
 
This thread is got me wanting another Civic. I miss vtec...I must admit....
 
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