I need a new daily driver. I was looking at a few different BMW's, the G37s, few MB's, etc. Ultimately though, the point of my DD is to get from A to B and not spend an arm and a leg on gas. This is now a consideration with the way prices are, and my commute of about 40 minutes to work. I can't do a smart car since I just can't get used to the looks, but a MINI is kinda nice! I actually like the 06's better than the new body, but they are growing on me.

What would be better to build? I want a FULLY loaded S or JCW. Heated seats, nav, the whole 9. What would be best to go with? Differences?

Thanks!

 

I'm in a similar boat, for a parts hauler. Getting rid of a great Ford Escape, and the Mini S might be the ticket, and huge FUN factor. I'm just beginning to dig into the brand a bit more, and finding the S suits my needs. If you are a track junkie, and want that sort of performance then the JCW options may be a better bet for you. If not, a loaded S with nav is going to hit low 30's pretty fast. I'm hearing the nav is kind of quirky (not many are that good anyway), and it's an expensive option. I'm not going for it. But I did load one up over the past few days and it came in at about 29k.

 

option for option, the JCW car will cost you about $6,000 more, I think.
You will get a far better bang for your buck however by going aftermarket on your mods. The trade off, of course, is that you don't have the same warranty coverage.

 

Is the new cooper better than the previous generation? I heard it isn't as much of a drivers car

 

The new cooper is a much better daily driver. It's more comfortable, more technologically advanced, has more power, and better MPG. For all those benefits, you trade off a small amount of the "driver's car" element. Still, I find it more fun to drive than my E55 or 996TT.

The old cooper is less friendly as a daily car, but a superior track car.

Assuming most people who go to the track only go once a month at most, I think the new generation is the way to go.

 

I'm not sure that's true, the new R56 generation has been dominating SCCA G-stock class autocross. They almost bumped it up to the next class since it was so much faster.