Hey everyone, I see there are a lot of newbie threads here so I'll try to make this short

I've been a part of the online car community for years now and always look to other members for advice, even more so now since I dont actually own a mini yet.

Leaving an 05 nissan altima V6 and want to get into a MCS. I will be getting a lease and I'm pretty firm on the options I would like on it (red, black top, bonnet stripes, premium package...those are the main things)

My question is this.....Should I get the MCS or the JCW????
Is it worth the extra 4k dollars? (for the package I want it comes out to around 28k for the MCS, 32k for the JCW). Its a lease so I cant go crazy modding the car like I did with my previous car and I know I will always secretly want the JCW if I dont get it. I need someone to help me out and either talk me out of it and tell me its not worth it or help me justify spending the extra money

Thanks in advance and looking forward to hopefully becoming a part of the mini community!

 

Go for it, I did, and I don't regret it one bit. Mine will make it to my driveway mid April and I just can't wait!

Buck

 

You won't be disappointed with either one, but no doubt the JCW is one hot hatch.

 

JCW is totally worth it!!

 

Ok everyone seems to share the same sentiment

A kind of related question.....does anyone know what voids the warranty? I read on the forums that chip, downpipe, intake and exhaust are popular mods (correct me if I'm wrong) which of those would or wouldn't void the warranty?

 

Anything you can't hide or remove before a dealer visit may void the warranty

Seriously though I would carefully read the warranty documentation and speak with your dealership about that.

 

Since modding is an issue, go for the JCW. What voids the warranty seems to be rather flexible depending on who you talk to. DO NOT believe everything your MA tells you. From what I have read on here, most of them are complete idiots who will tell you anything to sell a car. Just like any other car dealership.
Talk to the Service Manager about any planned upgrades and get answers in writing.

 

Yea, thats the main reason why I would want to get the JCW...to give myself a good reason to stop further modding and avoid warranty voiding.

I will be doing some more research online and on the forums but if anyone else has any good advice or dealt with a similar situation before they bought their mini I would appreciate it! Also what you would change if you were getting your mini at the dealer all over again (extra options, options to stay away from, etc). This is going to be the first car I'm getting in my name so I'm trying to get as much info as possible

 

Well from what I gather from research If I were to get the MCS with a premium package and JCW package it would still be cheaper and very similar to the JCW. The major differences would only be the braking system, DSC, 20 more HP and TQ and the optional black with red top. The guy at the dealership said the only reason someone gets the JCW package on the MCS is because they don't know how to drive stick but that seems like him trying to push me to the JCW because that doesnt make much sense....

In the end it seems like getting the MCS and JCW "package" and later adding accessories would make more sense? (assuming I can get away with certain things.....$2100 for a JCW tuning package is crazy in my opinion)

 

Why are you leasing? For a private party, this is just a means of getting more car than you can really afford. It will bite you in the butt at some point.

 

Good question lol.....mostly because of lower monthly payments and to keep the car in warranty. I did consider buying a preowned mini but I figured at the end of my lease if I really wanted to keep the mini, its always an option. Did the majority of people here lease or buy?

 

Leasing is a sucker bet for most folks. How many miles do you drive annually? Be honest with yourself. Where leases get most folks is in excess mileage. And the pre-set mileage is ridiculously low. Go to any used car lot and you will be told that 15k-18k annual is average mileage. And I'll bet that the MINI lease gives you 10k annual? Sucker.
Buy something you can really afford. If you have to wait to get a MINI, so be it. It is worth the wait.

 

Well I would get the 15k mile/year lease but in truth I would probably end up driving more because I just love driving. But im pretty sure its possible to just turn in the lease a little early? Its what my dad says he always does, idk if its different with honda. If I did get used though then I would not want to deal with fixing things out of warranty like I did with my last car. It wasnt much but ive had used german cars before and dont want the same problems

 

If you plan on keeping the car, buy it. You'll be dollars ahead. Plus, mileage caps will likely be a problem when you find yourself looking for reasons to light the fires. Also, spending $4K for an incremental hp increase doesn't seem worth it to me.

My S has lots of power, and is a blast to drive. I've never had a car I enjoyed more.

 

Well I appreciate everyone's advice and I think I came to a good conclusion!

I think i'm also going to stick with the MCS instead of the JCW just because it fits my needs and budget better. Even if I got the JCW I would still be very tempted to mod the car with intake, downpipe, exhaust and some sort of tune. My biggest challenge will probably be not voiding the warranty .......which in all reality I would not do just for some performance.

Ill still be doing research and taking advice though!

 

joyride,

Certain cars are great to lease. Honda and Toyota's often better to lease than purchase, even for an individual with no tax advantages for leasing. It all depends on the residual, and money factor (interest rate). I'm not sure what the current money factor is on an MCS, but financing is 0.9%. I dont think the lease money factor is as good a deal. High mileage isnt always a reason not to lease. You usually can purchase additional miles up front at a lower cost when taking out the lease, than you will pay at the end of lease should you go over 15,000 a year and 45,000 total. If going over the mileage you would probably want to consider the extended warranty so your warrenty doesnt end because of miles while you are still driving a leased car.

With a lease your tying up less money with a lease also. Of course you always have a payment as when the lease is up, if you dont buy the car out at that time (an option) you can just lease or purchase another new one.

But leasing is not always a good or bad deal. It depends.

 

Thats a good point, thanks for the input

So I went through the whole "what you hate about your mini" (all 20 pages) thread to see what to stay away from and I have a few questions.

1. well the good news is that reading all that didn't make me want a mini any less, if anything the personality of the car makes me want it more!

2. people usually agreed that the cupholders suck, brake dust, etc. But I was wondering why do people dislike the panoramic sunroof? I never saw a real answer.....also is the HK system better in the newer models? The reason I ask is because I want the premium package mainly because of the sunroof and HK system (dont want to have to buy aftermarket if it comes with a good one already) but if they are problematic I might leave them out all together. Or just get one seperately and not the whole package since I dont care for the auto A/C.

3. Is is possible to get the JCW color scheme without purchasing one? (black or grey with red roof) I fear that the JCW has me in its vice again....

4. How many of you guys use the mini as your daily driver?

 

My MCS has been a daily driver for nine years --unless the snow is flying-- then I drive my least favorite car .

 

Awesome....thats what I like to hear

 

I suggest you test drive the MCS with the Sport button, if it does not feel adequate then get JCW.

 

I did, and it feels real nice! But I would like more power.....its not a question of adequacy because to be honest the JCW might feel like more than enough now compared to the MCS and avery other car ive driven but somewhere along the line ill want to make both faster because it wont feel fast enough just like half the people on this forum Im sure

Do it want the JCW? hell yes
Can I afford it? Maybe, depends on the dealer and other factors

Am I willing to pay $100+ dollars a month for it as opposed to the MCS? Thats what i'm trying to figure out. Besides the engine internals that I wouldnt change even on a car I was buying I could presumably get an exhaust/intake/downpipe and maybe a chip/tune over a longer period of time and not pay the premium of a JCW, still be as fast, and look sexy. In the end it comes down to money I guess and how the numbers work out at the dealer but I still havent come to a conclusion of "is it worth it".

If it wasnt about the money I would have bought the dealer-made black on black JCW deemed the "widowmaker" on the lot for 55k

 

Hey guys still wondering about any options I should stay away from (sunroof, HK system, ect) the day is coming soon!

Thanks