Dear tomster1957-ga;
Thank you for allowing me to answer your interesting question. Like
most people I like to refer to CONSUMER REPORT?s information because
have are multifaceted and viewed as a very reliable sources for
information.
According to Consumer Report?s Ratings Snapshot of the 2005 Mini
Cooper Convertible S MT (one of the most popular versions of the car),
in terms of economy the car is rated ?very good? on a scale of:
Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor .
Consumer Report?s Ratings Snapshot of the 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/ConsumerReportsSnapshot.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper
On a scale of 1-10 experts ranked the car?s overall experience as an
8.5 while end users rated the car a solid 9.5 . The specific positive
characteristics were described as:
PROS:
Cute
Best fuel economy among convertibles
Novel sunroof/open roof design
Cute new convertible model
Blast to drive
Still trendy
While the negative aspects were described as:
CONS:
Discounts unlikely
Some cowl shake
Back-bending exercise to see into trunk
Choppy ride
Tiny back seat
Small trunk
2005 MINI Cooper: Expert Reviews
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/expertreviews.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=4&sub=1
You can read the full expert reviews here:
Ann Job's MINI Cooper Review
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/job.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&src=vip
Dan Jedlicka's MINI Cooper Review
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/job.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&src=vip
The real-world user reviews are shown here:
http://autos.msn.com/research/userreviews/reviewlist.aspx?modelid=11383&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=4&sub=3
Where reliability is concerned Consumer Reports gave the Mini a thumbs
up in most every category:
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=6&sub=-1
As for mileage (a big factor for many consumers) the car proved to
consistently attain anywhere from 26-28 mpg (city) to 34-36 (highway):
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Spec_Glance.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=2&sub=0
Price? Well, depending on the type of Mini you buy and the options you
select, the price will vary. Consumer Report lists the base price
(MSRP) as $16,950
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/pricing.aspx?year=2005&make=MINI&model=Cooper&src=vip#general
Bottom Line Price Range: $15,255 - $22,410
Consumer Report shows a base price (MSRP) of the Subaru Forrester as $21,795
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/pricing.aspx?year=2006&make=Subaru&model=Forester&trimid=-1&src=VIP&tab=1&sub=-1
Bottom Line Price Range: $19,523 - $25,597
Clearly, as you can see, according to this source, in terms of price
and economy the MINI Cooper is a more economical car statistically and
generally speaking. This of course is based in the comparison between
new cars and may differ somewhat if it were possible to compare new
vs. used, etc. As a rule, however it is not accurate, nor is it very
practical to compare used cars since reviews, other than unofficial
user reviews and testimonials, cease to be published once a car goes
off the new car inventory.
At any rate, I truly envy you. You are a driver after my own heart
because I sympathize with your urge to get a MINI. On a personal note,
in the throws of my somewhat bizarre mid-life crisis I?d dearly love
to give up my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee for a MINI Cooper any day, but
alas, I have a wife and I?d also like to keep her.
I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher
INFORMATION SOURCES
Defined above
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google ://www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
MINI COOPER
REVIEWS
RATINGS
COMPARISON
CONSUMER REPORT
SUBARU
ECONOMY |
