So lately me and my girlfriend have been looking around at purchasing a car for her and two cars that we looked at were the Mini cooper base coming out to 22 k and 4.9% financing and the Smart Fortwo with a few amenities bringing the price to around 15 k. Unfortunately I have been driving my car, modded the way it is, for a while now so I no longer remember what it feels like to drive a stock fit. So I don't have a good baseline to compare the Fit and Mini. My question is if any of you have any experience with either of these two cars, and feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

I haven't driven a ForTwo but I was mainly between the Mini and Fit when I was buying my car. So this is what went through my head when I test drove the two:

The Mini is definitely cooler looking than the Fit and classier IMO. The Fit is definitely an econobox, while the Mini is more of a status/"lifestyle" car. I did NOT like the Mini's interior though it is very high quality. The giant speedometer is obnoxious but the steering wheel feels AWESOME. Oh, and chicks either love or hate the Mini, but mostly I've gotten hate.

Performance wise the Mini definitely wins. It will get to 60 a bit faster and handles better with less roll. However, after spending just $300 to get a RSB and springs for my Fit, I think it's on par or even better than the Mini. With my incoming wheels and Falken RT-615's the Fit should easily out-handle the Mini with its run-flats. The Fit definitely has a superior transmission in terms of feel, throw, and smoothness but the Mini has 6 gears.

Reliability and practicality definitely go to the Fit, and of course it's a lot cheaper.

 

I also thought that the mini was a bit overpriced and even performed worse than my own car, although I have spent quite a bit on upgrading my car so after all is said and done my car is probably at somewhere around 20k. The mini definitely felt slower and in terms of grip didn't feel as though it handled at all better.

You're right about the Mini being a much classier car, but you forgot to mention that the new base model also has better fuel economy than the Fit. For me the Fit is the winner because I don't need the car to feel luxurious, but if you think about it from a woman's perspective, that classiest over the Fit goes a long way. I guess what I'm getting at is that I doubt my GF would want to own a Fit, but do you think the Mini is worth 22k?

 

A blue one of those Smart cars with Michigan plates blew by me on my way home from Colorado last summer. He was probably doing about 85-90 while I was trying to save gas on my FiT by cruising at about 70. :p

Neat car, little too small for me.

 

If you are using it mainly to commute to work and groceries and not planning on using it for group gatherings and taking more than one person at a time, smart Fortwo is the way to go. My parents have two sedans so it was difficult for us to move stuff around if we had to and my smart definitely couldn't move large objects. So I had to give up my smart for the Fit. Like I said, it really depends on your needs, but I'm 100% behind the smart over the Mini. I was actually looking at the Mini at the time I bought my smart, but it just wasn't worth it for the price you paid and the fact you had to pay Premium fuel for mediocre MPG. Lots of stuff you can do to those cars if you ever find it slow, I blew by people on the highway all the time and watched the drivers faces of disbelief...it NEVER gets old hahaha. Here is a brief run down for you in terms of which is better:

Size: smart Fortwo
Performance: Mini
Handling: Mini
Interior: Both kinda suck, but the new Fortwo interior is better than the previous generation...so I'd say Fortwo
Cargo Capacity: Mini, but the smart can hold two weeks worth of groceries in the back :)
MPG: smart
Parking: smart
Highway: Mini
Urban: smart
Commuting: smart
Fun Factor: smart...seriously its so much fun driving around when most people have never seen it before. I was so skeptical before I went for the test drive...I was sold after the test drive hahaha...

 

mini's are known for poor build quality. The seals leak in water and rattle.

A friend of mine had a base mini and had to bring it to the dealer 3 times because he couldn't open the driver side door from the inside. They finally realized that the cable from the handle to the door latch snapped.

Most cars (even my old pos golf) use a rod to connect the door handle to the lock mechanism, but mini decided to use a cable.

When I test drove on i found that the mini is fun to drive but I couldn't stand the interior switches and handles.

 

+1 on the switches.

Horrible, horrible center stack design. When I was test driving I wanted to hear how the stereo sounded. Took one look at the stack and thought, "nope, not gonna happen". I guess once you get used to it it becomes second nature, but honestly the number of tiny buttons/levers/switches/dials on it are way too intimidating at first.

 

the smart looks like a really fun car to drive

 

We have a 2007 Honda Fit Sport and a 2006 MINI Cooper (not the S). Both vehicles are nice. I like the MINI Cooper better...my personal choice. My daughter loves her Fit (we bought the Fit for her to drive once she got her license).

Our 2006 MINI Cooper does not suffer from any seal leaks as mentioned above. But, as with any model of car that is built on an assembly line (yes, even the Fit) there will be cars that get sold that have some nagging issues and down right "what the f***s?"

For my daughter, who will be going to college in a little over a year, the Fit is an ideal car. Safe, inexpensive to fuel, reliable.

For my wife and I, who have two cars between us, the MINI is "the bomb". I wouldn't trade it for anything else on the road in that price range. Motoring it (i.e., driving it) is loads of fun.

I say, if you can afford it, buy both and enjoy the benefits you can get from both cars.

 

i love the new smart cars. i saw one parked next to my car...it definitely put my car to shame in size wise. i thought my car was small till i saw that car.


i wouldnt want that car though, if you got into any kind of accident i think you would be near crushed/badly injured.

for the same price you can have a nice clean fit.

but if i had a choice...i would go with the smart car over the base mini

 

wow.


i'm suprised so many have been pro-smart over the mini.


from what a lot of reviewers say, the smart doesn't drive all that well, its fun to toss, but wasn't built for that.

the mini on the other hand (which i have driven) handles great in base form. (and is on the short list for my wifes next car, a list that only has 1 car on it.:) )


while i don't really did the complicated, style over substance mini interior, it is high quality, even better than our fits, as its considered a premium hatchback, like the GTI, but smaller of course.

it does require premium, but the bigger size and proven better handling win in my book.

as far as the mini performing less than your fit, remember, your fit has mods and probably grips harder.

even after mods, i'm pretty sure that a stock mini holds its own with a LOT of cars out there with regards to body roll.

 

It's hard to compare these three models because you're looking at an apple, an orange, and a banana. All three serve totally different purposes on many levels.

The Mini - looks really cool, has a nice interior, and is more status driven. All that said I have heard reliability is not as high, and if you plan on keeping a car over five years it wouldn't be the one to pick. But it's got the most style, although it probably costs the most to own.

The SmartCar - an efficient commuter car that has a novelty of being new to North America (though in Europe they would yawn). I like them, but wouldn't be caught dead on a freeway in one. Good if you do inner city driving, and if you want the attention.

The Fit - has won the most awards in the industry, has an off the chart crash rating, and meets several of the criteria of both. Definitely a head turner and one of the few Hondas that looks unique. Great reliability, but economy next to the Mini and huge next to the Smart.

It all depends on what's important to you or the girlfriend. I looked at all three, and decided the Mini wouldn't be as reliable, the Smart wouldn't last on the freeway, and the Fit was the most common sense choice.

 

dunno about cost to own...the mini includes free service for the 1st three years you own it, and while it requires premium, it is rated higher by the epa.


i literally got back a couple hours ago from a test drive on a base cooper with my wife.


wow. the engine note isn't as nice, but this car is SOLID. body lean? what body lean.

i love my fit to death and it handles amazing, but in no way is the cooper all style and no substance. this car HANDLES and it is solid. and it did a bit more than my fit with skinnier tires.

and its one of the few cars i've driven that has a more direct steering feel than our fits. that is saying a lot.


but i still love my gd.
:)