My bro was thinking about getting a standard Mini so I decided to look up the specs. It's very comparable to the Fit sport, in fact depending on what you are looking for in a car, utility vs style regular Mini is quite good.

Fit
1.5 liters
117 hp @ 6600 rpm
106 ft-lbs. @ 4800 rpm
2520 lbs.
Manual: 27 mpg / 33 mpg / 29 mpg
5 Speed
Final Drive: 4.62
Steering Ratio: 12.7 : 1
Drum rear brakes
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension/Torsion-Beam Rear Suspension
Base MSRP:$16,260

Mini
1.6 liters
118 hp @ 6000 rpm
114 ft-lbs. @ 4250 rpm
2568 lbs.
Manual: 28 mpg / 37 mpg / 32 mpg
6 Speed
Final Drive: 4.353
Steering Ratio: 14 : 1
Solid rear disc brakes
MacPherson Strut Front Suspension/Multi-link Rear Suspension
Base MSRP:$18,550

 

if mini... dont go for base.

bottom line- doesnt need precious space to fit stuff in go mini.

IMHO- mini S, but then again my fit is my DD.

 

In that area it seems they can compete. But remember that you said mini base. I'm not exactly sure but if there's a lower model then you can count on it not having much of the features the mini s has. For the Fit, the Fit Sport has just about everything you need.

 

I was gonna get a Mini S, but went with the fit, Now Im glad, as the versitle cargo area and magic seats are really adding to my life style...I mt bike, DJ, snowboard and everything has a spot and then some... IF he just want a daily without the room Mini is seems to be a good choice...what about safety rating though? that's also a factor to consider....

 

The Mini is a great car. Ive wanted a mini S for years...but they are not practical at all unless you have access to a roomier vehicle. Its amazing how well they hold there value...and how expensive they are!!!

You can easily be in the $28k to $30k range for a new mini S with options!!!

 

I think if they had a 5 door version of the Mini I might have bought that over the Fit. Disc brakes all around with independent suspension all around are nice.

Cooper S is nice but too pricey new and you feel more torque steer because of the turbo.

 

Mini Clubman has 5 doors, but not in the configuration that you are talking about. Plus, it might just be the most hideous car on the road.

 

no i think the PT cruiser still takes the crown interms of 5 door hatchback hideousness

 

We have a 2006 MINI Cooper S and are looking at getting a 2009 Fit (to replace a different car, we're keeping the MINI).

It's wise to treat any MINI Cooper (S or not) as a two-seater that allows you to bring along a couple of small friends or a dog when you need to. I can't imagine living with a MINI as an only car.

Based on my test drive of a new Fit the other day, any MINI will out corner and out accelerate a Fit by a wide margin. Even a base MINI with zero options is a well-optioned car. The base MINI gets considerably better mileage than the S, but that may be partly because the S just begs to be driven hard.

The main word of caution I have for potential MINI buyers is to make sure you live or work near a dealer. MINI dealers are few and far between, unlike Honda dealers. We've owned Hondas before (still have a 2002 Odyssey); the MINI is less reliable and more expensive to repair. Sure is fun to drive though and, yes, they do keep their value well.

Regarding the comment about torque steer in MINIs, I have not experienced it and I drive the car hard. Drivers unfamiliar with low-profile run-flat tires often complain about tramlining, and that is a problem I've had. However, the base MINI does not come with run-flats. A MINI (especially an S) is not a car you just poke around in--they require that the driver be attentive and fully engaged in driving at all times. It's much more demanding than the Fit.

Anybody who wants to read up on MINIs, the best forum is northamericanmotoring.com.

 

You can't compare the Cooper S with the Fit. It's TWICE the money, at least. And they're different cars, different missions.

Even if you compare the base Mini with the Fit with Navi, the Fit still has more feature content. And twice the room.

Both Mini and Fit have great resale and safety.

Another caveat is I've heard from Mini owners that they're not getting anywhere near the EPA mileage numbers. Here in L.A. 17 mpg is what I've heard from my friend who used to have a base Mini. She loved it in the beginning, hated it shortly after. It's in the shop all the time. I'm getting twice the mileage in L.A. with my Fit.

 

Go to http://miniusa.com and select the option to build a MINI. Select the first option for a MINI Hardtop Cooper. Once the configurator is set up, pick a paint color that is not metalic. That will give you the cheapest MSRP for a MINI in the USA: $19,200.

Now go to Honda Cars - New and Certified Used Cars from American Honda and select the option to build your own Honda and choose the Fit. The cheapest MSRP for a Fit is $14,750.

So, the base MINI is about 1/3 more than the base Fit--nowhere near TWICE a much.

That said, the most expensive MSRP for a Fit is $18,960, and it is possible to configure a MINI up to twice that amount. But at that point you have a car that will put in a respectable showing on any race track in the country. I'd sooner do that in a MINI than in a Fit.

I agree that they are two entirely different cars built to serve different purposes. You can compare them to each other when deciding how to spend your money, but neither can substitute for the other.

Over the last three years, we've averaged 26.8 mpg in our MINI in mixed city/highway driving. It will do about 32 mpg on the highway at legal speeds.

 

You didn't read my post carefully. I said Cooper S, not base. By the time you load up the Cooper S with all the popular goodies you must have, it'll approach $30k. Of course you can tailor it to tally way more than that.

As for you mileage, that's far below the deep 30s city and deep 40s highway that we're all reporting here for our Fits.

And as my point stated, you CAN'T compare the Mini and Fit since they're different cars. You say you can take your Mini to the track. Well, that's not the purpose of the Fit. I can just say that the Mini has no where near the space and space flexibility of the Fit.

 

see sig. they are all different.

if you can only afford one car, get the FitSport (MT).

 

Touché! I was trying to stay within the spirit of the original poster's question.

 

this is truth.

 

Correct! And I was responding to those mentioning the Cooper S, which was my entire point...you can't compare with the Mini S.

 

My wife bought the 2008 base Mini Cooper and I have the Fit Sport. I thought about getting a Mini myself, but to get the same space I would have had to get a Mini Clubman, not mention that we would look silly. The driving dynamics on both are tremendously fun, with the edge going to the Mini. However, we spent 20K on the Mini and 17K on the Fit, so I am satisfied.

 

imo i would not get a mini.

i would not get the current cooper s with turbo cause of direct injection. i would rather get the base with manifold injection.

I dont think there a great car but they do hold there value well. ive seen 50k+ mini which is retarded imho

its true, mini coopers are less reliable then any car and more expensive to repair. i would never get a used mini unless you know how to work on them or if its still in warranty

I'd like to say first that ive been a mechanic at a mini dealership since they first came out and all day i see problem after problem so i am kinda bias against mini. 07 and up cooper s with turbos are direct injected and ive seen Many problems with cars comming back for cold start idle issues. what happens is since its not manifold injected anymore(only S model), theres no more fuel to clean off the intake valves and you start having carbon build up on intake ports and valves. you have to run 93+ toptier gas even on the base model with no more then 10% alcohol or else you'll have drive ability issues, dealers do check alcohol % anything higher then 10% they will sell a fuel injection service and tell you to change gas station and problem isnt covered under warranty. Seen few problems with timing chain tensioners seizing causing problems to the vanos(bmw's vtec) units and jumping time causing internal damage, control unit software issues, rattles, electrical problems and i could go on forever listing problems mini's have but i wont. If your brother wants to get a mini cooper talk him out of it, if hes set on a mini cooper get the base model, less problems compared to the S model

 

It's hard to argue with independent suspension and discs all around on the mini. I wish Fit had those but then again if it did it would be in the $19K range. The clubman is pretty ugly and the 3rd passenger door is really useless. All they should have done is extended the 3 door hatch and put 2 more passenger door.

 

Out corner I have no doubt but acceleration they are very simular:

2009 Mini 0 - 60 8.5
source: 2009 Mini Cooper - Official Press Release - First Look - Motor Trend

2009 Fit 0 - 60 8.3
source: 2009 Honda Fit Sport - Quick Test - Motor Trend