MINI vs. GTI in R&T

Road & Track has a comparison test of the new MINI Cooper S and the new Volkswagen Golf GTI.

For a MINI fan, it's pretty depressing.  The VW was judged superior in just about every way.  While that was disappointing, I realized that what really disappointed me was that someone would consider the two cars comparable!

I'd thought of the MINI as a car apart from other cars, something that you either liked and wanted, or didn't, but didn't really decide you wanted it INSTEAD of something else. 

MINI is going to have to stop thinking that they can be all things to all people, a MINI for every garage, and get back to being a unique automotive choice, if I'm ever going to consider buying another one.

When R&T did an owner's survey on the first generation cars, circa 2004, I filled-out the questionnaire, and was even quoted in the resulting article, saying, "If my car were stolen today, I'd get another one".  I couldn't think of another car that I'd want to replace it.  I can tell you that no 2015 MINI - none of the eight or ten models now offered - would be considered as a replacement.

Does anyone else feel that MINI has lost their own plot?

That about sums it up. MINIs are still great cars, but the only thing that sets them apart now is their looks and brand proposition. Their performance/handling is essentially like a Golf or any other hot hatch, but for more money. (You get a lot for your money, but unique go kart-like handling is not really one of those anymore). 

Remember when MINI's were so unique people always waved when they spotted another one?  Remember people asking questions about your MINI when you were filling up at a gas station?  Those days are gone, probably forever as MINI has lost the connection with its roots and other brands have progressed beyond MINI in the fun to drive categories.  Rumors of a smaller MINI similar to the Rocketman persist and maybe it will happen in our lifetime but I doubt it will be the answer to MINI's problem with their loss of the enthusiast crowd.  I blame BMW Management for not understanding the MINI heritage and insisting on giving us cars that are not MINIs and not BMW's but rather poor imitations of both...  

As Cosmic Traveler said, "I love my MINI and plan to drive it until something really important or super expensive falls off."  ME TOO!

MINI will continue to evolve/change and so will the audience/buyers for them - that's the way of marketing and marketing controls the world. But my Gen-1 MINI still makes me smile!

Interesting discussion everyone, and brings to mind the great article in the latest MC2 magazine (issue 50):  "Save the Wave . . . or is it Already Too Late?" by Adam Hutchings. Fun read!

It's interesting, that I see a lot of the same information in that review as in the R&T comparison, but the summaries are different.  Such as the "seems faster" comment about the MINI was rendered more like, "The MINI isn't as quick as the GTI, which trounces it in any test of acceleration, but the MINI is quick enough to be entertaining." 

The numbers say the GTI is faster, but if you enjoy the MINI more, does it matter?  I've always felt that way about my car, not really caring if it is "numbers" faster than another car, but just enjoying it for what it is.