[WRXTek]

I am planning on buying my wife a car this month since she doesn't have one. I showed her many cars and we visited many showrooms, what it comes down to are the 2009 Mini Cooper (28000) or the 2008 Mazda 3 (22000), those are the two cars she liked.

I also liked the BMW 1 series, but with some options it went over budget, which is between (20k to 28k). The Accord coupe was nice too but she didn't like it.

So what do you guys think? the Mini or the Mazda?
or are there any other cars I should consider?

*new car only please
*must be automatic

thanks

[KiTsuNe]

used cars out of the question?

[WRXTek]

Originally Posted by KiTsuNe

used cars out of the question?

Ya I should have mentioned that up front. New car only (not my decision).
With that kind of money for a used car, I can come up with some really nice cars you know what I mean

[ChefMasterfunk]

i say mini cooper with the john cooper works package, my friend has one at its really fun for what it is. but other then that, i just like the mini better then the mazda. im not to sure on the reliability tho.

[USNSTI]

Mazda3 is $6000 less. Thats a lot of mod money. I say if your wife likes it and it costs less, jump on it bro. You don't get many golden opportunities in life, It's a shame to let them pass by.

[Kickstand]

Mini over the Mazda unless its a mazdaspeed3. You may also consider a new VW GTI with DSG. They are pretty fun too. Definitely have nice interiors

[steelgraySTi06]

get the new wrx

[WRXTek]

thanks for the replies guys. Keep em coming
I forget to mention that it also has to be an Automatic

[viperguy]

2008 Lexus IS... should be down to 28k...

[Silver 226]

For cuteness the Mini Cooper wins.
Is the"S" available with auto or semi-auto trans?
For reliability Mazda wins.
Which attribute is more important is your call. If mpg is any concern there are a lot of options that would be better than those two.

[05_GD7]

Originally Posted by steelgraySTi06

get the new wrx

09 wrx doesn't come in auto.

My vote would be an IS250

[WRXTek]

Originally Posted by 05_GD7

09 wrx doesn't come in auto.

My vote would be an IS250

Base MSRP for a Lexus IS250 is 32K....a bit over my budget

[WRXTek]

Is the Mazda really more reliable than the Mini?
If I remember correctly the Mini comes with a 5year 50k miles warranty. The Mazda came with 3 years 36k miles.

[lucidmedia]

as a former MINI owner, I would never buy another... the car literally fell apart underneath me... HUGE quality issues. I sold it before my warranty ended, but the car spent tons of time in the shop and stranded me at the side of the road with catastrophic failures at least three times.

[BoostJunkie]

Go test drive the VW GTI. If she wants an auto, the DSG is a lot more fun and overall it's a lot of car for the money.