Do you think people will cross shop the Fiesta with the Mini Cooper (non-S)?

[Zinky]

A couple of prices from 2003
-Ford Focus 3dr Cpe ZX3 $12,820
-VW Golf $15,295
-Mini Cooper $16,425
-Toyota Celica $17,340
-Ford Focus 3dr Cpe SVT $18,585
-Honda Insight $19,080

Back then Mini was competitive, now it's not. I find it interesting that the new Insight doesn't cost much more then the 2003 version or that the Golf is within $1,000.

[AlanBDahl]

I didn't cross-shop with the MINI when I ordered my Fiesta but now that the car's so late and Ford can't tell me where it is I am considering it. Though I would most likely choose a 2-3 year old MINI rather than a new one. However IMHO the Fiat 500 is a much more likely cross-shop for me and if it starts to look like the 500 will actually arrive in December I might decide to buy that instead.

OTOH the Fiat is built in Mexico too so maybe that's not such a good idea or I'll be back in the same position I am now in December.

[Sibilance7]

My husband and I did, but we chose the Fiesta (just put our deposit down this weekend!). The most important things to us were that the Fiesta beat the Mini on price, features, and gas mileage. We also get a Z plan discount from my husband's grandmother, which made the price even more impressive for what we could get compared to the Mini. The only thing that's killing us is the wait - we could have taken a Mini home already! But we think it's worth it

[silvertoy]

I had the mini s, so its not totally the same question but I think yes, they will be cross shopped. I had a Fit and mini simultaneously and I had to givE one up because the wifey wouldn't drive stick. The mini is ultimately what I kept because at the time performance was more important. But many people who look at the non-s, are looking for a cute commuter, not a performance machine. To that end they are Similar for mileage and premium feel and content. The fiesta is no-where near the unique styling of the mini, but the styling of the mini is getting long in the tooth and has lost a lot of its novelty over its ten years on the market. The fiesta is fresh now but will blend in once kinetic designs take hold. Personally, I would have bought another mini because you really do get attached to them, but I was tired of the frequent expensive nuisance repairs, especially with my dealer so far away. Plus when I drove the new generation (I had an 05) it just had lost that raw edge that made mine so fun. Not to mention, they cost a lot more when similarly equipped, which considering how much headache it caused me, I just couldn't do it.

[ccyodr]

I've driven a MINI for the last four years (140 Mi daily commute) and they are great cars, not more expensive than anything else really. I've been driving for 35 years and the MINI is without a doubt the most fun to drive car I've ever owned, even over (and I'm sorry about this) the Fiesta.

However, I'm now a Fiesta owner and loving it, there's no comparing the ride, comfort and high techidness.

[Marc]

So why did you buy a Fiesta anyway?

[eRic]

speaking of the MINI. yesterday I think I "sold" a Fiesta to a dude that currently owns a MINI. I was looking at a white Fiesta that had graphics, a body kit and Euro rear spoiler when a dude wearing his MINI key on a lanyard around his neck asked if I thought the Fiesta would be as fun to drive as a MINI or not we got to comparing pricing and specs and so on and I think he's going to consider getting a Fiesta to replace the MINI.

[Skip]

We ate breakfast at a place beside the local Ford dealer. They had a lime squeeze hatch that cought our eye.
I am a devoted Honda junkie and have bought nothing but since 1974. I even have a Honda riding mower that I bought 20 years ago.
We both loved the look of the Fiesta but expected it to drive like all the other entry level cars of the past, pitiful.
We were on our way to buy the Mini but I talked my wife into testing the Fiesta...glad I did cause we love it.
The price,gas mileage and regular gas made it look like a far better buy. I was leaving the Honda fold and my comfort level was not good on either of the cars but with the difference in price the Ford made more sense.

This car is perfect for her but if Ford wants to see two of these babies in my drive way they will need to at the very least make one like the Cooper S. I would prefer a Fiesta match to the Works package. I drive a 2000my S2000 now and do not plan to give up that performance for a base car like this one.
I have a need for speed and auto crossed for many years.

Ford are you listening?

Why did I not buy a Honda? The Fit looks like a appliance. We wanted a four door automatic. What is more boring than the 4 door Civic? The Accord would not fit in my narrow garage and it feels like a slug unless you buy a V6 which gets lousy gas mileage. None of these cars can be bought for what we paid for our Fiesta. We have made two trips. One was 2 hours and the other 4. The car is very new and still got 35.5 with three people in it. I can tell you from experience that we would not have matched that in a Honda other than a clunky hybrid.

[Skip]

We ate breakfast at a place beside the local Ford dealer. They had a lime squeeze hatch that cought our eye.
I am a devoted Honda junkie and have bought nothing but since 1974. I even have a Honda riding mower that I bought 20 years ago.
We both loved the look of the Fiesta but expected it to drive like all the other entry level cars of the past, pitiful.
We were on our way to buy the Mini but I talked my wife into testing the Fiesta...glad I did cause we love it.
The price,gas mileage and regular gas made it look like a far better buy. I was leaving the Honda fold and my comfort level was not good on either of the cars but with the difference in price the Ford made more sense.

This car is perfect for her but if Ford wants to see two of these babies in my drive way they will need to at the very least make one like the Cooper S. I would prefer a Fiesta match to the Works package. I drive a 2000my S2000 now and do not plan to give up that performance for a base car like this one.
I have a need for speed and auto crossed for many years.

Ford are you listening?

Why did I not buy a Honda? The Fit looks like a appliance. We wanted a four door automatic. What is more boring than the 4 door Civic? The Accord would not fit in my narrow garage and it feels like a slug unless you buy a V6 which gets lousy gas mileage. None of these cars can be bought for what we paid for our Fiesta. We have made two trips. One was 2 hours and the other 4. The car is very new and still got 35.5 with three people in it. I can tell you from experience that we would not have matched that in a Honda other than a clunky hybrid.

[chromal]

Originally Posted by Skip

Ford are you listening?

They exist, it's just few make it to the US, and this is, I believe, a general US auto industry hang-up: subcompacts are bought to be ecoboxes, compacts can sometimes be sporty and sell. It's completely BS, but outside a few intriguing options like a turbo mini that costs as much as some turbo compact cars (saw some 2010 mazdaspeed3s being cleared out for $22K new recently, similar to to the Mini Cooper S's $22300 MSRP), there's not a lot of competition in the field. An ecoboost I4 1.6l engine option for the Fiesta is the best hope here, probably.

I honestly think you might want to consider the 2012 Focus, or other branded cars built on the Ford C1 global platform (Mazda3, volvo S40, etc). Something with a nominal power to weight ratio of around 1hp:18lbs or better. Alternately, I guess you could get the Ford Motorsports Fiesta rally kit turbo!