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2007 Eclipse GT or 2006 mini cooper S
hockeyfreak4
Member Posts: 1
I am deciding to either buy a 2007 Eclipse GT or a 2006 mini cooper S. I love both cars. I was wondering what you guys think is the better buy.
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In my opinion, a mini is just that!
The Eclipse is sexy, sleek and hot!
The Mini is kind of "nerdy cute" imo while the Eclipse GT is pretty much a sports car. My sister finally got her Eclipse Gt about 4 weeks ago. Total black & loaded, including optional ground effects.
You definitly have two very different choices here. One more thing, if you are any kind of tuner / gearhead type enthusiast, I think the Eclipse lends itself much better to aftermarket upgrades & things like that. In fact I think Mitsubishi in general is one of the few companies that actually provides the most opportunity for do-it-yourselfer types. Some people don't see that I think & generally they want the whole package to be "factory" built. The Eclipse GT makes a fantastic blank canvas for some customizing.
As my sis is about to soon find out! heh heh
I sell Mitsubishi's at Planet Mitsubishi in Modesto, Ca. I feel the Eclipse is the better buy. I am not trying to be partial, however the Eclipse is well made and easier to get.
Sharice
209-524-3600
As for reliability, the 2006 Mini is now on the recommended list for CR. As for a better buy, it depends on what you're after. I own both a Mini and a Mitsubishi; I like the Mitsubish, but I love the Mini. The Mini has much more personality than the Eclipse--the Eclipse is a great looking car, but the Mini gets second looks/comments like no other car I've owned (I could actually do without some of that). I would definitely say the Mini is better made than the Mitsubishi, from my experience. Fit/finish was much better (I bought both cars brand new) on the Mini.
Mitsubishi offers a good value--you'll be hard pressed to get a Mini less than MSRP, not so Mitsubishi--but one of my concerns with Mitsubishi is if they'll even be around in a few years. The company is doing less than stellar, and the upcoming models may be make or break with them. There is a reason the Eclipse is easier to get--it's not as high in demand. This will come into play when it time to sell it; the Mini is going to depreciate less.
As for tuning, the Mini can be tuned relativiely easily, but it's not a DYI job--but there are many different places you can go to improve performance. This isn't a major concern though for most people.
In the end, these are very, very different cars, and you're going to have to determine what your priorities are. The Mini S is a quirky, sporty hot hatch; it offers outstanding performance (I chuckle a little bit at the "Nerdy Cute" line; anyone who's seen a well driven Mini at the track or in autocross probably would debate that description); the Eclipse is closer to a true sportscar; it's not as much of an attention getter as the Mini, and it's a bit more conventional in appearance, although it's a great looking car (I've always been a fan of the Mitsubishi look), and has more of the modern sportscar look (I won't argue for the price that the Eclipse isn't a good deal--it's alot of car for the money. The Mini is also a good car for the money though--BMW is not making much money on the current generation of Mini, even selling at MSRP. It won't be until the new generation of Mini that BMW will make anything worthwhile from a profit standpoint). Although the Mini is small, with the seats down it offers a fair amount of storage space. The backseats for passengers though are almost worthless--I'd look elsewhere if you're going to use this as taking more than one other passenger.