With any luck by the time the Protege's warranty runs out I will be able to afford one of these:



If our family income keeps increasing close to the same percentage it has been for the past 3 years I should be able to swing it. Except I really want the M3 or at least a 330i.

 

oooo! Do Tell! I haven't had the pleasure of driving a Mini yet...
How does it compare to the Pro? I realize the Mini ought to be quicker, but how does the handling performance feel between the two?
Oddly, this comparison has not made yet on the Forum - Mini v. Pro (instead the debate ALWAYS involves Hondas or Neons. Yuck!)
So, please share your impressions...

 

There is a reason for that. Being that the Mini is considerably more expensive than the Protege (especially with dealer markups). I would put it up there with the RSX and Impreza.

 

I think you should check will another dealer, the one in my area has NO mark ups. I tested a cooper with an auto and a cooper S with the six speed. the auto was not that bad for an auto and the car felt like as fast as my es five speed. The S is sweet even in sixth gear at 35mph the thing would pull nicely. the road I drove down was one big pot hole and you will fell them in the S and much less so in the base Cooper. Handling feels very sharp much better that my Protege ES. It is small, very small but feels ok on the inside. 20K thats all I need.