How Does the F56 Mini JCW Compare to the Fiesta ST?

I'm currently toying with the idea of swapping my Fiesta ST for an F56 Mini JCW. As much fun as the FiST is to drive, it's starting to become a headache to own. It's currently been in the shop for a month straight now. I've had a lot of minor issues prior to that and also an oil analysis test that showed accelerated wear, FWIW. I don't think this is a knock on all Fiestas as I know mine wasn't in great shape when I bought it. So, once I finally get it back, I'm strongly considering selling it and buying a 16-17 Mini JCW. I would love to have something more reliable and a bit nicer inside without sacrificing anything in the fun to drive department. 

I know it sounds crazy to want something more reliable and have a Mini at the top of my list, but it seems like they finally got things squared away with the F56. I hope? If the reliability is good, then how are the driving dynamics compared to the FiST? Does anyone here have experience with both? This will be my DD, autox and (occasional) track day car, but I care more about feel and driver engagement than I do lap times or being competitive. If the car feels numb, I probably won't like it.

Any thoughts?

I'm interested to hear back on this one once you've driven it. Also interested to hear what you find out after talking to a technician in a mini dealership... 

I almost bought one a few months back, but at the last minute I got a great deal an M240i.  My research indicated that the F56 really is a reliable vehicle and worthy of consideration.  I enjoyed the test drive.  It can be a little harsh over large bumps due to the short wheel base.  Everything else was good except the pricing is out there.  Eg. the cover for the rear cargo area is in a package for $250, the security package for $500 made the horn go "beep" when you clicked the lock.

I don't think it is really competitive in DS unless you  have short tight courses and there is no front camber adjustment.  You can install "crash" hub carriers for some -0.5 degrees. They had a fairly slowish zero-60 time compared to similar power vehicles, mainly due to lack of traction off the line.

They all have sunroofs unless you order them without, so finding a slick top will be a challenge.

Sorry, I know nothing about the FiST. 

PS:  wheels that clear JCW brakes are few making autox wheels a challenge and the stock wheels are skinny at 7"

7" wheels are skinny !    I remember going from 4.5" to 5.5" was a big improvement.

In reply to iceracer :

I remember when 120hp in a hot hatch was a phenomenal thing.

I drive a 2017 countryman s regularly. It's terrible. I know it's not a Cooper but I assume they share many components.

The powerband is terrible (feels like it comes on early then peters out), the shifter is all floppy and vague, center gauges suck, doesn't have a center armrest (it's an option and this one doesn't have it, which is crazy to me for the amount of money this car cost), the interior is not that nice especially for the money, it may be more sporting than a Camry but the handling isn't great to me given all the other tradeoffs, ride isn't great, and the Bluetooth calling sounds like your talking to someone through a can.

As far as reliability the salesman straight up told the owner they are not reliable cars. With less than a 1000 miles the CEL came on and when taken to the dealer, they cleared the codes and said that's normal. The first service was just shy of 10k miles, and the rear tires were destroyed, blamed on the alignment. When pressed as to why the alignment would be so far out on a 9 month old car as to completely destroy a pair of tires, the dealer couldn't or wouldn't offer any info pertaining to alignment readings. Combined with the rest of the free service the total bill was approximately 1400 dollars.

I've never driven a fiesta ST but I've driven a bunch of fiestas. I'd take a regular fiesta over a mini anything if I had to rely on it, and I'm sure a ST is an even better car dynamically. I'd also like a Focus ST.

This is coming from an automotive masochist. I like terrible cars and LT1s and I periodically think about getting a cheap early supercharged S and see how long I can limp it along and play with it, but I've got 2 reliable cars, so I don't have to use it to get to work

Almost 2 months now and I still don't have my car back yet. This has been such a frustrating experience given the dealer's terrible communication throughout all of this.

Still trying to decide on a replacement, I went to test drive an ND Miata the other week and could not fit in the darn thing. Head room was fine, but I couldn't work the clutch without hitting my knee against the steering wheel. That's with the seat all the way back and the wheel as high as it would go.  Getting in and out was a huge PITA too, so unfortunately, one of my favorite cars ever is a no-go for me.

I haven't found a JCW to test drive yet. But, not sure I still want to after Opti's assessment lol. Appreciate the honest insight.

What else is there that I should look at? I'm thinking about just saving some money now and maybe going with an Acura RSX Type S but, I'm not sure if that would be a great daily in an extremely hilly city. The lack of torque and power down low might get a bit annoying with all the hills here. There's also a 135i close by, but I don't know how I feel about the price and it being out of warranty.

My suggestion would be Civic SI. 9th gen went to a longer stroke, bigger displacement. Less peaky, broader torque curve. Current SI is getting raves, if it's in your budget.

In reply to Tac1 :

I own a JCW Mini and out of every generation of mini, it is by far the most reliable one. It's been out for a long time in the UK/US and has no game ending/annoying problems. I daily drive mine, and I have a friend who relies on it as his only transportation and has 80k+ miles and hasn't had any issues. I enjoy my Mini and I don't mind the shifter, and the power band definitely is more towards the low end and craps out at the higher RPMs. It handles and brakes well. Meh, try one instead of listening to people on the internet.

RyanGreener said:

In reply to Tac1 :

Meh, try one instead of listening to people on the internet.

Best advice evah. I seriously do not like these cars but it may be right in the Goldilocks zone for others.

I'm in the market right now and it sounds like we have similar tastes. I really want the ND. I'm 6'5" and I had no steering wheel to leg interference issues. Depending on the amount I slouch (for headroom comfort), my knees are either on the dashboard or <1" away. Do I fit? I love it so much I think I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work eg. seat "meshectomy". I should have paid a little more attention on my last test drive, but my head was leaning against a bar that is part of the top. My wife is very much against the ND, but we're still talking about it. My next best option is a FiST.

Could you tell us more about what's wrong with your FiST? I just came out of a hideous experience with a different car and I don't don't want to go through anything like that again.

Any chance you would want to look into a Hyundai? The Elantra GT Sport(2018 MY), Elantra GT N-line(2019+ MY) and the Veloster Turbo R Spec(2019+ MY) are all fantastic cars. If you could spring for something brand new, check out the Veloster N. I drove one and it was astounding. I was ready to trade my Fiesta ST in on it but the SOWMBO told me "HELL NO" to another car payment.

The Veloster R Spec is the Veloster N without the excessive horsepower and LSD diff. Road and Track tested them to be within a .5 second of each other at just about every single test they did. Worth a look if you dont want to splurge on the N model. I think it will be classed in H stock too so with the right tires it could be a Fiesta ST competitor.

Tac1 said:

There's also a 135i close by, but I don't know how I feel about the price and it being out of warranty.

Check to see how much an aftermarket warranty is with a reputable company. 

You'll be shocked.

Snrub said:

I'm in the market right now and it sounds like we have similar tastes. I really want the ND. I'm 6'5" and I had no steering wheel to leg interference issues. Depending on the amount I slouch (for headroom comfort), my knees are either on the dashboard or <1" away. Do I fit? I love it so much I think I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work eg. seat "meshectomy". I should have paid a little more attention on my last test drive, but my head was leaning against a bar that is part of the top. My wife is very much against the ND, but we're still talking about it. My next best option is a FiST.

Could you tell us more about what's wrong with your FiST? I just came out of a hideous experience with a different car and I don't don't want to go through anything like that again.

Electrical is the main issue, something happened with the battery junction box and wiring harness that caused my AC and radiator to stop working. I had some other minor issues as well. The dealership still won't return my calls or texts, so the biggest problem is their complete lack of customer service. I know this is an issue specific to my local dealer, but it has completely turned me off of the brand entirely. There's no way I can give them my car again and they're the only Ford dealer close to me.

If you want something more refined than a Fiesta ST and more reliable than a Mini, you might want to give the MK7 GTI a look as well. If going used I'd look for an SE trim car, that will get you the VAQ differential, Golf R brakes, and an insignificant power bump.

By all accounts the MK7's have been much more reliable than the prior turbocharged generations. Definitely worth your time to at least check out and see if you enjoy driving it.

MTechnically said:

If you want something more refined than a Fiesta ST and more reliable than a Mini, you might want to give the MK7 GTI a look as well. If going used I'd look for an SE trim car, that will get you the VAQ differential, Golf R brakes, and an insignificant power bump.

By all accounts the MK7's have been much more reliable than the prior turbocharged generations. Definitely worth your time to at least check out and see if you enjoy driving it.

The only problem is, the Golf 7 is a size class larger.  They feel like minivans to people who want A2 Golf-sized cars. The FiST fits that bill, and every time I drive a neue-Mini, I find myself looking for reverse gear down, over, and left of First, because they remind me so hard of my late and lamented A2 GTI-clone Golf.

Not everyone needs the security-blanket of driving a huge car.   Doing more with less is much more betterful.

MTechnically said:

If you want something more refined than a Fiesta ST and more reliable than a Mini, you might want to give the MK7 GTI a look as well. If going used I'd look for an SE trim car, that will get you the VAQ differential, Golf R brakes, and an insignificant power bump.

By all accounts the MK7's have been much more reliable than the prior turbocharged generations. Definitely worth your time to at least check out and see if you enjoy driving it.

I had a base model GTI before I bought the FiST. They're great cars, definitely a night and day difference in terms of build quality. But, I didn't find it very fun or engaging to drive, especially on track. 

I'm starting to think that maybe I'm just too damn picky.

In reply to Tac1 :

Totally understand that criticism. I had a '17 GTI SE that I got rid of for the same reason. Didn't find it very fun unless I was driving it very hard. 

My new daily is an E39 M5, and while it's not nearly as economical as the GTI, it's much more fun to drive.

Tac1 said:

The dealership still won't return my calls or texts, so the biggest problem is their complete lack of customer service. I know this is an issue specific to my local dealer, but it has completely turned me off of the brand entirely. There's no way I can give them my car again and they're the only Ford dealer close to me.

This is not local to you, every Ford dealership within 100 miles of Pittsburgh sucks. There must be a corporate directive to hire the absolute worst human beings they can find to be service advisors. I'm pretty sure they get bonuses for treating people like crap, ignoring customers, lying, and being rude.  

I've been involved with the MINI community since 2003 and have friends who own and have owned all variants of the brand. I personally have a 2006 R53 JCW.  By accounts of independent techs I trust, the F56 is by far the most reliable and least troublesome MINI they have produced.  Now how that compares to a FiST, a FoST or a Civic Si, I'm not sure. 

In reply to Snrub :

NDs are a tighter fit than NCs. I'm 6'1, and I wouldn't get an ND with the stock seats. I fit well in the NC.

However, if one really had to have that car, and were willing to give up the OEM seat's airbag; Lotus seats could be swapped in, which would solve all tall-person fitment issues. (+ about 6 inches of headroom)