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I fell in love with MINI JCW since I watched this particular video several years ago and finally got my own one a couple of months ago. Thank you, Carfection :)
You all prolly dont care but does anybody know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb forgot the login password. I love any assistance you can offer me.
Really good video! A bit of Top Gear without it becoming too awkward/wannabe. Just 2 blokes who likes cars and are able to talk about them without getting crazy boring or too technical. And last but not least, what a cool line up of cars!
I tried all of these and was more than happy to pay the extra for the Mini JCW! It oozes quality and makes me smile every time that I get into it. I recently paid Mountune money for a Superchips ECU remap which has given it a huge leap in performance and surprised quite a few people who thought that it was 'just a Mini'! I also opted for the auto box which I had absolutely no intention of trying, liking or buying because real drivers don't need them... Dunno if I'll ever go back now!
The ST twins are still the best hot hatches. They're the most fun to drive, and yet you can live with them every day. Ford captured lightning in a bottle with those cars.
***** The Focus ST has a better interior. I've owned 2 of them. They don't have top of the line quality, but they're not bad. Good for the price. It's not a rattle box.
"you can live with them every day" you can, but you have to make compromises. I'm OK with the interior, but not OK with the ride. The Clio is at least good at one point : it's a LOT more comfortable, with its hydraulic suspension bushes thingy, without compromising the handling
I'll bet if the Mini was a manual transmission it would have been the most fun. You guys should do a test of manual vs automatic transmissions, with both manual and auto versions of like an inexpensive car and both versions of a faster higher end car. And see whether the cheaper car with a manual is more fun then the high end car with an auto.
***** Not really. The 991 GT3 RS, is in an entirely different league from your normal hot hatch. It's a track-toy, not an everyday fun-mobile. Track-toys, and supercar (and hypercars) are allowed to have "race" gearboxes (because, in my mind, a DSG or Sequential isn't an automatic).
+sax0joe the difference between the 911 and the Clio is the power. when these hot hatches have under 300 whp it makes it so much more involving using a stick. I get the paddles in a 911 although I would still rather have a stick lol. IMO isn't the whole point of owning a hot hatch to enjoy it?
Non comparable cars. Ford ST is all, fast, beautiful, tunable, reliable, practical, economical.... While other two are missing one or more above mentioned things... Ford simply made best car and future legend.
I was looking for a comment like yours after I heard him say "you brought a Renault Clio". It was hearing Clarkson pissed off at Hammond's mustang, or May pissed of at Clarkson's alfa...
Cosmin Popa Im sure it is but imo, hot hatches are about making the car fun and engaging to drive aka, taking a boring car and making it interesting. A double clutch doesn't do that. I understand why supercars use duel clutches but not a 2 litre hatchback.
@@chung729chung living in Aachen, a quite old city, where the streets are really narrow, much traffic due big car competences here and many many cyclists from the big university RWTH. Also there are not many big hills in Aachen itself, but for sure Aachen is a city where it goes up and down all the time and has many small hills. Also the Eifel (where the Nürburgring is) is right next to Aachen, one of Germany's biggest mountains. I do not need any automatic or double clutch 😉
A hothatch is whatever the manufacturers want it to be. I'm pretty sure my automatic could kick most manuals buts. And I have more fun seeing them in my rear view mirror than you have using more components to gain less rewards. Pointless :)
Admiral_Awesome Well, the Clio doesn't have a well sorted double clutch, it's a terrible double clutch. They should at least give people the option to chose between a manual or automatic, like most manufacturers do
Janner Jan I have driven cars with VW's DSG, and they were lovely. I have also driven a Mégane EDC, which has pretty much the same gearbox as the Clio RS, and it was nowhere near as good as the DSG. It was slow and always seemed to be stuck in the wrong gear at the wrong time, and shunted at low speeds. A lot of it has to do with the fact that the Renault gearbox uses a dry clutch, while the DSG is a wet multi-plate clutch
+Paul Hojda VW actually have three main DSGs: the DQ200 7-speed dry-clutch, DQ250 6-speed wet-clutch and DQ500 7-speed wet-clutch. Cars such as the Polo, low-powered Golfs, petrol Passats etc. use DQ200 while the Golf GTI and 2.0L diesels use the DQ250. DQ500 is used in Tiguan, Multivan, Caravelle etc.
+Paul Hojda The Megane's gearbox is not the same. If you did not try the Clio trophy's gearbox then you just don't know. It is very-very quick and responsive. What you are saying has nothing to do with the fact it is a dry clutch. Dry clutch gearboxes are even quicker than the wet ones. This renewed gearbox is from Getrag, not from Renault and it is brilliant!
Interesting your thoughts on the looks. I think the FiST looks by far and away the best. The Renault has little style to the design, while the Mini looks bloated with a bunch of funny-shaped ducts.
wayne allan its 215 with the Moutune MP215 kit on :). They have indeed its hands down the best car I've driven specially on country roads it just grips and flays along
What an absolutely brilliant video!!! Gotta love Alex - "you are the sport button". I'm thinking of buying a used ST now and his summary has really helped me get over its shortcomings (interior, looks). Just so brilliantly filmed and compared, well done Carfection.
Small, fast Fiascos have always been great. Avis used to rent out the old Fiasco S with the 1.6 Zetec. Just so much fun like the Pug GTi's. Mini's always seem to contrived not to mention big, especially the new ones. The MK I with the supercharger would be tempting though. Another great review.
Great review guys.I'll be honest. I was a bit sceptical about flappy paddles in the JCW, but they're actually a lot of fun. Makes great noises when you downshift. Just can't wait till Wednesday when mine gets the new Pro Exhaust for the JCW with the controllable valve for a bit more noise and a few more horses, a smattering of carbon thrown around it and a few other bits.You don't buy a MINI for practical or economic reasons though. It's all about having a laugh, and that's exactly what this car is.
Im not saying the Mini is better but giving the prize to the Fiesta and the reason being just the automatic transmission of the Mini is just stupid. You can buy it with a proper gearbox and a bit cheaper.
I own a 2017 Fiesta ST with a Stratified Stage 2 tune with the accompanying modifications. Looking to go Stage 3 when my decatted downpipe arrives. It's an absolute joy to drive! But I have to say, that JCW sounds amazing!
I used to hate on automatic transmissions, saying I would only have one if I had no choice. Having driven the Clio Rs 220 trophy 2017, I retract my statement, and am picking one up on monday!
BFC Ricky You mean the MT215 kit which only ups the power to 212bhp, you would need the £1,995 MR230 kit to keep up lol. Stage 3 ha. Just remap the mini and boom you've got 300bhp....
Yeah and the repair bills. I drive an R27 as a daily and it costs a bomb when summut gives up on it and it's very hard to get our child in and out of the back.
I had the R27 and I can back you up there. The recaros were impossible and the ride was bone shatteringly hard. I swapped it for the 200 and that was even harder lol
Seriously? So, the only reason he likes the Ford better is because it is cheaper.... I thought this was about what car is most fun to drive??? Hands down it's the Mini. Way better materials and quality than the Ford and it will last a lot longer.
I don't get what they have done with the new Mini. The first new Mini looked really good, this looks like a small SUV that has been shrunk in the wash. Fiesta ST, yes please.
You don't have to go to the most expensive one, to get the feel and fun of a Mini. The Cooper S is good enough and has the great interior the other 2 cars can't touch and it handles corners really well, plus it is fun to drive.
disagree the R56 is right in with the old style... the only thing I notice is more body roll compared to my R50, no problem fixing that, I mean I got my R56 used for only 15...with 19000 miles so some money to spend
I test drove a polo gti before I bought my 2017 fiesta ST, and in every single way the fiesta was better, even overall the interior was because of the polo's dreadful seats
MrBillyboyroge As long as the cars are not compared you can't tell the Fiesta is the best. It's the best of the cars in the video. The 208 has been updated since its launch.
I bought my ST-2 Fiesta with the Mountune MP215 upgrade upon collection. Not that I have driven a std ST, I have to say the smile factor is immense. I have ordered the new Focus RS to replace my much loved Fiesta ST.
Great video, i reckon a manual mini would have been the winner, depending on weather the interior justifies the extra price, which in my opinion it does
You guys always forget the Ibiza Cupra!, own a 1.4 tsi Cupra 6j pre facelift! It outruns the st any day, dsg7 box is superb and the power delivery is incredible! The limited slip diff works superb and can throw it into any corner!, they've changed to the 1.8 turbo now but still heard the 1.4 tsi is much more fun even with its known problems! Give it a chance sometime!
like the new format guys. a last gen 200 cup clio will with recaros will do me fine, a bit too hardcore for everyday but then it's very cheap in the used market...
@carfection, Why didn't you include a 208GTi, the new one features LSD, more power and is a fantastic little car. More similar to the Fiesta than the Mini
i have an st2 with the mountune and it's the most fun I've had with any car. so much fun for the money. but nearly a year later I'm craving comfort and relaxation haha i still fear for my life everytime i decide to give it some though and that feeling is irreplaceable for such a cheap price
Really don't understand the jibes about the Clios gearbox. It's perfectly fine in auto and in manual mode. It's not exactly slow either on the upshifts or down shifts. The only thing I'd say, is in auto it holds on to gears to long
Well Chris Harris said they're both brilliant for different reasons. The Fiesta has a wonderful gearbox and feels more lively. The Clio has the better chassis. He couldn't name one over the other as the clear winner unless he did a comparison, which he never did. All in all it comes down to preference, you want a manual? Fiesta ST or 208 GTI. Auto? Clio RS.
+Dale Anthony van der Linde -- I've driven the clio 200 with the DCT and its slow to respond, gets easily confused and just feels lethargic. Its not a nice gearbox at all.
+Carfection I think the Mini will hold its value better though so looking at it 5 years from now, plus considering all the advantages, I would probably spend that extra bit of cash and get a more mature car.
+Carfection I gotta agree about the price. It's pretty easy to make a $40k JCW if you check of all 9 zillion available options. At the roughly $31k starting price there is a lot of track worthy competition although none with as much character or style (think Subaru, VW GTI). Once you get into the upper 30's then it would compete with the focus RS (which isn't sold in the US yet). MINI is a very capable track car but it's obviously not the fastest for the money. Perhaps that is why MINI is shooting more for "upscale" vs all out track performance. Also note that a simple intercooler upgrade and ecu flash can add significant power to it (although that can probably be said about most turbo'ed cars).
+Carfection what BMW/MINI should do for the JCW (or at least the next GP) is make it awd and tune the engine the same way it is tuned in the i8. If the i8 gets 228hp from the 3 cylinder version of the engine I bet the 4 cylinder could be a beast.
+SuperSayanFitness frankly, I agree with your assessment on Ford quality - 10 years ago. They are much better than they used to be. It's also obvious you have never visited the US if you think everyone drives fords, Cadillacs, and huge cars (maybe you're just jealous that our gasoline cost's less than two dollars a gallon right now). You also show your extreme ignorance and forwards financials. I don't see how you can say they're losing hundreds of thousands of dollars when they made over a $10 billion profit last year. Really, you are a disgraceful example of ignorant European snobbery. Before making outlandish claims you should do your homework.
I keep my Clio 3 RS 200 Cup : the last and one of the best NA/manual hot hatch ! It's not about numbers, it's about the sheer fun of a real "analogic" car.
Having test drove many hatches end of last year. I plumped for a fiesta st-3 in blue. It really is a great car. I also bought it on Black Friday securing £3k off list. My with change, I ordered the Mountune upgrade to 215 bhp for £500. Making this fast ford probably the fastest Bargain out there and be interested to see how it performs against its rivals figures now!!!
I would have really liked to also see the Seat Ibiza Cupra in this comparison and hear your opinion about it. I feel like the Seat is always forgotten... Is that because it cannot compare to the high levels of the competitors?
The only way the Fiesta would have been in trouble here is if you'd brought another car with a manual box. For people who want to drive, not be driven, it's the only solution. But you guys know that, the point is it was an entirely predictable outcome. Still don't know what Renault are thinking with that Clio either.
So, your complaint as to why the MINI didn't win (besides price... Which begs the question why include it in the first place) is the lack on engagement due to no manual. How about redoing the test with a manual MINI JCW. Compare like for like, eh?
+MrKeyboardCommando Cheap is of course always relative. Compared to a bag of crisps this car is not cheap, no. But compared to other new cars with similar performance it is actually cheap. Right now youre watching a show about new performance cars, so in this context the car is cheap...
Is it me or has the first reviewer been watching a little too much Richard Hammond? Anyway, not complaining as these are free to view and I appreciate how much time and effort goes into it.
You can use the stick instead of the paddles. You only don't have the clutch pedal. But well... it is more engaging the manual shift, but it also take you of the wheel... I think it is a matter of likes!
+Cornwall1888 True in a way. But it can easily become tasteless if it has too much weird airflow additions (e.g. new Civic type R) .. I prefer it a bit more reserved..
Ford nailed it with the Fiesta ST the only reason no RS version was made is because the Focus and any other performance Ford would have been whooped by the Fiesta having owned 2 focus rs mk2 1 focus rs mk 3 1 focus st now the Fiesta ST it's the Fiesta st which rules all on the road brilliant car future classic
Seems strange they'd market the 180HP figure when 197 is at the ready at virtually all times in the gears where full torque is delivered (3/4/5/6). If the European ST has an overboost function and it works the same way it works here, it only cuts the HP/torque after 20 seconds of continuous full throttle. If that happens, all you need to do is lift the throttle a bit and re-apply, and you've got your full HP/torque again for another 20 seconds. So for all intents and purposes, this car had the full power and torque available to it virtually the whole time they spent bombing it down these B-roads.
+DroverChicago you're exactly right! Though I think the overboost is available for 15 seconds. Even so, unless you're bombing it down the Mulsanne straight at Le Mans on a regular basis you're getting 197hp virtually all of the time.
Every so often I try and watch videos about new cars that are meant to be fun and exciting, I get why people like them but I got bored before the end of the fiesta review. I can't get excited about £17,000 cars like this because if I had £17,000 to spend on a car it would all be going on something like an Evo IX or maybe a well kept Supra. You can argue about running costs, but I'd rather eat out less to run those sort of performance cars. Also new cars are huge, look at the size of that 'Mini'.
