Drivetrain Looking to buy a new Mini...Need help in various areas...
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Neutral
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1
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Well, I seem to have fallen in love with the new Mini S. I plan to purchase one in about 8 months or so, and need some advice. What would you all suggest in terms of packages, wheels, etc? Also, I want to pump up the performance some time after I get it, so what would everyone suggest in terms of an intake, pulley,ECU, and exhaust? I just want bump it up a bit and MAYBE add some suspension parts as well. So, if you could give me some pointers, as well as where to view these parts, I would really appreciate it. One last thing...what seems to be the favorite color?? :smile:
Thanks for the help!
Brett
Thanks for the help!
Brett
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 227
Likes: 0
From: Rapid City Sd
There's hot debate on 16" vs 17" wheels (HP, weight!) The John Cooper Works MCS comes with 16"s...so my advice is to skip the sport package, stay with the 16"s and order the other sport pkge options that you want al a carte'.
4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 315
Likes: 0
From: Saratoga, CA
This really depends on what you want to use the car for. For me, I fell for the MINI's looks and performance of the MCS (there is something to be said for how good the MC looks though). What I was looking for as a fun, daily driver, that also had decent gas mileage. I also own an 2000 Mercedes E320 which is a nice car, but boring to drive except on family trips. Initially, I wanted both the premium and sport packages, but what was available with a minimum wait was a bone stock MCS (May '02). Car and Driver and Sport Compact Car mags recommended the base car, so I went for it. The 16" stock V Spokes and fairly light at 17.3 lbs., although the Dunlop "all season" SP5000's are at best mediocre IMHO, and too heavy. As soon as I grind them down a bit more I will probably get the Bridgestone S-03's.
After owning this car for almost a year and I am ready to add the pulley and ECU software, I am really happy with my decision for the stock version. I plan to do several driving schools this year as well. If you are looking for more comfort and style, the loaded versions are terrific. I would skip the sport package though and save the money and buy some decent tires and lightweight wheels. The premium package is pretty sweet with the sunroof, but if you are into performance driving, the weight of the sunroof is in exactly the wrong place. Bottom line, you cannot make a bad decision as these are fun cars to own and drive, and am still as excited about my car today as when I first bought it.
Cheers!
After owning this car for almost a year and I am ready to add the pulley and ECU software, I am really happy with my decision for the stock version. I plan to do several driving schools this year as well. If you are looking for more comfort and style, the loaded versions are terrific. I would skip the sport package though and save the money and buy some decent tires and lightweight wheels. The premium package is pretty sweet with the sunroof, but if you are into performance driving, the weight of the sunroof is in exactly the wrong place. Bottom line, you cannot make a bad decision as these are fun cars to own and drive, and am still as excited about my car today as when I first bought it.
Cheers!
6th Gear
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,831
Likes: 1
From: Phoenix, AZ
Remember, stock out of the box MCS will kick most cars butts on the road...so don't worry about hop-ups just yet. Pick out what's right for you. There's many threads on the MCO about surveys of the various options..like to sunroof or not to sunroof, 16" or 17", AutoAC or standard, HK or standard...etc.
OVERDRIVE - Racing Champion
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 15,262
Likes: 72
From: Mililani, Hawaii
WannabeMCS-
Welcome to MCO. There is no one answer to this. It is hard to decide sometimes on which factory options to choose and which upgrades to get.
In general the MCS is great out of the box and certainly some options are more popular than others. Go to the dealer and check out the ones you see so that you know what you will be getting. Since you are waiting about 8 months you will be ordering or buying a 2004 model and some things will be different than what is available now.
Colors- Chili Red, British Green, Dark silver, Pure silver are most commonly ordered and the two blues are very close. Then you need to choose roof color- black, white or body color- your choice- and wheel color- silver or white again your choice but white is harder to keep clean due to brake dust.
Factory options-
Cloth vs Leather upholstery- For the MCS the space cloth is not bad, if you like vinyl and easy cleaning then the leatherette is not bad. If you really like leather then black, lapis blue and maybe later cordoba brown will be available (not yet though).
Cold climate package- heated seats- good if you live in a place that is cold or if you like heated seats
Audio- I like the Harmon Kardon upgrade for $550. If you listen to the stock radio and like it then don't upgrade. If you like an easy good upgrade now then the HK is a good choice at a moderate price. If you are looking for an audiophile system and want to spend about $1500 to $3300 then just stick with the stock radio and upgrade later.
Wheels- I think the 16" stock X-lite wheels would be best but some people really like the 17" S-lites because they look good. The S-lites come with the sport package (which includes DSC, xenon lights, fog lights and bonnet stripe). The run flats are harsh riding and give moderate grip.
DSC- OK for safety but not so good for performance. Most people tend to turn it off when driving hard.
Sunroof- comes with the Premium package (along with trip computer, auto AC and AC micro filter, steering wheel controls, cruise control). The sunroof looks good but is heavy, sometimes will rattle (there is a velcro fix for this), robs a little headroom and lets in alot of sunlight and heat- it has only a 50% shade. Some people really like it though. The trip computer is not always so accurate in mpg. The other options in the premium package are OK.
Xenon lights- I like the Xenons alot. they are very bright and come with the headlight washers. I have the fog lights too but not much fog happens where I drive.- they are bright and work OK.
NAV- is a $1600 option that will move the large center speedo over to the steering column. Most people don't get this option unless they drive long trips or get lost
After market upgrades are very numberous with tons of opinions and options. Go to the sponsor directory and browse through a few sites and you will see many options. Some are more costly or have a different look. Go though the performance topics on MCO and ready through what people are saying. Everything you do has some effect- some more or less. Don't be in a rush to change everything. Drive the MCS stock for a while. Make a budget for upgrades and think about whether you want to enhance appearance or performance. Prioritize. Have fun. The MCS is a great car and hopefully the 2004 model will be better.
Welcome to MCO. There is no one answer to this. It is hard to decide sometimes on which factory options to choose and which upgrades to get.
In general the MCS is great out of the box and certainly some options are more popular than others. Go to the dealer and check out the ones you see so that you know what you will be getting. Since you are waiting about 8 months you will be ordering or buying a 2004 model and some things will be different than what is available now.
Colors- Chili Red, British Green, Dark silver, Pure silver are most commonly ordered and the two blues are very close. Then you need to choose roof color- black, white or body color- your choice- and wheel color- silver or white again your choice but white is harder to keep clean due to brake dust.
Factory options-
Cloth vs Leather upholstery- For the MCS the space cloth is not bad, if you like vinyl and easy cleaning then the leatherette is not bad. If you really like leather then black, lapis blue and maybe later cordoba brown will be available (not yet though).
Cold climate package- heated seats- good if you live in a place that is cold or if you like heated seats
Audio- I like the Harmon Kardon upgrade for $550. If you listen to the stock radio and like it then don't upgrade. If you like an easy good upgrade now then the HK is a good choice at a moderate price. If you are looking for an audiophile system and want to spend about $1500 to $3300 then just stick with the stock radio and upgrade later.
Wheels- I think the 16" stock X-lite wheels would be best but some people really like the 17" S-lites because they look good. The S-lites come with the sport package (which includes DSC, xenon lights, fog lights and bonnet stripe). The run flats are harsh riding and give moderate grip.
DSC- OK for safety but not so good for performance. Most people tend to turn it off when driving hard.
Sunroof- comes with the Premium package (along with trip computer, auto AC and AC micro filter, steering wheel controls, cruise control). The sunroof looks good but is heavy, sometimes will rattle (there is a velcro fix for this), robs a little headroom and lets in alot of sunlight and heat- it has only a 50% shade. Some people really like it though. The trip computer is not always so accurate in mpg. The other options in the premium package are OK.
Xenon lights- I like the Xenons alot. they are very bright and come with the headlight washers. I have the fog lights too but not much fog happens where I drive.- they are bright and work OK.
NAV- is a $1600 option that will move the large center speedo over to the steering column. Most people don't get this option unless they drive long trips or get lost
After market upgrades are very numberous with tons of opinions and options. Go to the sponsor directory and browse through a few sites and you will see many options. Some are more costly or have a different look. Go though the performance topics on MCO and ready through what people are saying. Everything you do has some effect- some more or less. Don't be in a rush to change everything. Drive the MCS stock for a while. Make a budget for upgrades and think about whether you want to enhance appearance or performance. Prioritize. Have fun. The MCS is a great car and hopefully the 2004 model will be better.
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