From what I have read here and at other sites, it seems that way. I have the standard 04 model with lots of options. CVT was a requirement so I never considered the S but would have liked the extra get-up and go. So far, I have had zero problems with my Mini The most fun I've had since my '69 VW Bug.

_________________
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." rz

 

I've had no major problems in 17 months of motoring with my S. In fact, I've only had one annoyance and that wasn't even S specific, the power steering fan's fuse would blow, causing the radiator cooling fans' fuses to go out in sympathy (poor design, corrected under warranty).

 

I own both, a '02 CVT and a '04 MCS. The '02 CVT has been extremely reliable (21,600 miles) but I have experienced some minor "first year" bugs with it. But otherwise the car has been extremely dependable and solid.

My six month old '04 MCS has been rock solid as well. I have 5,600 miles in it and the car hasn't been back to the dealer for any kind of repair work in all that time. To me, the '04 MINIs are so much more solid and better put together than the first year '02 samples, so it goes to show the constant improvements these cars are receiving at the point of manufacture.

I am very happy with both. If I were you I would keep the CVT and get the S. Both of these cars are fantastic.

 

My dealer told me that they're going to make a CVT Cooper S with paddle shifters. I haven't heard about it here or on motoringfile.com, though, so maybe for 2006?

 

>>My dealer told me that they're going to make a CVT Cooper S with paddle shifters. I haven't heard about it here or on motoringfile.com, though, so maybe for 2006?

I heard this also from what I consider to be a very reliable source. I am not sure but I was told to expect a MCS equipped with a CVT transmission by January 2005...

 

Forgive my ignorance but what are paddle shifters?

 

Paddle shifters are controls on the steering wheel that allow you to shift without taking your hands off the wheel. They were first used on race cars. Very cool!

I have not heard of anyone saying that the S had more problems than the Cooper. Sure, there is some added complexity in the drivetrain because of the supercharger, but superchargers are usually very solidly built and rarely have problems.

 

so far my 8k mile MCS performs quite well without problems. :smile:

 

>>From what I have read here and at other sites, it seems that way. I have the standard 04 model with lots of options. CVT was a requirement so I never considered the S but would have liked the extra get-up and go. So far, I have had zero problems with my Mini The most fun I've had since my '69 VW Bug.
>>
>>_________________
>>"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." rz

Yes, the supercharger belt falls off every other week. jk

I think I'd need a basis for comparison. I only have an S.

 

Actually the S transmission is built better than the standard cooper transmission (less problems reported with the MCS 6 speed Getrag unit vs. the Midlands gear standard 5 speed unit). Per Motoringfile and other sources, a 5 speed Getrag unit will become standard kit on 2005 Coopers, so I would think it's on par with the 6 speed unit...

The MCS is a bit more complicated, engine wise, but that is due to the supercharger. However, the MCS engine is also changed internally a little bit with beefier internals, so it is designed just as well.

 

>>My dealer told me that they're going to make a CVT Cooper S with paddle shifters. I haven't heard about it here or on motoringfile.com, though, so maybe for 2006?


CVT = Constantly Variable Transmission........paddle shifter are exactly for.....????

 

9,759 miles on my 2004 MCS with no troubles except v36 software upgrade. Car is tight as a drum with no rattles or loose parts coming off. Read this quote from Mini itself..

"Ideas from employees at BMW Group's Oxford plant, home of MINI, have saved £10.5 million in the past two years following the factory's ongoing commitment to BMW Group's strategy of Continuous Improvement Process (CIP).
Every employee at the plant is set a target of implementing three ideas a year to improve the business. 11,064 ideas were put into practice from a total of 14,333 submitted in 2003, an 80 per cent implementation rate. The suggestions ranged from simple things such as saving unnecessary paper through to more complex engineering solutions to improve production processes like the development of a new overhead assister to enable equipment to be fed through the MINI bodyshell as it moves through the paint shop.

A 'Working in Groups' initiative, part of a wider programme of change management, has created more than 200 teams of between eight and 15 people each with the power to tackle a range of production issues. Each month, the production line is stopped for 90 minutes to allow the teams to put forward new ideas and review plans to implement existing suggestions.

Commenting on the CIP strategy, Dr Tony Heiss, managing director of the Oxford plant, said: "I am very pleased with the results achieved which exceeded the plant's 2003 target. We have moved away from a strongly directive management style to a much more autonomous team working approach. This places the achievement of plant improvement targets directly into the hands of our employees and has made a real difference to the business."

Savings of over £43 million were achieved in 2003 from similar CIP schemes throughout BMW Group's global production network of 24 production plants located in 15 different countries."

 

MCS here, '03 model delivered June 03, now with 18K miles on the clock. My car reverted to "limp home mode" once at about 5K miles, and an engine wiring harness replacement solved it. No problems at all, since. Also, I've had excellent service from my local dealer.

Two of my co-workers drive MINI Coopers, one 5-speed and one with the CVT. They, too, love their MINIs.

 

I've had all three models of the MINI. The MC, MC CVT and the MCS. All were 2002 models and the MCS was the most trouble free of the bunch. The Coopers had lots of problems that ranged from engine management to suspension problems.