I can't decide between an MC and MCS. 95% of my driving is done in the city toting two kids around (have done three test drives and they fit fine!). The gas mileage and quieter/slightly smoother ride are appealing with the MC but I want to be able to squirt out of the way quickly if someone does a stupid maneuver on the freeway (or elsewhere). I currently have a '02 VW Golf which has 115hp and seems to have enough power for me. However, test driving the MC right after the MCS made it seem a little anemic. Advice?

 

in my opinion, either mini would have been fine with me.

My driving in the city has really shown on stiff the MCS suspension is. At times I dare say its really uncomfortable. Driving around the local town isnt all that enjoyable either due to the shortened shift ratio for 05+ MCS.

I hear the standard Mini has a more comfortable ride withstanding the gokart handling. The power may not be there but alas, the days of v8's and oodles of gasoline are glories of yesteryear.power isnt everything. you can get respectable performance with a manual transmission. I cant say the same for an auto. If speed isnt your primary decision, a standard MINI is the ticket for ya...

 

If it is any help, I drive a 2003 MCS and my wife drives a 2006 MC with the CVT auto transmission. Obviously the two cars are VERY different, but I love driving both of them.

My wife's Cooper is MUCH more pleasant to be in. It's softer suspension and quieter disposition makes for a much smoother ride. It can still get up and go when needed and I have never really felt that it was underpowered in any normal situation.

Of course, my MCS is faster, but it is a much bumpier and louder ride and when we go somewhere together we usually take her Cooper instead of my MCS.

 

I think just getting a MC will be fine. If you feel the need though for that extra oomph then go for the MCS. But since you will be carrying your children in it, the MC will probably suit your needs.

 

I went back and forth on this issue for months before deciding on my '06 MC. $$$$ were not an issue, although in fairness I have a "fast" (relatively) Audi TT, which made the choice a little easier. But for my needs and the way I drive, the '06 Cooper has worked out really well - I stayed light (holeys, no sunroof, etc.) and the way the car is geared, it is quite quick enough. Tank in and out, I avg. about 30mpg, which is very nice these days. Speaking of gearing, the getrag 5sp is such that in top gear you're turning about 3500 or 3600 rpm @ 70 - being used to a 6sp in the audi (which you have in the MCS), I thought that might bother me, but the Cooper engine is so smooth that the higher rpms don't bother me at all, and you don't have to downshift to keep accelerating. I stayed with the standard suspension, because I planned on going aftermarket later on. I've been very pleasantly surprised at how smooth the ride is - to the point that if & when I do mess with the spring/shock setup I'm leaning toward KoniFSD & Hsport so as not to screw it up. Overall, the car is great fun to drive and more "livable" than I thought the MCS would be from test drives.

 

I have never had any trouble at all in my 5sp MC squirting out of the way of anyone on the freeway, or merging in from an onramp. Averaged 30mpg since it was new. Never had anything wrong or broken. Standard Sport suspension, very comfortable around town or on long trips. Great car. The only time I wish I had a MCS is when the M3's blow by me on the track. As a daily driver, you can't go wrong with a Cooper. Get the 5sp, not the CVT. My humble opinion.

 

I also give my vote for the MC. I went back and forth as well, but finally decided on the MC due to the smoother ride. I find her to have plenty of pep and the handling is amazing. I like the better mileage and, actually, prefer the clean line of the hood to that of the MCS. My two cents as well.

 

The difference for me was that I wanted an automatic and have read too many stories about CVTs going bad and costing $7000+ to replace, so I chose the MCS with it's 6 speed auto box.

 

I'm on my second MINI and went with the Cooper both times, I defy anyone ,except the most advanced drivers with racing experience, to be able to tell the difference in day to day city street driving, as far as handling, and the 15" all season tires give you a performance and ride advantage over the 16 and 17" runflats.

The 5 spd gearing in the '06 has it all over the '02 I had and now seems just perfect for city driving, once you get used to it, if in the proper gear, the Cooper "jumps" when you ask it to. Standing starts are virtually the same until the supercharger kicks in, which almost never happens in city driving unless you are breaking the law...easy enough to do in the Cooper

 

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...!!!

SO YOU WON'T HEAR YOURSELF SAYING.."I SHOULD HAVE....."

 

It really was a no brainer for me to get a MC... The S is too 'hard' for me... I don't like the roughness of the ride and I prefer better gas mileage over more horsepower... I'm a handling guy, not a horsepower guy! Money was partial an issue, but not the primary one.

Then there were the little things that I liked about the MC, such as the battery being up front, a spare tyre, the oil checker thing being at the front as opposed to on the side, and then other minor things like the orange indicator lights as opposed to white, chrome front grill without having to pay extra, red inside reflector things instead of whatever colour the S's are, and being able to have no spoiler at all.

I think in the end it's just a personal choice, and only you can decide!

 

Okay, I'll throw my 2 cents in.

I bought a Cooper. I had test driven an S and a Cooper. I did like the acceleration of the S, but the Cooper had many other advantages for me.

I wanted a chrome grill - standard on the Coop and extra on the S, and only then with an exterior chrome trim package that I didn't want.

I don't like the scoop for the supercharger. Can't get rid of it on the S.

I wanted the 5-spoke wheels - not available on the S.

Fog lights are included in the sport package on the Cooper, another extra $$ option on the S.

The Cooper is more, um, civilized in day to day driving. It handles great, but is smoother overall than the S, which can be jarring on anything other than very smooth roads.

Gas mileage is about 4 mpg better with the Cooper. It takes power and fuel to run a supercharger. With my K&N 57i induction system I am getting better acceleration _and_ better gas mileage (when I'm not mashing the go-pedal to hear that intake howl). =o)

I got run-flats _and_ a spare with the Cooper. There is no room under there for a spare on the S, with its different exhaust system.

Top gear in both the 5-speed of the Cooper and the 6-speed of the S contain the same ratios, so that in top gear in both cars you are turning the same engine speeds at the same road speeds. The extra gear of the S allows you to more easily find the right gear to be in the engine's powerband that much more often.

The Cooper is about $2k less than an S, base price.

Zip

 

ive got an 06 s. I test drove both. I liked both about equally. However if you are right now making comments about wanting a little more oomph and if that is honestly a concern to you at all then the cooper s with non runflats is probobly a better choice in my mind.

I mean there are a whole host of positives for the cooper being the soft ride and smoothness, but it sounds in your original statement you wanted a comprimise. Well i think imo that would be the s with some nice tires to soften it up and you are g2g.

 

I love my Cooper!

I live 47 miles one way from work so the best choice for me was the Cooper to get the better gas mileage. On a average, I am getting between, 34-40 mpg. Trust me the 40 was rare. But, I drive all highway too. He is very basic, 5-speed, no sunroof, 15" wheels. Personally, I didnt need the S. But, to each is his own.

Plus, with the S, I am afraid I would have had another investment "A RADAR DETECTOR!"

 

I have an '03 MC CVT AND an '06 MCSa. I am the only driver for each. I LOVE both and each has its own special niceties, as stated in the above posts. I've heard of the CVT problems and my MC has just over 30k right now. Am I worried? No...it depends on what you want out of a car, I think. I've tracked the MC 4 times and have taken it to the Dragon 3. It has performed superbly. I do not fear interstate driving and its general "whiptastic" handling beats raw power anytime. I average around 34 mpg with my Cooper.

The S is a different car, and I'll ditto what has been stated above except for one thing. My wife claims the S rides softer than the Cooper. I'm adding a lot of things to the S that the Cooper will never have. It remains to be seen if I'll still avg. 30 mpg when all the mods are on, but that's what I get right now. The S will have seen the track 4 times this summer and will "slay the Dragon" in October.

For city and local driving, though, you just cannot beat a Cooper, IMHO.

One more thing. While everyone knows about the speed of the S and some want to dispair about the "slow" Cooper, why have I been stopped twice in the Cooper but not once in the S?

 

Being an 03 MCS owner, I might be biased.
I made my decision on the S because I have driven the nonS and found it a bit lacking in power for the highway. The ride is fine by me, because the roads are pretty smooth and well maintained in the area that I live in. Another big reason is becuase I live in Toronto, and I don't live downtown. ALL the roads are straights, so I thought I might need more power. And I use the highway a lot.
However, I have to say that I probably wouldn't be unhappy in a regular MC. But another thing that the MCS appealed to me was its tunability. If I got the MC, sure, I can chip it and stuff... but I would not get much gains without spendin insane amount of money. In the MCS, it seems easier to upgrade the power of the car.
Well

 

While I agree with everything else you said, I do want to correct you on this. The sport package includes front fog lamps for both the MC and the MCS.

 

S is nice.

throw the AC on on the MC and you are gonna wish you had the S.

MiniBull

 

Not when and where I bought mine (Feb '05).

Zip

 

I own both:

'02 Cooper CVT
'05 MCS Hardtop 6 speed manual.

Love both!

The CVT is a smoother car in the city and the 15" Continental Contitach radials and the standard sport suspension offer a decent mix of comfortable, supple ride and good handling. The CVT is a very good transmission and it manages engine power fairly well. never felt like the car was short on power when needed most.

However....

The '05 MCS 6-speed is also a fairly smooth car as long as you stick with the standard factory supplied 16" V-spoke rims and Dunlop SP5000 runflats. The tires come in size 195/55/R16. The taller side wall will provide better cushioning against road imperfections, much better than any of the optional 17"-18" tires with much lower sidewall profiles. People that complaint of harsh riding quality in the MCS often saddle their cars with 17" 205/45/R17 runflats. Those babies do transmit more harshness to the cabin than the taller sidewall 16's.

I personally do not find the MCS punishing in citiy driving but the MC CVT will still be a smoother city conmmuter car.

Now, if you are going to do a fair share of highway driving, then the MCS is the better choice. Why?

1) Instant power for passing and general eagerness of the engine to provide smooth power delivery at higher RPM's

2) The MCS 6-speed manual (And I pressume the MCSa) is much better geared for highway cruising (Better fuel economy and less engine noise) than the gearing in the MC 5-speed (The CVT is very wel geared for highway cruising). The MC 5-speed i believe runs at nearly 4K RPM in 5th gear. I don't think that makes for very comfortable freeway cruising. This is a reason why next year MINI will make 6-speed manual transmissions standard equipment accross the board.

So to resume:

Strict urban driving = MC

Mix urban and mostly freeway driving = MCS wins hands down.

Hope this helps confuse your mind even more LOL!

 

I speak from experience when I say get the MCS. I just returned my MC CVT for an MCS. I was lucky South Bay MINI had one in stock with packages I liked (Premium and sport) so I left with it. The MC was way underpowered, something I couldn't experience on my test drive. Living in LA and commuting through the thick of heavy traffic made me think that an auto and lighter engine would help save gas and be much more conveinient, but I was wrong. Often I would find myself using the manual mode to shift, only to be left wanting more. I only had her for 2 1/2 months, but that was long enough. I can't wait to re-break in this one, too bad I didn't get it the first time around.

 

The current manual trannies both 5- and 6-speeds, have the same final drive ratio in top gear, resulting in equal engine speed at any given cruising speed. The 6-speed of the S just has an extra gear to play with, allowing more ratios for keeping the car 'in the zone' - a good thing. Earlier cars (pre-'05?) had different trannies, possibly with different final drive ratios.

Zip

 

As has been stated, it depends what you want the car to do. The Cooper is a great car, but so is the S. Each has its own plusses...and negatives. I started "way back when" with a '59 Morris Mini Minor. Talk about a lack of power.... The Cooper CVT seemed sooo much more powerful...and it is, as long as you do not expect it to be an S. But the Cooper corners really well.... As stated before, I have both, and love driving both....

 

My MCS gives me the power to get out of freeway squeezies. I hate to be misunderstood by large trucks etc who act like I'm not there. I prefer to have the power to save myself and my loved ones from tight spots that aren't my making.

 

I have a 2006 S a with 6 speed auto that was just delivered. I too drove both the standard Cooper and the S and really didn't notice a whole lot difference in the ride. I do agree the S is stiffer, but like previous replies stated, the ride is nice on smooth roads. I've only had the car 2 weeks, but the more I drive it, the more I enjoy the ride. I like the go-cart feel it has, hey, we're buying the car mainly for that reason anyway, right. Buy a Civic if you want a smoother, but dull ride.