im sure this question has been asked many times, but since i am new here i would like to get the opinions of the people who have driven both. i have driven a used '03 MCS and i love the way it feels. i haven't driven a regular Cooper yet, but i just want to get a feel for what others think. i would use the car for commuting to work and school. i am selling my '69 Chevelle right now, so i would be coming out of something with more than enough power and i am afraid the a regular Cooper wouldn't be enough. any input would be great!!

 

They each have a place, for around town the cooper is good and can be modified to really preform. the S has the extra HP and can be pumped up a bit more than the cooper its really what your looking for. I would drive both, I did, I liked the S more but thats me. I have friends who have a cooper and love it. you just have to decide if the extra $$ on the front end and the extra $$ you can spend making it faster is what your looking for.

 

make sure to really look at them also

they do not look the same - lots of cosmetic differences.

you might prefer one look over the other

 

>> i am selling my '69 Chevelle right now, so i would be coming out of something with more than enough power and i am afraid the a regular Cooper wouldn't be enough. any input would be great!!

It all depends, if your '69 Chevelle is a 250 or 307, the MC might be enough, If its a 350 or 396, well then, you'd be better off in a MCS.

 

Test drive both.

 

There are other threads on this subject, use the search funtion (click Search towards the top left of this forum).

 

I chose the S because of the supercharger and the cosemetic differences between the two. I love the look of the hood with the scoop, while others don't. I felt that the extra 3 grand or so was worth it for everything that you get with the S. The only option I got was the Xenon lights, so my S was probably cheaper than a lot of regular MINI's out there with all of the packages and options avaliable. It's pretty much just a matter of what you want, good luck

 

I bought a Cooper because I wanted to keep the cost down. I haven't driven an MCS but I'm sure I'd love it as I do my Cooper. For me, making it to 60 in 1-1.5 seconds less time wasn't very important, but staying under $20,000 with the Premium Pack and a few other options was.

I also own a 69 Chevelle. It's a Malibu 2-door hardtop with a stock 350. It's got 58,000 miles and is all original. I like the Malibu a lot but needless to say the Coopers a lot more fun to drive.

I'm happy with my Cooper.....but, I didn't drive an MSC prior to buying it. Now I'm not going to drive an MCS, at least for a couple of years, because I'm all out of toy car money. :smile: :smile:

R.E.

 

I have both, a Cooper CVT (2002) and a new 7 week old '04 Cooper S. Both are fantastic cars and have slightly different personalities. The Cooper CVT feels lighter and seems to take the twists with a bit more of eagerness than the MCS. The Cooper weighs less than the S. The Cooper CVT is pretty peppy and the transmission is a technological wonder, not your regular slushbox by any stretch of the imagination. The Cooper CVT is a comfy around town car gets you to point A to point B with no fuss but with lots of fun.

The Cooper S feels more lively from the get go because the Supercharged engine is torquier than the regular aspirated Cooper engine. The Getrag 6-speed manual gearbox is an absolute delight and the clutch is easy to engage and provides excellent feedback. The 1.6L Supercharged engine is incredibly powerful and smooth at all speeds but where it feels at home is in the open highway. The car has lotsa power in the upper range and accelerates effortlessly at speeds over 60 MPH. I love the supercharger whine, the excellent handling of the SS+ suspension and generally the more "Sports Car" persona of the MCS.


Both are wonderful automobiles. If you are into modding your car and juicing out the performance you'll be happier in the Cooper S because of increased aftermarket support and the degree of flexibility provided by the Supercharged engine.

If you don't care about having 163 horses under the bonnet (With the possibility of going above 200HP with mods), then you'll find the Cooper to be the perfect balance for your everyday driving needs.


It is a tough call. I am lucky to be able to own and enjoy both, but my suggestion is to test drive all models (Cooper 5-speed, CVT and Cooper S) extensively before making a decision. Perhaps you can look into renting a Cooper one weekend and then a Cooper S another weekend. It is expensive to rent these cars but when it comes to plunk $20K for one of these gems, the cost of renting one before ordering seems well woth it to me.


Enjoy and good luck!

 

I bought the S and I wouldnt have it any other way. Besides, nothing is a better defense for the "It's so cute" statement then a "Yeah, and it's supercharged" follow up

 

If you are concerned about the "ocassional" CUTE comments, then buy a Hummer. Most people are totally unaware of the differences between the Cooper and Cooper S.

 

Personally (putting price aside for the moment), if you were to buy a stick or manual, go for the S.

If you prefer the ease of automatic in a traffic jam, or is not a motor crazy nut like most people here, you may find the standard Cooper enough.

Quality wise they are just as good and you would not feel inferior in a standard Cooper. City jamming drives me mad and I wish for a stick/auto button in my car .

 

Seriously, though, don't overlook the CVT. It's a blast because depending on how you feel like driving on a particular day, there's a mode for it. D if you feel relaxed and just want to get from "a" to "b." Then there is SD (sport drive--shift selector to right) that gives added pep for a sportier feel (not to mention a nicer full bodied turbine engine sound). An if you really feel like getting into it, go with the Manual shift mode. Here you can select gears manually w/o a clutch.

Truly, I love the CVT because it has the ultimate benefit of versatility. Just my two cents.

 

I think if you are going to use the MINI in city traffic and for commuting then the MC is just fine. Save the $3000 more for the MCS and get some lightweight wheels and non runflat tires. Just option the cheapest stock wheels you can.

Here are more threads (simple search of MC vs MCS in MINITALK) that have many good points:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=10050

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=10385

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=13929

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=14250

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...mp;topic=16723

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...amp;topic=9511

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...amp;topic=9061

And many many more. Read them all.

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ALOHA