I am planning on buying a MCS. I actually have money down on one and am looking at a March build. After reading on this forum for a few days, I'm wondering if I should wait for the 05. I have heard rumors of a possible different transmision, some changes to the interior and exterior, and also they may address the stumple, gas mileage, and Yo yo problems with the 04. Any suggestions? I could wait until October or so, but I don't really want to. Straight between the 04 or 05, what would be the safer way to go? Are they making enough changes to the 05 that it may screw things up on the cooper? Need opinions.

 

AFIAK the trans change is for the 5spd MC only, not the MCS. Hopefully any "fixes" for the yoyo problem will be applicable to all years. The interior changes that I've seen are minor, and most could probably be retrofitted to an 04.

Do you like the 04 exterior? I do, and we got our car a couple weeks ago. Don't wait, buy now and enjoy it.

 

My vote is to go for the 04!

fwiw, my 04 MCS rarely displays the stumble and yo-yo problem - but it does happen occasionally. My mileage has not been great (20-23 MPG) because I enjoy keeping the revs up.

Depending on where you live and how many miles you put on it, you may be able to enjoy the 04 MCS for a year or so, sell it privately, then get the 05 version with little loss of money.

In any case, the 05 will probably have it's own set of idiosyncrasies.

Enjoy!