Thoughts anyone? For a couple of months I have had my sights set on an '05 MCS, test drove an '04 MCS, loved it! But now I am thinking....do I really need an 'S? I'm not going to race, it's going to be my daily driver, mix of backroads and and highway. I like the power of the 'S, but am I going to "use" it? I like the better gas mileage on the non 'S. I NEED HELP!!!! Thanks in advance!

 

Sounds like you have already decided on the regular Cooper for practicality reasons.

In fact, if you are going to race, the Cooper is more competitive in SCCA Solo II H-stock class than the MCS is in G-stock.

Either way, you are going to have great fun in either MINI!

Welcome to NAM!

 

>>Sounds like you have already decided on the regular Cooper for practicality reasons.
>>
>>In fact, if you are going to race, the Cooper is more competitive in SCCA Solo II H-stock class than the MCS is in G-stock.
>>
>>Either way, you are going to have great fun in either MINI!
>>
>>Welcome to NAM!

Thanks! NAM has been very informative...maybe too informative!

 

Even if you get the MCS and run it hard, your "green" side can still be comforted by the fact that you are not driving a big SUV!

Last weekend, I attended an autocross driving school and had the opportunity to test drive a regular Cooper and a MCS with the 200hp Cooper Works Package. I had great fun in both of them. I did not feel that the Works package made my MCS seem too wimpy, and the regular Cooper had plenty of get-up-and-go and was not a disappointment in the least.

 

This is an age-old question....goes back at least 2 years! In any case , you can have loads of fun in the Cooper. Just a matter of keeping the engine revved. It's never going to be an MCS, but I can get in plenty of trouble with it....

 

Even on the MCS, the acceleration is only 'acceptable' in stock form.

 

I chose a Cooper for similar reasons. Mine is a daily driver...mostly back roads and around town, some highway. Coopers are more than up to the task IMO. I can successfully scare passengers, other drivers, and EVEN myself (...all if I wanted to). Coopers offer plenty of spunk, especially @ around 3500-4000rpms. The secret is learning how to drive it.

I test drove a Cooper first and it was crazy-awesome. Then I test drove an MCS...I'm sure it had power to spare, but I couldn't find it...not where I could use it anyway. So I chose a Cooper. I like Cooper styling, too. See, IMO what thrills one about MINIs is the handling and that stiff ride. THAT'S what sets it apart. Other cars are faster....few handle like a MINI.

Gas mileage is important for me, too and would outweigh some of the performance gains of an MCS. I had a blast recently behind the wheel of my friend's JCW MCS. It was a thrill for sure, but then, going back to my Cooper, I was equally happy. Coopers are a bit lighter, and w/ my 15" wheels are very nimble.

Best of luck selecting. Remember, both are considered performance MINIs and both are fun to throw around (...or not. )

PS...I DID get sport seats!!!!

_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

>>I chose a Cooper for similar reasons. Mine is a daily driver...mostly back roads and around town, some highway. Coopers are more than up to the task IMO. I can successfully scare passengers, other drivers, and EVEN myself (...all if I wanted to). Coopers offer plenty of spunk, especially @ around 3500-4000rpms. The secret is learning how to drive it.
>>
>>I test drove a Cooper first and it was crazy-awesome. Then I test drove an MCS...I'm sure it had power to spare, but I couldn't find it...not where I could use anyway. So I chose a Cooper. I like Cooper styling, too. See, IMO what thrills one about MINIs is the handling and that stiff ride. THAT'S what sets it apart. Other cars are faster....few handle like a MINI.
>>
>>Gas mileage is important for me, too and would outweigh some of the performance gains of an MCS. I had a blast recently behind the wheel of my friend's JCW MCS. It was a thrill for sure, but then, going back to my Cooper, I was equally happy. Coopers are a bit lighter, and w/ my 15" wheels are very nimble.
>>
>>Best of luck selecting. Remember, both are considered performance MINIs and both are fun to throw around (...or not. )
>>
>>PS...I DID get sport seats!!!!
>>
>>_________________
>>'03 IB/W Cooper

I had heard that the sport seats were a definite! Your reasoning is very much what I am thinking. It's the handling that I want, as well as the peppy-ness. Realistically, I would have very little chance to use the "power" of the MCS, I just want to make sure that the MC will be powerful enough. Of course, I drive an old Volvo wagon now, so, anything will most likely be better!

 

>> Of course, I drive an old Volvo wagon now, so, anything will most likely be better!

 

The MCS is for old gits having a mid life crisis.....the sensible car is the Cooper. both are a blast.

 

>>The MCS is for old gits having a mid life crisis.....the sensible car is the Cooper. both are a blast.

Mid Life Crises - heck I'm in my second one.

You nailed it for me. (I'm 63) I have a MCS and I drive it hard (shift point is always above 5000 RPM - have been stopped twice in one day by police to give you an idea.

I get 25 MPG and love it. From Las Vegas to San Diego I got 27.6 MPG at an AVERAGE speed of 63.6 MPH for 495.5 miles.

Earl

 

MC or MCS, you can’t go wrong. The 165 plus HP of the MCS in no way puts this in the “super car” category. The handling of both is far superior to anything on the road in any class or price. I would say evaluate your needs and choose the one right for you, but choose ONE if you want the most fun on the road.

 

I totally agree with pocketrocketowner....my MCS was for my mid-life crises!

 

Oh what to buy? I have both a 02 MC and a 04 MCS, the S is faster and there is no dead zone if your not up on the revs between 3500&4000, the MC consistantly gets 32.7 mpg, where as the S gets 25 if you don't have your foot in it. Driving on the straights both are the same, when it gets hilly and you have up hill low speed curves the MC's motor MUST be stirred, or you have to drop down 1 or 2 gears where as the S is just stomp it, in what ever gear your in.They are both great little cars to drive and either one will bring a smile to your face whenever you drive.

 

folio is right....I probably do stir the gears a bit I guess, but then again, for me that's a big part of the fun! I hadn't thought about it, but we really don't have a lot of big hills around here. Also, its true that for people who want to to pursue performance mods, MCS's do seem to have more offerings on the market. You can tweak a Cooper here and there if you want, but so far mine in bone stock. (performance-wise)

Another interesting thing....getting up to highway speeds. I can easily get up to 80 in fourth gear. I use fifth almost as an overdrive for cruising. If I need to punch it for some reason (passing), I downshift to fourth and I'm gone! Again...its that stirring the gears thing.

_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

I have a 03 MCS and love the car. I drove a Cooper once and thought it was a blast to drive but for me I wanted the extra power of the S.

You can't go wrong with either one.

 

>>I have a 03 MCS and love the car. I drove a Cooper once and thought it was a blast to drive but for me I wanted the extra power of the S.
>>
>>You can't go wrong with either one.
>>
>>
RACE ALL of you....particularly the Coopers

 

I have both, '02 Cooper CVT and '04 MCS. The CVT, properly driven, is a scary fast machine since the CVT accelerates countinously without any shifting points. To me the Cooper handles just a little better because its lighter in the front end. We have taken our Cooper on over 5,000 miles worth of roadtrips over mountains, hills, curvy roads, straight out flats and have never ever had an issue about passing power and acceleration. During our last road trip to South Carolina from Florida (1,600 miles roundtrip), our CVT delivered 37-40 MPG in the highway at speeds in the 70 to 80MPH range...can't beat it!. We have 21,700 miles on our CVT and not a single problem!

I love my '04 MCS. It has loads and loads of power and since it has so much more low end torque (Compared to the Cooper) take offs while not necessarily faster do feel stronger but where the MCS really shines is in the upper engine powerband where the Supercharger works its magic and the car simply is eager to deliver more power at higher speeds where the Cooper would need to be wound up even more and perhaps not offer the same kind of punch.

The Getrag 6-speed gearbox is awesome and has a sports cars feel to it...firm but precise and the level of clutch pedal effort is very low IMO....an absolute pleasure even in stop and go traffic. The Cooper S feels more substantial as it is tuned much more as a driver's car. Firmer SS+ suspension, dual center exhaust, reinforced engine pistons, oil cooler jets, sequential fuel injection, eaton Supercharger, intercoler, 48HP more and more torque (Plus beefier front and rear stabilizer bars) make the S an absolute bargain at a mere $3K more over a stock Cooper. My MCS currently delivers 24-25MPG in strict city driving with the A/C on. I have 5,500 miles on my 5 and a half month '04 MCS and not a single problem either. I attribute the troublefree operation and great gas mileage of my MINIs due to the strict following of break in procedures. When both were just bought, I drove them like a grandmother for thier first 1,250 miles...now I am enjoying excellent reliability and outstanding gas mileage.


Both Cooper and Cooper S are mighty fun but are slightly different cars in their own right. Can't go wrong picking one over the other. It is up to you to determine what your everyday driving priorities, environments, needs/wants are and what can your pocket book can really sustain in terms of price at time of purchase. Remember that if you get a Cooper you can always upgrade later on to a MCS

 

FWIW, I like taking S owners for a drive in my Cooper who are surprised to find my baby is all stock. No exhaust, no intake, but heck I'm shifting at 5,500 and 6,000 RPM and having a blast. The Cooper is a great car. You can take it easy and get great gas mileage, or go all out and still do better than an MCS (in terms of MPG). Of course, the most fun I have is driving solo. The extra weight of a passenger is probably more noticeable on a Cooper than an S. Then I drive in 3rd on the express way at 70mph and wooooo boy does it accelerate!

 

You guys are all incredibly helpful! I'm just going to have to test drive the Cooper and re-test drive the 'S, and see which one says "buy me". Thanks very much for all of your input!

 

>>You guys are all incredibly helpful! I'm just going to have to test drive the Cooper and re-test drive the 'S, and see which one says "buy me". Thanks very much for all of your input!








Get on a freeway on ramp on both of them. Shift them both at 5700-5800 RPM. Watch out for cops.........

 

It's nice to see very positive posts about the Cooper in this thread. I thought it'd be pretty one-sided, toward the S. I chose a Cooper over an S a year and a half ago for economy reasons and am not sorry that I did. Sure it'd be fun to have more power, especially on the highway, but the Cooper is still a blast. Sport seats are a must and SS+ suspension is also worth considering (but you could get an S rear sway bar cheaply if you want it more nuetral and save almost $500).

 

Howdy all,

I'm also in this camp. Gonna be hitting Classic Mini here near Cleveland in a couple of weeks once I get my deposit money. I want an S but I'm still debating MC also. My build is basically pretty simple, but my concern is the sport package for the MC. It's cool that it comes with 16" wheels, which I like a lot, but come out fitted with performance tires, which would really suck in Ohio's winters. Any suggestions that don't involve changing the tires right away? I'm not trying to be deilberately cheap, but I'm on a budget for the most part.

I'll be test driving them both, but my leaning to the MCS has a lot to do with the Getrag tranny, and the extra grunt of course.

Color me confused, but excited also.

Off to the configurator.

 

I auto-x'd my Cooper yesterday for the first time...it was an absolute blast. I was the only Cooper there, think there were 7 MCS's there. It was awesome, just being able to see where my car loses control was great. Bottom line, I'm still a happy Cooper owner after almost 2 years....

 

It's so nice of all of you to have started a thread on a topic that was bothering me all weekend.

I definitely wanted a JCW MCS, but after joining NAM only a week ago, and looking throught the Moss Mini catalog for the umpteenth time, I too am beginning to wonder about the advantages of an MC vs an MCS, never mind JCW.

So, to put a twist on the initial question, can you get an MC up to ~165 bhp, still be driveable on the street and cost less than an equivalent MCS.

If that's possible, what about ~200 bhp with the same driveability requirements but for less than the cost of the JCW package. I'm a little disapointed in MiniUsa that they have the cost of the JCW package on their configurator, but it doesn't include installation. What? I'm going to put it in myself and warranty it myself? That's like getting an MCS instead of an MC and having the dealer charge us to put the super charger on. :evil:

thougths?