Hello,
I am looking to buy MINI. I test drove both the mc and mcs and, I knew this was the car for me before I left the parking lot. I have read a lot of posts discussing various problems and advantages of both cars. What worries me most are the tales of service experiences at the dealers. My questions are: mc or mcs is one more reliable/problematic? Any bad news/good news about Crown Mini Richmond, VA? If mcs puresilver/blk or dk silver?blk?

any advice appreciated!

 

Both are awesome. I think the Cooper woluld be
the one if you fear speeding tickets. It is very difficult
to drive an S slowly. Seriously. I've had both....and not
that the Coop isn't fast enough but the S craves a leadfoot.
Welcome to NAM.

 

>>Both are awesome. I think the Cooper woluld be
>>the one if you fear speeding tickets. It is very difficult
>>to drive an S slowly. Seriously. I've had both....and not
>>that the Coop isn't fast enough but the S craves a leadfoot.
>>Welcome to NAM.

turbo a cooper then you wont be saying that.

but i do get what your sayin

 

NAM dealer reviews for Crown MINI

 

Thanks for the link

 

For whatever it's worth (since I'm not a silver guy) but I'd go for the lighter silver if you are going for the black top...the dark silver won't give you quite the contrast you may be looking for.

As far as MC or MCS. Before I drove them I just assumed MCS. I had a 1990 VW cabrio with the same horsepower and I regretted buying such a lame car. I drove the the MCS and it seemed fine. Just before I gave them my deposit however I asked to drive a MC. I really needed to know if the $3,500 difference was worth it- and there are design aspects of the MC that I actually like better. Long story short- I actually liked the MC better for its low gear quickness around town. I came to the conclusion that I would rarely, if ever, drive the car in a mannner where it was going to make a difference. I put the $3,500 into options like sunroof, leather etc.

 

I have both......Cooper CVT and MCS. Both are awesome cars, so you simply can't go wrong either way. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send me a private message. I love to help prospective MINI buyers in deciding which models and options to choose.

 

Welcome mini904! MCS. (Just more aggressive. You will
hear "Cute Car!" 45% less often than with the MC.)
Dark Silver. (Also aggressive, less plastic looking.)

Godspeed.

 

They are both great cars. Assuming you want the car in stick. Of course it you want the CVT, you're only choice would be the base model.

I my opinion, I think the MCS is a better choice. You get a lot more performance for the extra 3K, plus you can always add a pulley or the JCW package if you want to make it faster.

To me it doesn't make sense to get the base Mini unless you plan on keeping it stock. If you add an exhaust, intake, etc. to a stock Mini you'd be getting very close to the price of an MCS anyway, and the MCS would have a lot more performance that a modded Mini would have.

Both are fun cars, you can't go wrong with either one.

RaceCarDriver

 

FWIW - I haven't had my car called cute in some time. Cool is the term I hear more....

 

If you add an exhaust, intake, etc. to a stock Mini you'd be getting very close to the price of an MCS anyway, >>

You can do a whole lot more than an intake and exhaust and still not reach the extra cost of an mcs, but both are great cars.

 

Thanks for your responce. I am leaning toward the mcs. I am somewhat concerned about reliability; more mechanicals to go wrong? Any thoughts?

 

>>Thanks for your responce. I am leaning toward the mcs. I am somewhat concerned about reliability; more mechanicals to go wrong? Any thoughts?


2004 MCS, 6 months old, 6300 miles, ZERO Problems....hasn't been back to the dealer for anything other than installing the UJ roof flag decal and stereo Aux input.

 

Even though the MCS is a few thousand dollars more than the MC, your ownership cost difference may be much smaller. When I purchased my previous car, I did not go for the model with the most powerful engine. By the time I sold that car, it turned out that the cars with the big engine retained value much better than my car. The difference in resale value was bigger than the difference in initial purchase price.

Therefore, if you are comfortable with the extra payment for the MCS, I would recommend that you buy it instead of the MC.

 

I drive an MCS.
I like the look, the drive and the the toys I've added.
I finally drove a MC recently & found it underpowered...

IMHO..they are both problematic...

Drive both... make... your ..personal choice :smile:

Peace,
D


_________________
PM d-mini-ero

 

40k on my MCS. A few minor problems, completely
covered under warantee. The only money I've spent
besides gas has been a cool antena and shift ****. :smile:

Godspeed.

 

I also wanted an MCS. I test drove it, loved it, but aside from the fact that I can't afford the payments on it, I also realized that I'd need to subsidize the tickets I would get.

 

After years of driving beaters and mini-vans, I bought a new PS/B (awesome color combo!) MC, knowing it would blow the doors off what I was currently in. It does, and I've never even test driven an S, so as to avoid temptation. In all honesty, I still prefer the look of the regular Cooper over an S, especially the bonnet, but because of a positve financial uptick I am now going to be getting into a JCW (or Dinan) S, as I've gotten to where I can live w/ the hood scoop and after a year, I'd like to experience a couple of steps up in power.

 

After years of driving beaters and mini-vans, I bought a new PS/B (awesome color combo!) MC, knowing it would blow the doors off what I was currently in. It does, and I've never even test driven an S, so as to avoid temptation. In all honesty, I still prefer the look of the regular Cooper over an S, especially the bonnet, but because of a positve financial uptick I am now going to be getting into a JCW (or Dinan) S, as I've gotten to where I can live w/ the hood scoop and after a year, I'd like to experience a couple of steps up in power.

 

I think the MCS is a bargin at +$3500, compared to the Cooper. 1) You get the super charger 2) You get the superior 6 speed gearbox 3) You get a more highly tuned suspension. If you were to purchacse these items by themselves, the transmission alone is about $6000! Plus you don't have the installation costs, and it's warrantied! Besides, it will be worth more at resale or trade-in. So, you really get a lot for not that much money.

 

While it is true that the MCS gives more HP for not that much more $$$, the MC probably offers greater value since performance is reasonably good, handling is good, ride is not as rough/harsh unless you order the Sports suspension plus and runflat 16" tires.

Many people buy the MC due to:
Looks- some don't like the scoop on the bonnet and front or rear bumper.
Lower MSRP cost- You can get a loaded MC for about $19 to $21K
Having no need to do performance upgrades- urban motorers or commuters can do well with the MC's power.
Liking the CVT (full auto, sport mode, and manual shift)
Liking the 5 speed transmission- relatively trouble free compared to 6 speed and CVT in some MINIs.
Getting the color they want- used to be that pepper white, velvet red, and silk green were not available in the MCS.

I have extensively driven the MC with CVT and 5-speed and both are quite good. The 5 speed is more reliable and offers the highest mpg numbers with good performance. The CVT is more versatile for families that have both standard and automatic drivers while performance is reasonably good with sport drive or manual shift.

By comparison I own a 200+ HP MCS and that is a lot different on power. I have gobs of power but need to be careful to keep the MINI in balance to maintain control. The MCS ride is stiffer due to suspension upgrades. The MC ride is much smoother except if you order runflats, then it gets a little rough at times.

If you are still undecided then take more test drives.

 

Minihune, for what I have been reading in the last few months, your assesment that the "Cooper's 5-speed transmission is more reliable than the Getrag 6-speed gearbox" doesn't really seem to hold water as several Midland gear's 5-speed owners have complained about premature failure of their 5-speeds requiring full replacements...just ask ChrisL or many other Cooper 5-speed owners here and in MINI2.com.


If anything, the MCS' 6-speed Getrag box is proven to be much more reliable and robust than the 5-speed in the Cooper.


Just an observation, that's all

 

Well, Mini904, sure hope this has helped make up your mind.....either is better, either is more reliable either is cooler and better looking and either is economical one way or the other......enjoy......

 

It really has helped. Thanks everyone. It is very strange having this level of information and discussion before making a purchase that is generally somewhat blind. When I bought my last car(Mazda PR5), I just test drove a few things and made my choice. With the MINI there are a wealth of options and a large group of owners discussing them in great detail. Although the stories of 5 windshields and recalcitrant dealers are somewhat scary, I guess they are somewhat limited. I enjoy very much the enthusiasm the NAM members have for their MINIs and can't wait until I can fully join the club with a PS/B MCS.

Thanks again