Yeh, like broken transmissions like yours?

 

I went thru the MINI builder about a thousand times, for the Coop and the "S", and everytime I ended with the Cooper exactly the way I wanted it. I love the 15" holies (the most "MINI/Mini" of all avail OEM wheels) and the Astro black/ Cosmos Black/ Midnight Black Metallic is only avail on the MC (for now...).

I will have this car as long as it will let me. If anything I'll give him an older brother like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

I love my Cooper, and no two are the same!

-[[[S]]]

 

Let's see. I'm 57 years old. My MC is Chili Red/White, has all 3 packages, 3 sets of tires (winter, summer, and autocross). It's more fun than the last 40 vehicles my wife and I have owned. Do I need more power-maybe-do I want more power-maybe-am I happy with what I bought-yes. If I spend too much time thinking about all of this, I won't have as much time to enjoy the MINI. We all just buy what we like.

 

We purchased our first Mini in May of this year. We chose the MC over the S for these reasons:
1. We wanted the better gas mileage ( I get 36 going to work)
2. We don't wind up our cars so we really didn't need the extra horsepower
Some of our first cars were Ford Pintos.
3. The spare tire is nice to have
4. It sure goes around turns with ease.
5. We were just happy to be able to afford a Mini period.

I think alot of the people in this forum tend to look down on us MC owners. We all love Minis whether they be MC's or S's so why does it matter which one you own. This country is all about bigger and faster being somehow better. I really hate that. My husband and I love "Otto" our new Mini and wouldn't trade him for anything. I

 

You're kidding I hope. All cars use some oil and the other fluids need to be checked and topped off occassionally. This is true on 20 year old cars and brand new cars. If your MINI's engine locks up because it's out of oil good luck trying to lemon law it.

I'd also suggest reading your owners manual.

 

Political incorrectness is my middle name.

 

I scolded him, res, for his lax attitude in checking under the bonnet. I think he'll at least look to see if his reservoir tanks for the windshield wiper washing fluid needs topping-off! LOL!


Clover

 

I had a deposit down on a Cooper in December 2001. May 2002 delivery - drove for 52,000 miles - no complaints

Traded it in on a 2005 Cooper in Dec 2004.

2005 Cooper was rear-ended [buy a SUV, of course] and totaled 10 days ago

Replacement (new) Cooper is sitting at the dealer waiting for the settlement check.

(1) Like the looks of the Cooper better (no mail slot)

(2) Don't need the extra HP (although .... a 6th gear would be nice )

(3) The (much) better gas mileage is nice too

[Besides it's still way faster than my 1974 MG Midget ]

 

Don't worry about it after the post I saw earlier. keep going!

 

I get very good mileage in my S! On the highway, I average between 31-36 mpg, and have even got higher! In gridlock, of course, it sucks. But I am very pleased with Wanda's mpg!


Clover

 

My first MINI was a MC My Cabrio is a MC Sunnie keeps up quite well with the MCS's in the twisties, in fact many times she does better I guess I don't need to do 130mph on the freeway or race at the track every weekend. Besides, I love the clean lines of the MC's bonnet. No gaping hole to suck in errant plastic grocery bags

Lois

 

Speaking of which, did you know that it is acceptable for MINIs to use 1qt of oil per 750 miles.


Steve

 

Ken the tranny did not fail,the axle seal failed,which caused the tranny to dump fluid.That caused the tranny to get low on fluid, and was ground to bits within 25 miles of the problem starting After a new seal,tranny flush, I drove it for another month till the new tranny showed up and I could get there for the switch.

 

I originally placed an order for an MCS because I was blown away by the power while test driving it. Later the bank called and said that my loan was turned down. I found a loan with another bank but for less $$$, so I had to "settle" for the MC. After test driving an '05 yesterday, I realized that I didn't "settle", I just went for something different. Both cars felt great. The MC may not have the blazing speed of the MCS, but it still is a lot of fun to drive and handles great. I also tend to have a problem with the occasional speeding ticket, so the lower HP of the MC may help keep me out of trouble.

 

I am one of those MC owners who has been considering an S. I haven't totally made up my mind, but I think I'm going to stick with the MC. Everytime I see the car head-on I'm blown away by her looks. This car is a classic beauty.

The S is great. I drove one as a loaner car while mine was in the shop and I loved it. It was an MC40, and it rode so nice. The extra power was great too, but there was something about the ride that I can't put into words.

A few months later, I test drove both the S and JCW. I expected to feel that feeling again but didn't. I'm not sure what it was about that MC40 at the dealership -- maybe the tires?

There are a few things I like about my 03 MINI that I couldn't get on a new MINI S: the kaleido cloth seats, the old steering wheel, the Indi Blue (w/ white) paint, the plain pedals, chrome trim, backup light in the middle, the "face" of the car ...

Then again, the Electric Blue S with bonnet stripes and driving lights is really awesome.

You can't go wrong with either. If I had a two-car garage and lots of money I'd have both

 

Not that it was my decision, but Lola did consult with me a bit on her purchase. During the testing phase, we drove both, and felt, for her, that the Cooper was enough power. I drive a normally asperated Miata and that is power enough for me, I have tried SC'ed and Turbo'ed ones, yes they are faster, but $4$ no more fun...for me. I am still a firm believer that you can only go 80 MPH so fast, yes you can get there a bit quicker, big deal. Lola liked the better fuel economy of the Cooper and I liked the 15" wheels (a ton of good choices, light and cheap). I know neither of us have any regrets.

 

Mc40?

 

While this whole thread seems like flame-bait, I'll say that I bought my MC (04) because it was less expensive and I thought it was more attractive. I love my chrome bumper inserts, my body-colored fuel-door, my lack of a spoiler (my wife hates them and calls them "handles"), and the clean bonnet.

I have since come to learn that even with all of the work I've done on the car, I still haven't made up the difference in price.

Want to see that work in action? I chased an S on some very twisty bits of Route 250 near the West Virginia border. He got me on the straights, but I got uncomfortably close to him on some of the turns (unfortunately, I ran out of tape before I darn near hit him on a switch-back).

Painfully slow download (8MB / 192kbps):

http://rcm.ahamos.dnsalias.com:6080/...%20250_low.WMV

 

I went for my 2004 MC for money reasons first. I wanted a MINI more than anything, and by keeping options few (IB paint, MFSW, cold weather, plus floor mats), I got out the door for just over $18k with the best handling most fun car ever. I think it's amazing that MINI offers such a range, from a basic no option Cooper to an S with the Works (I saw the $41k loaded one at Peabody last week...). Now, I never had test driven the S, but after being in the Cooper and hitting 80mph very quickly, I thought more power would be an invitation for too much speeding...

I really enjoy my MC, ringing out each gear and it's so light and smooth, handles so well. I can keep up with everything except for a couple random superpowerful cars (M3 and an annoying WRX driver the other day...). Anyways, cruising all day or slicing up the turns, my Cooper is extremely rewarding and an amazing value. Plus I get 33-35 mpg on every tank.

A few months ago, with all of the 2005 revisions' hype, I test drove an S. Now, it was a convertible, so it was a little heavier than the hatch, but I finished the drive and was not that impressed. Off the line, it was no faster than my Cooper. It did have some extra kick at about 3500rpm. But I realized that I wasn't missing anything.

I love my Cooper. Had I had the extra cash, would my decision be different? Probably not, but I would have gotten the sunroof!

 

I was able to get a fully loaded MC instead of a stripped down MCS.

It was a very tough choice But I'm sure I'll be very happy with the MC
Cheers

 

Found these numbers on GBMINI.com:

http://www.gbmini.net/sales.shtml

Looks like sales are pretty durn close, at least in the U.S. of A. . .
So I'd say, yeah, people are 'still' buying the MC, AND the MCS.

 

I think its more of a reassurance to us MC owners that we're not alone on these boards. Most of the people who post here are MCS owners and they focus on MCS-specific parts.

I think we need to make a forum segment that focuses on the Cooper. The Mini2 forum has separate areas for MCs, MCSs, CVT-equipped models, etc, in addition to the general MINI areas. Its nice to read posts where everyone owns an MC and when they refer to parts, you know that their feedback is relevant to YOUR car.

I really don't feel like the MC is superior to the MCS, but rather that their strengths lie in different areas. If I had the funds, I'd probably get an MCS, but the fact that an MC is the only model I can afford really doesn't bother me now that I've driven one. I really like both models, but I want to see more postings on MC-specific stuff.

 

Man, Adrian. It's nice actually seeing ya'll drive!

I'm an MC owner that couldn't keep up with EITHER of them. Darn Run flats and lack of experience

 

I agree with all of this, it would be nice to have a Cooper forum. And I don't see one as better than the other. I love all MINIs equally!

 

I don't think a separate forum is needed. We don't need anything to further divide us as we are. Most of what applies to MCS applies to MC, except when it comes to model specific differences.

For example an aftermarket spring discussion applies to both MC and MCS but having that repeated in separate forums would be a nightmare to keep track of.

Also don't forget that all my writeups of installs and mods were done on my MC.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ight=octaneguy