I've been a lurker here for a long time so I have read lots of MC vs. MCS posts. All they have done is confuse me more. Tell me what you would buy if you were in my situation. I really could use the help to add to my confusion. I can't decide between the following because I am placing my order at South Bay in 2 weeks.
MC-base + sports seats + 16inch wheels=$18479+tax etc..
MCS base (already has sports seats and 16 inch wheels=$21234+tax etc..
difference=$2755
gas difference based on www.fueleconomy.gov
annual gas at 15K miles= $1743 MCS, $1543 MC, $222 more ($18.50/month)
I drive about 75% highway
I like the MC hood better, gas mileage better (though it's not as much $$ difference as I thought) and spare tire.
I like the power of the MCS but don't know if i will be using it. Although I do drive aggressively and spend time racing indoor karts at Dromo 1 once in awhile, I don't race cars like some of you. Is the MCS overkill for me or will I always be wishing i had bought it because the MC didn't have as much power. I honestly don't know what to order. The color choice is actually the easiest part for me.

 

If you like to drive go-carts then you'll love the MCS! My rec is go and drive both of them...I think your decision will be much easier after that. But, you also need to make sure your wallet can support the added cost. If you are going to be strapped financially (on a depreciating asset no less) then go with the MC and save some money for your next car.

Have fun!

 

If you go with the MC, forget the 16 inch wheels. They will come with runflats. You are better off getting lighter aftermarket wheels and tires. Your MC will perform better with lilghter wheels and regular tires.

 

While I haven't driven a MCS I cannot say the power is a big deal. I have a Cooper and the decision was looks. I like the hood better myself also. My concern was speed. My daughter has a GTI and it is so fast it was amazing. However, I don't race and was not looking to, so my decision was that there was plenty of power in the MC. I can go from 0 to 90 pretty quickly and there are times when I look at the speedo and find myself going 90 without even trying. I've been on a few mini-runs with clubs and I don't see a big difference in performance other than driving experience. Experience is the key in keeping up.

The big key is driving it for yourself. Ask Southbay to let you drive both. Take them on the same roads for the same lengths of time and see what feels the best to you.

Good luck in making that decision.

 

Well if you measure a car on how great it is based on its horsepower over mpg then you need a MCS. I had a MC and couldn't keep my foot out of it and couldn't get the mpg they said was possible. Now with my MCS I get my bursts of speed and then throttle back to cruise.

My car is trick though and very fast . I think I need the extra hp for my ego though

 

I agree with driving both.

We have a group of 3 or 4 people looking to trade-in their Coopers for S.

 

In your case, I would get the MC in a 5-speed. :smile:

 

I may be one of the very few who would step down to a MC after owning a MCS....I drove a MC on one of my service visits as a loaner.

Bottom line.....I love the car because of the handling not because it has head snapping power, The MC and MCS as far as daily driving goes offer similar handling performance. Therefore I would choose the MC and save the $3000

 

My Opinion:
The MC will get up and go.
The MCS will get up and go a bit quicker.
The handling is similar. The MCS will feel a bit stiffer.
Drive both (if you haven't already) and see which feels best for you.

I chose to save the extra cash and got the MC. Then I spent most of it on cool extra stuff that I wanted...sport seats, stripes, driving lights, etc.

 

they make them with OUT superchargers.....well i'll be!!!

-jac

 

I agree with aso....if you get the Cooper, go with the 15-inch Continentals...they make for a very smooth, non-runflat ride. I had them on my Cooper and liked them.

I personally love the tough little bulldog face of the S.

The test-drive comparison is a MUST. Mileage differences are not that different between the MC and the MCS. Read all the specs for each car (I'm sure you have, but re-read them), and see how much you are really getting for your money with the MCS. It is a terrific value! Oh here comes the confusion: they BOTH are terrific values!

Oh, and welcome to NAM, Manila_girl! :smile:


Clover

 

...regarding not going with 16 inch wheels and staying with 15inch ones if I choose a MC, I don't like the looks of holies because they remind me of big rig wheels, haha. I guess the 5 star 15 inch looks ok but I haven't read anything about it.


And thanks for all the responses!!! I guess I need to test drive both on the same road. That seems like a very wise thing to do. :smile:

 

Sounds to me that you'll be very happy with the MC. As much as I love my steroid-driven JCW MCS, if you aren't sure you'll really use the extra power, get the MC and enjoy the savings and the more "classic" looks.

The MC can be great fun to accelerate too - you just have to keep the revs up high. :smile:
I second other's remarks though - drive both, and then decide. There are some people though that deliberately changed from an MCS to an MC, so don't go assuming that the MC is just a poor substitute, it's not... it's just "different", and some people really like that difference!

 

I think MC have adequate power, when the MINI was introduce in 2002, I've driven the MC with CVT, the drive is a blast. Never think there is much power with that kind of motor. I really rev up the motor.. I think it is all depends on your driving style, some people like to rev it high, then they have no problem to tap out the high end power from the MC. But some people like low power... and can't stand for reving up the motor.. then they most likely will go for MCS. Other than the power, both are handling pretty well, I don't see any inferior of the handling on the MC.
If budget is a big concern, MC is already a very good choice.

 

Well if you like the Cooper looks better, you should go with that.

If looks dont bother you, then it's a no brainer.

For just 3k more, you get soooo much more for the money by getting an S.

The S has an uprated engine. It's stronger, has more tricks, and has more power.
The getrag 6-speed box is better than the 5-speed getrag. (fixed for you Clo).
You get chrome fuel cap, cool twin exhaust, sport seats standard (along with alot of other standard items that are not standard on the Cooper.)

 

Ah, but the MC 5-speed is also a Getrag now, sweetie.


Clover

 

agree

 

blah blah blah.

5 Speed Cooper with nothing but 16" 5 spoke wheels (which i love to death), a sunroof (couldn't live without), and the little lip spoiler (for some spunk) here. Although i bought SLIGHTLY used, i love my MC. I've driven a hopped up MCS, and don't think i wasn't crying for one afterwards. I keep craving an EB S... but everytime i SERIOUSLY think about it, i just can't get away from my simple little cooper. I think it has plenty of power for my daily commute (put on about 60-70 miles a day) and it's oh, so much fun in the country where i live.

Besides, i'd rather have a turbo with a blow off valve than a stinking S. And i like the single tip exhaust, and the chunky chrome on the bumpers (02-04... i no likey the 05 coopers bumpers OR lights), and the sleek hood, and the el cheapo black side markers, and all the black plastic under the hood, and no stinking S drooping off my beautiful "COOPER" decal on the boot. Like i said, simple.

 

If it were up to me, I would be driving around a MC 5-speed, not the MCS that I have now. The power in the MC was sufficient for me, but "unfortunately," the husband just HAD to have the higher horsepower, so I "settled." I certainly don't regret it, but I still think I would have been just as happy with the MC.

So, drive both. As far as I know, the only difference (other than aesthetics) is the supercharger. You can get the sport suspension, sport seats, etc. So the car handles as well as an S, but is just a little slower.

Good luck in making up your mind.

 

If you get the MC get it as clean as possible, otherwise you might as well get the S. The options will put you in the S class price before you know it.

 

I was in the same pickle that you were in Manila_Girl. When I test drove, I drove the MCS first then the MC. If you go that route you'll definitely get a good idea of the power drop. In the end, I chose the MC for many of the same reasons you listed. My other deal is that I got the payment I wanted with the MC the MCS was too high, but if I had wanted the MCS that bad I would've waited till I could've afforded it.

Just drive both, and good luck in your choice.

 

My first ever drive of a MINI was in a 2005 MCSC with FULL JCW package.

What did I buy...? MC Need I say more?

Technically I went into the drive knowing I didn't want a convertable. (no offense to you drop toppers) Yes it was AWESOME! But if I wanted that much power in a light weight package I would go for a Lotus EXIGE! (hey it is still brittish)

You are buying a MINI what do you have to compensate for?

 

Just this saturday I drove both HARD and in succession at the dealer. I ended up going with the S, but almost ended up just getting the cooper after the nice ride I had. The main difference besides power to me was that with the S you had to be more involved in actually driving the car. I waivered a bit, but that is something I've grown to miss after driving a 4 door automatic for a few years. My MA said something that made a lot of sense... in that whatever car someone took out for a drive first was usually the one they ended up getting. And if you already like the standard hood better that should answer it all right there. remember, with how great they hold their value you could always trade it in after a year or two and not take too bad of a hit if you find yourself in a position to make higher payments.

 

If I had to compensate for something I'd drive a Dodge Magnum not a MINI.

 

Here's my $0.02:

I drove both before making a decision, and ultimately I went with the S to get some goodies included with the package deals. When you figure out the value of all the little goodies that you get with S that are options on the Cooper, the "real" dollar difference is probably under around $2,000. For something that you may keep for several years, it's best to get what you what.

My factors were:

1. Decent power. I was switching from a high revving Toyota Matrix, and the MC when I drove it I felt like I had to run it at 4000-5000 RPM to get decent acceleration out of it. Compared to the Toyota which was heavier, the MC felt a little underpowered. When I drove the MCS there was an immediate difference, and I didn't HAVE TO push the engine has hard for the same feel, but when I DID do it, there was a lot more power.

2. Gas mileage. I really think HOW you drive a car is very important, and each car reacts a bit differently. I tend to get close to the rated mileage for a vehicle, but with my Toyota I would sometimes get even more mileage. I know the MCS won't get 36 mpg like my old Toyota, but it will be in the 30+ range most likely for my type of driving. That's fine with me. I'm sure my MCS mileage will depend as much on my driving style as the car itself.

3. Options. Do this. Take an MCS and add sport and premium packages. Now take an MC and add sport and premium, and then add the other extras to the package to make the same options as the MCS - including Xenon headlights and sport plus suspension. Adding these options the difference only comes down to about $2k. I "estimated" that the upgrade to 17" rims that comes with the MCS was probably about $500 of extra stuff (my own guess, I could be wrong). So now the real dollar difference is only like $1500-1700. Not too bad. Remember that your resale on an MCS will be higher too, if you ever plan on selling.

4. Delivery timing. Not sure why, but there are no MC's coming across the pond right now. Everything I could find was MCS's. So I figured what the heck, I'll get an MCS based on 1-3 above plus availability.

5. The 6 speed. I like the idea of a six speed transmission.