would you guys recommend LSD with DSC or just LSD by itself?

 

Depends what you're looking for. If you've got a grand, buy both. LSD helps you go. DSC could save your butt. LSD is sporty, DSC is safety.

I've yet to spin the inside wheel on the street, but for $500 the LSD is a great deal.
It would suck if you crashed and had to wonder "If I had DSC, would I have been able to regain control?" But I'd say it's more adviseable in wet than dry climates. Note that some feel it is intrusive, but supposedly the LSD allows MINI to dial back the DSC/ASC a bit.

 

Don't forget the convertible. $24K will buy an MCC with a few options.

 

am I a total dunce? how do you select space gray cloth seats when you build an '06 mini? it says, "this item is currently unavailable".

 

I just tried. It's saying the same thing to me.

 

I couldnt agree with you more,

If your looking for a straight line car, your in the wrong make. if you want twisties, HP dosent nearly matter.

If your on a tight budget where even $2k makes a big different, I believe Cooper is an amazing choice.

Before I got my Cooper (not Cooper S) I was in the Market for M3's. That car in every aspect would spank the cooper but i found there was so much more to the Cooper then its engine size. Now im as ive said before, selling my Cooper for an 06 Cooper S

 

The supplier of Space Gray Cloth went belly up at the end of the year. Read more here:
http://motoringfile.com/2005/12/15/s...-january-2006/

 

I had a loaner MC 'vert for a week -- I own an MCS 'vert -- and I liked the MC a lot... especially for its fuel consumption. The fun factor is still there. The base 'vert is adequately equipped imho, so I would recommend the base 'vert as an alternative. I think someone mentioned the low-end price for an MCC. It wasn't until after a few months into ownership that I realized I am not really into performance and speed, so if you are like me in this regards, think about it...

 

I was also on the fence for a while, but after driving an MCS and then an MCC I chose the MCC. For about the same price as a stripped MCS hardtop you can get the nicest convertible/sunroof on the market. It has plenty of power for everyday needs and you will get around 33MPG+ all day long no matter how you drive. If you prefer a hardtop MC you can save a ton more. Bottom line is the MC is a blast to drive when you understand how to utilize the gearing and RPMs. Coming from a Miata, also considered underpowered by some, the beauty is in understanding the balance between power, gearing and handling. As mentioned in an earlier post, if you are interested in straight line performance than neither car is really the right choice.

 

One thing that I absolutely insist you do is to go to a dealer and test drive them back to back. It depends on the dealer, but if you go in stating that you are deciding on this they may let you drive them solo. Whatever you do, don't let any sort of peer pressure or thoughts of one being 'better' than the other sway you. Both are awesome cars with different strong points. ultimately YOU are the one that will be paying for it, so get exactly what you want because you only get to build your own car so many times in your life. Nothing will be as valuable as the test drives and time spent playing with the car.

some options that can be dropped without regret (IMO of course)
The entire premium package except the multifunction wheel.
-the auto climate control is not all it's cracked up to be
-OBC is nice, but far from necessary
-The sunroof is much more personal preference... but as a fairly expensive option I highly suggest you drive a car with the roof open and if possible drive one without the sunroof.

not sure where you live, but in 95% of the country you will absolutely love the cold weather package. Every day this winter I've loved mine... most cold frozen days I'd have paid another thousand just for this option package!

my car came to $24350 and was as following: you can save more than $350 by dropping the metallic paint and body colored interior.
MCS
HB/W
Front Fogs
Chrome line Interior
HB Interior
LSD
MFSW
DSC
Cold Weather pack.
Xenon lights
Rear fogs

as you can see I got everything in the sport pack except the wheels. while it only saved $200, chances are I could get the same or more money for a set of x-lites than S-lites. They just aren't that desireable of a wheel because of their weight.

 

Since you asked, no I wouldn't recommend getting DSC. That money will pay for your LSD. The MCS comes with ASC (traction control) & for about $50 or so you can install Ian Cull's autoUp circuit with track mode to override the darned thing. You should have no problem getting a very nice car for your $$$$$.

Chuck

 

The $3,450 difference is about 20%. This is not a trivial difference! That's enough to figure the MINI Cooper and the MCS are two different cars--that and the difference in the way they drive.

Over the long run, options depreciate faster than the rest of the car, so I'd have to think that a highly optioned MC will depreciate more than a lightly equipped MCS with the same total sticker price. Then again, the MC will get better mileage for the entire time you own it--so you save there.

List what is important to you in priority order. If acceleration is anywhere near the top of the list, choose the MCS. If handling is at the top of your list and acceleration is not even on the list, then consider an MC with the sport package. If you drive hard (if you do, you know it; if you don't know, you don't), buy the MCS.

We went through this process twice (both times with testdrives of both cars) several months apart, and thought it was hands down for the MCS.

Remember that you are in the supermarket, not just in the car market. Make a list of other things you can do with $3,450, then compare MC+what you want against MCS and see how they measure up. $3,450 will buy a lot of other stuff besides an upgrade from MC to MCS. What's important to you?

 

Of course, its not just $3450. Its $3450 plus finance costs (assuming youre financing), so that becomes a much larger number in reality. I am thinking MCS with JCW package, and that becomes a really big number!!

 

In the end, a stripper MCS will have much better resale value than a fully loaded MC. In the used car market, the models that have the more powerful engines and performance factory options will command higher resale values.

 

A stripper MCS? This sounds interesting. I got $20?

 

There are many opinions on this and this is mine .It really depends on you. If you are into performance at al go for the S. If you want a fun commuter car with great milage go for the MC. If you like to drive hard the transmission alone in the S is worth the added dollars. You will never be able to spend the differance in price between the two and build a MC that will perform with a S. Also the aftermarket for the MC is very small compared to the S.

John

 

Honestly, I felt that my MC was a perfect match for my driving. It was really fun but kept me out of trouble not having too much power and being so predictable. I felt very safe jetting around town and taking corners fast.

My MCS however, is a different story. It is now hard to stay out of trouble and the demon inside of me and inside of the MINITOR is screaming to get out. Its more than I NEED in a daily driver. But yes I like it better.

Point is, they are both fun, and the MC is sufficient. Just depends how much fire you got inside of you.

 

:impatient

In a straight line, that's probably true. With curves in the equation, a Cooper with ~$3500 in wheel / tire / brake / suspension mods will be quicker than a stock S around most tracks.

 

Personally, after the $$$ which in reality when factoring options like SS+, sport seats etc to the point where the difference is only the engine is closer to $2K if memory serves, this is the real decision point. After buying an MCS when it never even entered my mind to consider an MC in the process, I did go though a bit of buyers remorse, wondering if I shouldn't have gotten an MC instead. There's an old saying that its better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. The flexibility and torque of the MCS is really quite amazing which gives it the capability to be both a relaxed and raucous road car in the same package, but if fun without tickets is more your style, I would certainly consider an MC. But without all the options! Adding sunroofs, extra speakers and all that other luxo stuff will just weigh it down and defeat the point of having a lower powered more squirtable car.

 

I bought a MC without sunroof, but I have MFSW, heated seats, Xenon and ASC+T. I love to drive fast, I could have stretched my budget for an S, but decided against it. I've been to a couple of MINI meets and I know how fast an S is, but I don't find the MC underpowered for any street driving situations at all, so I'm happy Just to show you I'm serious when I say I drive fast and have fun with my MC, my stock Conti tires are half worn in 9000 kms (6000 miles)!

Things I really like about the MC:

1. 33 mpg (US gallon, 39mpg UK) in 100% city driving

2. Very chuckable around corners, amazing turn in speed.

3. Its just fast enough to have fun, but not so fast that you would get into trouble if you don't pay attention.

Just keep the revs up, and you'll be over the speed limit in a flash anyway, so thats fast enough in my book BTW, a MC without sunroof like mine is just around 2400lbs, so it is quite agile

 

I think that is what I was trying to say but couldnt find the words for it.

 

My '05 MCS stickered at 23,500 because I did not go with Sport/leather/sunroof, but I did get some good stuff like Xenon, HK sound, and a lot of cheaper options like Chromeline int/ext, fogs, cruise, OBC etc. Having the extra power was more important than having a base MC loaded with every conceivable option. You gotta decide what works best for you.

 

I got an S for under 23, and it had all the options I wanted. So I hope it's obvious what my opinion is.

First, find a dealer that doesn't charge a markup. That's money for nothing. I know of 3 in california, and I've heard of one in chicago or ohio and one somewhere in the south (atlanta maybe? I'm not sure). You might want to check the forum specific to your geographical area.

Next, decide what you want. Don't let them talk you into packages that contain things you don't want unless it costs less than the sum of the options you do want. They'll probably try to, especially with the sports package. At least, they did with me. Relentlessly.

Finally, test drive. See which one feels better. Naturally, the S will be faster. But if you prefer a softer ride and more amenities, the base model offers still excellent performance and can fit more amenities into a tight budget. It all depends on what fits you best.

 

In reality, it's not a huge amount. assuming a 6% APR, the interest over the life of a 5 or 6 year loan comes out to roughly 34% of the financed value (give or take a few percentage points - I don't have a calculator handy and I'm playing fast loose with the numbers in my head) . So, assuming the down payment is the same on either car, that 3500 extra adds about $52 a month in principal and will accrue another 500 or so in interest over the life of the loan, which increases the monthlies by about $60 overall. roughly. Maybe as much as 70 or 80. But still, but that's only a matter of cutting one or two nights out at the bars each month around here.

 

Sure you can get a Cooper and I'm sure their great cars. I'd hate to get one and then get to spend time in a friend's MCS only to slap my forehead while saying "I could have had a V-8'