I have a budget of about 24k, I did the test drive and it is going to be a tough call. Do I get the mini or the mini s?

 

Gotta be careful here... don't wanna upset DiD! J/K


I was in the same situation. I wanted to spend ~24K and I figured that I could have an optioned out Cooper or a modestly optioned "S". I decided that the difference in horsepower and the 6speed were the most important things for me so I got an "S". If you're into having more of the creature comforts, for 24 grand you could have a nicely optioned Cooper.

 

Be careful what you ask for on this forum. Read the responses carefully. Most importantly, have an idea of what's important to YOU, not what's important to those that reply. JRZYMINI summed it up pretty well.

 

Good advice from JRZY. Be warned that Mini "creature comfort" options are ridiculously expensive relative to the base price of the car and add up very quickly. If you like to drive, as opposed to ride, then I would go for a stripped S with LSD.

 

You might try searching around a bit...this question comes up a lot. The answer is dependant on the owner really. Both cars are very good...each offers something very unique and very satisfying.

I'm probably on the far end of the spectrum...I drive an unmodded, lightly optioned, lightweight (relatively) Cooper w/ light wheels. Great gas mileage, nimble, engaging, and a total blast!!! I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

 

it honestly depends if your a speed demon or not. if dont care that much, to be honest, get the Cooper. I have a Cooper right now (although selling my 03 to get an Cooper S convertible) and the Cooper feels fine. its not slow at all. they claim it hits 0-60 in i dunno, 8,9 seconds? you know what? it feels damn fine to me. I think this car is plenty fast.

 

My 04 was under 24K and I wouldn't call it stripped at all. Pretty nice little car actually.

I know prices have gone up a little since then but I wanted a fast car and I got one. MINIs really don't come stripped to begin with, they have a lot of great standard features and are really nice with barely any options.

 

You should have no problem buying an S & staying under $24,000. I ordered what's important to me & got a nice car for that dough. If ya want I'll spec it out for you.

Chuck

 

I have try both Cooper and Cooper S. The Cooper S, even on a basic setup is worth a lot more than a Cooper. You'll get much more for the $$. First, the S/C engine, 6 speed, sport seats, and better look.

But more important, you'll get a lot more horsepower, and a lot more fun too.

But it's always a matter of personal choice... Just take your time and take the right decision based on your needs.

 

Good luck, you have a tough decision ahead of you!

 

I felt personally, that the extra hp was very important to me out here on LI, where if you don't accelerate fast enough, you make a lot of people very irritated with you at every stop light. Having said that...I've never driven an MC, and they very well might be perfectly fine for this kind of driving. You can get an MCS with some options/tax (depending on where you are) for under 24K for no problem, but did you check into your insurance rates - they might be affected too. The MC is also a very nice car.

 

All these points are highly arguable. I will agree on two...I like the sport seats (I have them in my Cooper), and there is indeed a ton of value in the added cost of a Cooper S. Most of the items listed I found of no use (or even detrimental) to my motoring priorities and sense of aesthetics. Again...personal preferences. I absolutely insist on the higher mpg found in the Cooper.

 

I got an MC with only metallic paint, stripes and sports seats added so my price out the door was $18,300. That's a huge difference from $24K and for me, the base is better than most cars out there so i didn't need to add anything else from Mini. I immediately sold my holeys and bought 205/50/15 tires and 13 lb. sports rims which I almost paid for with the sale of my holeys on Ebay. So my monthly payment is pretty low, my first tank of gas got over 440 miles on it, which is important to me with gas prices going up, up, up..and I still can corner like a mad fool driving a gokart. Either way, you can't go wrong.

 

The price differece between MC and MCS is about $1500, right? That's the cheapest 50 hp you can buy. What options do you want? If you can get an S and all the option you want for under $24k, it's a done deal, no?

Make a list of options you desire ordered by priority, next to each option put the price. Be sure to include in the list the S-option for $1500. The base MC model should be at the top of the list. Work your way from the top of list down until you've spent your limit. That's the car to buy.

 

I have had both (both 05's) and can say they each have their own distinct qualities. I found the Cooper a lot of fun to drive with adequate power and great handling. I kind of like the hood line better on the Cooper to.
The "S" is a completely different animal in both the power and handling department. It begs to be driven hard and has the powertrain to support it. You will find vendors offer more performance upgrades for the S as well (if that's important to you).
In short, spend some time in both cars to make an informed decision. Either way, it's a Mini

 

I, personally, love my MCS. That said, I can completely imagine him having a MCc stablemate. I'd do it for the fuel economy -- and because there really isn't a HUGE difference between the acceleration feel of the 2. Yes, I found the MCS to have that little extra oomph as my right foot glides effortlessly to the floor... but neither of these cars is going to wow you with straight line speed, and in the twisties I can't say as though I really make use of the extra HP.

 

If you know what you want and you are patient you can probably find what you want in a 1 year old used model for that price. I bought my S with lots of options that way. It took me 6 months of constantly monitoring autotrader.com, but eventually one pop-up with the right options and color I was looking for.

 

I test-drove both and didnt think the S was that important to me and bought a loaded Cooper. I really loved it, but after a while I started regretting that I didnt spend the few extra dollars a month (its really not that much more monthly). I eventually bought an S and am much happier, but lost a little money that way (in mods mostly). Its different for everyone, but in my opinion if you are having this dilema now then you will probably have it worse if you get the Cooper and still want the S, especially if you start modding the Cooper and realize that you get much less bang for the buck on mods and will never touch the S in HP. I think only those who know that they dont need the S without question will be happy with it. I should've known, it can be more expensive when you trade up.

There are some though who could care less about the extra horsepower, but if you are even questioning it, you'll probably want it later.

And you can find awesome deals on used loaded MINI's if you are willing to not buy new.

 

Paid for my '05 MCS 6MT $22K almost 1 year ago. Stripper? No way! Nicely optioned car:

CR/W
Chrome exterior package
Harmon Kardon
MFSW
Front/rear fogs
Convenience Package
Trip Computer (OBC)
iPod adaptor
Union Jack Roof Flag
16" V-spokes
Black Leatherette
Antharcite dash trim
Manual A/C
Halogens

The car turns heads whetever it goes and it is an awesome drive. If I were you, I would go for the Cooper S instead.

9,100 miles later and zero problems to date.

 

Just for fun, I built an MCS with your budget on MINI USA's website.

I think it's a pretty nice spec.
MCS; CR/W (no adders for metallic paint)
Cold Weather Pkg
Convenience Pkg
Front Foglights
Rear Foglight
Xenon Headlights
Limited Slip Differential
Chromeline Interior
Cruise/Multifunction Steering Wheel

Total $23,900

That's what I'd get in an MCS for under $24K. I think it's a pretty well equipped car, certainly not a stripped model.

I then built a MC with the same budget...
CR/W
Sport Pkg
Premium Pkg
Convenience Pkg
Xenon Headlights
Rear Foglight
Leather Seats in Cordoba Beige
HK Stereo
$24K exactly

So, Rawhyde says...go forth and drive a loaded up MC, then drive an S and see if giving up the power is worth sitting on leather, having a few more neat features like auto-climate control and a sunroof.

$24K can build a nice MCS or a REALLY nice MC. You really can't lose with either one. If you appreciate power more than luxury features, you can STILL get the S with what I consider to be the basic "Core Load" of important options.

Let us know what you decide, but I advise you to get the heated seats, front and rear foglights, and Xenon headlights. I like light, and I don't like block off plates in switch panels. I am performance oriented, but not everyone is... Play with the system and you'll see that $24K goes a long way with a cool MINI.

Rawhyde

 

I set my budget at $24k and was ablle to order the car/options in my sig, plus the homelink garage door opener. Not loaded, but a nicely equipped S.

 

don't forget to budget tax and registration fees into your 24K.
my mcs stickered out just over 23K and after taxes, tags, and fees
was close to 25K

 

The difference between the MC and the MCS is actually $3,450. jdmarino has a very good idea here. Make the list and make your choices. That sounds like an extremely logical way to choose.

But for $3,450. you receive a great deal, if your priority is preformance. You get:

50hp - including (but not limited to) forged crankshaft, connecting rods and pistons, Eaton supercharger, intercooler, factory CAI
6 speed Getrag transmission
Sport seats
Sports Suspension + (higher rate anti-sway bars and springs)
195/55-16 runflat tires
16x6.5" Wheels, 17.6lbs
Distinctive exhaust note
Dual exit exhaust system
Exclusive front and rear bumper and trim treatments

Did I forget anything?

If preformance is not your thing then go for the MC.

It will be the toughest decision you will ever make, but also one with no bad choices. Both are great cars to drive. Besides, if you guess wrong, you can always get the other one when you change cars in a few years.

 

Traction control

 

Who says that a MC can not perform?
Test them both and make your choice from there.
I love the way mine runs, I am always impressed with the MC's Power, NOT the lack of it.
Cheers
Shawn