Personally I'd own one for each day of the week regardless if MC or MCS if I had the money!! But could only afford one--a MCS.

 

I don't think there is even a debate for me, S. We have 2 MCS now in the family.... When the teenage daughter starts driving, she'll get a MC.

 

That's true, but when you are in the throttle there's a very big difference. I use my throttle every time I drive. Lots of the time it's in pretty deep.

 

I know a lot of people are going to beg to differ with me, but being a Cooper owner I would love to put in my opinion. About a month ago I purchased a Mini, I didn't even bother to test drive the S because I couldn't afford it and I didn't want to know what I was missing. Upon driving my plain old Cooper I found that in no way shape or form is it "lacking" in performance. I have a manual transmission and it is very easy to squeek the tires and be at the head of the pack...I Love it!!
Now, I took my Cooper in to have some minor things touched up and of course they gave me a manual transmission S for a loaner... great...I was worried.. I was going to drive this and now know the power of the S! And yes it does have power...but at the end of the day I was sooo glad to get back into my Cooper, here's why-
1. I had to use a lot more force with the clutch on the S
2. Shifting was harder/stiffer
3. Handling was a lot harder
4. There was hesitation in some of the lower gears that bothered me
5. I would probably rack up hefty speeding tickets or get myself into an accident in this car

It seemed like my Cooper was so much easier to drive. I was really glad to have it back and also glad that the S wasn't as impressive as I thought it was going to be... don't get me wrong...it was fast, but at the end of the day I like the way my Cooper handled compared to the S I was loaned.

 

Really, since I just traded my Cooper in for a Cooper S, I'd say, it was worth it, but I wish I hadn't done it. I just got my second ticket today, and they were both within a month of each other. It's a good thing it stays in the garage most of the time !!! You're better off staying with the base model MINI Grll.

 

Main thing that bothered me when i switched from the MC to the MCS was the propensity for getting speeding tickets...gotta get the lead OUT of my foot and keep within bounds! The thing is just so responsive!

 

this tuesday i drove the S and i was amazed at the power and responsiveness.

today, i went back and drove the MC again. I had only driven it before and had never driven an S. So I wanted to go back and feel the difference. and it was fine, but I could definitely tell the difference... it doesn't have quite the same pickup. but it is still a fun car to drive.

the questions remain:
- do I need all of the power of the S? no.
- would I like it? sure.
- can I afford it? well, probably spread over a couple years
- am I liable to get a speeding ticket with the S? maybe.
- am I liable to get a speeding ticket with the MC? maybe.
- would the S be more responsive in an emergency? possibly.
- will i regret not getting the S? i'm not sure.

strange... the MC I drove today had run-flats on them... unusual, but I could definitely feel a slightly stiffer ride.

- do I have my answer yet?
NO! but it is great to hear everyone's opinions.

 

mini_dreams,

I feel pretty sure that "responsiveness in a jam" will have more to do with your reflexes and instincts than the handling on the MC or MCS - they both have fantastic handling, though from what I understand the MC is a bit more user friendly.

I test drove the MCS and ended up ordering the MC because I thought it looked better, and knew it would have lots more pickup than my old civic did. I also don't drive stick and knew that I'd probably be wasting a lot of the MCS experience in automatic anyway. I've not been dissapointed at all. The MC has got loads of pick up, turns like its on rails, and they even have the automatic clutch (which I was pleasantly surprised to find has tiptronic) well disguised to look like a standard transmission!

I think you'll fall in love with your car either way.

 

Reasons to get an MCS
- you drive lots of highway miles (xtra pull w/o downshifting)
- you want to tune...alot
- you are an enthusiast and the lure of owning an MCS is inescapable
- you love speed
- you're addicted to the supercharger whine

Reasons to get an MC
- you drive around town a good bit w/ some highway
- you get into having great fuel economy
- you get into handling, not just speed
- you are a MINI enthusiast...motoring in a MINI is a dream come true
- you want a spare
- you don't need unlimited power

There are lots of other good reasons, too, but remember...it is a Mini/MINI. Some people really need/want a rocket...they're just that kind of enthusiast. The MCS is a thoroughbred and always has been. It is also desirable because of this, and rightly so. The Cooper, however, (also tuned, btw) is perfectly and amply servicable for everyday use. It has everything you need for thrilling and satisfying MINI motoring. A superbly balanced car.

For me the rediculous prospect of motoring in a full-on, highly-equipped (compared to a Mini) MINI for under $20K was just too delicious to pass up....a coup that still gives me the giggles. But then I was not weaned on horsepower...I was weaned on handling. To many folks, the faster the better...I am simply not of that mind. To me, an MCS will always be something of a race car. Some people will love that, but I'm simply not a racer. I am, however, a Mini/MINI enthusiast.

I do commend you for wanting to be convinced one way or the other. You should love your choice. I love mine. Keep asking the right questions...once the pieces tumble in place you'll have found the MINI that's right for you...and that's a very, very good thing!!

 

I got a speeding ticket in my 2002 MC and another one in my 2003 MCS...this after no speeding tickets for almost 20 years!

Be sure to test-drive both of them on a highway/freeway to see how the top-end speed feels.

 

Still can't see what the debate is all about. Just go for the S. If the HP gain is not something that you really care about, how about the looks. I love the bonnet with the scoop better than the bonnet without. The S is worth the additional money. Personally, I would not be happy with a MC. I'd take it over just about any other car, but I wouldn't be happy!

I didn't struggle with the choice between MC or MCS, but I did struggle with the color choice. Have you selected a color for your MC or MCS? If you can't choose over the model, it'll take a year to choose a color. j/k

 

Now you've done it! mini_dreams is now going to have color-choice nightmares!

 

I know it's hard to choose options, model, color etc when you have the choice... I think it's really cool that MINI allows you to "customize" your car and not pick one up off the lot.

mini_dreams will figure it out. Just keep test driving away.

 

Funny that you both should mention this... I've already had the color-choice nightmares. I have a Pure Silver MC on the boat as we speak, about 2 weeks away from delivery and all of this started because I'm feeling like Pure Silver is a little boring now. The color combo I'm really interested in now is the Hyper Blue with Black roof (and silver mirror caps!). My dealer has an MC in these colors arriving at roughly the same time as the Pure Silver I ordered.

Easy solution would be to just get the Hyper Blue. Only downside... it doesn't have sport seats and I really love the sports seats. They seem unwilling to swap before I purchase the car and unwilling to help me figure out if i can do it after the fact. I know it would probably coast mucho $$$$.

 

Dude, pure silver with black top is a HOT RIDE. They appear to be very popular here in Manhattan and Northern Jersey because I see them all over the place!

IMHO thats a classic combination that you'll never get tired of.

 

Personally, I like the HB over pure silver. I love the DS, obviously.

Did you put down a deposit to order? What dealer are you going with?

 

I did put down a deposit.

They are perfectly fine with me changing the order or with even re-ordering, but I'd probably end up in the mental ward if I had to wait another 6-8 weeks. If I reordered, I'd most likely order an S in the HB/B color scheme.

I could probably get the deposit back and go to another dealer, too, but I don't really want to do that. (And I've done some research... there's about 2 dealers with the exact HB/B combo and both have some demo miles on them). I know the original dealer would be able to sell the car no problem, but I don't know if I want to go through "backing out of a deal" and I also like to be loyal... (despite the fact that they aren't interested in helping figure out if I can swap seats... but that may be a normal reaction from most dealers.)

If I hadn't driven an S, though, I might not have all this confusion. I'd either take delivery of the pure silver or the hyper blue. The pure silver is exactly as I want it. The hyper blue is almost the exact same build except for the sport seats. I am sure if I buy either MC, I would be happy, but in the back of my mind I might be wondering about the power of the S.

 

I think that you've just answered your own question.... MCS

 

True, if you wonder about the power issue at all, just get an MCS. The Cooper enthusiast is the one who test drives...or even owns...MCSs (and even JCWs) and still prefers the experience of motoring in a Cooper.

 

I've been following this thread with interest because I've been going through something similar. I've just about finalized the purchase of a 2005 MCS with a NAM member, and I've got a 2003 MC that will be for sale soon.

The reasons for choosing an MCS over the MC are simple.

For those with Midlands trannies--2002 to 2004, if you've already been through a tranny replacement or for some multiple replacements-- an MCS makes sense, since very few have reported such issues with the Getrag 6 speed.

I'm on my 2nd tranny, and don't look forward to a 3rd, although a friend did give me a used Cooper tranny should that happen, the repair would be less than it could be.

My MC in perspective
I love my MINI to death. I've tuned it to where it handles great and installed enough cosmetic mods to just give me that smile everytime I look at it. Even when it's among other MINIs, I know it's mine. It's been personalized, and even among the 20 MINIs it was with at yesterday autocross, it still stood out--atleast to me.

With my latest purchase of light wheels and sticky tires, street driving is incredible. Acceleration to 50 pulls hard and fast--leaving all other cars far behind, much like how I felt when I drove a friends MCS for a day.

I've read that porting and polishing the head and installing a new cam--around $1200 +cam will give me substantial horsepower gains, but it all comes back down to a weakpoint.

The tranny. With people pushing 300+ HP on the stock MCS Getrag, it blows my mind, that the Midlands can barely even handle 115HP for over 40,000 miles.

I know you're considering a new MC, so hopefully that tranny issue is a non issue for you.

The other consideration is this.

What good is extra power? Most people have been talking about how you can mod the MCS, and have better performance, that it's more like a sports car while the MC is an economy low key driver. IMO, if you are single and will be the only driver, the MC is all you need. Remove the back seats, and the spare to drop 75 pounds of weight, put on some lightweight 13 pound wheels with sticky rubber, add an intake and exhaust and it will perform as well you want it to be.

Dave Bunting has a 2006 MC and he's a damn good driver. He was among the fastest MINI drivers at the last autox showing that it's not about whether you have an MCS or MC.

On the other hand, as regular passenger vehicle with 2 or 3 adult passengers (+driver) on a hot day with the AC blowing on a road trip up some steep mountain hills, and all of a sudden, extra power is highly desirable, especially when you need to pass that slow RV or semi. Downshifting, revving to 6,000 rpm doesn't always cut it---fast enough.

For me, I've gotten into the habit of shutting off the AC when I need extra power, or making sure I drive solo whenever possible. My 20 pound son doesn't add much weight to the car. LOL.

Obviously the choices are personal. No one can tell you whether the S is worth the money but yourself. I will be trading down from a fully loaded MC (Nav & leather) to a much less equipped MCS, but after 3 years and 65,000 miles of motoring, I think it will be a positive step forward for me.