Just found out that my wife and I are expecting our second baby. While this is GREAT news, it does make me want to conserve as much $$ as possible. While the MCS is the car I really want, I can save some money by "downgrading" (I use that term in the best possible way) to the MC.

My first question has anyone had any seat time in both cars, if so could you offer me some insite into the "fun factor" (since that is what is important) for both cars? I know the S will be faster, but I would like to know if the Cooper can get out of it's own way and if the suspension, brakes, etc still make for a wicked little fun machine.

Secondly, would ordering the Sport Suspension Plus push you out of the stock class in Auto X? Edit: Is the addition even needed or is the standard sport suspension up to task?

Thirdly, I know the Cooper S is super competetive in GS...the national results prove that out, but, how does the cooper stack up in it's class?

I know I might have been able to search this out... but I am all hopped up on pain meds right now (5 hours out of ACL reconstruction) and I am not thinking straight, ....feel free to tell me to "do a search NEWB!" anyway

 

It really depends on your needs....

I have a MCS but drove a MC for 3 days (as a loaner). MC is fun to drive, but it lacks a 6th gears and some power... Not to mention the supercharger whine!

I'm sure you'll have fun in a MC, but if you can, get a MCS... The sport seats are great and the extra power is worth it!

Sport suspension should not be a problem in Auto-X... Worst case, just don't mention it! Who will notice??

I'm pretty sure an average inspector qouldn't notice a sucpercharger pulley either...

 

I drove the MCS once before the MC that I eventually bought, and its deffinately a a blast(MC and MCS)! I have no wishes to own the MCS, except the dreams of 300+ whp with with the twin charge kit..... But I digress, Its not a downgrade, its a difference of financial position.

 

You are right Flannelhippie!!

Both the MC and the MCS are a blast to drive!!

The MCS only has a more powerful engine, a 6 gears tranny, and other small things...

The main point is that you'll get a MINI!! This is what matter the most!

 

Ha Ha...if I end up with the MC this will be my new sig. Downgrade was not exactly what I was looking for, but could not think of another term.

Thanks to both for the replies....I look forward to hearing from some others too

 

Well, thank you, as I am 16, and paying for the MINI, I have no extra money for the extra insurance, extra gas, and extra money on the car itself. It just fits me, and I cant live without it.

 

My step mother has a MCS and I have a MC, I prefer the MC for the ride, etc. but it all depends on what you like. I would test drive both. The MC has a softer ride than the MCS, and of course it gets better gas mileage. The power is fine for me, and it is much more zippy than my old Honda Civic even though it has only about 10hp more.

Best thing is, you can get the MC and add some options. I got a pretty bare bones MC. I would defo upgrade to the sport seats if nothing else.

Overall, there were lots of little things that made me pick the MC over the MCS, so it all depends.

 

I owned an '02 Cooper, which I traded in for Wanda, my 2003 MCS. They are both terrific cars. The Cooper has plenty of go-power and is very nimble. I would suggest getting the sportseats rather than the standard seats, and the Xenon headlights. You can check out the Performance Mods for Coopers forum to see the mods folks have made to their MCs. Either way you choose, you'll have fun with your MINI as well as with our friendly MINI community.

 

I had an MC for 8 months while my MCS was on order and I put over 3,000 miles on it. My MCS has over 54000 miles now. Both were great. The MC has better drivability, no yoyo etc. , and rewards skillful driving technique. Some would say the MC is better looking as well. It is a great around town car and probably has a softer ride than most MCS. When I first got my MCS, I thought the difference in performance was like going from a 4 cyl to a V6. It accelerates much more quickly, particularly over 4,000 rpm. It also feels as if it has an eighth inch of rubber between the wheels and the road, great on smooth pavement, but it can be noisy and choppy on bumpy roads. If I had to choose, I'd stick with the MCS, but I'm kinda hardcore, (I used to ride motorcycles in the rain). If I had the option, Id get both. You wont regret the MC, it is a wonderful car and if it will keep the finances reasonable and give you peace of mind, go with it.

 

I have a MC and an MCS. I bought the MC first and it would be my only MINI if the color and interior had not been discontinued. Therefore, I now just show the MC and drive it around to keep it "active". It's a great car...has the looks and corners well, plus it gets great mileage. That said, I bought the MCS to drive everyday and to the track whenever possible. It's fast and gets good mileage as long as I don't get too frisky with it...but then, that's what an S is for, right?

Each car has its own plusses and I am happy as all get out that I am able to own two of them.

 

I can't imagine wanting the sport suspension plus unless you have some fillings you want removed. Combine SS+ with low profile rubber band looking tires and I'd guess you'd be a good candidate for "mushrooming" of the upper strut towers, something that can be expensive and hard to make, "good as new".

The 07 MC will have a 6-speed instead of the current five speed, and is supposed to get better gas mileage, I'd go for the 07 MC, which to me looks better than than the 07 MCS. The suspension on the 07 was designed for runflat tires, and perhaps SS+, if it's still available, would be a better choice than it is on the 06.

 

As for AutoX... Coopers are H stock and Cooper S' are G stock. The PAX times work out so that if you're a good driver you can bet the Cooper S' in PAX. However, I have an 8 month old Cooper that I'm trading for a Cooper S for street performance, I love the torque of the S. If you really want an S get it now so you don't kick yourself later.

 

The Cooper and the S (can) have the same exact suspension and brakes. Opt for the sports suspension plus on the Cooper and you'll have the same suspension as an MCS. The brakes are the same on both cars.

For 90% of the cases, if you can get it delivered from the factory, it's legal for stock. The JCW stuff is the exception, I think. But sports suspension plus is definitely legal for stock class competition. I'd say it's not needed, though. If you don't need to be at the top of the heap, the stock suspension will be good enough. If you do need to be at the top of the heap, you'll probably want to swap out the struts (even in stock class) to be at the top. If you're not going to stay in stock class, don't bother with the sports suspension plus as you're going to wind up removing those parts anyway. That said, the sports suspension plus is a nice mid-level upgrade.

If you check the results, the Cooper cleans house in H stock. Not quite as dominant this year since the SCCA moved a handful of cars down from G stock to H stock to give the MINI some competition (Mazda 3), but the Cooper is still all over the top of the standings at the national level in H stock.

Them's the facts.

For opinion, the Cooper has at least as high a "fun factor" as an MCS, if not more. I'm a fan of the underdog, so the Cooper is very appealing to me. People who know notice a fast Cooper more than a fast MCS. And at my driving skill level, I'm still not driving my Cooper as fast as it can go. Sure, I'd be faster in an MCS, but I can still be faster in my Cooper and I'd rather improve my driving ability than my car's ability.

 

Thanks again all, for the really informative replies!

It seems like either way I end up going I will not regret it!

 

When I was shopping for my MINI cabrio, I drove the Cooper first. I was so satisfied with it that I decided to drive a Cooper S. I knew it would be faster but the Cooper was fast enough and the handling was unbelievable!

Months later when a close friend bought a Cooper S cabrio, he asked me if I wanted to drive it. At first I said no but he persisted so I did it. Yes, it was faster off the line and yes the supercharger whine sounded cool, but I didn't like the ride as much. He has the run-flats and they are very bumpy. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful MINI and he loves it. But for me the $3500 difference didn't seem worth it. I do like the dual exhaust and the hood scoop, but those are visual things only.

I'm thrilled with my Cooper and have no regrets. I've had it at 110MPH and it's smooth as silk. The sixth gear and the 1.9 seconds difference in the 0-60 are not going to make a difference if the car is your daily driver. The fuel economy is amazing. And when you go to the Dragon, the pulleys, cold intakes and sixth gear won't matter since you'll likely never get out of second gear. On the track you'll be racing other Coopers and really it's the driving and handling that counts.

Save some money and get the Cooper. Then spend a little extra to customize it and make it yours. You'll still have plenty left over for your family needs.

Oh yeah...CONGRATULATIONS! Kids love MINIs!

 

I love my cooper, would not trade it for the world. Granted it is not as fast off the line as an S, but it corners and brakes just as well. I go the car for the handling and overall fun factor of just driving it around. It is still quick, just not S quick....it is a car with character, one that makes me smile every day I drive it.

You won't be too disappointed with just a Cooper, priorities change when you have kids, but you can still have fun.

 

Nothing wrong with a Cooper! A rear bar mod wll give you even better handling (but might knock you out of H Stock, I'm not sure of the rules). It is nimble and quick. I like the S a lot, but can't justify the cost for my daily driver (not yet, at least!).

 

Its more rewarding to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow.

 

Besides, the Cooper S seems to have a manufacturing defect - there is a hole in the bonnet (at least all the ones I've seen).

 

I have driven my HS Cooper back-to-back on an autocross course with my friend's GS Cooper S. They're equally fun. The S takes some revs before the torque comes in, while the Cooper makes all the torque it's gonna make a bit earlier.

I have the SS+ on my car, and at times wish I didn't. It's fun for autocross, though, and I'm fairly competitive, so I guess I'm glad I have it. Not always fun for driving to work or around town, though. I put some Koni FSD's on the car, and they do a good job of taking the bite out of the bumps.

But frankly, for my money, I wouldn't buy an S. There are too many other cars that I like more that aren't THAT much more money than an S (for example, the lancer evolution RS is like 28k or something). However, for the price of a Cooper, the only thing tempting is the new Civic Si. It's ugly, but for $19k, it's stupid fast.

 

I've had a 2003 MC for the past 3 years.
I just bought a used 2005 MCS from a NAM member.

My gas mileage has gone down a bit--not drastically since I always drove my MC fast. Maybe a few miles per gallon lost. The MCS just gets me everywhere I want to go faster. It offers less compromises and it's a different kind of car over an MCS.

In some cases, I think the MCS is a better all around car if you have one or more passengers and you like to drive with the AC on. It also requires much less shifting than the MC. Due to the extra power, it's more forgiving for bad shifts. The MC requires lots of downshifting to keep the revs up, and that's fun! But if that's not your thing...you just want to choose a gear and mash the pedal, then I'd say the MCS is the way to go.

Both cars are great, but I have no regrets for trading up from my MC to and MCS. Maybe 3 Years of motoring has caused me to want to get lazy??? LOL. You know, old age and stuff? LOL. I had a hard time giving up the leather seats and factory nav for the MCS which didn't have either, but a Garmin Nuvi 350 solved the nav issue and the heated seats were something I didn't have on my MC with leather. What a huge difference.

Richard

 

 

well stated....and you look just as good in the slow version as you do in the fast version...even when you are rollin' like a gangstah

 

I have to say that I have always bought the faster of cars when there are two options (with only one exception ever). However, when I bought the Mini,I went with the MCC. I did it for a few reasons. It was my second car. If I want to go fast, I'll get in my FX35. I was also trying to save some money. And the car will mainly be driven around town. All the posts I read said that as a daily driver, the MC was probably more suited than the S version. But the MCC really does feel fast - maybe because it is so light. I got the stick as I thought the auto was sluggish (but that was a pre-2005 auto I drove as well). I must say that I am thrilled with my purchase and have no regrets which is amazing for me. So long story short - take several test drives in the MC. If you are happy - go for it. I think you will be happy. If you are a speed demon and feel like the MC is very sluggish, then spend the money for the S. Both are great. I'm just thrilled that I am not disappointed in the power of the MC. Just keep it in the power band. And the shifting for me is fun - opposite of what I get to do in my other car. Good luck!

 

MC without regret.