So I had a loaner so the dealer could fix up all the minor delivery stuff and do an oil change (I have 1500 miles on my Cooper S).

So they gave me a mini base in auto. I have an auto... and the previous week drove from NJ to Virgina, and guess what I had to drive the base mini loaner from NJ to Virginia this week also...

What an opportunity to compare...

Now... I do have 17" wheels with summer tires and the sports package so I will not compare handling... It's unfair and I have a lot of interior upgrades so that is unfair... except to say Boy am I glad I got the lounge leaher seats way more comfortable for a long drive than the base upgraded seats with the "pleather" colour accents...

Anyway... While I love the Nav in the Mini, the base radio and On Board computer is much easier to use. (why can't mini put a "back" button like the base radio has, way faster than using the joystick).

OK Mileage... MCSa averaged 30.1 mpg on 93 Octane Hess...
MCa averaged 33.1 mpg on 93 Octane Hess...

I felt like I had to be on the base mini more than the MCS when driving... Yes I took the V1 so I was not driving 55mph until the beltway when I drove 5mph.

Now even with the loaner, blue with white roof, people commented on the car. I think more than my yellow with black roof. So for all of you who want to be seen, white roof is a must...

As for ride quality... The base was better than the 17" summers, I didn't feel many bumps and the car itself seemed a bit more toy like in that you could feel the less mass when tossing around...

other than that... I kinda liked the base and if you didn't have the money for an S, you could still enjoy the mini experience without losing much.

I was disappointed in the mileage, I was hoping for something like 36-38mpg.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has found the base car's MPGs aren't impressive for the power gulf. I didn't mind the ride quality. I did mind the base had no power and I was getting low 30s for gas mileage (including ~60% freeway driving).

 

Did you get that loaner from Princeton Mini? If so then chances are I've been in that loaner as well .

MCa, 2007, Blue with white roof. Ashtrays were disgusting. Poor thing, the interior wasn't very well maintained cleanliness-wise. Life as a loaner must be hard...

Otherwise very fun to drive, love the paddle shifters. Would have preferred separate paddles for upshifting/downshifting instead of push/pull, but fun nonetheless. Any need for sudden power required stomping the pedal, but otherwise decent power for everything else.

 

I can see how an S owner who felt they needed to be "on it" more in a base Cooper would be disappointed with the fuel economy - a heavy foot takes its toll. But ease up a bit and the MC's mileage can be impressive.

 

I just picked up a loaner yesterday, and completely agree on the lounge leather- my wife commented on it within about a minute when I picked her up from work in the loaner.

Funny, I went from Nav in my car to base radio in the loaner and thought it was tougher to use- I guess people just get used to what they have

You can use the "home" button as a back button also. Well, which ever button is on the left of the joystick, I think it's the home button, but I don't look at it anymore... I don't remember if it works as a back for all functions, cause I've gotten used to however it works... One thing I wish they would change is a quick access from pre-sets to manual tuning for the radio. I think making manual tuning a sub-set of presets would be nice- just one click down, rather than a click up, spin over and select.

 

We've got one of each so I'm in a position to compare, they're very similary speced out. Shawn (the MCS) is very new so I can't compare fuel consumption yet, and he's not yet broken in so I've got to drive him gently. However Shawn got better MPG on his first tank than Tristan (the MC) did, though currently the comuter is showing a little worse for the second.

However, I drove Tristan for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday, I totally loved it, it was almost like being new to a MINI again. I think the pushing harder in the MC had a lot to do with it. In Tristan, I can just push and push, I like to try using all of the capabilities of the car. If I try that in Shawn 2 seconds later I'm thinking I'd better ease up or my licence is in danger. Also keeping the revs down for the break in really doesn't help the experience.

In a Cooper-S its all handed to you, its almost too easy. In the MC you have to work at it, and I find that more satisfying.

As for differences, as I said the 2 are similarly speced with sports suspension, 16" wheels, the same non-runflats and and DSC. Shawn does have LSD which will help him. The Cooper-Ss version of the sports suspension is more agressive. My standard cornering test is a 270 degree constant radius interchange on the freeway. Tristan does that without drama at 44mph and 46 if I really try. Shawn did that the first time at 49mph without any drama, I was impressed. (BTW: Quentin, the R53 could only manage 44mph.)

Tristan's version of non-sport mode (if I don't push the sport button) is limp in the extreme. I have to push the sport button to get any feel at all. Shawn has some feel without the sport mode and a bit more in sport mode.

Apart from that, and the obvious power difference, they're pretty similar. I still think if I could only have one, I'd go for an MC. If I can have 2 I'll have one of each.

 

Got a loaner yesterday. Jesus - H the non turbo is slow.

 

As far as mileage is concerned, don't forget that both cars are using the exact same engine. The only difference is the turbo, and a turbo generally doesn't suck up a lot of gas. You don't have to push the S as hard, which means the mileage won't be considerably worse.

 

I can't tell you how typical it is for MCS owners to think the MC is slow. Coming from that perspective, it will be noticable. There is another approach one may take, of course, but most MCS owners would not prefer that because why? Right......they have chosen an MCS!

 

There are other differences besides the turbo; for example: direct injection on the S and Valvetronic on the non-S, but not vice versa.

 

It's all a matter of what you are used to. When I first got my MCS, I never used the sport button because I thought it made it too responsive. Now, I almost never drive with it off.

 

Yep that's the one... the blue with white roof. Actually I still have it till tomorrow when they fix one other interior issue they had to order a part for.

 

I always thought that the MCS was insanely fast, not that the MC was slow.

 

I had my choice of both still like the MC over The S, I have had many turbos and superchargers, they are a pain the the @ss...always something

 

I got a 2007 MCa loaner too. I drove about 60 miles or more in that day in stop and go traffic, the gas tank still full when i returned it . so i thought the gas mileage is awesome although yes it is slow, i almost got hit by a truck when i drive out of the dealer lot cause I owned a 06 MCS and I dont have to press the gas so much to make the car up to speed.

 

Coming from several BMWs (my favorite was the 2003 330i ZHP - 0-60 in mid to high 5s) the Cooper S feels crazy slow to me. I like my Cooper S but it's really low on torque and HP from what I'm used to.

 

haha trust me.. my other car is E46 M3 so i understand you... a lot of cars are slower.. but a lot of cars are faster... it is just a different form of fun...

 

If only they made an e46 M3 4 door...I never would have ever bought another car.

 

I'm ditching my 335 at 4.8 0-60.. i think i am..

 

Don't do it!!!!!

 

Keep the 335 and get a MCS.

I kept my porsches and got the mini... It's funny how my "eleven" seems so much faster now when I drive it on weekends then when I drove it daily.

then again almost 400 hp vs 170hp is a big difference even with the extra 400lbs.

 

I must disagree in the MPG area mentioned. Of coarse it is all in the drivers foot. On the MC I can set the cruise going 65mph and actual MPG is 43-45. Set the cruise at 55mph and I get 47-48 actual mpg. Yes, drive hard in town with starts and stops it will bring the Average down but I don't see it around 31.

Disclaimer . We do all drive very different and I do have a 6 speed not the automatic.

 

Well said my fellow week 16'er. Couldn't agree more.

 

I agree, I get that kind of mileage at the speeds you speak of.

 

I like how folks say "if you don't have the money" or "if you can't afford"... the S... then the base Cooper.... As if that's the only reason to buy the JustaCooper.

Personally, I enjoy both of them but I love my CR Cooper the most (shhhhhh, don't tell the MCSC that I said that). I really feel like I'm driving when I'm in the Cooper. Maybe it's because I spend a lot of time in Sport and Manual mode and when I'm in the S, I'm pretty much leaving it in "D".