I have just started looking @ a 2010 and wanted to get a few thoughts on the MC vs the MCS.
I know the power differences and wanted input on the other differences. (Handling etc.)

I am not real close to a dealer and have driven used versions of both but nothing newer than an 06 so no experience with the 2nd gen.

I am also interested in input about pros and cons of the 16 vs 17 in as far as ride comfort and performance. I do not plan on the run flats and will opt for the all seasons.

 

No opinion here will be as meaningful as going to the dealer and test driving yourself.

I love how my MCa drives, more so than the MCm, MCSa or MCSm.

Handling would be similar, having to watch out for torque steer on MCS.

They all have 'run-flats' except the MC with 15" that also has a spare tire.

 

1st & 2nd Gen MINIs are significally different in power and handling. So, you need to make that trip to a dealer to test drive a 2nd Gen MC and MCS.

Which you want will depend on your needs. The MCS has a lot of punch to the power because the engine puts out a lot of low-end torque. The MC will get you about 4 or 5 mpg better mileage.

Handling is similar on MC and MCS. There are several suspension options. You need to decide which suits your comfort vs. handling needs. The standard suspension handles quite well, but the sport is supposed to handle better (haven't driven one), and then there is the JCW suspension.

My MCS came with 17" wheels. I replaced them with lighter-weight 17" wheels, then bought a set of 16" wheels. I favor 16" wheels. Better ride (given the same tire brand and model), usually lighter weight (better acceleration, braking, and ride comfort).

17" wheels give you slightly crisper turn-in response and a look that appeals to teenagers. You pay for it with a harsher ride, and heavier wheels. The factory 17" wheels are stones at 22.5 lbs. each. My 17" wheels are 16 lbs., and the 16" are 14 lbs.

 

Lots of torque steer on the MCS, but half the fun is trying to keep the wheel straight while you're flooring it, right? I'd much rather have an S than my MC, but they're both really fun cars. MCS is quite a bit faster, and to me, a lot more fun.

In my opinion, the automatic transmission sucks. It's more jumpy than my 6 speed was when I was first learning how to drive stick. Plus having 3 different ways for the car to shift seems like overkill to me.

 

Summer or All Season, they are all runflats on the MCS. No room for a spare.

 

When I first decided I wanted a MINI, I thought I'd be okay with just a cooper. After driving a Cooper then a Cooper S at the dealer I quickly changed my mind. Best thing to do is to go drive both.

 

Night and day... Well maybe more like night and dusk...

 

Don't test drive the MCS, otherwise ....

 

Prepare to be disappointed...

 

or pleasantly surprised about the improved interior, quality, refinement, ride, power and efficiency

 

My dad has an '05 MCS that I had driven so I went to test drive Mini's I knew that if I test drove the MCS, I would want it more than the MC so I stuck with the MC. I also test drove a MC with the sport package and I honestly could not tell a difference. Personally, I think that with any car it's hard to driver the "nicer" version of it and then settle for the "cheaper" version. That's why I stuck to my guns regarding how much I wanted to spend and which features I wanted and declined the offer of test driving a MCS. By the way, I LOVE my MC.

 

57hp,center pipes and a hood scoop

 

Well obviously the difference is $3500 in MSRP, which isn't insignificant. However the MCS gives you $1250 in standard features that are MC options (16" wheels, sport front seat, and front fog lights). So for $2250 you get 54 more HP (very useful) and 195 vs 175 rubber on the ground (marginal impovement in handing). This is somewhat offset by the run flat tires and the lack of a spare tire that only comes on the MC.

The MCS will get you to 0-60 2 seconds faster and allow you to go 139 mph rather than 120 mph (probably not practical on a frequent basis).

Both are fun to drive and to some degree as to which is faster may be how good a driver you are. Some guys are Quick some aren't.

So go drive em, spend some time in them. See if you feel like a racer or feel like you could spend that cash difference in some more enjoyable way.

It is up to you, only you can make the decision

 

We have one of each, both with the sports suspension, 16" wheels and real tires. The main difference is the power, the handling is pretty similar.

The steering on the MCS is a little heavier weighted. We have the sport mode always on, and I'd prefer the steering weight to be somewhere between the 2.

The MCS sometimes has a low growl from the engine which I find a little annoying.

The fuel consumption is not significantly different between the 2 for us. We do have an 07 MC and an 08 MCS, there was a small increase in economy from 07 to 08, which may mask the difference.

The MC comes with a spare tire, carry a can of fix a flat and a compressor in the MCS.

Driving on the street, the MC can be more fun, you have to work more to get the most out of it. The MCS can't be used to its full capabilities on the street, not without being totally insane. The MCS engine is so flexible you hardly ever have to change gear if you don't want to. The MCS is just fun because it is so fast.

On the track the MC will run out of go once you get out of 3rd, the MCS is still going strong. They're pretty much the same speed through the corners, the MCS of course goes faster down the straight, so you need the upgraded brakes to slow it down again. All in all, the MCS is about 4-5 sec per lap faster around the tracks I've run on (about 2min laps). The driver makes much more difference to the lap time than the MC vs MCS difference. (Such as my wife is about 15 sec slower than me.)

I couldn't say anything about 16" vs 17" wheels, I'm quite happy with the 16s. Getting real tires rather than runflats makes a lot of difference.

The 06 MCS and the 07+ MCS are very different beasts. The 06 is very raw, the 07+ much more civilised and more fuel efficient, its also faster, but may not feel like it.

If I had to choose only one MINI, I could be quite happy with an MC, having one of each is best though.

Edit: When I configure a MINI how I like it, the MCS is $2200 more than the MC.

 

From my standpoint, the MC feels very similar to the MCS, but with less torque. Even with almost 60 horsepower less, my MC still feels pretty quick. I have 17" wheels, but would recommend to go with 16" because the ride is supposed to be nicer and the tires are cheaper to replace.

 

There's no question the MCS is the better performer. It's faster in a straight line, and the extra torque helps it through the curves.

But that doesn't mean it's more fun. I enjoy wringing my MC out on my daily drive... I can take it up to near redline in 2nd and 3rd gear and remain legal. Plus it's still got that "go kart" chassis. I figured I would never use the added performance potential of the MCS, since I don't see myself autocrossing or anything. The MC, with the manual transmission at least, still feels zippy. I test drove the MCS, and it was noticeably faster, but I couldn't see myself tapping that potential on a regular basis.

Also liked the fact that the MC has a space for a spare (even if yours comes equipped with runflats). I keep a donut spare in there during the winter (because my winter tires aren't runflat).

Truth be told, I had a tonne of fun driving my aunt's 3-cylinder Citroen last summer. It's a different kind of fun than say driving an Audi S4. I got enjoyment in pushing the car to its limits.

 

Initially my mind was set on MC to tool around town & drive between 4 sites that I go during each day at work. I test drove the MC for two days & was rather content.... Then I test drove the MCS & there was no turning back

Extra power gives better active safety on the road

 

Ditto

And if you like the sport stripes they look better in the rear on the "S" because of the center pipes.


At 65 years old but wanting something sporty, I really wanted to get "just a cooper." After driving it I was quite happy. But my youthful spirit wanted those sport stripes. Not in "look at me" white but in subdued black. When I build my Mini on the configurator, the sport stripes looked best on the "S" and my wife kept saying, "You won't be happy unless you get the 'S'." (I let her keep saying it until she convinced me to drive one )

Well...needless to say - and no offense to those who love their non-S's - once I drove the S, I was hooked. The look, the feel, the sound...I had to have it and I haven't regretted it.

 

If you're happy with the MC, stay with the MC. I went into the dealership and test drove several. I was almost ready to make a deal on a little silver gem but then decided, just for the heck of it, that I would like to drive an S. My salesman actually looked at me and said, "Don't drive the S, you don't want to drive the S." But, I did and I did.

Whoa!

There was no going back. Decision made. I am now the proud owner of an BRG~W HT MCS.

 

I went through the same period of indecision. I drove a couple of S's first (2004, 2005, 2007). Then I test drove a new MC (with standard transmission), and I was actually pretty impressed with what it could do. I live in LA, so I would rarely get a chance to open up the full capabilities of the S.

The kicker for me, was when my wife objected to me getting a standard tranny. I really didn't want to get the MC with an auto tranny, so I opted for the S to ramp up the fun factor. At the time, I was a little upset that I didn't get the manual, but now I am loving it. I can motor when I want to, and I can sit through traffic without wearing out my legs and back.

 

I was gonna go with a MC but I saw my MCS sitting on the showroom at the dealer and the price wasn't too bad since they were wanting to get rid of it (he had been sitting there for almost a year) so I took an MCS for a test drive and I was hooked...

 

Big difference:

MC's (justacoopers): no potential cold start knock problem

MCS's: 2010s still have it. must be a deep parts bin out there in valve-train assembly-land

Not going to mince words here. I love my MCSa but it cold start-knocked pretty hard twice in the last year. But it hasnt done it in nearly nine months and about 6K miles, so I retain some hope.

 

All things being equal--which they never are, of course--a Justa should cost less for maintenance if you keep the car a long time. Turbos add cost and complexity, more power translates into more wear on the tranny. But if you're pinching pennies you probably shouldn't be looking at a Mini...not that that stops some of us.

The justacooper has enough power for me...but I wouldn't mind having more. And yeah, the dual centered exhaust tips are cool.

If you're a tightwad and tend to drive your cars til they die, I'd pass on the S.

 

I test drove a MC manual first.....that would have been fine had I stopped there, but my wife kept on insisting on a auto and the only one they had was a S, so once I felt the extra horse/torque there was no going back, I just had to agree to get the auto. Just test drive them all. Don't forget to test drive the S in sport mode.

 

Try to talk yr wife into a JCW tune kit for that automatic and watch the fun factor ramp waaaay up!