Yesterday my wife and I bought an '07 MC 6spd out of dealer stock (chili red/black, cwp, premium, rainsensors). For not a whole lot more they had a discounted ($650 below MSRP) yellow '07 MCS with only the sport package -- no cruise/heated seats/sunroof. In the old days I would have snatched up the MCS, no questions asked. But after driving both, I found the MCS to be too stiff for my 54 year old body. It also had a little detectable turbo lag and about took me into the curb when I nailed it with the wheel turned. The sport seats were much better, though.

The dealer experience was delightful. We skipped over our closest dealer, who could have cared less about selling us a unit and drove 100 miles to another dealer.

 

Welcome! Sounds like you got a great car and you didn't get to obsess while waiting for delivery. The bare bones MCS we took on a test drive wasn't in many ways as impressive as the feature heavy MC that the dealer had at the time so I can understand your thinking. We decided to go for the turbo, more features, and a 6 week wait. Have a great time motoring in your MC.

 

The sport package has a stiffer ride than normal S.I could see getting the MC for a more relaxing ride.I got the S, you really have to pay attention while driveing or you can get into trouble, almost like driving a motorcycle.Both cars are the best you can buy for the money , you cant go wrong with eather.Have fun!

 

The sports package may have been the reason the ride was too stiff, but I am glad to hear you found one you enjoy.
Smile for miles! happy Motoring!

 

You're not old. I had a pretty stringent price range when shopping for my new car, and I had to choose between a "lightly optioned" MCS and a fully-loaded MC. It was a tough choice....but for me, I ended up with the MCS.

That being said, my MC test drive let me know that I really wasn't missing THAT much....it's really not a sacrifice to drive a less powerful car, especially here in Seattle where gridlock is king. I just enjoy the novelty of driving a car that can pull off low-6-second 0-60 times AND get 36+ mpg on the highway.

 

Not an age issue, at least not for me. At 30, I found the MC to have plenty of pep. MCS definately has more and I can see why folks go that route, but with better fuel efficiency, ample power and friendlier price tag... the MC was the one.

I think it boils down to how you see your MINI. Sporty and powerful = MCS. Peppy Commuter = MC.

 

Congrats!

What dealer did you go to? I need to drive the 07s myself, but the closest dealer is way over 100mi away, so it's not something I can do too easily.

 

if you get the cooper you might find yourself wishing you got the S "i did in 2005". but if you get the S i can guarentee you won't be wondering if you should have gotten the cooper. get the S.

 

I've always liked the way Coopers drive....a slightly different motoring experience. Still a blast, though.

 

Being the significantly older guy here let me speak from a different perspective. I still like that solid one-with-the-road feeling that I'm experiencing with my '07 MCS (plus it has the harder ride 17" wheels). But quite frankly, that extra power is really more than enough. An option of having horsepower somewhere in between would be good. Where I very much appreciate all this extra power though is when working through the gears. I rarely use all six. With this car I can often go from 1st to 2nd to 6th on streets where the speed limit is 35 to 40 mph and still have enough power left over to comfortably accelerate in 6th gear. More power = less shifting = arthritic knee not acting up so much.

It's quite possible though, had the 6 speed manual MC been available when I was doing my car shopping, the MC might very well have been my car of choice. I haven't driven one yet but reviews on this forum by those who have, leave the impression that it's a pretty spirited car. Heck, even a weak car (I don't put the MC in that catagory) can be a lot of fun to drive if the gear box ratios are optimized (which they apparently are in the MC).

 

Hey, let's not hear about how old '54' is,..ok!?! I like to think we are aging gracefully and adjusting priorities accordingly.

When I was a younger, go-fast gallut, I used to drive go-fast cars. Today, I am an older, less maniacal gallut (subject to confirmation by the various medical authorities). So I opted for the MC. The MCS has it going on, for sure, but the MC will drive just fine in our bumper-to-bumper (or bummer-to-bummer)freeway parking lots. The better gas mileage, less money thing was just icing on the cake.

And besides, you cannot get Nightfire Red on an MCS,..neener-neener-neener!!

 

Yeah, but at your age too much icing could be very bad.

 

Speaking as an older poster (59 1/2). You have to buy the MINI you like best. I went from an 04 MC to an 07 MCS, but I had a problem. I live 20 minutes from a track that has too many flat-out days and autocrosses. I just needed to go "a little bit faster". Do I enjoy my S, of course. Would I have enjoyed another MC, of course. They're both MINIs, just a little different. Happy motoring.

 

Sometimes you just enjoy a hamburger more than a hamburger with bacon, cheese, avacado and mayo.

No, I have no idea what that means either.

 

It's the pickle that's important!

 

That's that OTHER thread

 

Congrats on your ride and its still a MINI afterall, S or not

 

It's not the age, its the miles.

As I cannot stand avocado, I had to get an MC. Anything that looks like it was in one of my kids diapers at one time or another has been off my diet for many years now.

 

No apologizing for an MC. Its an awesome car that will run circles around 99% of everything on the road.

 

A question though. Trying to pick a car for my wife, I browsed 2 online dealer inventories without finding any MC with auto tranny. I know fewer ppl drive auto MC but my wife isn't going for another option. Do they ever get ATs on the lot? Thanks

 

I'm sorry you feel old at 54. At 56 I'm an old fart, but don't feel old when I'm motoring. I put non runflats on my MCS R53 & it helped a lot. Just motor around & you'll feel better. Even a Cooper will take the years off of you. Enjoy the new car old man.

 

After reading all these posts I got the feeling I was in an "ol geezer" club.

Being 54 myself and having suffered through two Sentra, two Corollas and a few Mazdas over the years, I just went for it. I agree 100% with Ken Cooper that there's more than enough power. Before the final specs on the R56 were released I was hoping for the rumored 140hp MC, which for me, would have been perfect. All things considered though, I'm more than pleased with my choice and I struggle during the work day waiting to drive the thing.

 

Thanks for the comments concerning my original post. A few additional comments on why we chose the MC over the MCS:
*I hate run flat tires not only for their cost and ride disadvantage but because they can't be fixed if you get a flat.
*Budget was an issue and the few thousand saved went into my fund for a new motorcycle to replace my aging one.
*I have had some pretty powerful cars in the past (Mustang GT, BMW Z3 Coupe, etc.) and power, while still important, is no longer a novelty.
BTW, to answer a couple of your questions, I dealt with Jay and Delaney at Cincinnati Mini -- great people!

remphoto (Rob M.)

 

I bought the 6 speed MC. Love every minute of it. It will get up and go. I'm 50 and appreciate the ride. I think you made a wonderful choice.

 

I bought my 2007 automatic MC right off the dealer lot, and I have no regrets. It is my daily commuter car and I no longer dread the 80+ mile round trip.... it's just a joy to get in and drive. I also test drove the MCS but decided that for my personal situation the MC was a better choice. I love my MINI!