So you'd say the S is a little too much for the city? But even in a non S cooper is the manual transmission worth it?

 

Not at all, I live in a city and have the manual. It's the only way to go, for me. Lots of ppl drive manuals in the city. Driving a manual is so much more involving, and just plain fun.

 

When I test drove the base I was told that the 2014 F56 base is as fast as the 2013S R56.

 

Don't you get tired from start stop traffic with the manual? And what about the S, is it too much?

 

They lied to you. The 2014 F56 base has 133 hp and the 2013 S R56 has 182.

 

Ok, if you search for my posts, you find a lot of these ideas expressed previously.

I bought my first Mini in Oct 2008 (a 2009 MCS). I had ordered a Justa but then switched to an MCS. For the R56, I would have regretted not having the turbo.

If you like a manual, then the manual is a must. I commute 16 miles to work. Don't mind the stick when traffic is crawling. Don't mind the stick in city traffic. Don't mind the stick when we go up to LA which has terrible traffic. If you like a manual, you must get the manual.

I test drove both the manual 3 cyl MC and the manual 4 cyl MCS in the F56. If the 3 cyl wasn't a turbo, I'd have to get the MCS. The 3 cyl is fantastic. Peppy. It still has the fun factor. It's one second slower to 60, but I'm was'nt wringing out my MCS and trying to beat everyone leaving a light. I liked to zip around my turns, love the twisties, and the 3 cyl is going to be just as fun and in most cases keep up with those MCS cars when we go on group runs -- which is something I never did before owning the MCS, and something I'll get back into with my 3 cyl turbo.

So, I went MC and took the $3200 diff (same options MC vs MCS) and put it into options, options, and more options (spent much more than the 3200). But I'm so excited and so looking forward to the new car it's hard to wait, but I will as it will be worth the wait.

The armrest on the F56 is bigger and higher. The R56 armrest for me was perfect. I thought the F56 armrest was getting a bit in my way on my test drive, but I didn't adjust the seat higher (they manually can go up and down), and the higher the seat, the less in the way it will be. Also, it's hinged the the back and can be adjusted so that it slopes down (front by stick lower than rear pivot point) -- so between raising the seat and tilting the armrest, I'm hopeful it won't be a bother to me. But others report it's not an issue with a manual, so everyones opinion may vary. And the armrest can always be pulled up so it's up and down between the seats. But, it the right position can be found, I want an armrest as whenever I had a loaner without an armrest, I found I was missing the place to rest the right arm.

I absolutely need the sunroof. It adds so much light and openness that I consider it a must. It does take a bit of headroom -- I don't notice it, but if you think about it, it has too. I would not want a Mini without it.

So, my opinion is go with the MC and take the $ and put it into options you want.

If you have any more questions, you can post here or PM me.

Also, there are deals to be had -- though if you've got a trade in it's harder to tell that you are getting a deal. I sold my MCS myself, and negotiated a very good deal -- a few here probably beat it, but probably not too many. If you are in SoCal, PM me and I can give you my MA contact info and fill you in more on my thoughts on getting the best deal.

You're going to love the car. I spent the last year looking at other possible cars, and only a Mini would do it for me.

 

I got a loaded base cooper with stick and wow it is so much fun. I just love the way this mini drives. I'm in Los Angeles and the clutch is very light. I've just got home driving in an hour in traffic and I don't mind the stick at all. The three cylinder motor is fantastic. I just love the way it sounds. And it is so smooth. I can not believe this thing only has three cylinders is power band is great. Plenty of power. I test drove all the coopers in automatics first there were no sticks out there. My MA told me the base cooper with the stick is really great. I finally test drove one and I was hooked I just love this mini. I also like the look of the base car front end. My car is VO with Cosmos black 17" with no stripes and the LED lights and it really looks different and looks great on a base cooper. Plus the stick rev matches on downshifts and that's really cool and the downshifts are so smooth.

 

I would take a non-S manual over an S-automatic. I wouldn't say the power of the S is too much. How was your test drive? Go for an S-manual if that extra power was what did it for you -or alternatively, a non-S for the same price with additional options.

 

No, the manual makes the car fun. And the S is, for me, a must. But like I already said, these are my opinions, others will not agree. Pick what is best for you, and make sure you drive the Justa and the S, the maual and the auto. Then decide.

 

All your insights are very helpful! Thank you very much. Please keep posting.

From reading your posts I think I'm pretty sure I'll go for the manual.

Now, about S or non S... it's very subjective but, in regular commuting would you say the difference is noticeable?

If I don't get the S, I would get navigation, parking assist, HUD display, and sunroof instead. If it were your choice, what would you do?

 

I'm getting a manual S (F55) with very few options. I don't find driving a manual difficult in any conditions, including city traffic, and I've lived in Dallas and LA. My wife has an X1 35i with nav, sunroof and lots of fluff. I don't really ever use any of it, plus it's faster than you can really exploit in most conditions. If there were a diesel Cooper in the US, I'd consider it, but the mileage savings for the Justa isn't enough to make me want to give up the extra power. Because of the extra weight of the F55, I may wait for the JCW motor though.

 

I agree that it is very usual to get lots of options and then just never use them. However I would miss the sunroof (it makes the interior feels more spacious, if thats a word) and the navi is just soooo cool looking... but also sooo expensive :|

 

You'll get your own answer if you take a couple of more test drives. Go to some new dealers if you have to.

Test drive 1 is a manual MC and a manual MCS. Pay no attention to the equipment. You're just deciding if the take off speed and performance in the curves meets your needs and whether one is "it has to be this one, the other won't do".

Test drive 2 is either an MC or MCS, manual or auto, but no sunroof, no nav, no heads up. Then drive an MC or MCS, manual or auto, with sunroof, nav, heads up. Does the technology make you go "wow, I need this"? If so, you might have your answer.

If money is an issue, and it's one or the other (i.e. an MCS but little options, or an MC with options), the above test drives will let you make the decision thats right for you.

But I had a whole thread I did on who is going from an MCS to an F56 MC. There were many of us doing this. This 3 cyl turbo with a manual is fun to drive and works for a lot of us. And a bonus is when we are not driving like a bat out of hell, we'll be saving a bit more at the pump.

 

I went with a VO MCS-Auto. First of all, I really like the S' front and back end. I like the aesthetics of the S better than the Justa. I got an auto so my wife could drive it from time to time. We just decided to get all the options we thought we wanted. No cold weather package coz we are in Texas

 

I personally just don't like sunroofs. I like to detail cars and the cleaner lines look better to me, and the lack of weight up high is nice for the center of gravity too. I've also had a few convertibles and prefer that approach if you want a hole in the roof. My M Coupe had the most worthless sunroof ever though, so maybe that jaded me. I actually assume our X1 has the same sunroof as the F56 though. I'm sure it's nice on a much smaller car.

 

I'm gathering there is a general agreement on that the F56 non S is good enough. Of course its not top notch, but the money savings make it a more realistic option, still fun to drive and swift and nimble.

I guess the base cooper improved much more in this generation than the S, making the gap quite smaller.

 

I would say base Cooper - loaded with goodies. Strong torque wins in city traffic! Aren't there 30 million people in Mexico City? And the base Cooper is fun fun. Even more fun when loaded with goodies,navigation and an upgraded Hifi. Clearly a lot of people opting for the S are focused on the higher horsepower/torque as the main deciding factor. But what happens when the JCW comes along? Then the S might not be enough for the drivers who just focus on the numbers right?
Remember, we will be able to tune our base Coopers for extra oomph if need be. And the 3 cylinder will sound phenomenal with an aftermarket exhaust!

 

We drove both the base and the S.. both Auto. Car is for my wife... but I was digging the ride too! The base is really fun to drive and has plenty of power for us. Yes the S turns it up to '11.' Our goal was to keep the car under $30K so we put the money into features we'd use most and the added power was not a feature we needed most. So we got everything we wanted and needed and nothing we didn't. Not even the sunroof, and we were a bit under $30K. We both have cars with sunroofs and they stay closed year round. Our car has been built and is waiting in Southampton for a boat ride over here. Can't wait.

 

is resale an issue for you? a basic S will fetch more than a heavily loaded Cooper. options don't add resale value.

also you might find some of the options you want on the Cooper are either standard or less money on the S

 

With the automatic you have the option to shift it manually and thus the ability to rest that left foot in high traffic areas. Also the 0 to*60 time is quicker in the automatic compared to the manual in the F56 MCS. My personal taste is to have the larger more powerful motor because it is still very fuel efficient. Suggestion is to build the car you want starting with the bigger motor and add the options. You won't be disappointed on the weekends. I've already tuned my F56 MCS and it's a little monster thats docile until I plant my right foot waking up the beast. The armrest is annoying even after having the car for 2 months but you get used to it. You have a tough decision to make because the options add up quickly and they are NICE!!!!

 

I ordered and I'm waiting for a loaded up base manual. I was all set to get the S. I live in Philly and drive in traffic. I'm trading in a 2006 S convertible with 110,000 miles. I felt the new base Cooper had enough torque and guts for my daily drive and I took the extra 3-4 grand and loaded up the base. The base is very similar to what I'm driving now and is plenty quick.Obviously everyone has to make their own decision.I'm not in love with the S front end anyway. I keep my cars for awhile so at the end of the day resale really doesn't come into play for me. My Mini is built and waiting to hitch a ride back to the states.Waiting is tough! My 2 cents.

 

I like these discussions as they show how everyones tastes differ. I personally drive a automatic for traffic and my two other cars are manual so I needed one to at least be an auto. I test drove the S and the justa as well as a 2013 MCS.

2013 MCS: It was a ruff ride compared to the 2014 F56. It was also much smaller.

2014 Justa: It did not have enough power for me. I know that not everyone is a power hog like me but I autocross and really need that extra little bit. I also did not like the seats (I prefer the sports seats).

2014 MCS: This car was a perfect fit for me. Once again I got the automatic and in sport mode it has all the power and agility I need. Round-a-bouts are no longer agitating they are exciting. I like the extra space in the newer F56 as well. It is the main reason I just could not do a 2013. I am a BMW junky and am excited to see how the new engine performs long term.

This is just my 2 cents. Good luck with your purchase. Cannot wait to see pictures!

 

Lots of good advice here, good discussion.

We have all stick-shift cars at our place at the moment.

I thoroughly enjoy my 2012 MCS MT, it's a complete blast to drive.

But it does get tiresome if there's a bunch of crawling traffic in my 38-mile commute, happens about 2x per week.

I test drove F56 Cooper and S, both automatics, and found no fault in the automatic in either. Shifts quickly, picks the right gear (especially in Sport mode). The Cooper was a delight, the turbo 3 is just as advertised, enough torque to be entertaining, should make a delightful city driver for sure. I did love the extra power of the S, of course.

Probably best advice given is: visit the dealer enough to check it out and decide for yourself. I made five visits before I ordered mine, 3 test drives and then checking out options (like MINI Connected and other stuff) on the other two.

Good luck!

 

After my own heart.

 

The base model has tons of torque and a great engine note. It is much more fun than you would expect and is plenty capable of fun.