I've got my deposit down for a MCS. It should go into production sometime in March. I've been reading on forums of this Yo-Yo/Stumple of the acceleration, the rattling of the moon roof, the disappointing gas mileage, and the questionable sound system. I'd like to hear a few reviews on these specific things especially the gas mileage. I want a compact sports car that gets decent gas mileage. When I saw that the Cooper S is looking at 33 Mpg freeway, I was stoked. Now I hear people talking about getting mid to low 20s and that's not good at all. I own a Honda Prelude and I drive it moderate. I average about 27 Mpg without any mods. The car is only suppose to get 26 mpg freeway. This said, I'd figure I should get 34 Mpg in a Cooper S. I'm not looking at that much, but at least 30. I'd like to hear some short reviews from MCS owners. Let me know how your Moon roof treats you, how your sound is (what sound package you have), and if you have the stumple and how bad it is if you do. Give a rating out of 10 how good you feel about buying your Cooper. Thanks.

 

Boge, welcome to NAM!

re. your questions...

1) Gas Mileage. I have a 2002 MCS. I have never broken about 26 mpg...and that's on long freeway trips. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever gotten worse than about 23 mpg in mixed situations. My opinion - and I think this is shared with other posters from what I've read over the years - is that BMW wildly over-estimates the mileage on both the S and the Cooper. You MIGHT be able to achieve something close to the EPA "estimate" if you seldom let the revs go over about 2500...but then you'd be drivin' like grandma and not having much fun at all. :smile:

 

On a recent trip from western PA to South Carolina, my 04 MCS got 24 MPG while running mostly 70 mph in hilly section PA to VA. Then got 28 MPG grom VA to SC while running mostly 83mph. Temp. was cold so that may have helped a bit. My first tank after taking delivery was 30 MPG but I was following the breakin procedure and not exceeding 4500 rpm. I'd say that if you live in flat area and drive conservatively, you should get high 20's low 30's.

 

On recent trip to Reading, PA and back in the MCS, we averaged 34 mpg according to the OBC. Mostly flat PA Turnpike, average mph in the high 70's and taking it very easy on the back roads due to icy conditions. Mileage varies depending on driver and the conditions.

_________________
I'm not a real BMW mechanic, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night. :smile:

 

^ That's true...about the driver and conditions. Let me be more clear. The greatest factor in gas mileage is not as much top speed as it is how high you let the engine rev. You can probably get 30-something mpg driving 70 if you are easy in how you get there. On the other hand, if you like to reach 70 in under 15 seconds, you'll never see 30 mpg.

Oh, and the on-board computer (and speedo) are known inaccurate.

And one more thing I forgot to mention...remember that the MINI (S and Cooper) require premium (91 octane or better) gas. Run less than 91 on any sort of regular basis and you'll have drivability problems AND eventually blow up your engine. So, not only does the MINI use more gas than your Honda...it uses more expensive gas.

 

Welcome Boge. I've had my 02 MCS for about 18months and 20000miles. I've had the sunroof rattle (fixed with Velcro strips on advice of other NAM members) and some other minor probs but, overall, it's the most fun car i've ever owned. Valet parking attendants and car wash guys still tell me what a cool car it is and these guys see/drive them all.
Re: gas mileage. 22-24 city/30-34 highway. I took an 8600 mile road trip this past summer and, if the on-board computer is to be believed, averaged 33.1 mpg.
Never had the stumble or any of the other mechanical problems mentioned on this site. I just got the Alta intake and can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can install it.
Overall: 9 out of 10

 

Remember that your experience with some of these "issues" will be a little different with an '04 than with previous model years. I have a 10/03 build 04 MCS with the h/k stereo.

Yo-yo/stumble: Two different questions here, really. A newer MCS will have the most recent software (V36), and therefore no stumble. As for the yo-yo, some have it bad, some a little, and some hardly at all. Mine has a small yo-yo, but it doesn't really interfere with the driving experience. Zero stumble.

Sunroof: Zero problems, totally love it and recommend it highly.

H/K stereo: I think it depends on your level of expectation. If you're an audiophile that typically spends thousands of $ on stereo upgrades, you might be disappointed. As far as I'm concerned, it's as good as any factory stereo I've ever heard. I should also mention that the H/K recently won an award for best factory stereo in a car under $30k.

Mileage: Most of my driving is commuting in town. Lots of lights, lots of stop and go. I've been getting 25-26 in those circumstances. I think you could match the EPA estimate on the highway with the cruise set at 70, no problem. Like a couple of other people mentioned, driving style and circumstances make a big difference with this car. If you go around with the revs in the 3500+ range, expect low 20's. If you cruise on the highway at a reasonable speed, mid 30's are not out of the question.

Overall rating: 9

I think you'll have a hard time finding another car that fits the description of a "comapct sports car with decent mileage" better than the MCS. It does a lot of things well, and looks good doing it. :smile:

 

I ditto Countrym's comments....my '04 MCS (9/2003 build) has been absolutely fantastic, solid and tight as a drum. Not a single problem in 4 months and 4,300 miles since I took delivery of the car. I am getting between 25-27MPG in strict city driving and around 34+MPG in the highway. Best car on the road for the money hands down!

If you have any specific question, send me a private message and I will be able to help you further.

 

06/2002 MCS here

No problem with Sunroof at all, love it

Stereo, it's not up to aftermarket high end stereos but it works great for me. I've actually put in a 2003 stereo so I could hook up my IPOD

Gas : I get around 25 in the city and 32-33 on the highway and thats with normal driving habits.

 

I have the HK stereo upgrade and it is worth every penny of the $550 asking price.

 

I get about 23MPG around town and I drive pretty hard. I got an average MPG of 29.1 combined on a trip up to NC, TN and back to FL. The trip included lots of twisty mountain driving so it was not all highway, and when I was on the highway I drove at speeds between 70 and 85 when I could.
The MCS will smoke any unmodded Prelude BTW, so I wouldn't compare MPG too much. The fun you'll have in the MCS will be worth any slight MPG difference.
I have an early build MCS (Apr 2002) and have only had the coolant tank leak problem which was fixed under warranty.
I'm fine with the stock CD player since I rarely feel the need to crank it up (I'm usually listening to the engine).
I drove a demo MCS with the sunroof and that's why I bought mine without it - the sunroof is WAY too loud when open.

On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 8 or 9 only because 10 would be perfect, and though the MCS is a great and fun car, it is not perfect.

 

Okay, I have the Vtec Prelude which o-60 time is 6.7 seconds. My Lude is stock. The Cooper S isn't quite as fast with that stat alone. I am not going to argue on the handling. I haven't driving a cooper that much and I don't really push my Lude to the limit. When I drive my prelude, I don't redline it that often, but I do from time to time. I shift around 4500-5000rmp. It has a redline of around 7300rpm. I average about 27 mpg combined city and freeway. Now if you tell me that I'm most likely to get about that gas mileage in a Cooper or even possibly better (better even with mods), then I'll just keep my money down on it and look forward to driving it in about May. The other problems I think might be okay seeing as how most of you are saying that the rattling is moseso in the older versions. I don't understand this Yo-yo thing everyone is talking about though. Could someone explain that to me?

 

I had a 97 Prelude with the sport shift. I was only able to manage about 24 ish mpg. I am able to get consistent 28 mpg with our Mar 03 build MCS. My wife and I took it on vacation last year and got 30+ mpg. Driving from CT to PA to DC. If you get 27 with a Prelude, you should be able to get 30 with an MCS
I was extremely disappointed with the HK system at first. I since had the head unit replaced because of a bad display and now the system sounds a whole lot better. I also now have the speed volume control, so I don't think my original HU was properly programmed. I would buy it again just for the MFSW controls.
The stumble issue is not as bad as you read. Keep the revs up on launch, and you don't have as many problems. I do not have the latest software, so I don't know how well that addresses the problem. (yo-yo refers to the car not delivering steady power)
Yes this car has rattles. It is a 20k sticker price after all (before options). Nothing unbearable. Since my other caras have been in this price range, the rattles are not any different than our VW. (or the Toyota RAV4 I traded in on it). I doubt they will be that bad for you. I wonder if the problem lies in what your previous car was?
I loved my Prelude. I was close, very close, to getting an RSX Type-s. I have no regrets about the MCS. Its a Honda with a personality. Keep your order, you will love this thing. It may not be as fast, numbers wise, but it feels every bit as much. Everyone talks about the "twisties" and the Prelude could hande awesome, but this car takes it to the next level.

 

Read this thread, The Yo-Yo Chronicles. It will explain everything.

 

boge- mine's a commuter and averaging about 28.5-31.0 mpg. :smile:

I do punch the gas occassionally. imo, the car gets great gas milage.
mine's a06/03 build an pre-v36 ecu.

 

I'm wondering how much the wheels and tires affect the observed mileage. Those big and heavy 17" s-spokes with the run flats take a lot of energy to get rotating. Anybody do comparisons before and after wheel and tire upgrades to see the impact on mileage? I don't have any experience yet because my MCS is on a boat in the Atlantic right now. I've mostly owned 4x4 pickups and there the wheels and tires made a big difference. BTW I'm really interested because my MCS has the 17s and I'm considering a second set of wheels for commuting and saving the 17s for "special occasions".