I am curious as to what you guys will say are the pros and cons of the MINI Cooper S.

 

Don't own an S, but I did test drive several before deciding on my MC CVT....

Pros:

1) Speed... supercharger gives you a NICE kick on acceleration that's tough to match in a standard MC
2) Prestige... the S is known (outside the MINI community) as being the "fast" Mini
3) Modding potential... MANY more mods exist for the MCS, and seem to be much more worthwhile
4) Handling... though you can get roughly the same thing getting SS+ in a standard MC w/ good tires

Cons:

1) AMAZINGLY stiff ride... and I thought my MC was rough over potholes :smile:
4) Even greater potential for tickets (I have to watch myself as-is in my MC, easy to go very fast w/out realizing).
5) Potentially higher insurance, though the difference seems to be fairly small (at least in my case it was).

It all comes down to how/where you drive. If they offered a CVT MCS, or I didn't commute in rush-hour hell every day I would have snatched one up in a second... as it stands now my CVT is PERFECT for my daily drive (and great fun too).

 

Pros: It rules

Cons: none

I'd say if you are even thinking about getting an MCS, get one. Of course, what do I know? I don't even have mine yet.

 

I would have to disagree on the clutch con. I find the MCS's clutch to be VERY easy to engage. Although, I have had a 4 puck kevlar race clutch rated to 500hp in a car before... I might be jaded.


If you want a MINI, Get an S. It's that simple

 

I have a CVT trans in my Murano and it's fantastic!! 245 horses and 21 mpg in the city. I don't think you can beat that. It took a little getting used to, though. I just ordered an "S" last week. Needed something that was a bit more exciting (not that the Cooper isn't)...

 

The Clutch on my VTEC integra was stiffer than the MCS I tested and bought. The Mini clutch was light and has a shorter travel before it engages (I think this is how you describe it). The Integra is unforgiving, You really have to be on it.
--Skycat

 

I fully agree that the MCS does deliver that extra punch to make for a truly exhilerating ride.

As I said, if they offered a CVT MCS I'd be all over it. In fact, if ever such a beast appears I'll be the first in line to trade in my MC :smile:

EDIT: You are correct about the unforgiving nature of the Honda (and I guess Acura by extension) clutches... DEFINITELY not for a beginning stick driver. That said, the actual effort required to press down and hold in the pedal on the MCS seemed significantly more than my Honda... enough so that it was a deal breaker for me. It did, however, engage smoothly and precisely with a huge margin of error for the inexperienced driver.

 

Pros: Way too many to list!

Cons: It should come from the factory with the 15% or 19% pully

And the clutch couldn't be easier to use.

 

I do know that they are making an automatic MCS soon. I belive Gabe Bridger has some info on his site, now called http://www.motoringfile.com.

_________________
Dragon Run brake light mod volunteer. Check out the thread in the national forum if you'd like one!

 

... now called motoringfile.com

I've got an MCS and I was under-informed when I
made my decision. Don't get me wrong, I am very
glad I got the MCS... but I got it for these, somewhat
weak reasons:
1) I decided I liked the scoop in the bonnet.
2) I thought "more is more".
3) I liked the chrome fuel cap.

Now, thanks to NAM, I am sooooo much better informed!

Godspeed.

 

CONS: Can't get my silly grin off my face even after 29K miles of motoring! It's going to be really bad if I drive it to a funeral and can't get the silly grin from my face.

 

The only Con I had with my MCS is that in stock form it was too slow. I'm used to fast cars. So I had the 19% pulley installed and that sure took care of that problem. I love everything about my MCS. The only other CON I could think of is that the sun visors are too small.

RaceCarDriver

 

Pro;

con; too many spoiled freaks with nothing better to do but fuss and complaint own them.

Ehr, I hope none take offense to my comments.

 

I'm new here - what's does the19% pulley do?

 

Cons: Still not fast, shifter weight and throw could be less and shorter, strangly tall gearing, gas milage pitiful when you drive it like you should, and you are stuck buying it with runflats instead of proper tires.

Pros: Handling, modibility, no matter how many cons you can think of you still love it :smile:

 

Cons: Uncomfortable seats, little storage space.

Pros: Best damn handling car on Earth.

 

Pros: It's fun, it gets good mileage, it handles well, chicks dig it, it has a lot of room inside for such a small car, it's easy to park, it's a european car.

Cons: people think I'm gay, it promotes overly-aggressive driving, FWD isn't my favorite drivetrain, it's low (my fault), the back gets dirty after only 5 miles of driving.

 

i am surprised no one mentioned this con...

$3000.00

but still, ohhhh so worth it

(i didn't even check when i ordered mine, is there a longer wait time after ordering?)

and was the original question in comp. to a cooper?
_________________
You're so money and don't even know it

 

Pros:
a little extra power when you need it, center exhaust, cool sound of supercharger, better looking stock bumpers, 6-speed. I love this car , nothing comes close in performance, size and style(mostly style).

Cons:
so far just knit-picky stuff which I think applies to all Coopers except the yo-yo acceleration. Windshields suck, interior is really cheap(the quality in my Jetta is MUCH better), seats are not the most comfortable for long hauls, cup holders are pretty useless, service at BMW dealers could be much better.

The bottom line is that I only paid about $5000 more for my Audi and the quality is so much better on the Audi.

 

Con: I like the looks of the MC front better.
Pro: Power

 

Cons:
-Buggy
-Overweight
-Underpowered

A car with this footprint should weigh hundreds of pounds less. And for the money, an S should have at least 200HP stock so we don't have to void our warranties just to get reasonable power.

 

>>Con: I like the looks of the MC front better.
>>Pro: Power

I haven't even placed my order yet....but I have to say I agree with minifinn. The front and overall styling of the S is just awesome! The MC is also a great looking car, but the MCS just "does it" for me

 

Cons: Can't slow down, addicted to motoring. If I was married, then the marriage would probably be ruined by this car. But thats why 18 year-olds neither get married or get fast cars. The paint is a little prone to chips, but that's what I get for getting a small car so low to the ground. I spend half my good-weather weekends cleaning it(due to my MINI-induced Obbsessive-compulsive disorder). So if weekend time is in short supply, you either should spend it all motoring and have a dirty car, or stick with something that gets you to work and back. My jaw hurts from smiling to dang much, and my hair is a fro mess because the windows are down, the sunroof is open, and the music is blaring.
Pros: decent gas mileage, um that's about it...

 

What's HOT: peerless exterior styling, industrial art-deco interior styling, suburb "on rails" handling, superlative aura and character, that awesome connected feeling, supportive and grippy seats, smooth and plenty-powerful powertrain, did I mention the handling?!

What's Not: The damn Yo-Yo, with sub-par feedback from MINIUSA, and simply crappy dealership service. Wish the CD player had track time, and the cruise control, well, doesn't.

 

I really think, as someone mentioned before, that it depends on what type of driving you'll be doing and how you would like to experience that driving.

PROS: I love the little extra kick I get from the supercharger, and I love the whine! I like the styling of the MCS a bit better (ever so slightly more agressive). Love the clutch and the throw of it--perfect for wee-legged people like myself. I prefer the heaviness of it, as well, over some other cars I've driven--when you're on it, you know you're on it, and it's easy to make minor adjustments. I love love love the dual center exhaust.

CONS: I really wish that I could have gotten the chrome line bumper as a factory option. I'm too lazy to go buy the grill slats, but I really like the chrome. I'm peevish about the fuel mileage, but I knew that it wouldn't be as good when I purchased it (planned on getting a MC but suffered temporary euphoria after a MCS test drive which made me act irrationally). Of course, stumble and yo yo drive me insane. Weird electrical gremlins, too.

I had a CVT MC as a loaner and I had alot of fun with it--really neat tranny--but by the second day I was just leaving it in sport mode and not shifting. I know if I had a CVT I'd never use it to it's full capabilities, but that's just me.