I doubt it. They're just an opportunity for people to say "I'm right and you're wrong".

 

When I ordered mine I had the same delima. My last new car purchase was a 1993 Toyota Celica ST and I always regret not taking the GT. I am a very conservative driver and believe that I will do better than my present 33-36 mpg with the S. My Celica is rated at 29mpg by the way.
My commute is presently 25 miles one way and as of November will double (autobahn miles) I keep it around 60mph normally and avoid the yoyo effect driving style. Just drive conservative and you will probably never regret buying an S.

 

If anything, it reminds the OP that making this choice is a personal decision that no one can tell him/her what's best for them.

There are far too many variables at play to simply ask someone which one to buy.

Somebody says the MC doesn't have enough pep, you have to wonder---was this an auto they drove that revs the engine before moving? I love the fact it revs the engine before moving--it's the way I drove my '03 MC for the most fun. But that's just me.

Somebody says the MCS is faster or more fun---was this because they drove a slower less fun car previously??

Somebody says the MC handles just as well as the MCS for less money--maybe money isn't an issue with the OP like it was for me?

Somebody says they own both and the OP should buy the MCS--still what are the motivating factors that can help the OP? That's something that's rarely addressed in these threads.

Richard

 

I am the type that would not want to have any regrets later....and I always want the most out of my automotive purchase. I mean, why get 35 mpg when you can get 42 mpg (and for less money!!!). Some of us just can't get enough, especially when gas prices spike. Great MINI handling and this kind of superb performance??? Awesome. For this and other reason I'd probably always regret getting an MCS...so why not go ahead and spring for a Cooper from the start!!!

 

LOL, excessive speed from a car that does 0-60 in over 6 seconds. I hope you never buy a Corvette or Viper, you'll probably think it does WARP SPEED

 

Great answer--though I wasn't talking about you, lol.

BEFORE PURCHASING THE MINI

I chose the Cooper to start with because in my town, MCS's had a much longer waiting list and much higher dealer markup...I ended purchasing out of state and avoiding both...but because money was an issue, I opted for a fully loaded (leather/nav) Cooper over a stripped down Cooper S.

I also chose the Cooper before I knew much about MINI's, and my brother told me that he liked the cleaner lines of the Cooper over the Cooper S.

From the factory specs, the 0 to 60 time of the Cooper S was like 2 seconds faster than the Cooper and that didn't seem to justify the cost difference for me.

WHILE OWNING THE MINI
I never regretted getting a Cooper. On fun runs, I loved being able to keep up with faster MCS's in my "justacooper". And I can't tell you how many times being in the remote canyons, how grateful MCS owners were that I had a spare in case they hit a rock. Truthfully, I drove my MC hard--6,000 rpm shifts were the norm---23-25MPG city mileage. Air conditioning off, back seats out when my son wasn't in the car. Light 15" rims and good rubber. Course I still had convenience things like my 25 pound MINI Fini Sport Link. Also on most runs, I was one of only a few if any MC's and that made me even more unique.

SELLING THE MINI AND MOVING TO AN MCS
I sold my MC because of the fear of having another tranny (Midlands) replacement in the future--that $5,000 would be better spent on an MCS instead of a new tranny that would only last another 40,000 miles. The fears may have been unfounded as not everyone has tranny issues, but the fear was great enough to look for another MINI--and that's when I found a broken 2005 MCS here on NAM. It came from a state with snow (not sure I'd buy another MINI that is exposed to salt/snow), and I put a lot of money to get it where I wanted it to be. Since I didn't have a lot of money in one lump sum, spreading the mods/upgrades over time allowed me to own the car and improve it as I saw fit.

I realize that my issues have little to do with the second gen MINIs, but that's some history about me.

At MOTD 2007 and MOTD 2008, I rented Flex/Zip Car Auto '07 R56 Coopers and really liked their acceleration, their stopping ability, and handling even on the lousy tires they had--and this was comparing the R56 Cooper (not Cooper S) to my highly modded 2005 MCS with BBKs, pulley, intake, exhaust, tune.

What I didn't like about the R56 is the sound of the engine at idle (and everytime you start it up)---it reminds me of a diesel, lol, or the chime sounds, I got used to everything else, and pretty much felt that I could live with a R56 Cooper---until I got back home and sat inside my R53 and REALLY felt like I was home....this all comes back to personal preference. All the MINI's are great fun and for many become a personal reflection of ourselves and telling someone else which MINI to buy is like telling you what clothes you should wear. =P

 

On the flipside say you drive an average 12,000 miles a year. It takes you 343 gallons of gas in the S or 286 gallons in the base for a difference of 57 gallons.

Even with gas at 4 bucks a gallon (which it's not currently) we're talking a measly 225 bucks a year or 19 dollars a month. Most people probably spend more than 19 bucks a month on Starbucks, cigs, beer etc. You really don't save that much on gas and it's a whole lot more fun to drive an S.

 

Hmm... Having doubts now might translate into buyer's remorse later. For me, the decision was rather simple. It was pure economics: I couldn't afford the S! However, I don't feel like I've "settled" on a Cooper. I test drove one and fell in love with the car (I've never had one before, but I've secretly pined over them for years since their reintroduction).

I saw the same dilemma on Mustang sites I frequented. People who bought a V6-powered Mustang wanted a V8-powered GT, people who bought a GT wanted a supercharged V8 Cobra. It never ends! Someone is always going to have something better than you and with more power. The MINI hierarchy is the same; Cooper, Cooper S, John Cooper Works, etc.

The OP is wise to consider the pros and cons. Measure twice and cut once. As I said, for me the decision was pretty easy. I wanted to save money, but have fun. The base model was enough for me. Only you can tell if it's enough for you! Good luck with your decision.

 

I am reminded of a vw slogan, "It's not how fast you can go. It's how you go fast." I wish Mini would put out a JCW version of the r56 justacooper. individual throttle bodies and 10k redline!!! Now that would be an impressive successor to the classic Cooper and 2002.

 

You do realize ITB's and a reliable engine that could spin to 10K would probably cost more than the entire current Just a Cooper right?

 

Not really. I have both. Granted my Cooper is modified and my Cooper S is stock. But, the Cooper S is not a whole lot more fun to drive than the Cooper.

With my two MINIs, the Cooper is way more fun to drive than the Cooper S. Stock for stock, I think I'd be able to have just as much fun driving either.

 

You know, as it is I've already gotten a speeding ticket in my MC. I think I'll just skip the S's for now.. until I've got a little more experience with faster cars under my belt... wow.

This is an excellent post! I loved hearing your story of MINI ownership and also really appreciated your perspective on the S vs MC argument. I also think that you're absolutely right. It really is like picking out someone else's clothes, and there's a good reason that I don't buy clothes for other people as gifts.

I had a lot of questions about what I would have done if I'd custom ordered my car, rather than buying her off the lot like I did, but really your post put all of that into perspective. I chose Viola because she fit. The other cars I sat in that day did not.

 

My vote is for the non S. this coming from an S owner. My vote is to also lose the aero kit but you didnt ask for our opinion on that.
get your kicks from making turns at twice the yellow recommended speed sign....
If i had to do it again, it would be a clubman, non-s

 

I currently own an 03 Cooper and I'm planning to trade it in for a 09 Cooper S. Being that I do a good amount of highway driving, I want to have the extra hp for acceleration and passing. I also have a 350z as my weekend fun car so I wanted a car to pull somewhat like it and the S fits the bill.

 

Not for everybody, but yes this is true for some. For me it's all about the handling. Why, I can't use all the power offered in a Cooper on the roads I travel!! I would never use the power of an MCS....not legally. In fact, the added power gets in my way.

In today's gas climate it's all about braggin' rights...or it has been lately. Folks optimize for speed...why not for mpgs (and still retain famous MINI handling)? When a MINI today can perform in the same range as hybrids, that's big stuff. We must also remember...it is a Mini....practicality and real-world economy have just as much a place as speed and performance.

 

I too, had that internal debate going on before I got my MCS.
In the past I have "settled" with some of the cars I owned because I was on a budget. The cars I have been happiest with are the ones with the creature comforts and decent performance. Nothing against JustaCoopers, the lady around the corner has one and loves it. I got my MCS nicely equipped for just under $25,000. My insurance is only about $40 a month more than my last car, a Mazda3. (I'm a middle-aged woman (God, that sounds awful!! I think I'm still somewhat hip. Is it still okay to say "hip"??)
so my insurance isn't that bad anyway, compared to a 25-year old male.
(See, there are advantages to being in the AARP crowd. This car is my mid-life-crisis-mobile 50th-birthday present to myself.)
Also, often I will come across a JustaCooper owner who says out loud to me, "Hmmmm, wonder if I shoulda got an "S"? If you think you might turn out to feel that way if you end up getting the base model, go for the gold! And good luck. You can't lose either way, you're getting a MINI!

 

Only if you've broken one! (just kidding!)

I've think I've settled on a Justacooper, I can equip it much nicer and stay within budget than with an S, and I don't really need the extra speed/power of the S.

 

It never does

 

An old ancient proverb says: It is better to Supersize it and eat less than to order regular size and still be hungry...

Translation: It is better to have more power and not need it than to need it and not have it.

 

Maybe someday they'll sell the diesel in the US. Then there will threads about should I get the S, the Cooper or the Diesel, oh I can't wait.

 

OP sounds like a MCS kind of person.

 

I generally go for the higher HP, better handling, higher content version of any car I buy, I bought a XRS Matrix (came with 50 more HP than the regular Matrix, four wheel discs, six speed, etc. and the same basic engine that comes in the Lotus Elise) and a Mazdaspeed Miata (factory turbo with a lot of extras) but our MINI is for my wife, who could care less about speed and does not want more complication.

I agreed with her decision though and did not push her towards the S, even though it was easily affordable...why?

1. Once you get into an S model, and add some options you are getting into the price range of some other pretty cool cars, granted they are not like the MINI but if you stay with a basic Cooper, not much competition in terms of cool factor at $20k ish (our car without dealer options or tax is under $21k).

Once you get to $28k - $30k for a nicely loaded S, for me stuff like the Honda S2000/350Z come into play. Granted those are VERY different cars but in my view $30k gets you into another part of the car market.

2. A $30k MINI seems to get away from the whole MINI ideal of cheap and cool, I mean $30k is not a cheap car and the original MINI was a cheap car. Sure the S adds performance and some other features but it seems to stray a bit from what makes a MINI a MINI

3. More complication - Seems like these are not the most reliable of new cars, adding a turbo and more features seems like more points of failure

I think it all comes down to what you want and what you have....if you have other sporting cars (or sports cars) the S might be not all that necessary, but if it is your ONLY car (or your only cool car) then I'd spring for the "S".

For me, I've got the MSM Miata, and a modded Integra, I don't need another faster, hard core car, for us a base Cooper is cool, yet a bit more relaxed and restrained than my other cars, but if I only owned a Camry, well then I'd proceed directly to an S and not consider a base Cooper.

Analogeezer

 

Heh heh, as those of us over in the OB club say, "you can't get an S in OB", so that right there is a major decision point, right?

Analogeezer

 

Not reliable??? Points of failure??? Are you talking about the MINI?

 

It's settled then. You should purchase the Honda Fit.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=130946