[wingspan]

Hi all - been lurking for a while, but am recently thinking about the possibility of getting a new car...and have my eyes on a Red/White S...

For you S owners out there...SWMBO indicates I am crazy to want to trade our 99 C class Benz for a new Cooper S -- am I?

She says it's because:

o MINI will be unreliable - I won't be happy going back to dealer often
o MINI interior will not look good in five years
o I'd be trading in a reliable and trustworthy 4D sedan which is just getting broken in
o I already have the Mini that MINI owners really want anyway

What do I say back to her to help my cause? Do I just keep the Merc and fork over 20+ large for the S? Is it worth it?

Help!

[Boo]

Get the S...
My other half loves it to death..as much as i do..
Your wife will revel in the attention that you get from driving around in a Mini..
Get it cause it is a drivers car all the way..
Get it cause it will put a smile on your face every time you take a corner..
It is the best thing i have ever owned!!! Basically

[chiph]

Quote:

Originally posted by magnus2
Hi all - been lurking for a while, but am recently thinking about the possibility of getting a new car...and have my eyes on a Red/White S...

For you S owners out there...SWMBO indicates I am crazy to want to trade our 99 C class Benz for a new Cooper S -- am I?

She says it's because:

o MINI will be unreliable - I won't be happy going back to dealer often
o MINI interior will not look good in five years
o I'd be trading in a reliable and trustworthy 4D sedan which is just getting broken in
o I already have the Mini that MINI owners really want anyway

What do I say back to her to help my cause? Do I just keep the Merc and fork over 20+ large for the S? Is it worth it?

Help!

I now have 5900 miles on my MCS. By the time I put this many miles on my Merc (ML-320), it had been in the shop three times. In the 39 months I owned it, I had 20 warranty repairs. Lest you think this is an isolated incident, a friend just turned his E-430 in, and he went through 5 window position sensors, had his dash crack (despite parking in a garage both at work and at home), and was unable to fill the tank all the way without it spraying gas on his trousers.

I have had only one problem so far with my MCS (just talked to J.D. Power & Associates last night on the phone), and thats a turn-on thump from the radio. It's something I can wait to get fixed at my first paid oil change -- not a big deal.

So, don't hesitate to trade the C-class in.

Chip H.

[laz]

you are not insane.

I am trading my SLK230 '99 for a MCS. I had so much trouble with my Merc.. so many problems with the car .. but thats not what annoys you .. its the crappy service they provide .. anyone in Sydney .. never buy a car from Mercedes Benz of Sydney ..you can't trust anything they say.

Anyway ... I am getting my MCS in a week or 2.. i'm hoping the service there will be much better.

So i say go ahead .. the MCS looks to be like a great car.

[Randyg]

I had a 2002 C240 that I sold. It was a beautiful car but just so incredibly boring!

All I miss is the velvety ride. The S is fine around town - even with the 17's, but not good for longer trips.

I'd do it all over again.

[Spy Car]

The day we took our Mercedes down to the MINI dealer to test drive an MCS the Benz blew an engine right there in the parking lot. Threw a rod, crank shafts bent, oil all over the place, a total loss

Ok so it was 35 years old. A 1967 230S, one of those big finback saloons. We loved that old gal. But trust me there is nothing like the joy of driving an MCS. The interior parts are a bit cheap, drives my wife crazy too, but when I driving it, especially throught the twistys, I feel like I am in one of the most exotic automobiles ever constructed. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself its real. I paid under $100,000 for this car?, amazing!

No question in my mind I would trade in the Mercedes in a heartbeat.

[EBMCS03]

NAH... trade in that Merc! get the MCS...

Hey Spycar... where in LA are u from? which dealer and all?

[Shamster]

Quote:

Trade Merc for S - Am I nuts?

no you're not - as that famous co slogan says 'just do it'

[Spy Car]

Quote:

[i]
Hey Spycar... where in LA are u from? which dealer and all? [/b]

We are in Encino and puchased the car from Long Beach MINI (I really appreciate this dealership).

Got it two days before Christmas (even though they warned me the was a very slim, or actually no chance it would arrive in time) I must have been a very good boy.

I had seen the prototype photographs a couple years ago and loved the concept. I was certain I would never be able to fit because I'm tall especially in the body and I "have a thing" about headroom.

Still I had enough hope than I put down a deposit in Dec 2001. In January my wife and I were about the first people in line at the LA Auto show and when the doors opened we raced to the MINI display. The cars design was absolutely beautiful to my mind and best of all the headroom was by current standards outstanding. Just sitting in the car I was falling in love.

I had gone to the show convinced (at least in my MINI fantasy world) that I would get one in British Racing Green with a white top. That would be the classic choice and I wasn't really open to any other thoughts. Then I saw the pure silver/black combo and all my thoughts changed. Suddenly I had gone from about the most "retro" combination to the most "futuristic " look for the car, but the change was immediate and I have not regretted it for an instance. The choice was even easier when I saw the BRG at the show and realized it was not what I envisioned in terms of the color or being a metallic paint. I like the MINI BRG but I was expecting a flat dark green like the MG, Triumph or Jaguar colors from the 60's.

We drove the MC and the MCS on the opening day at the dealer, loved both but knew right away the S was the one for me. Now there would just be a wait. Luckily, or so I thought, I was very early on a dealership list. I went by this dealer all the time and finally I got the call that it was my turn to order a car. One snag, they wanted $32,000 for a low speced S. I was floored as the dealer had promised they wouldn't be gouging on cars and would honor the list--well they lied.

Almost gave up on the idea of getting a MINI but I was really sad about that. Then I discovered Long Beach MINI was selling the car at MSRP (the only dealer in So Cal that was) and they were strictly honoring their list. So I decided to wait.

Spend a lot of time reading the forums here at MINI2. Worried a little about the early problems. Laughed ever time a read a post filled with faults because they alway ended "still the most fun I have ever had driving a car and I would do it again".

Then I found out Budget Beverly Hills/Marina Del Rey rents not only Coopers but that they had a few MCSs (I have since heard Midway in Santa Monica does as well). We took the car up PCH to Malibu Canyon to Mulholland Highway all the way out to the ocean at Leo Carrillo. I was amazed by the car. Stunned actually. I discovered I could take the deserted hairpin turns at what ever speed wanted with out the car developing body roll or sliding, or getting weird at all. Finally gave up trying to find the limits of the car (much more and I would have found the limits of my wife's ability to keep down her lunch).

That night we took the car into Hollywood and people went crazy. This is LA where people drive very expensive cars and people go, ho hum. Anyway the 200 mile test drive (we were only supposed to go 50 and were penalized heavily--best money I ever spent) was one of the great experiences I ever had, a day I will never forget.

Owning the MINI has only made me love the car more. I now look for the twistiest way to get from point A to point B. I never take a ride without feeling joyous. Starting to sound a bit sappy I guess, but the car has surpassed even my highest expectations, and I really feel grateful that I have the opportunity to drive one.

Cheers. Sorry I blathered on, but my little MINI inspires a lot of passion. So how about you?

[EBMCS03]

HEY SPY!! Thats a great story! Thanks for sharing... I'm from San Gabriel, by Pasadena. also going through Long Beach MINI. We went to Assael in Monrovia back in March 02 when they first opened but they wanted 7K mark up on the S and 5K on the regular... that was a bummer. wasnt willing to pay over MSRP for it so thought about it, and talked about it and then finally convinced my dad that if i can find a place that sells it for MSRP we'll get it and slowly searched around and found LB. Got on the list back in July, 02 and now its almost here!! suppose to arrive at the port the thurs and however long it takes to go thru VPC and to the dealer.

[dinlo]

SPY:

Good choice!!! I will go for the MCS too, I got mine at MINI of Universal City, they got very good service too! I event bought from them and ask them to transfer back to the Bayarea.

[Ann Jones]

I have a 2002 C230K sports coupe.....

AND a 2003 MCS... Apples and Oranges

Both are Indi blue and lovely

For distance driving I LOVE the Merc

Anything else the Cooper S is the choice

If I had to choose just one... It would be the Cooper.... and a cell phone to call roadside assistance!

[Linda M]

Be careful because after you get your MINI she might want one too.....just like I did Luckily I got my way

[jasemini]

If the Merc is going well with no dramas keep it as a 2nd car and buy the MINI as a toy. Let the wife drive the Merc and you can have fun in the MINI. The MINI is an amazing car and the issues are nothing worth worrying about. Remember we're all car freaks who love to talk about our little dramas. The Merc is 4 years old now and you'd be better off financially to keep it rather than trade it. I sometimes wish I had a 4 door snooze mobile to drive every now and then, especially in peak hour traffic, the Cooper S can be tiresome when your stop start.

Cheers & Good Luck.

Jase

[EBMCS03]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ann Jones

If I had to choose just one... It would be the Cooper....
and a cell phone to call roadside assistance!

Woo what?? MINI reliability that bad??

[Nosdrovni]

Yes you're nuts.

Still, buy the MINI, it's far more fun then the Mercedes Keep it (the mercedes) if you can afford it, and sell it in a half year or so when you think you no longer need it.

[Lotte]

A little late to the discussion. Agree with everyone and wanted to tell you about my "letting go".
The lease on my E320 Wagon is up, and I got a MINI (not even a S). My Merc. always has a bulb out, and the computer reminding me of it, nice but irritating, and sometimes doesn't start right away, I have to try 5-6 times. Can't wait til I don't have to drive the M. out of guilt "that we're paying for it, so have to use it"... and I don't mean to sound spoiled, I just like the MINI better.
My husband is letting his SL500 go at the end of his lease, and is considering getting a MINI S instead -- yeah 2 MINIs to play with!
Anyway, keep it if you can AND get the MINI too, they're just SO much fun!