[snaproll]

Hey everyone,

I'm considering selling my 2005 Porsche 911 (non S) for a 2005 Cooper S. I'm going to grad school and don't want to deal with the expense of the Porsche. I can afford to keep the 911, but it just seems wrong.

Anyways, I want to get feedback from anyone who has driven a 911 and owns a Cooper S. I know the two cars have different driving characteristics, but I'd like to get your thoughts.

Thanks!

[RedUn]

I traded in a 360 spider and a db9 for mine........defo worth it

[snaproll]

Quote: Originally Posted by RedUn

I traded in a 360 spider and a db9 for mine........defo worth it

The depreciation hit on both those two cars is more than the cost of the MCS. haha

[Rayman]

Quote: Originally Posted by RedUn

I traded in a 360 spider and a db9 for mine........defo worth it

PMSL this is a joke!!
Snaproll have you test drove the mcs yet?

[Sooperlids]

Well as you can afford the 911 & I agree it's very very wrong, perhaps the best solution would be to swap it with my MCS. Everyones a winner!

[snaproll]

I'd hate to leave the 911 on campus. Students love to ding doors. :|

I test drove a MCS, but kept the car under 4500 RPM since it was new. It corners like a dream. In fact, it is easier to drive than the 911. Fun factor is a 10. I am just wondering how living with the car will be. I hear about the rattling and mechanical problems a lot. Granted squeeky wheels are the loudest...

[coopercrazy]

You will get much more use out of the coopers abilities.
I'm not sure where you live, but I've driven a few 911s, the newest being a 2003, and you can't begin to use that car here. By the time its breathing you'll get a ticket.
Now the CooperS, you should really have some fun with. Especially at lower speeds compared to the 911.

[Washy]

Quote: Originally Posted by snaproll

I'd hate to leave the 911 on campus. Students love to ding doors. :|

I test drove a MCS, but kept the car under 4500 RPM since it was new. It corners like a dream. In fact, it is easier to drive than the 911. Fun factor is a 10. I am just wondering how living with the car will be. I hear about the rattling and mechanical problems a lot. Granted squeeky wheels are the loudest...

I have a 987 Boxster S as well as a MINI. I am sure you will miss the outright power and noise that the 911 makes.
The MINI is a whole heap of fun to drive though.....

[snaproll]

Quote: Originally Posted by washy

I have a 987 Boxster S as well as a MINI. I am sure you will miss the outright power and noise that the 911 makes.
The MINI is a whole heap of fun to drive though.....

It would be nice to own both. Perhaps after school is over.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Quote: Originally Posted by snaproll

I'd hate to leave the 911 on campus. Students love to ding doors. :|

I test drove a MCS, but kept the car under 4500 RPM since it was new. It corners like a dream. In fact, it is easier to drive than the 911. Fun factor is a 10. I am just wondering how living with the car will be. I hear about the rattling and mechanical problems a lot. Granted squeeky wheels are the loudest...

It is true, the squeeky wheels are the loudest. All that being said I have 33,000 miles on my 08/02 MCS and it has been 100% reliable in all of the major things.

OK, it has had the assorted squeeks and rattles, a leaky radiator overflow bottle, a ticking steering rack/steering column, very minor leak around the boot window, and deteriorating cowl vent filters. Everything was of minor importance. Everything was taken care of by the dealer during scheduled maintenance so I was not inconvienenced to any great extent.

All of the squeaks and rattles are gone, the leak is fixed, all of the defective parts were replaced. So it must be time to trade up for a new one. right?

I have put a deposit down on a new '06 MCS with LSD(the only reason that I am trading up). Otherwise the new one will be exactly like the old one.

Don't waste your money on any optional stereo systems, just keep it over 4,000rpm and enjoy the music your MCS makes. I mostly commute with my MCS and do the occasional auto-X. It is the most fun car I have ever owned. I don't think you will regret getting one.

If you can wait for an '06 you can spec it from the factory with a factory installed JCW kit, instead of an installation of dubious quality and outrageous expense preformed by the dealership, that will increase the hp to 210 and add larger JCW Sport brakes on front, new high preformance pads in the rear and an LSD. This should keep you entertained. If you enjoyed the handling characteristics of the Porsche you can add a 19mm or 25mm rear anti-sway bar to eliminate the front wheel drive understeer. This would still keep you with a full factory warranty.

[ches]

Great post, but I had to laugh! Last December I went the other way - traded my '02 MCS in on a new '04 996!

[snaproll]

Quote: Originally Posted by ches

Great post, but I had to laugh! Last December I went the other way - traded my '02 MCS in on a new '04 996!

Do you miss the Cooper? How do the two cars compare?

Bilbo, thanks for the info. A '06 MCS with the JCW package sounds appealing.

[RedUn]

Quote: Originally Posted by snaproll

Do you miss the Cooper? How do the two cars compare?

Bilbo, thanks for the info. A '06 MCS with the JCW package sounds appealing.

if yer really that serious u can have my S and i'll buy yer 911 off ya as long as u pay for the insurance

[ches]

Quote: Originally Posted by snaproll

Do you miss the Cooper? How do the two cars compare?

Yes, there are definitely things about it that I miss.

They're kind of hard to compare because they're so different. They're designed with completely different constraints, and one costs three times the other. So it's really apples and oranges here, but I'll do my best.

They both handle well, but the MINI just feels more nimble, for lack of a better word. It's the most nimble-feeling car I've ever driven. In the MINI, you sit quite upright, and the visibility is excellent. In some respects it's easier to drive, and I think it's more open and inviting. It seems to say "Jump in! Don't worry about anything, let's just have some fun." In the 911 you are lower, more reclined, more contained. One is like an easy chair, and the other is like a fighter jet. In the MINI the sills are almost at elbow level. In the 911 there's more like shoulder level, maybe even neck level. It's a little more business-like, as in, when you turn the key and hear/feel the engine you think "holy crap, this thing means business!"

The MCS can be driven quickly, but it takes some work. The engine is quite peaky, and you actually need that six speed transmission because the powerband is not that wide. It helps that the ratios are well-chosen (apart from first gear, which I have always maintained was way too tall). My friend Sean used to say of his MCS "yeah, it can be driven quickly but you really have to keep the kettle boiling." If you're going to pass a truck on a two-lane, you better be in the right gear and have the engine spooled up or you'll never make it around in time.

Driving the 911 quickly is effortless. It's so freaking fast, it's intimidating. The first few times I tried passing trucks I drove it like the MINI. You know, downshift to 4th, wait for your moment, and then floor it and stay on it till you're safely past and back in your own lane. Do this in a MINI and you'll pass the cab of the truck at what, 80? 85? In the 911 it's more like 120. And it's still accelerating, hard. It's just insanely fast. I can't even imagine what the Turbo is like.

The 911 is a lot nicer on long drives - has better seats and a nicer ride. Passing is easier. At speed I think the MINI's steering might be a tad too quick, like you might wind up in the weeds if you sneezed at the wrong time. At speed the steering on the 911 is dead-on perfect, and perhaps even a little too slow when driving slowly. Overall the 911 feels progressively more stable than the MCS as you go faster.

The MCS was probably nicer for errands and shorter trips - much easier to get in and out of, easier to park, better visibility, etc. Although, perhaps surpisingly, the 911 is less fatiguing in stop-and-go traffic, probably because first gear doesn't feel so tall, the clutch has a better feel, and there's a lot more low-end torque.

[justbob]

Great comparo on the MCS/911. And two very different cars, both of which have very serious Go Fast potential.

But maybe that's it--the 911 is SERIOUS. The MCS is FUN.

[Nev]

I would consider keeping the 911! Or sell the 911, get a BM M3 CSL (or CS) and a MCS!

[loosecannon]

I have owned a 911SC for the last 9 years and it's modified pretty heavily for auto-x. It will rip to 60 mph in 5.4, stop from 60 mph in 119 feet and do 150 mph, but I had almost as much fun driving a Cooper S and expect that the JCW I just ordered will be even more fun. I love my 911, don't get me wrong. I plan on keeping it forever and bringing it out for Porsche Club of America driver education events and road racing, but the Mini is my choice for everyday driving and autocrossing. If keeping the 911 won't make any difference to your bank account then hang on to it.