ALLGBMINI

(thanks RB for writing this and allowing me to copy it here)
(see also RBs MCS / MC comparison)

[TRIP ONE]
About 4 weeks ago I decided that my 2002 MCS with 44,000 miles on it needed to be replaced. I searched the internet for a newer vehicle and found my 2004 red/blk MCS with low miles in Charlotte, North Carolina. I made the deal with a private party flew back and drove 2,400 miles to Altadena CA. I did the journey in 41 hours with 6 hours sleep included in my overall time.
My original ’02 MCS came from Ft Myers Fla.

First off, I noticed, for whatever reason, that this ’04 MCS accelerated much better and that my top speed was 10 mph faster than my ’02. I also noticed that this car, with almost the same equipment as my ’02, felt more solid, better built.

On my flight to Charlotte, NC I met a cross country trucker who told me of all the places where I could go fast, sorta fast, and where I should be very NON fast. He suggested Interstate 40.
I did 8 states, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona and California.
I felt like Kowalski in Vanishing Point and wished I had had Super Soul to help me through the long nites.
I had a near death experience at 1 AM in Albuquerque, NM in a construction zone, and a cool thumbs up from a Panoz driver while going through Needles Ca, my speed 135 his…..warp fast.

[TRIP TWO]
My daughter needed a car to replace her aging Camry so since she loved my car so much we found another sweetheart of a deal on a COOPER back east, this time at MINI of PEABODY in Peabody Massachusetts. So within 2 weeks of the 1st journey I did it again.

I tried to find a reputable shipper, as me BUM was still healing from the last trip. The whole shipper deal comes down this……..either being at the mercy of low life car carriers or spending large coin on rare car carriers who are very expensive, so much so it would have killed my deal with Peabody.

So I flew back to Boston, Ian graciously picked me up, stood by while Peabody and I ironed out one big glitch, which if not fixed would have nixed the deal, took me to dinner; and at approximately 8:30 PM Tuesday on the 21st I started my drive home.

MINI of PEABODY was the the best internet experience I have had in my 3 MINI buying adventures. The Glitch had to do with Massachusetts not allowing temp plates. Otherwise I can see why they [MINI of Peabody] are the number one US dealer.

This trip was done mainly on the Interstate 80 and covered 11 states. I dropped down to the I 40 going through Denver so I could stop in Santa Fe and eat at Pasquals. In or near Joliet Il I had a conversation with trucker, while eating at the counter of a “Gag-a-maggot”, about where to speed and where not to. He warned me about Denver and suggested even flying bellow the posted speed limit there. He was right in all his suggestions. My Escort Passport/8500 went crazy in Denver so I turned it off for that part of my trip!

I had one stretch where I did 17 hours and covered 1,300 miles. This trip took 71 hours total and covered 3200 miles. The journey was made easier by my Dension ICE Link mounted iPod and 900 + iTunes and my Escort radar detector.

SideBar…..Nebraska wins the BIG BUG contest, hands down.

 

Check out RBs “Coast to Coast” Homepage at http://homepage.mac.com/ballardini/ with lots more pics.

I want to thank those that made this journey more palatable, Jet Blue, Ian Cull, you’re a fine human, Joel Mesiti at Peabody MINI and all those drivers across I 80 and I 40 that got the hell outta my way. And of course my wife Kittie who has made my life better for 27 years.

THANX!

(also from RB; having driven both an MC and an MCS coast to coast only a few weeks apart, his comparisons are extremely valid!)

Having read, on Gabe’s MotoringFile, about how similar the MCS and COOPER were and since I covered nearly the same sort of elevation and terrain changes during these odyssey’s and I have a few notes on the MCS VS the COOPER.

The MCS was equipped with both Premium & Sport packs as well as heated leather Panther Black seats while the COOPER had the Premium pack not the Sports pack and had cloth, non heated seats.

The MCS wins the handling contest as the COOPER didn’t have the sports pack or low profile tires. The COOPER felt mushy in quick lane changes.

Acceleration and torque goes to the MCS, hands down! I had read on Gabe’s MF that the COOPER accelerated just as fast through 1st and 2nd but too my butt it’s nowhere near the MCS. As far a raw acceleration I really don’t see where COOPER owners get the feeling that they can accelerate as fast??? I could never get the COOPER over 110, where as the MCS easily did 135, my ’02 MCS never got over 125.

I was surprised that the fuel economy wasn’t that different between the two cars. Neither did over 35 mpg, my general speed in both cars was 85-90. But I would have to say the COOPER did a bit better in this area with the COOPER getting, at the high end, 35 and the MCS getting only 28 mpg.

In cab comfort and interior cab noise, I give that to the COOPER. The COOPER didn’t have low profile or run flat tires so it was markedly quieter and smoother. I also found the cloth seats much more comfortable.

With the COOPER’ 5 gears I found that at high speeds, 85-90, it seemed less calm than the 6 speed MCS. During major elevation changes I had to do a lot more down and up shifts that the MCS, but not as many as I had expected. Denver area gave the COOPER the most trouble and felt dead a lot of the time. No offense meant but I found Denver to be a little LA, UGH!

I had always kinda looked down my nose at the COOPER but I must say I was impressed with it and could see why many people choose this car over the MCS but for shear butt kinking fun I’ll stay with my MCS, thank you.

A note on my disdain for automatic transmissions. Ian’s 2005 MCS with the automatic showed me that if I ever get too old too shift or was from a country were I was used to shifting with the opposite hand that this set up would be quite nice. He, [Ian] made an acceleration run that impressed the hell outta me.