There was good advice posted before (can't remember by who) that, in your research for your MECIR school, ask whether the aircraft you'll be doing your training in, will not have it's scheduled maintenance due at about the same time your MECIR flight test is due. There's nothing worst than doing your test (or renewal) in an unfamiliar aircraft, especially when there are differences in the type of instruments they have.
For example, if most of your training was done in an aircraft with a fixed card ADF, and you then get an aircraft with an RMI, (or vice versa), or you trained in an aircraft with a standard VOR/ILS, and you then get one with an HSI, then this could put you off. Not only that, the operation of the radio stack may also be slightly different as well in different aircraft.
Although using an HSI and RMI is a lot easier to scan, you don't want to be learning how to use them during test time especially when a re-test for the MECIR initial can set you back another $2K!