Hello! So, ive been driving for 3 years now, and its FINALLLYYYYY time to move into a proper fun car. Ive got it down to either a subaru wrx, or a MINI, and i am going to ask a question that im sure has been beat to death, but hopefully some unique input can be given to my situation: r53, or r56?

I drive 70 miles per day exclusively for school, and ive just taken a new job so that figure will increase. I am have concerns about the reliability of a supercharger to handle the kind of miles the car will see. But, i prefer what i read about the r53's handling, and its much more budget conscious. Does anyone think a gen1 cooper s can handle school + work + a [very] spiritied drive/auto-x here and there? Are there reasons i should absolutely buy an r56 instead of an r53? Will an r53 blow up on me, or can i trust it? And do you reckon a MINI s will be a more enjoyable car than a subaru? Thanks for your tolerance of my noob questions!!!

 

The R53 is hands down a better tuner car, but the R56 has been less bitchy in my experience. The Peugot engine has tended to be more reliable for me, but other people my disagree.

If you're going to do Auto-X, I'd recommend the R53. Easier to work with. As for enjoyability, the Mini will definitely be more fun to drive, but Subaru's are better cars for the long term. But a Mini has a better standing in society as it's German, so it's a better car to drive day-to-day and still be able to go to a business meeting and be taken seriously.

 

R53 (if a later build) are pretty relilable....but a huge amount of that relilibilty depends on how it was treated+matained by the prior owner....
Definately have a mini centric garage or dealer do a prebuy and look at the records for mantance....some r53 are pretttty cheap...just like some first year r56's are cheaper, but it is usually for a reason.
One tip....most any car will break if you wail on it...the repairs are just the price you pay for the fun...if you can't afford the repair, then drive with a lighter foot....(true with any car).
Some superchargers go 160,000 miles....some go 50,000....
it is a mechanical item, and a wear item, like brake to a certain extent....rebuilds are about $500 plus install...cheaper than a blown turbo by tons!! Sounds better too!!

 

I have a 2008 R56 base model. The reliability has been phenominal and the fun factor has been great. I also get, cruising to work round trip 60 miles, above 40 mpg. I can't ask for much more than that. I drive spiritedly for fun but do not beat on my car. I bought my car new so I feel that I have been able to control my cars reliability destiny. Subaru's are great cars, but, you will get hooked on the potential mods, spirit of the owners, questions from non-owners and this website for Mini's. There is more to consider than just the car itself. Have fun in your decision. Good luck!

 

When discussing how the car actually handles, you are fine with either models. I personally like R53's more, but you wouldn't have anything to compare it to if you just went for one or the other. If you do go for the R53 then I would suggest only the years of 2005 and 2006 (Look for the three peg steering wheel not the two). When comparing base to S models, the base will have less maintenance inherently because there are less moving parts.

 

My best friend just got an r56 cooper (non-s). Im sold. I know the paper says only 118 horsepower, but it sure feels like a hell of a lot more. And the economy is icing on the cake; being a commuter college student with a 70 mile minimum daily drive i dont know how ive been living WITHOUT 40mpg :p I need to buy my own as soon as possible.

I just have a question regarding the "sport" package suspension: how much of a difference does it make? My friend has it on his car, and i absolutely love the way his car drives. If i didnt buy a car with it, how much would i spend in aftermarket parts to get the same effect? And is it just shocks/springs? Whats included in the sport pack anyway?