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1st GearNew members: make an initial post and introduce yourself as you shift from Neutral to First Gear. Current members: meet some of the new members.
Welcome to NAM, Chuck! Love the R56. Glad you're back in the MINI you wanted. If you ever need anything or have any questions, be sure to let us know! Cheers.
Glad you found the generation you like! They're all different, for different tastes and preferences. A handful of years ago I went from R56 to R53, so I can understand the progression.
Welcome to NAM! Well traveled through the model lines it appears
What about the '15 didn't you like?
Hi,
I'll start with what I _did_ like. It was fast Definitely better pickup than the '12. But what I didn't care for, was how different it was from the other MINIs I've had (and loved).
It totally lost the MINI "feel" in my opinion ... no more "go-kart" ride ... more like what I figured a BMW would be like (not that that's bad, just not for me).
The interior ... I missed the center speedo, didn't care for the gas gauge, and really wanted my window switches back in the center, too. No CD player? Yeah, I have an iPhone, but I still have a lot of CDs.
It also, as I told my wife, "solved a lot of problems I didn't have" The keyless key fob? I didn't mind having a place to stick the fob (so to speak) in my '12. The "green" mode? I figured buying a MINI was kinda green enough. The switch to power off the engine at every stoplight? Why would I want that? And so on
I do like the look of the F56, but my across-the-street neighbor has an R56, and I'd look at mine and his every day and think, "Dang, I like his better."
Hope that wasn't too long-winded ... thanks for asking!
I'll start with what I _did_ like. It was fast Definitely better pickup than the '12. But what I didn't care for, was how different it was from the other MINIs I've had (and loved).
It totally lost the MINI "feel" in my opinion ... no more "go-kart" ride ... more like what I figured a BMW would be like (not that that's bad, just not for me).
The interior ... I missed the center speedo, didn't care for the gas gauge, and really wanted my window switches back in the center, too. No CD player? Yeah, I have an iPhone, but I still have a lot of CDs.
It also, as I told my wife, "solved a lot of problems I didn't have" The keyless key fob? I didn't mind having a place to stick the fob (so to speak) in my '12. The "green" mode? I figured buying a MINI was kinda green enough. The switch to power off the engine at every stoplight? Why would I want that? And so on
I do like the look of the F56, but my across-the-street neighbor has an R56, and I'd look at mine and his every day and think, "Dang, I like his better."
Hope that wasn't too long-winded ... thanks for asking!
Chuck
I think that's the same problem a lot of driving purists run into more and more... too much fluff and driver nannies getting in the way of the simple enjoyment of just driving.
When I got back into a MINI last December I went to the dealer and sat in a F56. I had the same feeling where it's just not what I think of when I think of MINI. It's a perfectly fine car but just not for me.
The keyless key fob? I didn't mind having a place to stick the fob (so to speak) in my '12. The "green" mode? I figured buying a MINI was kinda green enough. The switch to power off the engine at every stoplight? Why would I want that? And so on 
