I am new to Mini's and have not bought one yet. What I have read, leads to me want a 2006 Cooper S. What I'm not sure of is do I want an Auto with paddle shifters or Stick and sunroof or no sunroof.. I could really use the recommendations. I already own a 99 BMW Z3M Coupe, Stick shift... The Cooper will be my daily driver. What should I look for when purchasing a 2006 R53. I work on my own cars so that's not a problem.

 

Welcome, stick shift and sunroof are my choice. Some people dont like the sunroof for racing and to also keep the heat out.

 

Definitely 6 speed manual!

 

2005 or 2006 S or JCW sticks (6 speeds) are the best MINI’s of the first generation.

Where is PA are you located ? I am in West Chester, burbs of Philly.

 

I'm in Allentown

 

Cool, ever go to C&C at the stacks ?

I go up once in a while .

 

I was there with my BMW Z3M Coupe on opening day... It was packed..

 

Yeah, that place gets packed fast. So many different cars and lots, it takes a few hours to see everything and you still miss many cars.

 

Do you know Eric at Helix ? He has 2 bionic clown shoes M’s and a convertible.

 

I vote 6 speed manual and hardtop.

 

6 sp w/ a sunroof. If you need a dealer, Allentown Mini has been good to me. I'll have to see if they're still good to me after my extended service plan is over.

 

Welcome to the forum

 

I don't know him.. I'll have to look him up

 

I know Daniels BMW all too well.. I only go to the dealership when I'm stranded for a part I can't get

 

Welcome to the forum. The last years of each generation are the more reliable years to buy 05/06 and 12/13. For a daily driver, I would look at the final years of both generations. The second generation would be more refined and may be better suited to a longer commute. I am not comfortable with the firmness of the seats in my R52 with my 40 mile commute. I have no complaints when driving it on the back roads but for some reason 37 miles of highway is not comfortable. The decision to go with a automatic or manual is dependent on your commute. I have 3 miles of city traffic and a lot of stop and go on the highway. For a daily driver, I prefer an automatic, however, I will be using the manual MINI for the summer and the kids will have my daily driver.

 

I only have a 7 mile commute to work. I wanted the 05/06 because of the supercharger vs turbo charger. I also wanted it for long drive because of the gas mileage and it'll be better then our other vehicles. I thought it would be great for weekend getaways as well.

 

The turbos have better gas mileage but there are both horror stories and love stories on the N14 Prince engine that was in the early Gen2 cars. The Gen2s also have a more modern interior and although not sure if standard equipment, the telescoping steering wheel is a nice deal if you are taller.

 

I test drove a 2018 and it was very comfortable and roomy. I heard horror stories about the N14 and want to stay away from them.

 

I'm a Gen 1 guy, but my neighbor has a Gen 1 and Gen 3, she had a Gen 2 but it was "deered". All mine are Manuals with JCW engine performance upgrades. Her Gen 1 has the paddles and I really dislike the transmission, her Gen 3 is a manual and is favored by her because it is a better ride and a little bigger.

I still prefer my Gen 1s.

Drive them all and then decide.

Motor On!

 

Why do you dislike the auto trans... I'm going to look at a 06 S auto on Sunday. I have a stick car and if I want to tear up the asphalt I'll take the Z3MCOUPE out. But if there is something wrong with that year automatic transmission then that is a different story..

 

The Auto trans just doesn't feel synced with the engine. I find that it tends to run in a higher gear, resulting in higher rpm range than I feel it should be running in. This can be manually influenced in Manual Mode (paddle shifting) but it still just doesn't have the same feel as the true manual.

Granted these are personal preferences, this is why I ALWAYS recommend you drive them all and get your own feelings for each car.

But it is like my preference for the GEN 1s over the GEN 2s and 3s, it is based on the way I fit, feel, and receive visceral tactile feedback from the cars.

I have been asked about the Porsche Doppel Kupplungs (PDK = Porsche double-clutch) transmission compared to the manual, and I openly admit I have not driven one to be able to do a the comparison, maybe Saturday when I pick my 911 up from the shop they might have one I can take for a short spin.

Hope that helps.

Motor On!

 

Yes every comment helps me in deciding. I drive the clutch version, but it was a 2018. That clutch had almost twice the pedal travel then my Z. So that part I didn't like. Also the clutch was effortless when pushing to the floor. Something you have to get use to from swapping back and forth between 2 different cars.

 

I find that automatics are never in the gear I want them in, when I want them in it. Ultimately, it's your choice. Stick to 05-06 R53s as they have the least number of problems. Since you're an M guy, I'll say get a 2006 factory John Cooper Works car if you want the whole shebang.

I live in Lancaster County, get to know Helix (Roxborough, Philly) and Swedish Motors in Marietta (western Lancaster County) for big repairs.

There's PhillyMINI and Carlisle Mini clubs too.


It's a watered down manual substitute for people who can't drive stick.

I mean, it gets the job done. It shifts quickly and does exactly what it is designed to do, but it is just not the same.

 

What do you consider Big Repairs? I would gladly buy a 06 JCW hardtop if I could find one with a reasonable price and with in a state away...

 

I didn't want to/didn't have the time to replace the clutch assembly in my car because the throw out bearing was on its way out. I took it to Helix.

They are around.