an F56 article by an R56 owner that isn't full of hatred
 

jalopnik is a great site for all car enthusiasts if you aren't familiar with it...

http://jalopnik.com/2015-mini-cooper...iew-1678871232

:thumbsup:

Not exactly full of love...most ratings seem to be about 6 out of 10....
Some useful comparisons for folks....

Weird, his scores don't seem to reflect what he's saying about the car.

That review is pretty spot on my own impressions. It's a nice car to drive, kind of BMW-esque, but not quite. Kind of MINI-esque, but not quite. By 'mainstreaming' the car--making it more like other cars on the market, they also have to compete with other cars on the market. The car does a passable job competing on quality and performance, but its former long suit, awesome design, is gone. The F56s looks are frankly a mess. I can't see how somebody without a pro-MINI bias would choose a MCS over a GTI. It's a bummer.

The GTI is 17 INCHES LONGER. I know, it's got a big HP motor, but let's face it, it's a midsize 4 door sedan, more like a Mustang than a smaller sport coupe Mini. I thought the review was pretty favorable. A good friend of mine just bought an F56 MCS (after loving my JCW Coupe I might add) so I'll get to drive it pretty soon. I'm looking forward to it.

yeah, I didn't say it was full of love! just honest opinions that I tend to agree with for the most part. I'm just so used to seeing F56 bashing now that his honest and mostly favorable opinions are a nice change of pace.

If I was looking for a performance car, the GTI would have won me over compared to the S, if I'm being honest. It is not only faster, but also more practical. The build quality is basically the same. The GTI would lose compared to the S for interior design but win for exterior.

Not to mention the massive enthusiast community and an incredible amount of aftermarket parts available.

Why does everyone start up with the gti vs mini talk? That wasn't even the point of the thread... I for one came from a mk6 gti and didn't even want a mk7. It's funny how no one talks about the size increases gti have had over the years, they just seem to embrace it. I have always like minis, just never thought seriously about purchasing one.

I went in for an r56, drove a brand new f56 and left with it a couple hours later. The size increase for me was a welcome addition as well as the more bmw feel. It's always the same old story really, the guys with the older generation cars have to talk **** about the new ones. I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I just find it odd so many non f56 owners join this forum and have nothing nice to say. Weird.

That being said, this article to me was once again a biased r56 owner. He pretty much gave 6 across the board when everything is pretty much a gigantic step up over the r56 ( driving dynamics aside, which is subjective).

This guy lost all reputability when he gave gadgets a 7. I'm pretty sure you can get any option on a mini you want. My f56 is not a 10. I'd give it a solid 8 and I have driven almost everything in this segment. My dollar could have been stretched further in lots of cars, but that's not the point.

And that concludes my rant

It's because GTIs aren't marketed based on their size. But I don't mind the size creeping up on MINIs, that's just the way things work. The vast majority of that increase in length is the crappy pedestrian bumper on the front of the car.

Hey Vic btw how are the BC coils holding up ? I'm getting mine put on Friday.

I have both a Golf (not a GTI but inside is the same) and an F56. The F56 is MUCH nicer inside. I see very little difference in build quality, but a HUGE difference in quality of materials. The Golf is all hard plastic and cheaper fabric. The F56 definitely has the edge on materials. The 5 cylinder Golf is just as fast as my MCS, but not as fun to drive. The GTI is probably better, which would put it on par in fun factor. The MCS looks much better, even if you don't like the maxi Mini concept (which I actually prefer, and I had a 2006 Mini). I could have bought a GTI, and even looked at Golf R5, but chose the MCS for the better interior and superior fun factor.

Just fine :) No issues here whatsoever.

Well said!

Cheers!

I don't mind the extra size either, and will get used to the looks; it's the extra weight that bothers me.

MINI went from ~2550 lbs with R53 (almost Miata light!), to ~2650lbs with R56, to ~2750 lbs with F56. All still pretty lightweight by modern standards (GTI is ~3100 lbs !!), but it does effect the handling dynamics.

Yes, the engines have gotten more torque to compensate, and the cars have become quicker overall. But there are plenty of quick cars in the market, and many are cheaper, etc.

Yet, it was the low-weight handling 'fun' factor that drew me to the MINI's in the first place. I may now need to start looking for that fix elsewhere...

a

You're ridiculous! Does it make you feel good to come on here and put down our cars?

Ridiculous? I don't think my opinion is worthy of ridicule. I'm sorry that it's not the same as yours and that you are offended by mine. I'm a MINI guy: I've owned 4. I have dedicated my career to fixing and improving MINIs. Look closely at my profile, our website, and our business and I think you'll see that my intentions are earnest. So, to answer your question: it doesn't make me 'feel good' to 'come on here and put down' your cars.

Apologies in advance to those who are offended by my opinion, but I stand by it.

Oh, and BTW, I mentioned GTI not because I think it's the benchmark of the segment, but just as one example of a car that is competing for the same buyers.

Eesh, it's just his opinion. At least he isn't being an ass about it.

I work at a VW dealer, and i would not ever own a VW.

If i was thinking about a GTI, i rather buy a WRX.

Plastic fenders, and oil pan for the 2015 GTI.
At least Minis are made out of metal lol

You should familiarize yourself with the Jalopnik scale of reviews.

6/10 isn't bad at all.

FWIW, I'm not impressed with the 2015 GTI. I had a 2013, and while I like the exterior of the new Mk7, the interior feels a lot cheaper than my 2013.

I like the F56. It has it's foibles, and yes it's a hair bigger, and a hair heavier... but it's still smaller than everything else in the segment save for the Fiat 500 (9 inches shorter than a Fiesta ST, FYI), and the interior is amazing aside from the loss of the central speedometer. I also want to see how the new B48 engine responds to tuning, too.

Someone started a "Mini vs GTI" thread and posted pix of the interiors. The GTI dash and seats look pretty bad. I was looking for the cassette player and the ashtray.

"The F56s looks are frankly a mess."

Ignorant and rude! That's just my opinion :)

Even Jalopnik says ...

I still can't get over the lower Fascia of the Cooper S. I quite like the non-S, though.