So now I've had both - an R53 and R56...my favorite is...
 

...I believe the R56! There are a few things about the R53 that I liked better however:

1. The more responsive steering. The R56 feels a bit "mushy" in comparison.
2. The way the side window curved around. I don't care for the pilar.
3. I miss the old speedo a bit.

And that's about it! I am loving the turbo. I like the ride of it better. BUT - I really really miss the steering of the R53....

:popcorn:

I just got an R56, and i used to have an 06R53, Both MCS. Every day the R56 grows on me more and more. I do miss my supercharger whine though...

Yeah, me too. I DO miss that whine sound!

I am used to the hill assist now, and I love it.

I am used to how the turn signals work now, and I love it.

I DON'T like how the R56 kinda swings wildly when you take a bump at a decent clip. And there are A LOT of bumps in NE Ohio. Our highways practically have speed bumps where the concrete slabs' joints fill with water in the winter, freeze, and expand.

The R56 will get out on the AutoX course here soon, and I will re-report. Supposedly, the R56 does not do as well as the R53 at high RPMs (and we have a real nice straightaway - actually hit the rev limiter on the R53). And I'm sad I couldn't get the LSD, but I did get the ATC with E-diff, so we will see how that performs...

Oh, and I'll add that this thread was not created to spark debate. Just sharing my own personal opinion...

cool. ive wanted to test drive the R56 but im afraid i will like the torque of it too much and i dont need another car payment!

i like the external look of the R56 but i perfer the interior of the R53. maybe that is something that would grow on me though...

No chrono pkg. on the R56 is a deal breaker for me.

I've had an '06R53S, and since an '08R56S, and now an '09 JCW. I think the R56 is constructed much better, and I think the turbo motors are better. I miss the whine too, but not the crappy gas mileage my old S got. I'm getting 5-6mpg better on average in my JCW with 40ish hp more than the '06.

My 05 R53 MCS: terrible build quality, always in the shop for something mechanical, clutches, steering, etc, blast to drive when not in the shop, gas mileage that sucked, doggy performance with the A/C on, and I absolutely HATED those stoopid silver downtubes attached to the dash. I loved that car :) and I hated that car :mad:

My 09 R56 MCSa JCW: much better build quality, other than the tensioner very few problems, faster with terrific gas mileage, much MUCH better performance with the A/C on, and a blast to drive--altho I agree the all-electric steering does not feel as connected to the road as that buggy electro-hydraulic system on the first gen cars--better seats, and NO FREAKING DOWNTUBES (which, to me, means more comfort on long trips).

I've owned both as well, and my response pretty much mirror the others, I got used to the difference in steering pretty quickly, but when I'd go back to my R53 I always noticed the difference - it just seemed smoother and to have more feel than my R55.

Motor - no question the supercharged motor is a sweatheart, and so smooth! I had one of the earliest JCW kits on my '03 and it really ran, it seemed to just get stronger the tighter you wound it - the turbo definitely runs out of breath at higher RPMs. It's fixable of course with a larger turbo and some other intake mods, but I'm concerned that I'd lose a chunk of fuel mileage. On top of that, you drive the car in the low and midrange 95% of the time, and that's where the power band is now, so I'll leave it alone...

Brakes are much better on the R55 > up cars....

Ride quality - well part of that may be due to the longer wheelbase of my Clubby, but I really didn't have any complaints with my R53. That said, the R55 really eats up the miles on a long trip, but I liked the seats in my R53 better - maybe they were just worn in - but these really pinch my outer thighs.....

All in all, I'm happy with my choice too - it would be wonderful to have the best from both cars - good instrumentation, smooth engine that gets turbo style fuel mileage with supercharged engine smoothness and top end power, the excellent brakes and improved handling and ride quality and a little less "distinctive" interior......

Looking forward to adding my input soon as my R55 is still at the VDC. But one thing about ride quality and steering on the R53, the mods make all the difference. I have since mostly "demodded" my R53 preparing it for sale, and the difference in ride quality with stock struts/shocks is jarring compared to the Cross Coilovers I had that were plush in comparison. Also the tire size and grippiness is a huge factor. I used to run ultra high performance rubber and now have all seasons on the R53, and although it still feels familiar, it's not as fun as it used to be.

Basically I'm saying that it can be hard to make an apples to apples comparison between models, and that you can likely tweak some things to bring back some of the feeling you lost going from the R53 to R56. That's great you are loving your R56. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Can't wait for my R55 to get here. :thumbsup: