i have an 03mcs. what makes the new ones worth the trade in? the largest drawback i have with the 03 is the road noise. thanks!

 

that's a very very broad question... best is for you yourself to drive the 08... i personally like the 07+ because it is a much improved car on a luxury level... car doesn't ride as hard, pulls harder in a straight line, interior looks more accomplished, etc etc... but the feel is what i don't like, and those looks, i am sure lots of people will argue that though

just drive the 08 and make a judgement

 

The road noise could be tire related. That can be fixed w/o a trade up.

IMHO the R56 is a better car, albiet not as edgy, on most accounts.
Better ride, better seats, better handling, much better engine. The new controls/dash takes some getting used to, but now I prefer it.
Test drive one-it was pretty obvious to me.

Styling is personal preference. Some like the old styling better. I only see a difference when they are side by side.

ps..the sunshade in the R56 sucks BUT I love my new car vs. the 04..

 

thanks. is your 07 much faster? i do plan on testing a new one. ideas on what to look for are nice. thanks again

 

thanks. i have run flats on 17 inch wheels. will non run flats make a big difference? the ride seems good but i have nothing to compare it to. I have not had the car very long.

 

I went from a Cooper to an MCS so I can not give a true perspective.
However, I drove alot of previous generation MCS cars in both auto and stick. Cars owned by friends, loaners, misc. test drives. and the turbo cars sure "feel" faster. The only setup I did not get a chance to compare was an R53 JCW vs. R56 non JCW or JCW.

The supercharger whine was nice and will be missed but the new engines are much better IMHO.

Drive your car to a dealer--take a test drive--then drive yours home.
ONLY YOU can decide if the difference is apparent to YOU and worth the $$ for the trade up. I find testing what you want to trade to and going back to what you are driving crystallizes the decision.

example...I had an R56 Cooper loaner for 2 days this week. Great little car-- MUCH better than I expected. Then I picked mine up from service. The difference was quite obvious.

 

Runflats suck. My MCS on 17 inch non ruflats rides better than the loaner I had on 15 inch wheels with runflats.

 

what to look for...

Drive the car over roads you normally travel if possible..Drive in situations that appoximate your normal dirving style.

Unless you constantly thrash your car on a daily basis, doing so on a test drive will obviously make the thrashed car feel stronger.

Before I commited , I borrowed a car for a day from my wonderful MA and used it just like I do daily. Drove it to work--had my wife drive it--took it to dinner etc,.
When I returned it, I went inside and gave him my order. Even my wife thinks the new car is much better.

My son, who owns a Boxster S , thinks the new MINI is a quick little f-cker.

 

thanks everyone.! which 17 inch non runflat tires are the best option? low noise and superior ride quality would be most important. price and longevity second.

 

I am suing the Bridgestone re906AS. Thye were highly recommended by Tire Rack- I had Pirelli P Zero Nero M/s on mu 04 and they were fine but they did get noisy as the miles added up.

Check Tire Rack's ratings/reviews for more info. You would have to go to 215/45-17. The 205s are not available in the RE960AS. The 215s work fine.

 

um.... 215/60-17 would be a VERY BIG tire for our cars.. .you are probably thinking 215/40 or 215/45... both will fit in the wheel-well

 

sorry--that was a typo--corrected...

Size is 215/45-17 91W--really pleased with these tires.