I drove both an '02 and a '08 Mini Cooper S and honestly, I liked the earlier style better.. Now is it me or does the supercharged one seem more linear in its delivery? It seemed to drive like a go cart, quick and smooth.. The '08 did not seem more powerful to me

I am also not crazy with what they did with the interior.. I liked the original radio and the speedo looked way bigger in the earlier ones

Also the newer controls seem gawdy and cheap, not to mention unnecessarily complex

Now I KNOW I am posting in a 1st gen forum so their may be some bias but perhaps others could shed some light on this?


I've got lots more questions as I am new to MINI's in general and am looking to get one soon..


Thanks and nice site you have here..

pete

 

you're spot on the supercharger vs. turbo.
supercharger is more linear with power delivery but has power limitations and generally delivers less of it compared to the simmilar turbo.
turbo on the other hand needs to have certain load and engine speed in order to deliver the power so in other words you need to stomp the gas pedal to get going.
I'm impartial to other things you commented on.

 

superchargers by nature build lower in the rpm range, and turbos take a higher rpm to kick in. turbo will spool up and add more hp faster in the higher rpm. supercharger will build across larger powerband.

 

Looks by your post that your mind is already made up and all you need is some support....

Well, I'll second the R53!

S.

 

nah, not necessarily.. there are some good things to buying new, 1) I can make it what I want, 2) new car warranty, maintenance coverage, the '08's have 7 years of experience behind it so perhaps bugs are worked out

But that radio set up is weird. And Im not so sure about the Turbo.. I hate lag and Im not so sure about the durability either..

 

well the new turbo engine is a new platform so don't expect it to be flawless as it doesn't have 7 years of experience. Plus the interior is redesigned and may have some glitches too.

 

I own an 07 turbo but drove an 06 supercharged before purchasing. I prefer the turbo's power and performance. There's virtually no lag in this one and there's a ton of torque that comes on real low for a turbo.

That said, there are definitely things about the car that they shouldn't have messed with. The previous version had more of the kart feel to it and the old interior is much more appealing IMHO. Oh and the big one... the turbo has butt-ugly wheel gap

 

turbo is better imo ..

 

 

The choice is much more involved than turbo verses super-charged. Drive them both and look them over very carefully ...you may find they are more different than alike in other areas that are important to you.

Best of luck.

 

Sure would be nice if someone would point out those areas and what they think about them.

 

You need to understand that the R56 which started in 2007 model year, good or bad is a new car from the ground up. Both are fine cars but I vote R53!

 

Well, its really for you to decide. But, for me, aesthetics and intuitiveness had a lot to do with it. I just couldn't deal with the radio controls in the new car, the climate controls ...even the turn signals are odd. Now, I'm sure I could get used to all of those things ...but I don't like getting used to stuff ...I'm old school.

Then there is the styling. There are those that say they can hardly tell the cars apart and then there are those that can tell them apart from 100 yards. The boot, the bonnet, the side markers, the wheel gaps, the belt lines ...they are all different. To some they are more similar than different. To others there are night and day differences.

When driving them you'll find that there is more difference between them than simply how they get up and go. The tactile sensations they provide are different. Some think this is nit-picking and others find the difference to be quite large.

Whether or not any of these "differences" are important ...or even exist at all is totally up to you.

When I compared them both (with the advantage of being able to buy an '06 with zero miles on it) I chose the R53 because on my checklist the R56 had only one benefit ...better MPG. Since my decision to buy a MINI was not one driven by practicality, MPG did not matter. At the risk of sounding hokey, my decision was driven by emotion ...actually, it may have been lust.

Case closed.

Dean.

 

Not trying to be vague, but you really need to go drive both cars, maybe couple times and you will be able to judge which one is right for you and that is all that really matters, which one YOU like the best. Guess it's the old you say patatoe I say potatoe thing. PS: Which is better a 280Z or a 280ZX?

 

Find a 2005-06 Cooper S to drive. You'll notice and improvement over the 02, and far fewer issues. The 05-06 also has better gearing in the six-speed.

 

Aesthetics-wise, I'm totally in the R50-53 camp... I agree with you on the look of the interior of the R-56 and the weird, plastic-yet-gaudy controls. Mated with the cyclopean-but-not-fully-round center speedo/cluster/radio/thing, the gimmicky MINI-wings-shaped buttons (ugh... novelty item!) and the odd stereo (which I cannot see how one would de-install if one were to ever want to swap it out) make the R56 a step BACKWARDS in my opinion. To me, the 1st gen MINI is simply more elegant. I know others disagree - more power to you and to each their own.

Of course, the SEATS in the 56 are deeper, plusher and seem all-in-all more comfy, so that might be a factor. Keep in mind though that I drove my cabrio from LA to central Ohio over 4 straight 8-hour driving days, and I had no soreness or other issues, so the 1st gen seats aren't exactly torture implements though... I'm 6', 185 lbs and they fit me great. ANd when you shut the doors they just feel more... SOLID. Like a German car - a definite step towards respectability and away from the slightly-crazy, Brit design, so full of odd rattles and buzzes. If the occasional cabin sound bugs you, I'd definitely look to the 56, as they seemed to improve the overall quality in the 2nd gen. Me, I don't really care - some stick-on felt cures almost any rattle.

As for supercharger vs. turbo... I've driven both and the turbo will DFINITELY get up on the red line very, very quickly, but for me nothing beats the sheer "grin factor" of hearing the supercharger screaming at you when used with the Alta or other non-boxed air intake... I know some guys love the blow-off hiss of the turbo as well - again it's a matter of preference. Unless you're buying the car to turn the absolutely fastest lap times on the track or Auto-X, I'd wager that the supercharged MINI (I'd go with an 05 or 06 if you can foot the bill) will make you extremely happy, especially if you also are worried about staring at the 56's somewhat funky interior for hour upon hour... The 50-53 also has a slightly lower, more aggressive-looking stance. It's subtle, but look at two MINIs side-by-side for a while and I think you'll see what I mean. non-MINI people would probably never see it, but those that own them will, and do. Which looks better? That's for you to decide, Grasshopper - luckily, being subjective, there's no wrong choice.

And best of all - a 1st gen model will almost certainly be a bit cheaper, since it's an "older model".

 

There's a fine alternative: an '08 R52. You get the new car, with the supercharger, and the go-kart feel. And, you delete the roof!

 

Check my sig. I waited until late in the 06 build to order my JCW. I'm happy as a clam with not one regret. To my eye, the 07 just looks a little clumsy. Sorry 07 and 08'ers. I'm not a hater and I'm sure that if I hadn't owned a MINI since 04 that the newer models would look just great to me. The bottom line is that whine is intoxicating and never gets old. All the above is just INMHO.

 

Pete,

Wow, my sentiments exactly! I had my 06 Cooper S in for its 30K and was given an 07 for a couple of days. It was a yellow "S" with John Cooper Body kit and wheels. Well, I gave my review in the general talk, see "Supercharger Lament" expressing the same opinion regarding my lack of enthusiasm for the turbo and new Mini interior. Boy did I get nailed to the R56 cross, with the exception of a few individuals.

I have a Red 06 Cooper S, Limited Slip & English Park Lane leather. I would never trade down for new turbo S.

Scrubbly

 

If you hate lag then you'll hate the 2008. The turbo turns the Mini into just another tuner car. The reason they bolt on a turbo in the first place is because superchargers generally use engine power. Power that a four banger can't afford to give. My experience it that the new Mini has quite a bit of lag. From the light, you pretty much have to floor it to get the turbo spooling quickly and then pop the clutch in order to match the performance of the supercharged Mini.


A supercharger is generally a simple bolt on running off the engine. Since a turbo utilizes exhaust gassed to make power, they run hot. They also require an oil line and this heat may fry the turbo bearing and gum up the unit leading to its failure. In winter, the turbo will run dry until the engine oil warms up.


Scrubbly

 

Scrubbly, you and I are brothers on this one.. Sorry you got nailed, heres a hammer to yank them out.. []-----

Glad to see I wasn't hallucinating.. Been driving way too many cars and for a long time now.. Im quite sensitive to changes in the cars and the things that I felt and saw were from just getting into Mini's, I can imagine what it would be like if I have had them for a while

I think I will stick with the R53 for now.. a nice 2006 should do.. Besides, I love VW's and I have a pearl white '66 with 46K miles on it.. the 53 is kinda dear and near to my heart ( Go Herbie!)

 

Mini1966

I used to have a 70 bug that I loved to do 360's when it snowed out, much to my Dad displeasure. I've always favored English cars with the E-Type being my all time favorite. Unfortunately, nowadays they're expensive, generally in sad shape and too costly to restore and maintain.

I've always liked the Classic Mini and feel the R53 comes closest to representing the original in performance and style. I've been a BMW guy for the last 15 years and traded in a 3 Series for my current ride. In fact, I bought an 06 because I knew Mini was dumping the Supercharger.

I parted ways with BMW when Chris Bangles got his hands on Beemer. He's the guy responsible for the current batch of hideously designed BMW's. Now they're gonna mess up Mini. The new Mini interior is just horrible. I think they were going for the Scion crown with the adjustable mood lights. And the dash, never did figure out how to change from AM to FM.

 

I have owned both and despite the classic mods(15%,intake,exhaust) to my R53 , I just can't get behind the clubmanS I just bought. I had 110K on the old car and only 1200 miles on the new one and I can say categorically that my old car was waaay faster than the new one. There is also noticeable torque steer on the new one that the old one had none of. You can classify me as disappointed in the R56.

 

hi pete - welcome aboard! similar to sentiments others have posted, i too have spent lots of time with the "new model" (R56) but was increasingly unimpressed and so wasted very little time and swapped it for a 2006 JCW... which i absolutely L-O-V-E. much closer in spirit and feel to the nimble small sports cars i am used to driving but still a very practical and comfortable, hell even luxurious, hatch for when you need that part of the driving equation. i'm not at all against "progress" but when it comes at the expense of driving satisfaction, i'll have none of it please.

PS. holdenontoit that photo is great but coupled with your post makes me think of an albatross. no worries though... easy enough to sell and lots of great 2005s and 2006s out there or even a new 2008 convertible if you are so inclined. seriously, go for it!

 

Sorry to hear you are not thrilled with your Clubman.