I'm already forming some opinions about the differences between my 03 Mini Cooper (sold this morning and I miss it already) and my 08 Mini Cooper S (which I think I will grow to love).

Things I liked better in the old one.

Steering - much more precise in the 03. You feel more connected to the road, even though I sprang for the sport suspension. There is significant torque steer in the 08 MCS.

Stereo - the HiFi isn't as bad as I feared, but there's no question the 03 H/K was a better unit.

Seats - the profile leather sport seats in my 03 were definitely a bit more comfortable than the leatherette in my 08. Still, I like the looks and I'm content with my decision.

Things that impress me about the new one.

The Turbo. It feels great and feels more like a grown-up engine. In fact, the whole car feels more like a grown up car.

The Interior. Looks great. Glad I did the anthracite headliner.

The Gas Mileage. So far it's BETTER than my non-S 03. I'm very encouraged... though I've been driving it very gently so far.

The Nav System and Entertainment interface. I think this is going to be a ton of fun.

Sirius. How did I live without it all these years?

All in all it feels like moving from a sports car to a grand touring vehicle. I'll miss throwing the original one around, but this will be fun in a number of new ways.

 

Congrats on your R56. I can relate to the precision steering of the R50 though in comparison. My advice based on experience is to invest in a set of ALTA PSRS's for the R56. They eliminate the torque steer [stock bushings are absurdly flimsy] and improve steering precision for the same reason. They are the single best improvement I've discovered for the R56 to date, and quite honestly they transform the R56 "back into a proper MINI".

Cheers,
Ryan

 

congrats

 

I would agree (had '03 Cooper w/ holies, have '07 Cooper). Many of the changes between R50/R56 are something of a wash either way, but this is a definite difference. Nice to know improvements can be made!!!

 

Ryephile, thanks much for your suggestion. I've read back through some of your posts and your issue is exactly my issue.

I think I want to do that. If not immediately, then soon.

I've never modified a car before, ever. Is there a downside to modifying a brand-new car? And who is the best person in the southeast to put that in? I clearly would want someone who knows what they're doing to perform the task, and wouldn't hesitate to drive 300-400 miles to find them. Would a Mini dealer be a good or not-so-good choice for such an install?

 

Sorry, whar does PSR'S STAND FOR?

Thanks,
Chris

 

PSRS equals Positive Steering Response System - linky here. I'm thinking of doing the same thing - although throwing on a set of Stage 2 H&R springs from Helix has helped eliminate a lot of the torque steer - linky here.

Car also looks a lot better lowered and as Eric from Helix said "Your car now looks like it's owned by an enthusiast!"

 

Are you sure you've engaged the sport mode? The R56 steering is pretty horrible without it. I didn't notice that between the 04 and 07 (with sport mode engaged). In general I like the handling of the R56 better than the old ones.

 

Do you need an alignment done after the swith out?

 

One thing I noticed on the R56 HiFi system. If you go to the sound adjustment screen (bass, treble, etc.) and scroll over to the right, at the end there is one other setting called "s-vol" which I assume means surround volume. It seems to be some sort of filling/bass effect like BBE.

Makes a big difference..but you of course have to set it individually for the CD, satellite, FM radio, HD radio, ipod.

Added quite a bit of low end and fill that wasn't there before...play with that and the bass to get the right balance.

I've been very happy with my HiFi since I found that...suprising seeing as my previous system was aftermarket alpine, Xtant, JL and Eclipse 12" titanium sub. Do I miss the thump of the 12..sure..but the HiFi ain't too shabby.

 

Just re-reading this thread, and I agree with everything I said back then.

 

S-volume is the speed sensitive volume that adjusts the volume based on the vehicle speed. The higher the more aggressive the adjustment. I like my HIFI. Many people upgrade the speakers (easiest more improvement is the doors) and find a better experience.

 

The H-K sound system they brought in for '10 kicks a$$. Don't know how it compares to the Gen 1 H-K's, but it's monumentally better than the earlier Gen 2 hi-fi.
And I like torque steer.

 

So did you ever install the PSR?

The "torque steer" was one of the reasons I said nyet to the R56 (the Playskool interior was probably the real deal killer though ).

 

My wife and I have both the R53 and R56. I love my R56 because it has more torque, rides smoother and feels grownup. I also love my LSD. But the R53 is an awesome car for so many reasons. Burble exhaust notes, whining supercharger, original MINI remake (looks closer to the old ones) and it handles like a dream. I am glad we had both. If we didn't, we would have 3 R53's!