So after hanging out here for a while and researching a bit I picked up an 06 Mini Cooper S, 6-spd with 23k miles on the clock. It was a private sale but has CPO till Nov 2011.




Likes:

- awesome handling. turns like a go-kart, love the steering feel and response. I never thought fwd would handle this well.
- decent power for a car this size
- pano moonroof - brings so much light into the car
- visibility is excellent
- i like how bmw kept the amber lighting from the regular bmw line.
- attention to detail like how the windows adjust when you shut the doors.
- general ergonomic layout

Dislikes (mostly minor):

- RFTs!! terribly harsh and stiff on anything but perfect pavement
- no auto-up on windows, nothing major but i would have thought a new car would have that feature
- hard to see top of the tach when i have my seat adjusted correctly.
- high/low beam selection is counter-intuitive imo. or perhaps i have been driving bmws too long.
- also the stalks for beams/wipers appear could have been made more solid, i'm afraid of breaking the turn signal stalk

all i all, i am enjoying my new mini ownership. looking forward to learning more and enjoying the ride

 

Looks good, from your stable, this MINI will not be stock very long. Enjoy and drive lots of fun miles.

 

First of all, Congratulations on the new purchase!

Haha, funny you mention the high/low beam being counter intuitive, I used to have a '97 328iS and when I moved to the MINI, I was so thrown off! Three years in, I still have difficulty remembering which way to flip the switch! (in my defense, I barely ever use my high beams)

-Chase

 

Enjoy your R53

 

You can loosen the ride a little to make it a little more smoother..

But the no auto up windows drives me nuts! especially trying to put both windows up with one hand while driving is impossible. I use my pointer finger and pinky to get to both of the toggles

 

You can adjust the steering column tilt and resolve this one.

BTW, another example of BMW's thoughtful attention to detail is the self-dumping glove box.

Congrats and enjoy your R53!

 

congrats on the MINI

 

Welcome! Gr8 choice!

 

isn't it attached to the column? i like to adjust the seating so my arms are close to 90 degrees when i hold the wheel at 9 and 3. this way i almost never have to shuffle steer.

oh one more thing is that heel and toe is easy due to the close proximity of the brake/gas and even the height is nicely adjusted but i do find it difficult to left foot brake when i want to turn the car in slightly.

 

My '09 window goes up with one touch of the switch, but I'm not sure what year that started. Here's a link to an auto-up window circuit that reviewed well. It's an article from back in 2006, but may still be available. http://www.motoringfile.com/2006/01/...cuit-reviewed/

MiniMania online catalog: http://new.minimania.com/web/Item/NMA5503/InvDetail.cfm

 

yeah, i'm sure it can be retro-fitted. It doesn't bother me that much. Maybe my wife I'm used to e30s that don't have it either.

Is there a way to retrofit homelink? It's annoying to have a garage remote

 

The column tilt is adjustable -- RTFM.

Shuffle steering is actually preferred to hand over hand for better car control. If your arms are close to 90 degrees, you're sitting too far back!

You might want to try this seat adjustment method suggested in some performance driving classes: First, adjust the seat position fore/aft until your right knee is slightly bent while completely depressing the clutch with your right foot. Then adjust the rake (ie, angle of the seat back) so that your wrists just reach the top of the steering wheel with arms fully extended while your shoulders are flat against the seat back. You'll be closer to the wheel than you're probably used to but you'll have a lot more control!

 

Congratulations on your purchase. Good low mileage, too.

I consider the suspension of the MINI comparable to that of Z28 Camaros and SS Monte Carlos. My old '02 MCS had a KW suspension, plus 205/40/17 tires, and I felt every little road ripple. But that's kinda what I would expect with a car like that. It was later swapped out for the Koni Stage 3 Kit. I did not like not having a fully adjustable setup (i.e. spring height), but it definitely rode smoother.

Later models, such as the '06, have a softer suspension setup (how much I'm not sure compared to an '02). I have the stock suspension on my '06 MCS now, and it does ride smoother. Plus I have 205/45/17s, and the little extra sidewall makes a big difference. Of course, I do want to either swap out the springs or get a Megan coilover setup. And that will make it ride rougher once again.

I do agree with the turn signal arms. But even the one that is in my '86 Monte Carlo SS does not feel the most solid.

 

Not sure about homelink retrofit, but I've been reading up on an option called "flash to pass" (www.f2ptechnologies.com) which taps into your high beam wiring with a transmitter that triggers a signal to a receiver in your garage (about $80 for a set) when you falsh the high beam switch in the car. My brother has installed it on several of his cars and he's really satisfied with how it works...

 

yeah i am involved in performance driving, so i know how to adjust the seating i don't prefer shuffle steer or hand over hand. and am pretty close to the wheel hence why i can't see the top of the tach

i'll rtfm on the column adjust though. pretty sure when i adjusted it, the tach moved with it.

 

sounds cool.. will look into it. thanks!

 

I think getting rid of the RFTs will make a huge difference. I am going to get some Direzza Star Specs on a set of 16" wheels. I think that will ride better on the pothole ridden excuses for highways we have around here.

 

Congratulations on the new car and welcome to the world of motoring. On the window thing, the new ones do have one touch up and down.

 

Re your performance driving involvement... I should have known since "shuffle steer" is not commonly used terminology!

Re the tach visibility... looks like you're just too tall...

 

haha.. i get your point.. hey, i'm used to e30s, an 06 is NEW to me

 

cool! i came from a miata and a S2000, so to me the oem MINI suspension feels like a boat.

any plans for mods? i recently did the 15% pulley and it really makes the car feel great. the difference is amazing and by comparison the stock MCS feels anemic.

 

want to get rid of the rfts first and then see how the handling can be improved. thinking about the m7 strut tower reinforcers and a rear sway from tsx. might do a pulley and cai next. kind of busy finishing off a spec e30 race car so that's where the time and money is going right now

 

I'm a really huge fan of Hankook tires. My old '02 MCS had Ventus V4 es tires twice, and I now have V12 Evo 110Ks on my '06 MCS now. Great grip and really quiet, even after wearing down (as most tires get noisier as they age).

 

You should also look into getting lighter rims. They make a huge difference in a low HP car like a Mini.

 

good point.. these 17"ers are pretty heavy i bet. i'm not a fan of huge wheels. i think 16" will suit this car better and be lighter and cheaper rubber too..