No, it doesn't... My 911 was one the most solid/reliable cars I have ever owned... trouble free for 30,000 miles...

granted, the repairs are expensive but MINI dealers are crazy with their service prices almost in line with the Porsche... Trust me on that....

 

It must be great to work at a MINI dealer. And I would have to agee about the staff at these places. In my 30 some years of driving, I have owned everything from new Toyota's to Jaguar's, and my experience thus far with MINI surpasses that of any other.

I have read your issues with the R53, and wanted to just ask if the tech's at your dealership are "into" engine modifications, ala: MiniMania, M7, Alta ect...I have some modifications to mine which were rather inexpensive, and thus I do not experience the faults you outline above.

If you are having shifting issues, ( you realy didn't go into detail) I would have someone check your engine mounts. This could be the cause. Or maybe open up your gear box and see if there is a bad bushing )

As far a no low end power or throttle response. I realy don't have that problem. Could be your belt is slipping, have a faulty bypass valve, or boost leak. Mileage is not a factor in any of these possibilties, as all these parts can go at any time.

It would seem to me that unless you realy want a new MINI, there are less expensive options to rectify your complaints. I agree with all your points concerning the +'s of the R53. That said, maybe joining a club up there and getting to know the club's "modding guru" would be advantageous in reaching the performance goals you desire in your SC Mini.

I was at the dealer yesterday. They had some awesome looking Clubmans and the JCW editions are going for 45K...... To put that into perspective as a consumer. Thirteen years ago I purchased a 3BR home on 1/4 acre lot for $61,000.00US - And that was just 13 years ago.

Maybe there is someone with an R53 in your area which has been modified and they will let you take it for a spin. You could adapt the same performance mods to your R53 and bring the driving pleasure back to your Motoring experience.....

Goo Luck.

 

Really

Sorry to hear that. Not my experience in New England. Prices are same across the board for MINI, Toyota, Nissan. Hell, my Father's Subaru dealer is more expensive than my MINI dealer !

 

Porsche's are much higher then almost any car, and the mini is much lower even at the dealrship

a 60K Mile maint is close to 6K on a Porsche, just plugs and wires are over 1k:(

 

So true, me too. Keep the R53! I personally dont see how a R56 will wow more people than an R53, most people I talk to prefer the R53 style more and feel it looks more like an older mini

Maybe a 17% pulley will take care of that low end torque craving?

 

I think with Porsche's, its more that doing what one would think is a simple job takes the better part of a day and generally requires all kinds of special equipment and tools. So while hourly rates might not differ much, what might take 1 hour on my MINI would probably take at least 3 on my 944. I remember reading somewhere in Road & Track that you'll end up spending at least 1k for almost any problem you have to get serviced on a Porsche (Apple brings up a good example). I must admit though, I am slightly opinionated on the subject... My 944 and I have had a very rough relationship, and its unfortunately made me sort of biased against Porsche's in general. I know its not fair, and I'm sure the newer ones are fantastic cars. I just won't walk within 10 feet of any Porsche more than 5 years old ever again - At least not without the fear of having my wallet sucked right out of my pocket.

Ok, back on topic: I can't speak for all R53's, but I know mine has ~80% total torque available between 3k and 7k... And that's with a dyno graph starting at 3k. With the aid of some creative extrapolation and the trusty seat-o-the-pants dyno, I'd venture that 80% is availble from 2500-on. If you ask me, it doesn't get much better than that from a 1.6L.

 

Thankfully you posted this on a site whereas everyone has an opinion! Being at the dealership, once the R53 goes OOW (out of warranty) do you want to be paying for service? I think this is both a conversation of R53 vs R56 and one monthly payment vs another as much as a cost question. I sold my 2003 R53 right when I thought repair frequency and cost was dramatically increasing. Are you on the run-it-into-the-ground-keep-it-forever plan or do you want the benefits or a new car every few years?

When I think of your dilema I think of two pics from DB at Mini United, One and Two. The R56 is newer, smoother, quieter, more luxurious, more BMW-like but I hate the lack of feel in the clutch and miss the connectedness. I agree with hardybob that the R56 feels less "Mini" and that's why I like to look at the above pics which illustrate this. At the same time, many people would consider the R56 a better car or more car-like (with progress there may be some sacrifice, but the progress is thought to outweigh the sacrifice). Are you in love with "the car" or the Mini?

 

"In the latest Automobile Mag, they wrapped up their 4 season test of the R56. They had some great things to say about it (as expected), but I think the last two paragraphs summarize why so many of us will hang on to our R53s for as long as we can:

"Assessing the Mini's attributes - delicious power, ample speed, impeccable dependability, and remarkable fuel efficiency - versus its long foibles list, which includes a rocky ride, nasty torque steer, and the despised instrument panel layout, the inescapable conclusion is that the newest Mini is less satisfying than its predecessor. 'Some of the charm is gone,' concluded production editor Jennifer Misaros. 'The previous edition was genuine, while this one just feels contrived.'

Hope springs eternal that the third generation Mini, surely under development, doesn't strive quite so hard to be cool.

- Don Sherman""

-mbcoops

Stole this from another thread, originally started by mbcoops, as I think it is very applicable here. IMO, It's a nice subtle way of looking at the quandary you proposed!

 

I couldn't have said that better myself, Don. I guess that's why you get those big car mag bucks.

 

How much was your cooper?

800x60= $48,000 that is one expensive MINI even at 8.9% that would mean you financed around $38,000 and for your R53.

My advice is pay it down and enjoy it! You still have a fantastic car, and if you picked up a R56 you would miss your current car I am sure.

 

There you have it. Two different opinions and I agree with them both ...but my heart lies with the R53.

 

I know the R56 owners on here won't like to hear this but... R56 looks better, interior is crap. Compare the plasticy feeling door panels, dash, and most especially, press your finger on the heater controls panel. It moves. Not very solid if you ask me. My inside knowledge tells me that BMW decided they could make more money on the MINI (which was originally designed and engineered to be an upscale coupe, and just happened to have universal appeal and forced a lower price point because of the numbers), by cheaping out on components. You will notice most of the stuff is sourced from various EU countries like Romania, etc, and not Germany or the UK as was common before. The powertrain might be a bit better, but I'd take the R53 any day of the week. Maybe I'm biased, but I bought my car just as the R56 was coming out and didn't regret anything. Plus, there's nothing like the sound of a supercharger... everyone has turbo cars, be happy you are unique and are not as likley to blow your engine up if you have any mods done to it!!

 

First, hi from another canuck! I am surprised people at your dealer who work with both models day in day out prefer the R56... or maybe I'm not... it was designed to be more "accessible" after all, and a lot of drivers just aren't looking for a more focused driver's car so prefer the second gen. my experience at dealers is that even the sales staff and mechanics will quietly admit the R56 looks "bloated" on the outside, cheaper on the inside, and has lost a lot of character in the driving experience. Yes, the new S is noticeably quicker in a straight line but it is nowhere near as engaging to drive and its performance in corners is quite lacking unless the JCW suspension has been fitted by the dealer.

But this does sound more like a financially motivated decision and not an R53 v. R56 motivated decision. It honestly sounds like your R53 payments are unreasonably high so if you now have a chance to renegotiate by swapping for an R56 w/JCW, the money saved each month will make up for a lot of character.

 

Ya think?!?!?! We're all biased, might as well admit it. I think there is ample evidence of this, much more than there is that R50/53 is actually better or worse than R56. Might as well let folks choose as they may. FWIW, I think the argument holds more water for the MCS......but it is hard to deny that the R56 Cooper is a significant step forward, then again maybe I'm biased.

 

If you like the R56 more, go for it. If you are doing it for lower payments, maybe you should consider re-financing you current car at a lower interest rate.

I thought the R53 and R56 had the same 6 speed getrag transmissions. Is there any difference in these?

 

As an R56 owner I agree with you 99%, with the sole exception that the R56 looks better. It does not, imo, the R53 is a much nicer looking car in stock form (the typical lower and blacked out belt line does a lot for the R56 and makes it close, but it still doesn't look as good as the R53 in any event)

Not to say I'm saying I should've bought an R53 instead, I don't think I'd be able to give up the turbo and fuel economy (plus visually the R56 is pretty nice looking, just not as nice as an R53), but just to reinforce that both models have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

@Christina,

If you like better power & handling & finally better monthly payment then go for the R56 no doubt. But for the look, R53 way nicer than the R56. IMHO, the 1st gen got the spirit from the original classic. That's why I bought my 06. I bought my MC less than a year. And that time the R56 was released already but I just can't persuade myself to buy the R56, it looks strange to me, like a Mini but don't feel right. I remember one time I dropped by a Mercedes dealership, one technician came & ask is my car a Mini? I said yea & he said how come is this Mini so little, is this the classic one not the new one? And I told him this is the first gen & he immediately said oh I like this much better than the latest model then.

So, will my next car purchase is Mini again? I would probably say yes but not the R56 for sure. But if I really need power & handling, there are tons of same class vehicle out there. And I agree the fuel mileage is excellent, full tank 670km even better than my traded in Matrix, I won't complain.

 

If you can swing it, a JCW engine kit and some Koni FSD's would go a long way in settling your remorse. Mine's a keeper.

 

R56 vs. R53 is obviously an opinionated thing. Some prefer the more direct and focused R53, while others like the more well rounded R56. It's all what you want and each has it's strong points. It's just which points are most important to you.

As for power, turbos and s/c's go about it differently. I like the linear and full engine range the s/c offers, more like an NA engine, but the effortless torque down low of a turbo sure is fun. I've owned both. Turbos also appear much better at reducing emissions output. I'm not totally sure on this, but compare the output of the R53 vs. R56 and you'll see a big difference. They are also generally more fuel efficient. Are there even any new F/I cars coming out with S/Cs anymore?

For power, as others have said you just need to add a pulley, tune and a couple of other bits to get more low end grunt. Remember, with the R53 it is helpful to go over 4k rpms

As for the money, consider refinancing your auto loan, assuming your credit and/or situation would enable you to get less than the 8.9 you originally got. To agree to 8.9 you must have not had many choices so this may not work. Or maybe that's a canadian thing, I don't know. In the states refi's are in the 6's.

Best of luck.

 

1. Finances: Did you do your finances correctly? While you can consider only cash flow ($800 vs. $600 per month), for how many months? How close to paid is your current Mini? Importantly, do you have access to lower-interest-rate funds?

What is resale on your current Mini, and does that cover what you owe on it or is the dealer rolling that over into your "new" loan?

NEVER make a decision based solely on "monthly payment". Cash flow is important, but you MUST look at LONG-TERM cash flow. If you're rolling debt from THIS Mini over into THAT Mini, someone's making a TON of money on you.

If not, and you can sell your Mini for what you've got in it (down payment + what's owed), then go for it!

2. Where's your heart? AND... what's that worth? Seriously, put a cash value on it - a PRESENT DAY cash value. Compare what your current car is worth (in total dollars) vs. the total cost of the future car. If you don't have the financial calculator to do that, give us some specific s and we'll work it out for you. What's your current car resale, and how much is the payout on the loan? For how many more months are you making payments at 8% APR?

Compare that with the new car's LOAN value and interest rate - it's relatively straightforward to come up with the CASH (capital, not monthly payments) difference between the two. Is your psyche worth that? Only you can answer.

All of us Mini owners bought a Mini when less expensive (and more practical) transportation alternatives exist. Our desires are worth something. You now get to quantify yours, and (seriously) I wish you luck. You're actually facing a decision between TWO good things!

 

I'll jump in with both feet !

Let me say first that I like ALL Mini/MINIs - Ok, just to make that clear.

Why an R53 ?



Just look at those lines !



Sexy but cute as a button too !



and racey enough to be a "Man's car"



Art



Ok, so maybe I'm biased

1) IMO the R53 is just a work of art and sheer beauty when it comes to appearance, both inside and out. The exterior looks like what it is, a modern car with a retro look. To me the R53 looks more like the classic Mini whilst the R56 looks like a revamp of the R50/53. The interior of the R50/53 still looks like it comes from a concept car, it just melts together and flows. The R56....er......well.....on thin ice here.......is just "weak" and doesn't seem well thought out or user friendly. I have driven at least 4 or 5 of them, both Coop and S with various interior pkgs.

2) As everyone with an supercharger says, nothing like "Fine Whine" with your MINI. I absolutely love the whine and the burble to boot ! Burble burble - pop pop !

3) The R56 without a doubt is smoother, handles nicely, and is quicker, just what you would expect from a 2nd gen car. But it loses the MINI character, the R53 makes you feel like perhaps you have time warped back into a classic with a harsh ride, snappy handling, and just overall small "feel". The R56 as many have noted "feels like a BMW" If you closed your eyes it could be a 3 series car.

4) I would however if forced to choose between an R50 Coop and an R56 Coop, I would take the R56. While the R53 S I love, the R50 really seems to hurt for power where the R56 Justa is much better on the horses. But that's not your dilemma !

5) I have been tempted by the dark side too, a new R56 with the JCW pkg in Horizon Blue and White is quite appealing.....then I go motor with Wensleydale and all thoughts of that evil are gone

6) If I had to choose.......I would love to have both but since I'm not there yet (as soon as Wensley is paid for) I will stick with my beloved R53.

I thought the gearbox was the same too, I didn't notice any major difference. Are you still using the stock shift ball ? I switched to a "Wensleydale" ball from Whalen and it is a night and day difference from the stock ****, much smoother shifts. That was my only complaint when I picked Wensley up, now I can't find anything I don't like.

Good luck !

 

put on a new mod. I always have a renewed spark in my relationship in my car when I put some elbow grease into her.

 

I got my 1st gen Mini because I CANNOT help but smile whenever I see one! Spitfire said it right, the 2 Gen Mini is too much like a BMW. I feel like i have just seen a 328i when a see a R56. Although I too love all that comes out of the Oxford Plant, the R50-R53 will never get old to me. I would love my R50 with or without new mods. Thats how I know the first Gen Minis were for me.

All my mod don't hurt either. See my sig! haha

 

I would agree, if I ever get the slightest bit of boredom with Wensleydale, there's always a mod to order to perk things up ! Even a new grill badge can be fun

I've thought about changing the pulley and exhaust to the JCW parts to get more of the wonderful sounds

 

As a 2008 Clubman S owner I can tell you that the second generation cars are very nice, powerful, good fuel economy, etc....

But the charm and character of the 1st gen cars has been sacrificed in the name of refinement, mass market appeal and manufacturing savings/profits.

This is why I am still thrilled to own my 4 year old 2005 R53 S. BMW nailed the 1st gen of the car right. Folks, MINI is not just about power, speed, refinement. The car is a complete package inside and out and this is where they missed the mark with the new cars.

When you sit and drive behind the wheel of an R53, the steering feels right, the engine/exhaust makes the right noises, the car handles right, the interior/exterior looks right, etc. The thing fits you like a glove

The Clubman is geared more towards comfort and feels more utilitarian by comparison. Don't get me wrong it handles great, brakes on a dime and accelerates like a 6 cyl car. But the overall feel is simply not the same

I think BMW got themselves into a very tough conundrum with the MINI. The first car was a worthy successor of the original and the second edition they had to lower production costs, meet stringent emissions/safety laws and make the car more palatable to the masses (Refinement, softer suspension, more gadgets, more body styles).

I, too hope, that MINI dials back some of the traits lost in the current generation come v3.0 of the car.

Another huge problem I have with the new MINIs is how darn expensive they have become. $30K + for a new MINI is simply obscene. MINI has thrown out the window the "Value equation" that made the 1st gen cars so successful.