R50/53 Regretting my MINI purchase?
#51
02-15-2009, 06:56 PM
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#52
02-15-2009, 07:26 PM
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Nice summary 
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.
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.
#53
02-15-2009, 07:55 PM
I did the same. I chose to order an 06 R53 instead of waiting for the R56. The R56 grew on me some, but I love my R53. Cars will always change. If us 1st gen people had waited on a 2nd gen car, eventually a 3rd get would come out...and everyone would ewww and awww about that...until the 4th gen came out. As me for me...I'll keep my 1st gen. As MINIs become more common...ours will always be the least common. I think there's some charm in that. 
#55
02-16-2009, 06:20 AM
Christina,
Let me first say that you have a very unique and great looking R53. The fact that it is an '06 means you have the best of the breed. You also have a sizable investment in this car already and I would guess that you are probably at least halfway into owning it outright. If you can live with the R56's known issues (plastic interior, SUV ride height, boxier appearance, and, worst of all, the unacknowledged, at least by BMW, cold start clatter), then maybe you should look into refinancing into a newer MINI. However, you also might look into a refinance of Stella. I don't know your financial situation, but you may be able to open a line of credit with your bank or credit union, pay off the first loan, and get a much better rate on the balance. You could then probably afford to do some performance mods on Stella that would give her a real kick in the pants (pulley reduction, CAI and exhaust) that would give her another 20-25 hp and put a smile on your face again. Of course, I wouldn't do these mods until after MINI Canada addresses your gearbox/clutch issue under warranty.
I think the R53 will go down as BMW's best version of the "Mini" and truly captures the spirit of the original better than the R56. Well-kept R53's will hold their value for years to come and I personally plan on driving mine until it is no longer drivable.
Let me first say that you have a very unique and great looking R53. The fact that it is an '06 means you have the best of the breed. You also have a sizable investment in this car already and I would guess that you are probably at least halfway into owning it outright. If you can live with the R56's known issues (plastic interior, SUV ride height, boxier appearance, and, worst of all, the unacknowledged, at least by BMW, cold start clatter), then maybe you should look into refinancing into a newer MINI. However, you also might look into a refinance of Stella. I don't know your financial situation, but you may be able to open a line of credit with your bank or credit union, pay off the first loan, and get a much better rate on the balance. You could then probably afford to do some performance mods on Stella that would give her a real kick in the pants (pulley reduction, CAI and exhaust) that would give her another 20-25 hp and put a smile on your face again. Of course, I wouldn't do these mods until after MINI Canada addresses your gearbox/clutch issue under warranty.
I think the R53 will go down as BMW's best version of the "Mini" and truly captures the spirit of the original better than the R56. Well-kept R53's will hold their value for years to come and I personally plan on driving mine until it is no longer drivable.
#56
02-16-2009, 08:11 AM
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#57
02-16-2009, 12:23 PM
No, it doesn't... My 911 was one the most solid/reliable cars I have ever owned... trouble free for 30,000 miles...
My 356 is too.
granted, the repairs are expensive but MINI dealers are crazy with their service prices almost in line with the Porsche... Trust me on that....
My 356 is too.
granted, the repairs are expensive but MINI dealers are crazy with their service prices almost in line with the Porsche... Trust me on that....
#58
02-16-2009, 02:39 PM
After Bentley gets out a new manual with the JCW, I'll buy one and start seeing how she's put together. I won't do anything major until the warranty expires, but working on cars is not as big a mystery as some would want us to think. If you want to keep your MINI cost reasonable, learn to work on it is the best advice. It's not the parts, but the labor that makes the cost high.
#59
02-16-2009, 03:58 PM
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get what you like. For me, it will always be a 04-06 S.
i love the supercharger whine, love the dash, and center stack, love the lines of the car, the headlights being part of the bonnet.
I have driven the 07 and up, I do not like the interior at all! it got very cheap looking. They moved away from the racy styling.
Since you work at the dealership why not see if thell let you take one home for the weekend and put say 2 or 3 hundred miles on it?
i love the supercharger whine, love the dash, and center stack, love the lines of the car, the headlights being part of the bonnet.
I have driven the 07 and up, I do not like the interior at all! it got very cheap looking. They moved away from the racy styling.
Since you work at the dealership why not see if thell let you take one home for the weekend and put say 2 or 3 hundred miles on it?
#60
02-16-2009, 04:23 PM
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!
#61
02-16-2009, 05:05 PM
#62
02-16-2009, 05:26 PM
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My Two Cents
I just recently bought a 2006 MC in pepper white. It only has 38,000 miles and the two weeks I've had it have been nothing short of amazing. I really love this car. I wanted a MCS model, however I got a good deal on the MC so I went for it. I don't race it so I didn't think that I needed or wanted the extra power.
Well, my Bergland (or maybe Burgland, I'm not sure how I want to spell it yet) is at the Mini dealer getting the engine control unit replaced. Yeah, I'm thankful that I'm still covered under warranty as well. Anyway, the car the dealer gave mo to drive is a 2007 MCS and I can say that I love it. The power and gearbox are amazing!
I have had this dealer MCS for 5 days now and I can tell you that if there was a way to trade in my '06 MC for a '07 or '08 MCS I would do it in a heart beat. Yeah, I like the interior better on the first gen cars however the power and smoothness of the second gen MCS makes up for it.
I guess I'm saying go for it. I would if I was in your shoes, I mean cheaper payments and a kick *** car! How could you go wrong?!?
Well, my Bergland (or maybe Burgland, I'm not sure how I want to spell it yet) is at the Mini dealer getting the engine control unit replaced. Yeah, I'm thankful that I'm still covered under warranty as well. Anyway, the car the dealer gave mo to drive is a 2007 MCS and I can say that I love it. The power and gearbox are amazing!
I have had this dealer MCS for 5 days now and I can tell you that if there was a way to trade in my '06 MC for a '07 or '08 MCS I would do it in a heart beat. Yeah, I like the interior better on the first gen cars however the power and smoothness of the second gen MCS makes up for it.
I guess I'm saying go for it. I would if I was in your shoes, I mean cheaper payments and a kick *** car! How could you go wrong?!?
#63
02-17-2009, 12:11 AM
#64
02-17-2009, 07:14 AM
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Just poking the bees nest I can see she's a diehard !I just recently bought a 2006 MC in pepper white. It only has 38,000 miles and the two weeks I've had it have been nothing short of amazing. I really love this car. I wanted a MCS model, however I got a good deal on the MC so I went for it. I don't race it so I didn't think that I needed or wanted the extra power.
Well, my Bergland (or maybe Burgland, I'm not sure how I want to spell it yet) is at the Mini dealer getting the engine control unit replaced. Yeah, I'm thankful that I'm still covered under warranty as well. Anyway, the car the dealer gave mo to drive is a 2007 MCS and I can say that I love it. The power and gearbox are amazing!
I have had this dealer MCS for 5 days now and I can tell you that if there was a way to trade in my '06 MC for a '07 or '08 MCS I would do it in a heart beat. Yeah, I like the interior better on the first gen cars however the power and smoothness of the second gen MCS makes up for it.
I guess I'm saying go for it. I would if I was in your shoes, I mean cheaper payments and a kick *** car! How could you go wrong?!?
Well, my Bergland (or maybe Burgland, I'm not sure how I want to spell it yet) is at the Mini dealer getting the engine control unit replaced. Yeah, I'm thankful that I'm still covered under warranty as well. Anyway, the car the dealer gave mo to drive is a 2007 MCS and I can say that I love it. The power and gearbox are amazing!
I have had this dealer MCS for 5 days now and I can tell you that if there was a way to trade in my '06 MC for a '07 or '08 MCS I would do it in a heart beat. Yeah, I like the interior better on the first gen cars however the power and smoothness of the second gen MCS makes up for it.
I guess I'm saying go for it. I would if I was in your shoes, I mean cheaper payments and a kick *** car! How could you go wrong?!?
Oh I don't know Gromit.....its like no cheese I've had before.......
An R50 MC compared to an R56 MCS isn't fair, that's some serious apples to oranges. You need to spend a day in an R53 MCS then drive the R56 MCS. I think the picture would be quite different - but I'm biased
Our opinions are just that though, just opinions, its hard to find an R56 owner not loyal to his/her R56 and vice-versa for the R53. I think most convincing are the owners who have had both but then, it is still their opinion
Did you guys see the MINI lay-offs in the UK ? Terrible, the video footage shows some very upset workers, what a shame. Hope that doesn't effect the cars quality though I'm sure there will be some problems
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