My 06MCS came from the dealer with the nicest OEM Rubber Floor Mats I'd ever seen/used. They were thick, heavy, and stayed in place without addition constraint (velcro, floor mounted hooks, ,etc.)

4.5 years later, my heel had began to wear quite a dent in the drivers side and I was happy to pay the ~$70 for OEM front replacement mats too keep my interior looking new.

I was appalled when they arrived in the mail. The tops look identical, but the bottom side had been hollowed out (with ribs running front to back) to reduce weight/material/cost. The new OEM mats weigh less than 1/3 of the original ones that I have which are solid rubber. They fit the same, but do not lay flat around the gas pedal and move around on the floor. I have to reach down and pull the mat back every couple of days or else the clutch pedal gets stuck on the back face of the mat.

I can also feel the new mat "squish" under foot as there is no solid rubber area under where my heel rests.

At first, I thought I'd been swindled by the seller and received a knock-off product, but a trip to the dealer confirmed that this is the new standard.

The same company makes the new mats. The original ones I have say the were made in Germany or England (can't remember...) The new version says it's made in the US.

If anyone has a source for the original, heavy mats - please let me know.

If this thread generates any discussion, I can post pics showing the difference.

 

I would suggest you try Weather Tech, they seem to have a good reputation

 

When i bought my car I bought these cocomats as an alternative. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...//ppuser/56861

They are top quality but more expensive than the OEM mats.

You can order them in various color combinations. I got the black and gray to match my interior.

They were a vendor at MOTD - really nice people.

Check out their web site - http://www.cocomats.com/

My mats are 2.5 years old and show no signs of wear.

 

Thanks for the suggestions, but I really liked the original OEM mats and would ultimately like to find a source for those. If that proves to be impossible, I may consider alternatives.

 

The R53 ended production 5 years ago. MINIUSA probably sold out of the original version and went cheap on the replacement. Some vendors might still have some in stock. Check with outmotoring.com and minicarparts.net

You could also look for the European/Canadian style "large circles" pattern rubber floor mats that were sold everywhere but the US (the dot pattern mats were exclusive to MINIUSA). You'd have to get them through a European or Canadian vendor. From Michigan, you might have a chance visit a MINI dealer in Canada. It looks like this (from mini.ca website).

 

I ordered my OEM mats through amazon and they don't slide around. They seem pretty good quality too. They came with little plastic screws to hold down the mat, but I didn't bother with them since they looked out of place and rather cheap.

 

I love WeatherTech's and I think they make a great product. HOWEVER:

I put WeatherTech's in my 2002 R53 and the passenger side does not fit well. They just don't have it dialed in. The driver's side is a perfect fit.

We've ordered a pair for my wife's 2011 R56, so we'll see how well those fit. I'm confident that they will. But I'll update this thread after I know for sure...

 

Ooops. I forgot about updating this thread on how well the WeatherTech's worked out for my wife's R56.
These fit the R56 perfectly. And WeatherTech's customer service is second-to-none.
I highly recommend the mats...

 

I have those! They rock. I started reading this thread, thinking, "I think they're pretty good..." Obviously 'murca got different mats. But, yeah: the large-circle ones are great.

 

Just as a note, the WeatherTech 'all weather' mats (not the floor liners) don't fit well in an R53, at least on the driver's side. When I called them about it, they said that they're designed for later models, and aren't a perfect fit, but that their 'floor liner' ones are indeed supposed to fit perfectly.

Me, I just trimmed them with a knife. I'm going to beat the crap out of them anyway, who cares.