I bought my Mini Cooper in 2003. I ordered exactly how I wanted it. For eleven years it gave me great pleasure even on trips to the grocery store. Yes it was 150,800 miles of smiles. I’m missing the Mini already. Yea, I could have bought a newer one, but sadly, I feel Mini ruined the Mini a little each year. The Speedo in the middle of the dash was juiced up with steriods. The headlights grew in size and the tail lights look like they're off a Lincoln Navigator. Then this year, the whole car grew in size. I guess I was mistaking on the whole concept of the Mini. I thought it was supposed to be small.
So now my everyday driver will be an old man’s Cadillac. Yea, I have toys to drive in the garage, but for an everyday driver, the Mini was so much fun.

 

Same as you, I ordered mine from the factory to my specs. Sadly, as I contemplate it's replacement, it won't be a Mini, for the same reasons you stated. It isn't you that was mistaking the whole concept, it was BMW/MINI.....

 

+1

 

My Grandmother would have called that "cutting off your nose to spite your face". It reminds me of years ago when I was driving a 1947 Ford and I got upset with FoMoCo with the changes they made when the '49 came out. I'm also not crazy about what Mini has done but a while back I had a '14 as a loaner while my '13 was getting an oil change and it still gave me the same driving pleasure I had grown accustomed to with my '13 and as far as I'm concerned that's the most important thing.

 

The 2013 and the 2014 are worlds away from the first gen new Mini - the F56 is like 7 evolutionary steps away from an R53 that the OP is referencing. Put differently the R53 is like when man discovered fire vs. the F56 when skynet took over the world...

 

+1^ Kahn, I have the 3cyl Turbo non S in the garage for few days. It puts my R53 into the "Classic MINI" category in many respects. The NAV and iDrive is nicely done and super user friendly in the center speedo area. I hooked up my iPhone 4S with the MINI cord, and run the Waze program while listening to Pandora. The 3 cylinder is peppy as hell and gets over 40mpg, seats are more comfortable than my Recaro's, and only thing missing on this one IMO is the optional sport suspension. Love my R53, but really enjoying this affair with the F56 for the weekend.....I can see one of these in my stable near future.

 

Know what you are saying....
But driving a r53 itches a different spot than driving a gen3...
Very different car from a different era....amazing they have the same badge...
It is like it came from a different design team....oh yeah...it did...the r53 designer quit and said mini was miss guided on its direction.

 

No such thing as a "Big Mini". It is either one or the other. Maybe they should change the name to: "Mid-Size Mini". I saw the Range Rover Evoque the other day and could have sworn it was a "Mini" until I caught up to it.


I'll just keep my R50, thank you.

 

I think we will be replacing the R53within a year or so. Based on bad experience with a Countryman, meh styling on the 3rd gen, and pricing with desired options, it is unlikely that we will be handing a check over to MINI when the time comes.


We had first gen Miata before the MINI, and based on the pictures / info on the 2016 Miata it's a serious contender as a replacement: RWD, 2,500 pounds, love the styling, and if they build them like they used to it should be totally bullet proof. Can't wait til they hit the dealerships.

 

Correct, and probably why he ended up with Fiat designing the new 500.

 

The Miata ND is the next R53.
Shorter, wider, lower & lighter than the NC. Mazda has gone the exact opposite MINI has.....look at their current SkyActiv line of M3, M6 & CX5. Fun, great looking appliance cars!!!

 

Lol....
Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes!!

I agree the gen3 would make great commuter car....
But a visceral experience it is not....a r53 is just more of a rally style sporty car, and if modded to keep it comfortable is a fun commuter....
A gen3 just feels more pederistrian....more ordinary perhaps. Not sure....maybe I will fall in love with the 5 door's utility in a family role and love its mpg's....I hope. I see signs it might be a great car when compared to a Toyota Camry, which for some folks is all one needs....a bit more fun, more style than other toasters, but with slightly more utility than the HB.
One thing, I am not so sure I like the trajectory MINI is on....
My gut tells me MINI got hammered with excessive warrenty costs and bad reviews due to relilibility due to the average buyer....and they decided to change their target client a bit, and refocused the brand to a wider audience too sell more cars, grow the brand and cut costs......hense the redsgin to match what folks wanted in the all important JD Powers/consumer reports/etc surveys....
As a nitche car that advertised by mostly word of mouth, and had a strong vfollowing it was great....
But now MINI seeks out buyers....and the average buyer thinks of it as "a car", not as a passion or a lifestyle...just another ride.
Heck look at the posts per day here vs 2005!! Several times more cars sold now, but only a fraction of the interest beyond just driving one....

 

No worries, your MINI is probably giving someone like myself a million smiles right now!!! I just bought my '03 S with 185,000 miles on it, and couldn't be happier! What ever you're driving, enjoy the miles!!!

 

I have to disagree, the new r53 is the fiesta ST. The thing is tiny, FWD, boosted, super chuckable and makes you laugh when you drive it. If you haven't driven one yet go to a dealership and you will understand.

 

I have my r53 since 2009 and I'll keep it until it falls back to rust. I have zero interest in the models after the first gen, even if they are fun to drive, I can't stand the car getting bigger and uglier (in my opinion). The only car with a Mini badge I'd buy now would be a classic Mini.

If something was to happen to my Mini, I'd either buy another r53 or just go with a BMW.

 

ZigZag -

If you like it so much, why did you let it go?

 

Curious, does the 3-cyl engine have Direct Injection or Dual Injection (Direct and Port)? 40mpg is really good. Fuelly has low to mid 30s.

 

New Mini is really a Medi...

 

I feel the same, I have an 06 with over 150k. I'll hang on as long as possible. There are some low milage 06 GPs out there I will consider or perhaps a GP2's performance will help me overlook the changes. As it goes the only new MINI I'd consider is the Superleggera, but an electric car will cost too much.