Hey y'all,

Any thoughts on which would be more wise to purchase, a lower mileage 2004 or a 2006? It would be manual of course!! I am looking to downsize from my GP2 :( and want to get the most for my money! Also, I have asked before on here, has to have the pop and gurgle exhaust!!!

Thanks!

 

The general consensus is that the 05 or 06 is the sweet spot for the R53s, so if you have a choice and it's a level playing field (similar mileage, price, options you like), I'd opt for the 06. You'll get burble & pop galore

 

Great!! Thank you!!!

 

One suggestion...
Buy THE BEST r53 you can find...no such thing as "cheap" mini...
All things equal, the 2006, but if you found a nice 2004, I would not rule it out if it has a good history...
As these cars age, the way they have been treated, both in driving and matained has become far more important than the year...by most accounts, mini was assembling pretty good cars by 2004+.....
Good luck with your search!! And remember, there will be many more too look at if you find one that makes you nervous for some reason!!
And if you want the pop and gurgle "poot", then you want a 2005+....the older ones kinda did it..but it became a " feature" on the refresh cars....

 

2006 best bet for R53

 

I have an 2006. I wouldn't think there are any downsides to any year R53, but the '06 has a slightly different trim design. This, in my opinion, sets that year apart from the rest. They're just a little more rare, since that trim was only used for one year. That being said, I do like Zippy's comment…"no such thing as a cheap MINI." Of course, if you had a GP2, you already know that.

I, personally, would avoid R53s with lots of mods. There may be some that disagree, but there is a lot that can go wrong with aftermarket stuff. Especially if the car has been driven hard on a track (or on the street in some cases). I will say this though, lots of aftermarket mods may be an indication that the owner loved the car and maintained it. It's a tossup I suppose, but like I said, I would personally avoid those kinds of cars. If you could find one that has 30,000 miles on it, because an old person drove it to church 8 months out of the year, that would be the dream.

 

Hi there!!

What is the difference in trim design?

I actually pulled the trigger today on an '06 Pepper White with Cordoba interior-Limited Slip, cold weather pck, sport pck, premium pck, 6sp. Has 34k miles. Paid 12k and I think it is a pretty good deal considering I love the color combo! The dealership had all of the wheels re-done as they had scratches. Now look brand spankin' new!! Picking it up tomorrow. I will certainly miss my GP, but not what I would end up paying for it after everything was said and done. Haha

-Bean

 

2005 was the year they updated thr R50/R53. There is no difference between the two years. The "facelifted" models have different front and rear bumpers and the grille is smooth instead of ribbed. The Xenon headlights are the newer projector lights. Taillights have backup lights built into them. Inside, the steering wheel is 3 spoke and the dash is 3 piece instead of 5. In 2005-06, a "Cockpit Chrono Pack" was available (optional) that moved the speedo to to the steering column, next to the tach. In its place were fuel, temp, oil temp, and oil pressure gauges. The 6 speed manual was switched to a Getrag unit.

 

This only applies to the (5-speed) R50 . The R53 always had a Getrag unit, although the gear ratios were changed (resulting in slightly better acceleration) effective with July 2004 builds.

 

And to add so many "special" packages were on cars, and so many cars were custom ordered, it is unlikely you will find 2 cars that are alike (unless it was a dealer ordered prespec car, rare even in 2005 when wait times were still 6+ months) or it was a limited edition car like the mc40, or gp...
Nearly any item could be added or subtracted, with millions of possible combinations when doing online ordering.....

 

My bad…I didn't realize the trim actually changed in '05.

Congrats on the '06 MCS! That sounds like an amazing find!

 

Thank you! The find got even better...went to pick it up this weekend and when I started it, my husband knew right away the throwout bearing was toast. The dealership (Executive Auto Carz in Grayslake, Illinois-best dealership ever) is covering the cost of a new clutch!!