Hi everyone,

I'm new here from the BMW forums. I've had three older BMWs over the past three, and am looking to switch up to something a bit more fun. All the BMWs I've had have been great cars (very solid, stoic cars) but I am now looking for a car to bring to and from college with me. Initially, I was looking at N54-powered BMWs (particularly the E60 535i), but R53 MCS seem to be easier to find for the right price. I'll mostly be using the car for driving to-and-from college (6hr drive), but have recently started doing some autocross in my E39, and I know an R53 would be great for that. I'm also interested in the C32 AMG Mercedes. So, I have two questions:

1) Is there any reason why an R53 would not be great for the 6hr drive from Maine to CT for college, with occasional performance driving thrown in?
2) Personal opinion: do you think it is okay to ask sellers to look at a car if I am not 100% sure that I would even buy that sort of car (ie. ask an R53 owner to test drive their car (for sale) on the premise that I might buy it if I like the car, but don't haven enough experience with R53 MCS to know if I really want one)?

I drove an R55 for a week and while it was fun, it wasn't something I would see myself buying. However, it was an automatic, and I think a manual would make the car much more fun. If anybody has owned both an E60 BMW and an R53 (or the AMG), I would really like to hear your opinion. I've still got an E39 530i5 at home, so two five-series seems a bit unnecessary.

Thanks in advance!

(I hope this is the right place for this thread!)

 

What are you looking for in a highway car? The Mini is sort of the antithesis of a highway cruiser. Its fine on the highway for driving enthusiasts, but it doesn't have a lot of sound deadening or suspension travel so its noisy and the ride is quite harsh. If you will be driving on good smooth roads then its fine of course. I would think you've want to drive your 5er on the highway and use the Mini for the city and AutoX because there is where the Mini kickass- Blasting through tiny gaps in traffic and maneuvering tight corners.

Either way, as a car enthusiast determining which car to buy is hardly a rational decision. I think most of us know the two most important things are: 1. It needs to but a smile on your face behind the wheel. 2. It needs to be the kind of car you look back at every time you walk away from it because it just looks so damn good. From there its basically just a matter of taste, budget and tools.

Try to find the best condition R53 you can. An old rich person's summer car would be the perfect find, and sure, it might cost a few thousand more, but you'll probably actually save money in the long run because you won't have to fix as many things (it's a BMW after all). I bought a high mileage R53 to save a few bucks and I've easily spent that savings back on parts alone and if I were to add the extra time spent it wouldn't add up even worse.

 

I wouldn't get a Mini for a college highway cruiser. I'd get a more modern Lexus and set it up as a semi-VIP car. That'll be a much more enjoyable experience in my opinion.

 

Thanks! Yes, it is true--I really do like the looks of an R53 more than the E60 5-series (and most cars on my list), but am concerned about the large amount of highway usage. I've calculated that I will do ~3,000 miles per year on the highway, and probably another 1,000 in the country/city. I am going to try to find an R53 to drive and maybe test on the highway to see how well-mannered it is there. Thanks for the input!

I never would have thought I'd cross-shop an R53 with a Lexus! But, I've currently got an older 7-series that I am selling because, even though it is a really nice car, it isn't very engaging, and I think a Lexus would be even less so (although more reliable, likely). I am going to college in a city, but still most of my driving would be highway.

 

I've driven my R53 on a few road trips over 300 miles, excessive insane speeds were fun and exhilarating especially around the bendies. Would I want to do that on a regular basis, no. Jags, and 5 series Bimmers are made for that. They are also fun at excessive speeds

 

Part of me thinks I should just go for an R53 and see how it is... I won't be making the trip more than once every 6 weeks or so, so maybe it would be manageable. And I really do appreciate good handling--my particular E34 525i was doggish and I couldn't wait to get rid of it. And yes, I've also discovered that 5 series are fun at excessive speeds! Maybe too much so!

 

The 06 R53 is the best factory gen 1 Mini.
They are total fun to drive and the 6sp manual is the one to get.
I would not be afraid to drive mine 6 hours anywhere. I drive mine daily and it has proved to be very dependable. When I bought it, it needed work, but it has been a labor of love, as it hadles like a go-kart and has been dependable. It now has over 160K miles on it and I would not hesitate to drive it across the country. Maintenance is very important and as a BMW owner, you know what I am talking about!
They look great, they drive great and I am averaging 30.5 mpg, but I live in the country, with almost no stop and go traffic, which kills mileage!
Here is a pic of my daily driver:

chrono dash

So small and extreme fun to drive in the twisties. Did I say fun! 06 MCS JCW

Factory 06 JCW

I have owned many R53's. I can not find another car, that is more fun to drive! Definition: Street legal go-kart!

 

1 - My wife and I took the 2005 S for a 2 week drive through the desert south west putting around 3000 miles in. Some of the drives were around 6 hours at a time with the back filled to shoulder line with camping gear. No worries at all.

2 - I would never buy a car, new or used, without driving one first. I had to borrow a coworkers Justa before I bought my Justa. And I had no problems letting someone drive my Justa when I sold it. I went with them but they were driving. You MUST drive a car before you buy it.

Wayne is correct, get an 2006 for a the Gen1's, if you cannot find an 2006, 2005 is the next best choice. Unless the seller has all service documents from new, 2002 - 2004 are okay. They do rattle more and aren't as well put together as the 2005 and 2006 R50/52/53's. My 2005 S has been absolutely perfect since we got it 2007.

 

To expand on what I said earlier: There really isn't anything wrong with the Mini on the highway. It is actually really quite roomy and lets you move around a bit in the cabin. Certainly it is much more spacious than other small sporting cars like a Miata or S2000. I'm planning a 2500km trip to see family later this month and I have no comfort worries about doing it in the Mini. The car is stable at speed on the highway and the supercharger lets you make passing moves really easily. The previous owner of my car made the same 2500km loop once a year and remarked that he thought the car performed great on the highway and through the mountains.

05 and 06 are the best, but a super low mileage 02-04 would be a good choice IMO.

 

I actually come from S2000's, and honestly, anything is better than that car on a long trip, but i used to do 450 mile trips monthly to see a GF, so any car is doable if you're willing (and young enough). The R53 is actually pretty quiet if you keep the exhaust relatively stock, and keep the back seats up (blocking the trunk). I find that my GP is considerably louder than my '03 due to the exhaust and road noise coming in from the trunk area. I have a couple squeaks on my '03, but the GP doesn't feel that much more screwed together. Just get a good alignment (tracks straight) and refresh your shocks ( Koni FSDs really improved the drive of my '03). Funny enough though, with the larger front sway bar on the '03, i actually think my GP drives a little smoother compared to my '03, even with the bigger 18's!

 

Please don't buy a Lexus.

I agree with the first post by WheelNut for most points. A MINI is out of its natural habitat on the highway. It can do it, but it will get old for someone who is not in love with driving a go-cart.

I have a R52 for fun driving and a Mazda3 for the daily commute. I think it is the best combination for someone who enjoys driving but has a highway commute. The Mazda is more fun to drive than most other affordable vehicles out there and is extremely cheep to operate and reliable.

I think the recommendation to buy the best maintained, lowest mileage, latest year of the generation that you can afford is more relevant for MINIs than any other brand. My MINI had one prior owner, an attorney, who only drove it 13,000 miles. It now has 21,000 miles. It has needed extremely few repairs after the first service.

If I were in your shoes, I would want the car I take to college to be the most reliable vehicle possible. If you can afford a second vehicle, I would make it the most fun to drive car possible (as you define fun). I would not want to have to find a mechanic in the college town or have to deal with a car that won't start after sitting for a few weeks destroying the weekend you thought was free.

As for the test drive question: Don't feel guilty. You are considering purchasing a vehicle. They should have no objection to you driving it and giving you the opportunity to consider it. It is not like you are test driving a 911 when your budget would only support a MINI but you want to see how fast you can drive in a 911 - in the snow. (Go to a dealership for that and do it in a new 911.)


Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

You may have just sold me! That's a great looking JCW--unfortunately I probably won't be able to find one of those. But, if I do, I'll be thrilled!

I'll look specifically at 2006 and 2005. Thanks for the info! I knew about the slightly different ECU tuning (?) and the teflon-coated superchargers for the 2005+ models, but didn't realize there are slight differences in quality--very good to know. I'll look around for one to try out.

Good to hear that they are well-behaved on the highway. That was always my biggest concern. Well, and switching from RWD to FWD, but I think I'd get used to that. Plus, I'll still have the E39. One thing I've noticed is that many of the cars I've looked at online have had recent clutch replacements--do clutches wear out very quickly on these cars? I guess an R53 is more likely to be driven harder than a 5-series, for example.

Unfortunately I've been spoiled by the 5-series. But, I think the tradeoff of comfort for entertainment would be well worth it. I wish I could find a GP--that would be incredible. But, being from Maine, I would feel bad subjecting a rare car like that to winter duty in New England. Thanks for the info!

 

Thanks for the info! I'll try stopping by the Porsche dealer next time the snow flies--sounds like great fun! Jokes aside, reliability is definitely a concern of mine. My BMWs have all been very reliable, and nothing ever broke on me--everything gave plenty of notice that allowed me to replace it preventatively. I've only had no-start conditions as a result of an old battery--with a MINI, is that more likely to happen? Luckily I am in a city, so finding a mechanic nearby probably wouldn't be too difficult. But, I prefer to do all the work myself on my cars, which I definitely will not have time for (except for during breaks).

 

I recently made the jump from an E46 coupe that I had for a few years (had around 250k miles on it when I sold it) to a 2005 R53. I am also currently in college and drive about 2 hours each week (~40 mile) highway legs to and from campus. I did the same runs in the E46 last year, and just started doing them in the Mini. Honestly I don't see much of a difference in ride comfort between the two, I actually think the Mini is slightly more comfy. My E46 had the sport seats which gave a sort of lower back pain after 45 minutes of sitting, but the Mini doesn't really give me that same pain after about an hour of driving.

It could have been the suspension, but my Mini is setup more aggressively than my E46 was. But I would honestly have no problem jumping in my R53 and making a 6-7 hour highway drive. I would definitely recommend getting leather seats for the added comfort.

As far as maintenance goes, I got my R53 about 3500 miles ago in some disrepair. The car ran well, but had a few vacuum leaks and needed general maintenance and a few of the common R53 issues. None of these were issues that would have stranded the car (maybe the timing chain tensioner if I had let it go longer). I got the major stuff out of the way over the Summer break and am now doing the smaller things over the weekends or whenever I have breaks. If you plan all your maintenance out well in advance and order the parts ahead of time you should have a reliable car.

And like others have said, I would definitely recommend a 2005 or 2006 car to get the most for your money. I actually test drove three different R53s (2 of them last year and then mine this year) before I bought one. I wanted to get a good feeling for how these cars were supposed to feel, and I patiently waited for my "dream spec" car to show up. I wanted a 2005/2006 with blue exterior, leather interior, chrono pack, and S-lites. These cars are a great value for money now since they have basically hit the bottom of their price point. Find a nice clean example, do the maintenance, and enjoy the car for years to come!

 

I have an '06 R50 that I use as my daily driver to commute 57 miles one way to work, every day and have done for the last 6 1/2 years. Currently sits at 212000 miles, with the original clutch and battery. Keep up with the regular maintenance schedule, i.e. regular oil changes using oem filters and good quality oil, and MINI's can be a reliable car. They have their own little quirks and problems, but if you keep up on the maintenance, you should be okay.

I have a spare set of rims mounted with Bridgestone Blizzaks for winter driving, and the NW Ohio snow has never stopped me from getting anywhere that I wanted to go.

 

Are you anywhere near a Carmax? It’s a good place to test drive multiple makes and models back to back. The sale men don’t work on commission, so they’re lower pressure than most. I’ve done three in a row and explicitly said I’m not looking to buy today, and the salesman said, “no problem I get paid the same either way, and I’d rather be staring at the windshield than my desk.”

 

Great to hear! I think I am going to take a similar approach and wait until the perfect car comes along. I am not in a huge rush, so I have some time. My plan is also to do as much preventative work as I can during breaks/summer as well.

Wow... I'm surprised your battery has lasted this long! And in a cold climate too. I'm on the fence about whether or not I'd get snow tires. I have snows for my E39 and they're great, but I also drove my E34 through an entire winter with all seasons (I know, I know), but it was only a problem when the roads were really bad or I was driving in 5" plus of snow.

I have to say, I posted a similar thread in the BMW forums, and while there are a bunch of great people on those boards, I've received way more responses over here! Makes me want to join this community even more. Thanks guys for all the great info!

 

I just checked and while there is a CarMax nearby, they don't have anything older than 2007 which means no R53s... or most of anything else I'm considering. But, I'll keep that option in mind for the future for test-driving!

 

When I said Lexus, this is what I meant: (on air-ride of course, because comfort)

The factory seats in the the R53s were always pretty terrible, so for standard use I'll probably go with a Recaro Sportster CS. Little spendy, but they'll be good seats for long-distance driving.

Definitely not saying that a Mini can't be a highway car, but it doesn't have the legroom under the wheel area to get cozy. Performance driving it's tip-top for a FWD, however.

Edit: Oh, and how could I forget - it's a RWD, so you know how to make these engaging. Basic angle kit and some power.

 

Sorry for the Lexus comment. It was a gut response. My son has told me for years that I can’t buy a Lexus that I am not old enough for a Lexus. I like the RC in concept but every time I considered going for a test drive I heard his voice inside my head. “Please don’t buy a Lexus.”

 

Oh no problem! I certainly took no offense, just thought there might be a disconnect between what I mean when I say Lexus and the expectation. 2JZ with a nice turbo in a bagged semi-VIP car would be a badass highway cruiser with a competent stereo on-board.

Or I might consider something CUV-class and put it on quality coilovers. Can get them looking pretty dumped whilst still maintaining adequate winter ground clearance.

If an R53 MUST do the trick for highway and winter use, it certainly can, just as most any car can sorta do the role of a more appropriate one.

 

Can't help you with the comparison to BMW. No experience there.

I've only owned my 06 R53 since January and I'm old enough to be your father, assuming you are not in grad school after a military career.

As far as whether or not an R53 would be good for 6-7 hours on a highway? Heck yes!!! I just took the day off last Wednesday for a 450 mile road trip--and drove in a big circle. That's therapy to me. Does it ride like my couch? No-buy a Crown Vic.

Here's what I would recommend, assuming you are more interested in the joys of driving than you are not aggregating your lumbago:

Take your time, and find a solid car, then budget for some needed maintenance to make it trustworthy. My car had ~80k on it. Clutch was weak, control arm rea9bushings were bad, shocks needed replacement.... I spent about $2k (farmed out the clutch, supercharger service, bunch of "while you're at it's", put in new shocks/struts, camber plate, other minor things to make it reliable.

Do your maintenance. Stay in front of problems, rather than deferring until the problem gets to decide when you fix it.

Given you're doing weekend roadtrip ins snow country, I'd suggest winter tires, just because you don't want to get on a situation where you really need to be back at school and the snow is still falling. With decent snow tires, these things will go as long as the snow is not so deep that you're plowing (I lived 8n Alaska for 13 years, on of my daughters friends drove an R50 year round).

If the R53 isn't a good highway car, try a Mercuury Marauder.

 

Hah! I suppose a Lexus could be very engaging... but, an angle kit might take away from the highway comfort.

I just don't think a Lexus would do it for me. I'm sure it would be a lower-stress car for the job, but I'd rather have a manual if possible and the IS300 with manuals are very hard to find (I'd be thrilled to find one of those). But, maybe if I found the right LS at the right time...

Ground clearance isn't a huge concern for me given that most of the driving (that I won't have a choice about doing) will be on the highway. Around town I'll be able to decide which days to go out or not. I'd much rather get stuck in my driveway with too much snow than end up on the streets with people who can't stop!

Nope--just starting as an undergrad. Certainly not looking for a couch. The particular R55 I drove had a lot of vibrations, but I partly attribute that to the super-rough Hawaii pavement (or possible that particular car too).

Luckily I won't be making the trip between CT and ME except for every six weeks or so, and probably would avoid snowy weather as much as possible regardless of the car.

Will it be obvious if the clutch is nearing the end of its life? In my E39, the clutches are self-adjusting and therefore it is impossible to tell when they are wearing out until they stop working completely.

I would definitely do as much preventative maintenance as possible because I'd much rather do the work myself than pay somebody down here in CT to do it. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Mine was chattering a little. Nothing major, and could have probably wrung another year out of it, but it's one of the common points of failure, from my research. I budgeted for it when I bought the car, and went ahead and addressed all of the known problems, and the likely ones, in the first two weeks. Again, that was all part of my buying plan, but I wound up with a car that was pretty well set to run another 50-70k without major mechanical issues. Plus, I like the feel of the lightweight clutch better than the stock dual mass (but that's just preference).

FWIW, I test drove 6 different MINIS before I bought mine. 2 first Gen, and 4 second Gen. The first R56 seemed like it was about to rattle and shake apart. Most of the other second Gen cars rode... nice. But I wasn't looking for nice. R53s seem more raw. They can still be loose and squirrelly, if the PO hasn't taken care of the maintenance.

Disclaimer: my idea of a good ride is formed from the fact that my last two DDs were a Super Duty and a GT500 with a lot of suspension work, that could corner like a MINI. So my perspective may be a little distorted. 😁

 

Well I’ll be honest then...

It sounds like youre you’re young and interested enough to daily a Miata as well. The only reason I chose a Mini over a Miata for my toy car was that My pup can’t fit in a Miata w/ a cute chick in the passenger seat. Otherwise I’d have gotten another MSM - had one in SoCal and it was great.