I think if you look back you will see that the r53 had plenty of problems too. Remember that the ratio of people that post when then have issues vs. dont is different.

I have 23k hard driven miles on mine and never any problems.

 

Bilbo-Baggins - No my R56 does not have sport suspension. You think a lot of the things I dislike about my car could be resolved if I got one?

 

Ah! I am just teasing. I really like the turbo engine but I will hold on replacing my R53 for now...just like the R53, I jumped on it (by coincidence) in 2005 when most of the basic issues were addressed. I barely drive my car (18k) since I live in Manhattan, but still that post on MF made me a little bit scared into jumping to buy a JCW stage 1 R56 for now.
I have taken the time to look around for other cars and the only thing I would consider other than the mini is the new BMW135 or the 2008 A4 Avant (only because I have a feeling that by that point we might be lucky enough to have already a kid to join our team !!!)

 

Fullymooned,
As far as handling/steering feel are concerned, There certainly are improvements that can be done to the sock R56 to bring it closer to the 53. check out these couple of threads to get some more insight.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=123526
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=126812

If you find that you prefer the performance of the car with the sport button on, you can always mod it to come on automatically. I did.

But, perhaps you are just more of an r53 person, if so, then get one!

 

Mine are stock run flats, too, although they're getting a bit low on tread. (I got this mileage when they were brand new, too.) I usually run about 38 psi. You should be doing better with the higher psi.

You do have an R56, right? Not a convertible?

 

Yes, mine is an R56 too. I have about 4600 miles on it so far. I always use premium gas too.

 

Wonder what you would have gotten with an R53!

 

I am a little confused now. I dont think I will want to hold on to this car for long. And it doesnt seem to make sense to buy a 2006 model either. I think I will drive this for a year or two and move on to another car instead. Not a BMW but something else.

 

What made you change your mind?

 

drive it in a not so fun manner

don't be so sure about the GTI beating an r56 in a straight line. MS3 - yea.

This thread was going pretty good and friendly until this post. Instead of just watching the video try reading the article that goes along with it.

 

Your not alone... there have been many threads on this subject matter. There have also been a number of folks who went from an R53 to the R56... only to return to the R53.

The original series MINI was targeted at the driving enthusiast. The attachment to the road handling... wonderful Tritec engine, with it's wide powerband and supercharger, and smaller things, like functional hood scoop and overall aesthetics of the R53, made the driving experience quite unique.

Changes were made with the introduction of the R56... to target the automobile at a broader market segment. With these changes came a different driving experience. It appears you, like many others, prefer the R53 experience.

 

With two generations of MINIs now in existence, it is inevitable that folks have their preferences, and good reasons for these...it could hardly be any other way. That both gens have their enthusiasts is a good thing overall. I personally am very glad MINI decided to dial-in R56 to address customer input for the showroom car, while still deploying options/packages of interest to enthusiasts who want more....and this while not obsoleting the first gen car!! Nice trick, imo.

As it is, though....some say first gen car is classic, others may say dated. Some may say visceral, others may say jittery or ill-mannered....and the list goes on. Best thing is to learn all you can and enjoy your MINI of choice...there will be sacrifices and benefits to each, but it will be your choice so who cares.

 

Interesting reading and obviously this all comes down to a matter of personal preference, but this was my solution to my aging 02 R53 MCS:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=130387

 

Well said !! Hey it's a MINI !!

My thoughts as a new MINI owner - can you really go wrong ?? I love my R56, I have owned Civics in the past and this is such a fun car to drive. I just feel sorry for those driving a big lumbering SUV's. (Toyota Landcruser just looks awkward from behind, or was it a Highlander....)

 

Lucky SOB!!! I had no clue about that one. I think it's time to move to Canada and track one down Besides, we have have the worst hockey team in the whl league here

 

It's true...given all the cars out there in it's price range, MINIs still do what a Mini should do best....be a very good overall motor vehicle that is economical and practical, yet with well-developed driving dynamics that engages the driver in the task of motoring. This is a very Mini thing...no one else does it better as a whole package. It's surprising that a lot of folks still don't get this about MINIs.

 

Nicely put, gokart. I am glad to have the R56 for myself, but I am happier that there has been some sort of "truce" between the 2 legions. There is a place for each, just as the Civil War has long been resolved and there is now a more homogeneous country. There are distinct differences between the north and south parts of the U.S., but all are considered a part of that Union.

P.S. Don't be so sure that the R56 isn't aimed at the enthusiast, too. Put your foot in that wonderful turbo, and I think you'll agree, this ain't your father's Oldsmobile!

 

I agree ...but might have softened the blow a little bit.

I'm with you guys. With only 15,000 miles on my MINI it will hopefully be a long time before I have to think about a new car. But if the successors to the R56 are even further removed from the R53 I'll be looking at other makes. And that sucks.

Dean.

 

Pretty narrow view. Better for some enthusiasts, maybe. There's lots of different kinds of enthusiast drawn to MINIs. I myself come from the small British sports cars...the Sprites, Alpines and Spitfires. Coopers are the MINI that get me goin'....not even MCSs. A subset of enthusiast will like R53, but there's lots of us who feel otherwise.

In any case, I think MINI did right in creating R56...something a broader spectrum of enthusiasts could actually use every day, the same spectum that loved the classic and used it everyday. Keeps the marque on mark, if you will. As a two-time Cooper owner I do think that some in the R53 crowd tended to overestimate their importance all along anyway.

I'll also say that for someone who motors in a first gen car all the time (and especially a tuned R53) jumping in an R56 can be initially highly disorienting. I related-to/liked the R56 Cooper from the start....it even looked great to me compared to an R50. Still...the ride diffence between the two cars was noticable. Took me several weeks to "get it." Now...nine months later, I've had plenty of time behind the wheel to really respect all that R56 offers, in the handling department, yes, but overall, too. And this was coming from a sympathetic perspective! I get in my early '03 Cooper and....nice, but no thanks.

I say this because many seemed amply prepared to blow chunks when they first encountered R56.....the headlights are too this, the boot is too that, the speedo is too.....well, large. Some still hold that view. Folks are entitled to their personal opinions, sure, but a chronically narrow construct for the MINI, and what that means, is ill-advised. Why? Because even if there are distinctly Mini benefits to present or upcoming gens of the car, those with a narrow construct will likely miss it and miss out, similar to those classic enthusiasts who may still insist the New MINI is entirely unworthy of the name. Even most of them have...over time...had to budge.

 

Okay, I'll play devil's advocate

What is the benefit of "distinctly Mini benefits" if you feel that the main things that were outstanding about it, that set it apart and made it appealing to you, like steering feel/size/looks have been compromised? If someone finds that any iteration of the car doesn't measure up in any area and/or there are better alternatives what is the point beyond simple brand adoration (I'll call it Brandwashing TM :D).

This is not just Mini related, sometimes I think people are governed a lot by brand affiliation and lose their ability to be objective or just 'hate on' other options because of an enduring group affiliation mentality. This happens on the brand level or, even on new model level as you can see - people tend to fall into an us vs them mind set. However, it doesn't mean there are always no reasons for it as I stated - if someone really does feel that any version of a car has lost/eroded the things about it that made the car appealing to them then I don't see what they are missing out on by not getting it unless brand affiliation is more important then anything to them.

 

Simply I am 300% in agreement with your comment Lauren06. I give emphasis to the bloated aesthetics in MCS07, bad, bad. I had a 2004 MCS. I had to trade it, but in less than a year (2007) I though to buy a MCS07, but I couldn't. I preferred to look for a MCS06 instead. Love the looks and power, handling etc. Again, I'm a proud owner of a MCS06 Dark Silver.

 

The R53 is an awesome machine. I also plan to keep mine for as long as I possibly can. Hope to put 100K-150K on it (Currently at 38K miles). Last night I took delivery of my new Clubman. The car is really sweet. However, the radio and the electronic blinkers are very annoying and take time to get used to. The car is much smoother and handles sharply but it doesn't have the visceral feel of my '05 R53. For a fun, fast, solid family truckster, the Clubman can't be beat. I still need much seat time in the new car to form a better/fair opinion about it. "Loving it" better describes my current level of enthusiasm for it. But the 1st gen Frank Stephenson MINI is on a class by itself. I am glad to have the opportunity to own the best of both worlds. A full review and photos will be available in the coming days. Look for it in the Clubman forum. I am not a big fan of the R56. But I find the Clubman to be a much more palatable interpretation of the 2nd gen MINI. The R55 is a very neat package. I notice the response towards the R55 has been more favorable. Time and sales will tell the tale.

 

Can we please not let this thread turn into a recycle of the other 2 threads that have gotten locked?

How many times do we have to beat this dead horse?

 

No matter how repetitive, boring or frustrating some topics are to some people many are just subjects that will come back no matter what. Happens on all forums in their own context, best you can do to save yourself is not click on them if the subject is not your thing. People are going to discuss/debate some subjects forever, whether its this, SUVs, leather vs 'ette, transmissions, color choices, tires, DSC... you get the picture Wouldn't be much of a 'forum' to mod it/lock it all away in my humble .02, I just opt to skip, skim or jump in as I feel like it on the same repetitive stuff I've seen over the years and over the forums (its actually pretty funny to see the same ol subjects come on new forums, human nature seems pretty consistant ).

 

The threads get locked when personal attacks begin to fly in every direction. I think the subject merits a discussion thread as long as all participants respect each other and know when to agree to disagree.