post deleted!!!

 

Just what NAM needs another thread started so everyone can argue & bash & rehash the R53 is better vs the R56 is better <sigh>

 

Get ready for a whole lot more personal reviews when people get to start test driving them en masse tomorrow. We'll have a few dollars worth soon!

 

Yeah I guess I better hang out in OT for awhile because I don't really need change for a dollar

 

Yeah, but how else are us NooB's supposed to get our post cout up?

 

Well my car didn't rattle or make interior noise either in the first 5k.....we will see if that holds true at 40k with the 56.... after a half dozen times I just gave up on the techs ability to quiet the noises.

 

You could be like C4 and post like 6 times in a row making repeated refrences to rav4's

 

Joey, thanks for your opinions on the R50 vs R56. As a tech I know you've sat in & driven more of these cars than I ever will. Maybe I've been lucky, but my car has been trouble free. Even those Hyper Blue mirror caps have been great. Thanks for the install.

Guess it's time you got out of that SRT4 & got an R56. I'd like to see one with a warmed over turbo.

 

Joey .. Thanks a lot. Well written. Good to get input from someone who works on these and can recognize the differences that separate the old from the new. Your posting is very uplifting for those of us who are new to the Mini.

I can see though how current owners might be a little unsettled by your comments. I imagine the only thing they hear is that the earlier models are inferior (a lot of reviewers are saying that these days).

It looks to me like the earlier model was a bit rough-and-tumble relative to the R56 where everyone uses the word, "refined". I like rough-and-tumble and sometimes think that it would be cool to own, say, an R53 rather than this new machine. In a way I envy the pioneers, many of whom, I'm sure, will never buy an R56. I see it as like the difference between NASCAR drivers with their Chevys and Fords, and Champion racing drivers with their Audis and Porches. Both driving excellent cars but definitely two very different breeds.

 

In OT with the rest of us babbling idiots

 

Well I will say and have the right to say after owning a MCS for 2 1/2 years that the 07 will sure give it a run for it's money. I had the chance to mingle with a few 07 coopers and cooper s' and I will definatelly say fit and finish is a Huuuge improvement. My only complaint about the interior is the center plate / stack where the hvac controls are and where the cd player is located. It's to plain to me and I prefer the previous center stack. Other than that I think it's a great new Mini but everyone will have to form their own opinion after taking a test drive. Tomorrow's the day so let's have at it!!

 

I just saw the new MINI's up close tonight. I inspected both the MC and the MCS very closely for an hour and a half at MINI of Nashville. I did not drive either.
Here is my preliminary opinion.
1) The car has been COMPLETELY rethought. EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT.
2) The great thing is that if you weren't a MINI FREAK like everyone here, you probably wouldn't know the difference between the old and new versions and in either case, you'd definitely know it was a MINI.
3) I think in most ways the new car appears to be a better car.
4) I really don't like the center stack / speedo as much on the new MINI. I guess I'll have to get used to it.
5) The new hi-end leather interior is AWESOME!
6) I like the real wood accents.
7) The waist line is higher and it gives the impression of a larger car overall, but the top height is the same. I would like to have seen the two MINI's side by side and I'm sure that will happen soon.
8) The MCS has a SICK factory exhaust system. Looks GREAT from underneath.
That's just for starters...
My impression is that I will probably keep my Cooper for a couple of years and then trade up to a new MCS. The new MINI's don't make me like my '06 Cooper any less. The new ones are just different. I think that the change is something I will embrace. Having been a long term multi-generation Corvette owner, I've gotten accustomed to appreciating the postitive attributes each generation brought to the consumer. A new generation car doesn't make the older generations any less valid. I believe all MINI's will be collector's items down the road.

POWER to the MINI's!!!

 

Well said. I think there is way too much anxiety with the introduction of the new model. As a convertible owner it is a little less because mine is a "current" model for a couple of more years. I lust after the new MINIs, but then, I lust after all MINIs (hmmm, there is some sort of deja vu in this)

 

Both great posts. I will keep my 2003 MCS (I traded my 2002 Cooper in for her), but I am certainly interested in the next generation, and will likely add one to my "fleet."

We're all MINI enthusiasts, which is a really great thing.

 

The interior is definitely of a better finish, but the center console looked "cheap" to me.
Can't wait to test drive it.

 

Good information on driving impressions.....thanks

 

But the SC whine is one of the best parts of the MINI experience!

 

Well, you got to let the dealers make their pitches.

 

Glad you liked it.

 

ill sit back and rake in all the older aftermarket parts as people upgrade to the new car. no problem with me lol

 

I do believe the cigarette lighter is the same as in previous MINI models.

 

Does that mean the whole assembly still comes out of the console when you try to use it?

 

Didn't have this problem with the '03s!!!

 

I just got back from a local dealership. Some little things I noticed:

• The center dome light is kinda cheesy. It's just one light, no more map lights for individual rear passengers.
• The new yellow is very striking
• The thumbwheel for the temp and fan speed on the auto a/c is a little difficult to work with. The ones on the manual a/c are much better.
• The cargo net on next to the shifter on the passenger side is a nice touch.
• You can clearly see the oil filter on the Cooper. But on the Cooper S, the intake side of the turbo blocks the filter. The only way I see it is from the bottom.

Overall I like it. But I'm not gonna trade in my '05. Maybe when the warranty expires in a few years.

 

I don't blame you! As much as I admire R56, I can see there still being a strong ongoing enthusiasm for R50/53...and that's a good thing. Both models have definite strengths (that far outweigh any list of weaknesses).