Thanks mbcoops for the straight forward review. It would be great if everyone had you talent for expressing your opinions as opinions as opposed to opinions as if they were facts. Hopefully, others can study your style and learn from it.

Good review. The consensus amongst R53 owners seems to be that the R56 lacks the tactile/sensory qualities of the R53.

A few years back I owned a 0 - 60 in 6.4 seconds '94 Saab SE Turbo Coupe that had Z rated low profile tires. I could feel every glitch in the road, I got an extreme rush every time the turbo would finally kick in (serious turbo lag), but driving the mountain twisties was a total blast, and that car had ton's of character. I traded that in for a '98 Saab 9-5. The 9-5 was better in every way. It was fast and it handled well, it was safer, it was smoother, it was quieter, it was more reliable, but even after upgrading the exhaust system for a meaner, sportier sound it just wasn't the same. And it certainly didn't have the character of my '94. It was more, "refined".

As I see it, my '94 Saab Coupe is to your R53 S as my '98 Saab 9-5 is to the R56 S.

I'm opting for the R56, but if I was buying strictly for the excitement of the drive I'd go with the R53. I must say though, if the R56 was, "everyman's car" I wouldn't want any part of it. I think it's still the closest thing to that '94 Saab SE Coupe out there (or to the R53 for that matter).

 

I drive an R50 and after driving an R56 Cooper...no, I did not feel I had the need to trade up either. But I did like R56...it's just that I already drive a Cooper "permanently stuck in sport mode" so need is not a factor. However, if I needed another car or another MINI (which I do) or I was not a MINI owner, then yes an R56 will do nicely. Cool features, some improvements here and there...and on a Cooper sport mode helps a lot.

 

Thanks to the originator of this thread for your opinions. Your viewpoint was well stated and is completely valid.

It sounds to me like the Sport Button gives the R56 a lot of FLEXIBILITY. Leave it OFF when you're out on a freeway drive and it will be a bit more middle of the road with better gas mileage; put it ON when you get on the two lane twisties. With the new engine giving a decent percent of better gas mileage, taking a bit of a loss with the Sport Button ON seems like no big deal. Sounds like FLEXIBILITY to me.
A friend of mine who has owned a lot of performance cars and motorcycles did a test drive in an MCS with sport suspension and 17" wheels. He stated that he thought he might have scared the MA when he took the car to a fairly good speed and pitched it into a sharp turn. He truly expected that something would break loose. Instead, he states that he just stayed into the throttle and the car simply made the sharp turn seem easy and stuck like it was on rails. No noticeable body roll or anything like that. Just BAM right through the corner. He also stated that the six speed box was smoother than any tranmission he had every driven with, rattling off a bunch of Euro and Japanese brands with this statement. He was extremely impressed with how the car had so much torque and just JUMPED to redline so easily in the lower gears. Yeah, he's ordering one. In fact, after I told him the spec on my (STILL WAITING DUE TO THE STEERING WHEEL MIXUP AND A REORDER) 07 MCS, he said it was scarey how close our specs were, right down to color. His car and mine both came in around $25k. We went with the performance stuff and left off the packages. He is going with 17"s, I stuck with 16".
BTW, he made no mention of the Sport Button, so assume he drove the entire test drive without it being ON.
Well, back to WAITING.

 

That's my feelings too Ken, although I never owned a '94 SAAB SE Turbo Coupe. I think it's a good analogy though.

 

I suspect the "sport mode" button is BMW trying to get some sort of return on their investment of the "M" button technology.

 

That is true - I'm so used to the r53 that the r56 really does feel like it will appeal to every man. Ha, I even called my dad after the test drive and said, "Dad, I think you'll like this one!" (he's into softer cars these days - e46 3 series as an example). I suppose the truth is that even the r56 will be too sharply edged a driving experience for much of the masses, and not sharply edged enough for a few (like me).

Thanks for the Saab analogy - BMW is certainly not going down a "road less traveled" with the r56. One could use the e30 vs. e36 3 series analogy, but right off the bat the r56 seems to have higher quality materials in use, and this was NOT the case with the e36.

mb

 

I have the sport suspension and while not as soft as non-sport, it still feels a bit detached and it is also 'too comfortable' compared to my 04 R53.

I drove both back-to-back this morning (R53 MCS/JCW * R56 MCS) Two totally different feelings. In the R53, I feel every tiny change in the steering, the R56 feels isolated, cushy, softer (looking for just the right word here).
The sport button helps the steering feel a bit but not close to the R53.
The throttle response with the sport button shows you just how quick this turbo is! It also increases the torque steer opportunities. Accelerating out of a turn in sport mode requires that you pay extra attention to how tightly you are holding on to the wheel. I have had the torque surprise me once or twice so far.

As to the rest of the mbcoops review, I would agree. This model may sell more cars for MINI. The most noticeable difference to me was how quiet the new turbo motor is. No whine, no loud exhaust, no burble, just a low hum.

I really like my R56, It will be a great car for daily commuting, errands and the occasional road trip. I kept the R53 for the track days and weekends when I feel like terrorizing the local back roads. I feel very fortunate that I can have both. Now I don't have to decide what to do if I had to have only one MINI.

 

Is any part of the difference you describe above attributable to different size wheels and/or different tires?

 

MBCoops,

Given the comments you have made about the R56 I think you might be the right person to buy my 1987 BMW 325iS. It's set up to compete in DSP in Solo II, or to use on the track. Its modifications provide the driver with an ever so clear sense of what the car is doing, and nothing is isolated from the driver.

If you drive over a dime you can tell if it is heads or tails. No bump goes unheeded. And, if you like low, you will be thrilled.

I'm fortunate in that I have never driven an R53, so I won't have to worry that my R56 is not such a good car in the ways you have pointed out.

Just let me know when you'd like to take delivery.

Cheers,
Joe

 

The only difference is the R53 had 215/40/17 and the R56 has 215/45/17 but both are the same tire. The difference is beyond what a tire can make. Really hard to explain. You just have to feel it. I don't see any body roll but the sensations tell you that there should be some. Tight, level cornering without the harshness. Weird.

Just like mbcoops, its possible that the R56 is actually faster in the corners, it just feels different, not bad, different.
I would guess that after I have a few thousand miles in the R56, it will feel natural but now its a new feeling.
I am really really happy with the R56 though. It is everything I wanted it to be. Quick, comfortable but totally stable, neat new gadgets to play with (even though the radio has still got me confused) and the gas mileage is better that my R53. Calculated 26mpg on second fill up.

 

Thanks Mbcoops. I have an R53 and don't plan to part with it. Those who have had or driven an R53 and still purchased an R56 - good luck and I hope you like it.

There is something special about the "old" R53\s. After all they are the REALLY MCS (S as in Supercharged) and not the new MCT (as in Turbo) - Not that there's anything wrong with that. :-)

Happy motoring.

 

This whole debate reminds me when BMW went from the E30 3 series (Akin to the R53) to the 1992 E36 3 series (akin to R56).

 

Unless you were kidding, throw me a price! I used to take my e30 325e to the track, and I loved it loved it loved it. I always lusted after the iS models, and, of course, the M3s.

mb

 

As far as driving dynamics go, I agree with you. But the e36 was also a noticable step down in overall quality and quality of materials, and we can observe that so far this is not the case for the r56; the car seems to use higher quality parts in the interior. Time will only tell if the r56 turns out to be the reliability nightmare many (not all) e36's turned out to be.

mb

 

Depending what you choose to believe of the MINI/Mini history and lore... the S either stood for "Sport"... or it stood for nothing at all other than a simple model designator.

Since Mini never made a supercharged vesion, but they made plenty of S cars, I don't believe there is any historic presedence to suggest it has ever stood for "superchaged".

So, the R56s is still a MCS.

Just a funny quote to give a little perpective on the whole R53/R56 evolution:

"It’s enormous — the original Mini was the best packaged car of all time — this is an example of how not to do it… it’s huge on the outside and weighs the same as an Austin Maxi. The crash protection has been taken too far. I mean, what do you want, an armoured car? It is an irrelevance in so far as it has no part in the Mini story." - Dr. Alex Moulton, designer of the suspension system for the original classic Mini, speaking about the new (2002) BMW/MINI in an interview with MiniWorld magazine.

 

Driving home tonight in a fairly treacherous midwest snow and ice storm, I felt at one with my R53 MCS. I mean, it's hard to explain, but I knew exactly what my MINI was doing. I even loved hearing the sound of the snow and ice hitting the underside... a sort of symphony of low ground clearance! With those in this thread who feel a disconnection.... I wonder how I'd feel in an R56 under the same circumstances?

 

I guess you'll just have to ask again in a year or so when the R56 owners out there have the same opportunity to see if they can establish that same feeling with their cars.

Until then... it's purely speculative.

If you want speculation, though... I would offer that after driving the new car pretty hard yesterday, I don't think it's going to take much to get the "softer" edge on the new MINI honed to scalpel sharpness.

 

I am in the same boat as you. I am ordering an MC, not an MCS. High powered front drive cars are not fun to me. The MCS I test drove was a bit scary to hold in its lane while really stirring through the gears.

But, as someone who has never owned, or driven an MC, my opinion is a bit different than the original poster, as it is not a comparitive one.

Right now, the only comment I will make is I have heard a lot about the 'go kart' handling of the car. After my two test drives, I think the handling is more 'slot car' oriented. Seems to go where it is pointed with no fuss, no muss.

 

I did a bit of re-thinking about the comparison between my R53 and R56. Since the 04 MCS/JCW is so 'not stock', most of the suspension bits are aftermarket, any comparison to a stock 07 R56 is totally bogus. Please disregard any previous post where I (screen name Vader) posted any comparisons between the two. The only way to give a fair comparison would be to drive a new 06 R53 and a new 07 R56 back to back.

I will say this about the R56. I was out late yesterday after work on some of my favorite twisties and now that I am beginning to trust the R56, the cornering is really good but I can feel the factory installed 'push' in every corner. It needs a rear bar to loosen it up a bit.

 

I disagree. It quashes anyone foolish enough to think an R56S will take on a modded R53S, Works car or GP. As silly as it sounds, I've read it elsewhere.

Stock v. stock is the only fair comparison... and it takes some seat time and pushing of both cars to really see what they're made of.

 

Vader - by 'push' do you mean some understeer?

 

Mbcoops, thank you for the great write up. I could not put it in any way better!!!


I am a newbie too. I was agonizing for months over the R53 vs the R56. Last week, after test driving both car back to back, I went with the 2006 mini cooper S. I just didn't feel the THRILL in the R56. Even got $1200 off MSRP. I am one happy camper

 

IMO, I 100% agree with you.!

 

You're welcome, and I'm glad you got what you wanted. It's a pretty cool time right now where people can get two different NEW cars (06 would have to be on the lot, so no personalization). This won't last long.

mb

 

mbcoops, I agree with you 100%--I'm in the same camp with you. I prefer the R53, but not to the extent that I wouldn't buy an R56 if the R53 wasn't available, or after my R53 JCW dies (although I'd hold out for the JCW R56. Here's hoping it doesn't have a sport button).

The only thing I'd add that I don't think was mentioned are a couple of plusses in the R56's favor:

1. The seats. The R56 seats are much, much more comfortable than the R53's.

2. Although overall I prefer the R53's exterior, I do like the grill on R56 MC--about the only thing I don't like about the R53 is the split upper grill. Just doesn't look right. However, I don't like the honeycomb grill on the R56 MCS, but I bet its only a matter of time until either OEM or aftermarket slats are available.

I agree with you wholeheartedly that the changes of the R56 will result in BMW selling significantly more R56's than R53's--that was BMW's design all along--increase profitability (They've cut costs--in a number of ways, and I don't mean this in the sense that its cheapened the car--the entire front assembly, for example, is preassembled, cutting down substantially on the time the car is on the assembly line), and increase appeal to the everyday driver, with the end result being increased sales. I think they've done a pretty good job with it; the R56, in a way, is BMW's well-deserved efforts capatilize on the popularity of the R53, build on it, and for the first time, enjoy meaningful profitability on the MINI line. Although I prefer the R53, the R56 is still 100% MINI, and its only going to increase the popularity of the brand.

My only concern with the R56 is the first year reliability--looking at posts from across the pond, its similar to when the R53 came out--it took a few years to work the bugs out. I fear the same will happen with the R56; hopefully BMW can get the reliability up quicker than it took on the R53.