Ok, now that I've got your attention, here's what I think of the R56 after an extensive test drive sans a motoring advisor. This is my personal, subjective opinion, which you all are entitled to . Oh, I don't think I've said anything new below, so if you're sick of these critiques by the uninformed, stop here. If you feel like you need to either defend the merits of the r53 or the r56 as a result of my words, please refrain. If you feel like you can change my opinion because it actually matters to you, please don't try. BUT, if you have some helpful additions or interpretations, please add them!

What is absolutely BETTER about the r56:

• Brakes - not even close
• Shifter/gearbox - not even close
• Acceleration - after 4k, this thing freaking flies
• Quality of interior materials (notice I didn't say "design")
• Overall comfort of the driving experience
• The sport button is cool (more on this later)
• The black turn signal and wiper stalks - I just loved this detail

What is not better (to me) about the r56:

• There should be no sport button - it should just drive that way, like the r53
• The car has a much taller/larger presence, both IN and OUT
• Looking at the r56 right next to an r53 for quite some time helped me see that the r56 is not ugly by any stretch of the imagination; it is, however, not what I want my MINI to look like.
• No temp gauge - sorry I think it's silly not to have it.

Driving Impressions:

• It's fast
• It stops well
• The sport button is a must
• It doesn't make any fun noises
• The rush after 4K rpm is fun
• I think I'm going faster in turns, but I can't feel it - I'm detached
• The car did not make the mundane aspects of driving fun like the r53 does
• Steering, to me, felt indirect
• It was too comfortable (sport suspension option will certainly improve this)
• Felt like I was driving a bigger car, and I was

The verdict for MINI

• This car will outsell the r53 by a wide margin
• This car will appeal to a lot of people, and fall short for much much much less (of whom I am one)

The verdict for ME:

• After my testdrive of the r53, I stepped out of the car saying, "I need to have this car - it will be mine"
• After my testdrive of the r56, I stepped out of the car saying, "I don't need this car at all, while it may be better in some aspects, MINI's version of everyman's car just didn't move me."

So, congrats to all who bought or are buying the r56. I think that if you're a true r53 lover, the r56 is going to be disappointing and unimpressive for you.

mb

Edit - forgot to mention that the stock 16 inch star design wheels look fine on the car. I don't think it needs 17 inchers as others have stated. 15s might be a different story.

 

Thank you for your impressions. I agree with most, disagree with some, but thats what opinions are for.

Thanks again.

dean.

 

And your point is?

 

Thanks for your observations and review. Very concise and to the point. I'd say it's an A+ for form.
I also felt higher up while sitting in the R56 on my test drive. I didn't fiddle too much with the seat adjustments which may have had something to do with the sense of height along with the Redwood leather seats. I felt they felt wonderful to the touch but may have helped to dampen the ride a bit and felt pumped-up. I sat in the cloth interior and felt better although did not drive it.
Jim

 

To share my impressions with you so you can agree, disagree, and generally participate in a discussion about the positive and negative aspects of MINI's new car. Sorry Sabre, maybe I should have been more explicit about that. Hope all is more clear now.

And to add clarity to the end: Yes, there are various positive aspects of the r56, but for me they don't add up to a better driving experience. Driving experience is paramount for me, but it isn't for everyone. Put simply, the seat of my pants didn't like the r56.

mb

 

I wonder if the sport button will disappear in the JCW version?

 

Lava - I asked the MA about that and he was unsure. If JCW is going to be under BMW's control now, and the example of the M division can let us in on anything, I think the sport button might stick around. I might be wrong, but I think the new M vehicles have the sport button - not 100% positive though.

mb

 

Hi mbcoops,

1. Did you drive an R56 or an R56 S?
2. What size wheels did the car have?

Do you think the sport suspension option would address your concerns?

• "I think I'm going faster in turns, but I can't feel it - I'm detached"
• "The car did not make the mundane aspects of driving fun like the r53 does"
• "Steering, to me, felt indirect"

If no, what other changes / options do you think may be needed?

Thanks!

 

When I read your post it (your opinion) seemed rather "set in stone" and it didn't take on the aspect of someone wanting to "share" and opinion for the sake of discussion.

mb wrote:

"If you feel like you need to either defend the merits of the r53 or the r56 as a result of my words, please refrain. If you feel like you can change my opinion because it actually matters to you, please don't try. BUT, if you have some helpful additions or interpretations, please add them!"


Not that I would have tried to alter your thinking as everyone is due their own opinion but your wording was abrupt and subtlety confrontational. I must admit that after reading the above, you did not appear receptive and open to discussion, as your mind seemed made-up on the subject. What could one add given the rhetoric you used?

Rather, your post seemed to be just another, in a long line of many, negative thread on the R56. It's purpose to me seemed that of "Trolling".

Now, given your explanation, I see your post in a different light. Thanks for explaining.

 

mbcoops,

You're impressions generally coincide with mine. That doesn't necessarily make your views (or mine, for that matter) any better than anyone else's. It's just nice to see that someone feels the way you (I) do. Sort of a validation.

Zip

 

Ahh, well if that is the case it will probably remain. I'm quite sure they feel they have a successful formula going.

So you are up by Princeton. I did not look at the dealer there as the PA dealers were closer. Do they sell at MRSP, or do they mark it up in that neighborhood. Wouldn't surprise me.

 

I enjoyed mbcoops review of the R56, hate me if you must but for some of the reasons mbcoops didn't like the car were the same reasons I bought this car. I am also in the minority on NAM as I ordered an MC not an S it furthur removes me from the driving experiance, but this car will still be light years ahead of anything else I've owned handling wise! Still a much more fun daily driver than most other cars out there.

 

sabre,

I believe all he was saying is that there is no need for (yet more) flaming arguments. You, or anyone else, may certainly voice your opinions, but don't challenge the original poster personally or call his momma names.


Zip

 

Just drove the '07 MCS and the following adds to my overall subjective impression of how this feels like a very different car

• controls feel softer and more indirect (I made a mistake on putting it on reverse instead of 1st because of how "smooth" it is); clutch is feather light too
• it feels like I am sitting higher above the ground but deeper inside the car
• inside feels more spacious
• I don't necessarily think that the dash components are of higher quality although the blacks make it look more classy
• center stack is not unsightly in person...I guess I expected it to be horrible
• car seems faster although I would expect this from a new car (my car feels this way after it is newly washed too)
• the rear sunroof just feels like there's more to break...I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh this fact
• controls seem too scattered and counter intuitive although I could see how one can get used to it fairly quickly
• having had 3 window motors replaced, up/down mechanism seems more solid...I hope they got a better supplier of window motors
• turn signal switch is pretty nice

I drove my 05 MCS (Pookie) to and from the dealership so I had an immediate comparison in terms of feel. As I said, these ar two very different cars. I feel so much more connected, not only with the road but also with Pookie. From this experience, I could really see how the 1st generation will be a classic. When my MA asked if I was ready to trade up, I did not even give it a second thought.

 

This is something that will no doubt appeal to the more 'typical' buyer that BMW wants so they can up their market share in this small car segment. 'Look, Marge, there's the Sport button. Do you think I should press it? <tee hee>'

Zip

 

Its milquetoast from here on out then?

 

Now I get it - I see how you interpreted it that way. The intro to my post was a sarcastic reference to another R56 testdrive thread where it got ugly quickly, and childishly in my opinion.

 

Like I said erick, now given the explanation, I see where he's coming from. Sorry if I caused a bit of a snit among the group members.

Thanks!

 

Princeton sells at MSRP. Princeton MINI has great MA's, but their service department leaves a lot to be desired (another tread).

mb

 

Well encouraging at least that they are not padding the price, given the demograhic around there ....

 

My feeling is that this post epitomizes why the r56 will greatly outsell the r53 - it is "still miles ahead" of other driving experinces, as minivoice said, but there's another population that is very used to and in love with their r53's, and those people might be unwilling to give up the the little things for the "bigger" picture

mb

 

r56 S, 16 inch wheels. Yes I think the sport suspension would help with those specific concerns (I think I mentioned that). I don't think the sport suspension would help the overall larger/taller feel of the car, but I could be wrong about that. I will definitely go drive the car when the sport suspension comes to america.

As far as other options/changes I'd like to see: I'd like to hear more, feel more, sense more, and feel more involved. If the sport suspension does that, then the r56 will really be cookin'.

mb

 

mbcoops,
Many R53 owners are use to certain aspects of how their cars handle. I agree with that and I agree that some of them believe that the MINi should handle that way. But saying they are "spoiled" implies that the R53 is better and by inference the R56 is a compromise. Even if you believe it is a better car for you I'm sure you are not implying that is a fact.
I'm just trying to head-off misunderstanding and keep this discussion on track.

 

mbcoops,

Thanks for sharing your input. It's understandable that you won't be as impressed since you already own R53. It's not enough to justify for you to upgrade since you are still enjoying your R53. I agree with you about the R53's looking more like a real mini. I think the (R56)tail lights looks too fat. Opening the hood and seeing the two holes for the lights made it look really cheap and flimsy. The wrap around windows on the R53 made the build quality look that much nicer on the R53's. I will also miss the curves on the R53's bonnets. Though I do like the more aggressive look of the R56 too. I also liked the interior of the R56's better(I drove the MCS with the Lounge Leather Red). But to me, the R56 is starting to look like a mini SUV. Kind of like a hybrid between the Porsche Cayenne and a Mini.

So my experience in driving the R53's and R56 differs from yours. After test driving the R56 last week, I fell in love with it. I really liked the torque and range of power in the R56's. It seems easier to drive than the R53's. It felt more like my BMW M3 that I currently drive. However, when I test drove the the R53's a couple years back, (even though I really liked it), I felt like I didn't need the car at all. Since I still enjoyed driving the M3, it wasn't enough to justify the upgrade. Now my '95 M3 is 12 years old and looking to upgrade(for various reasons: maintenance, MPG, etc). I can't stop thinking about the new MCS ever since the test drive.

So my question is this:

If you didn't have your R53, and in the market for a MCS, would you get the new R56 or go back to the R53's?

I am new here and I am not an experience MCS driver, so your input would greatly help. Thanks in advance.

P.S. I was also wondering what MA stands for? I know what it means in context, but I just can't seem to figure out the acronym.

 

Good point, "spoiled" is a loaded term. I'll take it out.

mb